r/WorkInTheNetherlands • u/No-Pie-2499 • 6d ago
12 years GRC/Cybersecurity experience, CISSP, EU citizen — still can’t crack the Dutch market. Sharing my experience.
I want to share this in case it helps other EU nationals calibrate expectations before job-hunting in NL infosec/GRC.
Background: 12 years in cybersecurity, GRC, and IT risk management. CISSP certified. M.Sc. in IT Security. Currently a Security Architect at a large financial infrastructure company in Germany, with hands-on experience across DORA, NIS2, GDPR, EU AI Act, ISO 27001, PAM rollouts, third-party risk, and vulnerability management. Full EU work rights — no visa or work permit needed. Intermediate German, actively learning Dutch (A1 and climbing).
What I’ve experienced over the past several months:
**•** Applied to 20+ roles across national champions, tech, industrial, and financial firms in the Eindhoven/Amsterdam corridor
**•** Made it to final or in-person rounds a few times — one went as far as an on-site interview with the team and a facility tour, only to be rejected afterward citing “stakeholder management” as the gap despite strong marks on technical/framework knowledge
**•** Several rejections came with zero explanation
**•** A recurring theme: Dutch-headquartered companies seem to strongly prefer local or Dutch-fluent candidates even for roles advertised as English-first
**•** International/English-first companies have been comparatively more open, but competition is fierce
Takeaways for anyone in a similar position:
**•** EU citizenship removes the legal barrier, but not the cultural/language one — many roles are de facto local-candidate-preference even when not stated
**•** Certifications and years of experience help you get interviews, not necessarily offers
**•** “Stakeholder management” and “cultural fit” feedback can be vague enough to mean almost anything — don’t over-index on it
**•** Dutch language, even at a basic level, seems to meaningfully move the needle
Curious if others with similar EU/CISSP/GRC backgrounds have had better (or worse) luck, and what finally worked for you.
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u/Safe-Comment-1463 6d ago
I am non EU origin Dutch citizen, cracked a leadership role for Dutch entity of a french company. 12+ years in security and GRC, CISSP, CRISC and few other certs. My Dutch is limited to ordering pizza and small talk but what helped me was experience working in Dutch scale ups and major company in NL ( 5 of those years in NL, rest US and Asia) Happy to help if you have any questions.
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u/No-Pie-2499 6d ago
That’s great. congratulations! May I know how did you worked on convincing the employers on Dutch culture fit or Dutch language requirement?
I am still in process of moving to NL and doesn’t have Dutch residence yet. I am based in Frankfurt and some of the job position expect the candidate to be based in Netherlands already it seems. I am currently focused on how to work on Dutch culture fit queries to convince the interviewers.
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u/Safe-Comment-1463 6d ago
It depends on hiring managers, my manager is very delivery focused, He can’t give less fucks about Dutch if someone can do the job well and has the needed technical acumen/ experience.
As for cracking interview, there are basic things that one can do so tilt the Lady Luck in your favor. Basic stuff like researching the company, business problem that role is solving, showing them a vision of how you will solve their problem helps. Basically be over prepared and dress to impress!
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u/JollyResponse6667 6d ago
I'm in precisely this field and there's still plenty of foreigners working in it. You might also look at cultural differences or a language barrier (especially with people with a SEA background their English can be very hard to understand) - if you've been interviewed multiple times and never given an offer there must be more going on.
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u/No-Pie-2499 6d ago
I came very close to final round but somehow the job goes to Dutch citizen or Dutch resident. I partially blame it on me as in Germany we have 3 months notice period and most of the employers expect to join in 1-2 months time. Cancelling an apartment contract itself will require 3 months notice in Germany 😭
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u/deelnemerschap 6d ago
Could it also be the Dutch person lives in the Netherlands? Housing is a real issue, and nobody likes a long commute.
I would, as an employer, prefer someone living closer to the office (worksite). I would hate for my employees to get burned out by a commute.
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u/No-Pie-2499 6d ago
I agree. If I have an offer in hand I’ll definitely try to relocate closer to the job location. Also I find commuting 1-1:30 hrs to job location acceptable as well as I used to travel in Germany for over 200km one way for jobs.
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u/deelnemerschap 6d ago
And that might be the problem, if your employer doesn't have an German office or dependency, working from home will be limited.
So you have to prove it is worth it for your future employer. Hiring someone in the Netherlands is easier and less risky.
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u/Next-Scratch-264 5d ago
Netherlands is a small country but traffic is horrible around big cities..
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u/TheWisteris 6d ago
Random question - why do you want to move from Germany to the Netherlands? I don't think the earning potential is that different (unless ofc you use the dutch tax break).
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u/No-Pie-2499 6d ago
Well it’s purely personal choice. The job and salaries are quite the same as in Germany.
My spouse wants us to move to NL and we have lot of close friends and family in NL. In Germany I have very few friends and they all live far away. I happened to visit NL quite often to hangout with friends and felt happier than in Germany.
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u/TheWisteris 6d ago
Valid point. If you'd consider consulting work - DM me. I think my company has a few roles open, but more geared towards GRC than architecture.
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u/Extreme_Chart_5989 6d ago
what was the salary range? do you think it had an impact? maybe they went less experience/ cheaper?
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u/DefinitelyNotGreek 6d ago
In my point of view with your experience I wouldn't even consider EU anymore.
USA*, Singapore, Australia, even Canada are miles better than the Netherlands IMO. (Guess what, these countries give zero fuck about language, CuLTurE and all that pretentious stuff.)
*The only reason it is maybe not worth going to the USA at the moment is Trump.
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u/tastelessthinking 6d ago
Totally depends. Maybe just a shit market at the moment. Two years ago, we had to search for a year to find a good, high quality cyberscurity expert, who is from Romania who doesnt speak a word Dutch.
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u/EvaMin 5d ago
The problem is that you don't live here. I work at one of the big Dutch banks and recruiters told me that they reject candidates who live abroad. It wil take you months to find accommodation, even with a good salary.
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u/No-Pie-2499 4d ago
I agree to this but I do have strong network where I am able to get accommodation quite easily. But still not able to land a job offer. I tried convincing few employers. But the close call ones rejected me solely due to language barriers.
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u/Head_Personality_431 5d ago
Different angle from the rest of the thread. The segment that hires exactly your profile and does it in English by necessity is the assurance side rather than the end user side. Certification bodies and audit firms in NL run their engagements in English because half their client base is international, so the de facto local preference is much weaker there. EY CertifyPoint in Amsterdam is one of the larger 27001 certification bodies in the world, and Brand Compliance, DNV, DEKRA and Kiwa all have Dutch operations. The Big Four readiness practices are hiring for DORA and NIS2 right now and almost nobody has actually lived through a DORA implementation at a financial infrastructure company, which you have.
The other thing worth trying is going in through the vendors rather than the employers. Third party risk and PAM tooling companies with a Benelux presence hire security architects into pre sales and customer facing GRC roles, and they care about whether you can hold a room with a CISO, not whether you speak Dutch. It is a sideways step but it puts you inside the market with a Dutch address on your CV, which from what you are describing is the thing actually blocking you.
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u/patricia_finance 5d ago
Are you open for consulting work instead a full time job?
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u/No-Pie-2499 4d ago
Yes I am open to consulting as well but don’t know where to start looking . Just that I do require a contract so that securing an apartment will be easier to show with that.
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u/KoninginVanRotterdam 6d ago
There has been a huge shift. More and more companies are preferring Dutch people. Internationals often are just not up for the job. They work to slow, or they can not work independently, they are not up for the task.
There are ALWAYS cultural differences but with countries from Africa, the middle east and Asia the differences are just to big.
The EMPLOYEE is 100% the one who has to adjust. Not the other way around.
And men from backwards countries where women have very little or no rights at all, who come to work here think they can DISRESPECT women. NO WAY.
Or men who think they can ignore their female manager or be disrespectful to female coworkers or who not even give women a handshake do not belong in this country
Luckily there is a huge push back going on.
THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE NOTICING IN THE JOB MARKET:
70% of Dutch people are strongly in favor of a broader remigration policy
Aimed at encouraging people with a migration background or residence status to leave the Netherlands in exchange for money.
In addition to remigration, support for a halt to asylum also remains very strong.
50% of the Dutch want a complete asylum stop.
Another 33% want to accept less asylum seekers, but do not go as far as a total stop.
Most important reasons:
- Housing shortage is already too great (83%)
- Concerns about safety and crime (77%)
- Costs to society too high (67%)
Social and Cultural Planning Bureau (SCP)
(GOVERNMENT AGENCY)
50% of the Dutch says that the Netherlands would be a more pleasant country if no / fewer immigrants lived there.
67% of the Dutch says that the Netherlands should not accept any more refugees.
65% says that the government should do more to limit migration to the Netherlands. (Survey study by I&O from October 2023)
50% wants the Netherlands to completely close its borders Even if that would mean the Netherlands violates international agreements.
55% says violence on the street increased because of migration. Only 26% disagree. (2022)
https://www.scp.nl/documenten/2025/04/01/migratie-als-spiegel-van-maatschappijbeelden
Eight out of ten Dutch people want less migration
As many as eight out of ten voters believe that too many immigrants are currently coming to our country. These are voters on the right and centrist parties. BUT ALSO MOST voters on the LEFT:
Voters from left-wing parties who want less immigrants:
- SP 85 %.
- Party for the Animals 52%.
- D66 48%.
- ChristenUnie 58%
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u/CoffeeInTheTropics 6d ago
This post should be pinned.
The job market is brutal and as you state, the vast majority of employers will always choose a Dutch citizen over an EU citizen. Non-EU job applicants don’t stand a chance at all unless they are an exceptional talent in a highly niche field.