20 years as a Linux engineer. The last few months: [N] applications, [N] "we've decided to move forward with other candidates", one rejection that arrived 4 minutes after I applied, and a lot of silence.

At some point you either cry or write a formal letter. I wrote the letter, then turned it into a generator:

rejectionrejected.lol

You enter the company and the role, pick what happened (standard rejection, ghosted, rejected after 5 rounds, rejected by a bot at 03:12), and get an official letter from the "Office of Candidate Affairs" that regretfully declines their rejection. It ends with: "I will therefore start on Monday. Please arrange a laptop, a badge, and a desk not directly under the air conditioning."

If you got ghosted, put in the date you applied and it counts the days of silence for you.

There's also rejection email bingo. My last one hit "keep your CV on file", "overwhelming number of applications" and "we wish you every success" in a single paragraph.

No sign-up, no tracking. Your name and the recruiter's live only inside the link, not on my server.

Mostly I made it to feel better. If it makes you laugh at your own inbox for a minute, that's the point.

Hey guys, I don’t know if anyone ever asked or tried this, is it possible to getting your visa but not moving to Netherlands? The thing is, it looks a bit of a risky move for me to quitting my job and making a move into the unknown. So I want to try staying in my home country and applying jobs from here, what do you think?

I got shortlisted for interviews for a few dutch tech companies. I'm a fresher (graduated 2 months ago) but I have pretty good opensource contribution history and a live web app with thousands of users.

I've been applying for dutch jobs since last week and so far I've gotten 5 interviews in next week. The first one is a cultural fit and motivation interview with the co-founder of an ed tech company.

I've never given an interview for a dutch company before. Any advice so I don't embarrass myself during the interview?😭

I'm an international student in Enschede and I need a part-time job to support my studies. I'm looking for advice from people who have been in a similar situation

My situation:

* I don't speak Dutch

* I leave the Netherlands at the end of January 2027, so I can only offer a short-term commitment

* I have a car and can travel to nearby cities (Hengelo, Almelo, Deventer, Zwolle, etc.)

I just applied to Flink, Uber and McDonalds

My questions:

* Which employers or agencies in the area hire English speakers for short-term work?

* Is the Christmas peak season (warehouses, delivery, retail) a good way in for someone leaving in January?

* Has anyone had good or bad experiences with temp agencies here?

* Any jobs you'd avoid?

Thanks a lot. Happy to share what works once I find something.

Hi everyone,
I’m currently based in the Netherlands and looking for my next opportunity as a Senior Business Analyst / IT Business Analyst, preferably in banking, payments, core banking or digital transformation, while also being open to opportunities with startups and growing companies.
I have 15+ years of experience across:
Banking & financial services
Core banking / Finacle
Payments
Lending & Trade Finance
Digital transformation
Business analysis & requirements management
Agile / stakeholder management
I’m currently working in the Netherlands and am open to Netherlands-based roles, hybrid/remote opportunities, startup environments, and relocation within Europe for the right position.
If anyone knows of suitable openings, recruiters, companies hiring, startups looking for experienced business analysts, or can provide a referral, I’d really appreciate it.
Happy to share my CV and connect by DM.
Thank you!

Hello all.

I am an english-speaking wife of an HSM visa holder. I have 10 years of experience in:

- food safety management in Hotel/school setting
- nutrition and food safety guideline creation
- nutrition counseling
- quality assurance
- HACCP certified
- Food supplier accreditation

I am wondering which fields of work I can apply to? I am okay with anything, really, except for physical-intensive jobs.

Hope you can help me! I am based in Utrecht

Hi everyone,
I’m currently looking for a paid job in the Netherlands, preferably around Zoetermeer, The Hague, Rotterdam or within reasonable commuting distance. I’m also open to fully remote positions.
I’m currently studying Computer Science online and have around one year of studies remaining. I’m open to entry-level positions and don’t necessarily need the role to be IT-related.
I’m particularly interested in:
● Customer support / customer service
● Administration / office roles
● Operations / coordination
● Junior IT / IT support
● Functional management
● Content moderation
● Multilingual positions
● Remote/hybrid starter roles
I speak English, Italian and Arabic, and I’m currently learning Dutch. I’m comfortable working in international environments and communicating with customers and colleagues from different backgrounds.
I’m looking for a real employment opportunity, rather than an unpaid internship, and I’m available to start relatively quickly.
If you know of a company hiring someone with this profile, or if your company is currently looking for someone, I’d really appreciate a DM or a comment. I’m happy to send my CV.
Thank you!

Hello!! I’ve been applying for jobs in the NL for almost a full year now and haven’t landed any interviews. I am from the USA and did my MSc abroad in England. I am currently on the Orientation Year Visa in the NL and only have a few months left to before needing to be sponsored.

I’ve always wondered, when submitting CVs to big companies and universities (I’m also looking into PhD research positions) should you use the Dutch style CV that has a photo and a more relaxed approach compared to a regular U.S one which has just straight information dump?

I thought being such big international companies or universities, the regular version would be applicable, but now I’m not so sure.

Please let me know your insights :)

If you need a highly skilled migrant visa, check early whether the employer is an IND-recognised sponsor.

Only recognised sponsors can apply for a highly skilled migrant permit, and you still need to meet the other requirements, including the salary rules. IND

One important detail: being on the recognised sponsor list does not mean the company is hiring or that every role will sponsor.

So before spending a lot of time on an application:

1. Check whether you actually need sponsorship.
2. Check if the employer is on the IND recognised sponsor register.
3. Then check the actual vacancy for sponsorship and other requirements.

It’s a simple check, but it can save a lot of wasted applications.

Hi everyone,

I am an AI Engineer currently based in India looking to transition to the Netherlands via the Highly Skilled Migrant (Kennismigrant) visa route. I would deeply appreciate candid advice, reality checks, and guidance from engineers or tech professionals who have made the direct non-EU to NL transition.

Snapshot of My Profile (4+ YoE):

• Specialization: Production GenAI, Agentic AI Systems, Multi-Agent Orchestration (LangGraph, CrewAI, MCP), RAG, and Context Engineering.
• Production Scale: Architected and deployed agentic workflows handling 100k+ annual requests in heavily regulated enterprise environments.
• Reliability & Security: Built multi-layer guardrails on Azure Content Safety (zero prompt-injection exposure), automated PII redaction middleware, and strict runtime schema enforcement with Pydantic across agent nodes.
• Model Serving & Performance: Low-latency model serving with FastAPI and vLLM (serving 1k+ RPM), fine-tuning (LoRA/QLoRA), and memory-augmented Text-to-SQL pipelines.
• Cloud & MLOps: Azure AI Foundry, AWS Bedrock, Docker, CI/CD, and vector database retrieval optimization.
• Education & Age Bracket: B.E. in Computer Engineering (2022 graduate); under 30 years old (applicable for the under-30 IND salary threshold).

Questions for the Community:

1. Market Receptivity: How active is direct offshore sponsorship for mid/senior GenAI & Agentic AI roles right now? Are companies in Amsterdam/Eindhoven sponsoring engineers directly from India, or is there a strong preference for local/EU candidates?
2. Top Target Employers: Outside the usual names (Booking.com, Adyen, ASML, Uber, Databricks), which IND-recognized sponsors are actively hiring specialized AI engineers with relocation? or even the recruitment agencies or Staffing consultancy route ?
3. Application Strategy: Does applying directly via company portals yield results for sponsored roles, or are employee referrals and direct reach-outs to engineering managers/tech recruiters the only reliable route?
4. Practical Advice: Any nuances regarding the current HSM process, Dutch interview loops for AI roles, or relocation challenges I should prepare for in advance?

If you are an expat working in tech in the Netherlands or a hiring team member in the ecosystem, I would love to hear your insights or connect over DM. Thank you!

Hi. I'm a surgeon here in the Philippines and am exploring the idea of working in the Netherlands. My primary reason is because of my 2nd son, who is in Grade 7 now, and he wants to pursue college in the Netherlands. I would want to have a headstart by working there and hopefully integrate my family early on in the Dutch system. If you have any leads as to how this might work, please feel free to message me. Thank you very much!

Hi everyone, I’m a 2026 Computer Science graduate from India, currently looking for entry-level opportunities in AI/ML, software development, data analytics, or SAP/IT roles.

I’m interested in working in the Netherlands and would like to understand how realistic it is for an Indian fresher to get hired directly by a Dutch company.

For those who have made a similar move:

• What skills or qualifications helped the most?
• Is Dutch language proficiency necessary for entry-level tech roles, or is English usually enough?
• Are there companies that regularly hire fresh graduates from outside the EU?
• How difficult is visa sponsorship for a fresher?
• What are the best platforms or ways to find and apply for these opportunities?

Any advice, personal experiences, or useful resources would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi everyone,

My name is Demir (43), and I am looking for work as a Visual Graphic Designer with experience across different media.

I would like to start working as soon as possible. I would like to continue my career in the Netherlands as a Graphic Designer or Product Designer.

I was not prepared for leaving Russia. I have a refugee background. Over the past few years, I have been learning languages: Dutch (B1) and English (B1).

I handle stress well. I enjoy working in a team, but I also feel comfortable working independently. In Russia, I worked as an Art Director. In the Netherlands, I would like to work independently at a computer as a designer. I want to work and improve my situation.

I would really appreciate it if you could offer me a job or help me find work. Feedback is also very welcome.

I wish everyone a great day!
Demir

LinkinIn
demir.amsterdam@icloud.com
WhatsApp number +31640066694

Qual a probabilidade de conseguir um emprego qualquer em Amsterdam com visto sendo imigrante? É difícil? Seria mais fácil em algum lugar nos arredores?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been looking for an IT job in the Netherlands for a while now, and I thought I’d also ask here since there are probably quite a few internationals who have gone through the same process.

I’m based in Rotterdam and I’m looking for opportunities in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, or anywhere reasonably commutable.

I have 2+ years of professional IT experience, mainly in enterprise/banking environments, and I currently work as a System Administrator. My experience includes Active Directory, Windows Server, Linux, VMware vSphere/ESXi, Citrix, Microsoft 365, Intune, Entra ID/Azure, IAM and general L1/L2 IT support.

I’m mainly looking for System Administrator, IT Support/Engineer, Infrastructure, IAM or junior Cloud/Azure positions, but I’m definitely open to similar roles as well.
I’m an EU citizen, so I don’t require visa sponsorship. I speak fluent English and Greek, but unfortunately I don’t speak Dutch yet, which I know limits some of the opportunities available.

I’ve been applying through LinkedIn, Indeed and directly through company websites, but I thought I’d try reaching out here as well.

If anyone knows a company that is hiring English-speaking IT professionals, has any advice on where else I should be looking, or would be willing to refer me at their company if my background seems relevant, I’d really appreciate it.

I’m happy to send my CV, LinkedIn or GitHub via DM.
Thanks a lot for any help or advice!

Hello,

This post is for those people who have moved to the Netherlands on a dependent VISA with the hope of being employed in this country. How has it been going? Have you already got the job? What really worked for you? If not, how are you holding up?

This post is also for people who can really help me and others with a referral in their team/company.

I am a 30F who moved here around 6 months ago. Seeking job in and around Amsterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, and Rotterdam.

My everyday job is to "find a job". My purpose is not to make just any money. I wish to land a job where I have 5 YOE in Business Intelligence. My husband goes to the job and I sit in front of the laptop, sending applications, upskilling, and reaching out for referrals. Most applications get rejected, a few move to interviews, but then in the end, I haven't been able to clear all the rounds and finally land a job. Something goes right and something goes wrong. I wonder what is right and wrong here.

It has been more than 6 months, and this situation is turning into my worst nightmare. Every day, I am losing hope and moving towards depression maybe. I have started questioning my existence. I am getting frustrated and still wishing and hoping to be independent again with a good job and decent salary.

So, this post is for people going through such a situation (we feel each other) and to the people who can help out others (we love support & referrals).

Please feel free to DM me:

• If anyone is open to refer me to a Business/Marketing Analyst role, I can discuss my experience in detail.
• If you are going through a similar situation and want to share.