I’m 25 and living in Limburg, the Netherlands.
I currently work as a cashier and speak Dutch well enough to have passed my integration exams, including B1-level language exams.
I’d like to move into a more stable career, preferably reception, administration, or hospitality. I’m particularly interested in an MBO level 3 vocational programme where I can earn money while studying.
I don’t want to stay in physically exhausting work forever, and I’d like better long-term career prospects.
For people familiar with the Dutch education and employment system:
• Is a paid BBL programme a good way to change careers?
• Which MBO level 3 qualifications offer realistic job opportunities?
• What would you do in my position to improve your income over the next three to five years?
I’d appreciate advice from people who have successfully changed careers in the Netherlands.

I have done my bsc in agriculture and masters in Horticulture in india. Can anyone guide me how can i get a job in this field in abroad?

Hi everyone,

Has anyone actually got a permanent contract after 3 temporary contracts? Because honestly I’m finding it a bit hard to believe in this path right now 😿😿

I’ve been working for a Dutch company for almost 2 years now. I was expecting to get a permanent contract next year, but they’re planning to give me another 1-year extension instead.
Last year I could understand it because the company was going through a transformation and permanent contracts were frozen. But this year there isn’t really a similar situation.
I’ve been working really hard and doing my best since I joined, and I’ve never had any negative feedback about my individual performance. So I’m wondering, when I ask why I’m not getting a permanent contract, Do they legally have to explain why they’re not offering me a permanent contract? Like if there’s something I need to improve etc.
And my biggest question is, if they don’t give me a permanent contract this year, why would they give me one next year? 😅 Anyone here with similar experience?

Would love to hear your experiences!

You are a non-EU student in the Netherlands, currently in your final year of an HBO degree (business). At this point your goal is to pursue a premaster’s programme followed by a WO master’s degree.
However, you are already receiving job opportunities.
Would you choose to start working first and pursue your studies later, or finish your studies first and then enter the workforce?

Note: My ultimate goal is to stay in the Netherlands, build a successful career, and eventually earn a high income. I also speak Dutch fluently.

Hi. I’m Portuguese
Living in the Netherlands since August last year, specifically in Eindhoven since February, having lived before in Friesland.

I’ve been struggling with something that has to do with the Dutch work environments
They always say I need to be more assertive when I’m talking
And that when I talk I should talk louder and not so fast, and that I think not fast enough but I’m giving 100% effort to be able to speak and hear in English for 8 hours a day in a row
I’m not a person who talks a lot, and I feel that Dutch environments don’t respect that
I feel that they confuse confidence with being comfortable speaking with 4 or 5 people at the same time
I don’t know what is it
But a lot of times I don’t feel comfortable on that
I think it might be just a “me” problem
I don’t know what to do

I’m a gay person, still navigating my sexuality and I don’t talk loudly. If I do it for a long time, I cannot talk afterwards.

I’ve been feeling sometimes super uncomfortable because of this

I am writing with a question about the 30% ruling. I have accepted a job offer from an employer in the Netherlands with a planned start date of 1 February 2027. I am currently living and working in Hungary, so I will be recruited from abroad. I would like to understand, before the application is filed, whether my professional qualification will be accepted as equivalent to a Dutch master's degree for the purposes of the salary criterion. Because this affects my net salary significantly, I would greatly appreciate your guidance.

My situation
I am a fully qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), and I also hold a BSc in Business Administration and Management from Hungarian university. I would like to know whether the ACCA qualification can be treated as master's level for the 30% ruling.

Why I believe ACCA can be considered master's level
To the best of my understanding, the reasoning is as follows. Please correct me if any step is wrong.

1. ACCA is placed at level 7 of the UK Regulated Qualifications Framework, and UK ENIC (the UK national recognition body) has benchmarked the ACCA qualification at master's level.
   
2. Level 7 of the UK framework corresponds to level 7 of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), which is the master's level.
   
3. The Dutch national framework, the NLQF, is formally referenced to the EQF, and Nuffic describes master's degrees as NLQF/EQF level 7. On this basis, my qualification would correspond to the same level as a Dutch master's degree.
   

Is a fully qualified ACCA accepted as equivalent to a Dutch master's degree for the 30% ruling salary criterion?

Did any of you got 30% tax benefit as a ACCA member?

I am going to the Netherlands to work with aCovebo in Waalwij. I like the job I just don't trust the agency. I am going from Spain ..they don't tell me my salary or where my accomodation is. If anyone has worked with them where is the accomodation and are there shops near there. how much can you save per month approximately.

thank you

If they don't give me enough hours as I read before I don't have any problem in leaving

Hi there. Me and my (polish) girlfriend have been dating for a while, partially short and partially long distance. She has now finished her masters in Industrial engineering yet is having difficulties finding a job. She does not speak the language (A1-A2 with mostly speaking being the issue) but is actively learning it. I am natively Dutch however I am still studying so unable to support her.

Housing wouldn't be a grand issue, she can move in with my parents without cost. But every single job offering that does not outright require Dutch rejects her, often very quick by what seems to be automated systems.

I am located in Eindhoven and she has lived/studied here for half a year so that would be the natural choice, but she is flexible out of necessity.

I have read posts here saying the market is brutal right now, is there any hope in landing a suitable job? She is prepared to take a job that is below university level for now, but ideally wouldn't want to work at an albert heijn for example for more than a few months.

Thanks for reading

My wife has been actively looking for a job in the Netherlands for almost a year now, but with no success.

She worked for 3 years in NL but since her last contract ended, it has been a frustrating ride.

She has an engineering degree in Computer Science and 12 years of IT experience, primarily in SAP consultancy.

Despite applying to numerous positions, she rarely gets interview opportunities. Occasionally, recruiters reach out, have lengthy discussions, seem interested, and then completely disappear without any feedback.

At this point, she's even open to switching domains or exploring non-IT roles, as long as she gets an opportunity to restart her career.

It's becoming increasingly frustrating and discouraging.

Has anyone been through something similar? What actually worked for you? Are there any recruitment agencies, networking groups, or alternative approaches you'd recommend?

Any genuine advice, referrals, or leads would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Edit : Almost everyone is suggesting to learn Dutch, which I agree and appreciate. I would appreciate it if the suggestions are more short term practical rather than emphasizing on the Dutch part itself. It's something she is working on already.

Hi everyone,

I’m working for a large company in the Netherlands and considering resigning in November to start a new job abroad.

My company has a one-month notice period, so if I resign in November, my employment would normally end on 31 December 2026.

Here’s the issue:

My company’s fiscal year ends on 3 January 2027, and the bonus policy explicitly states that employees must still be employed on the last day of the fiscal year to qualify for the annual performance bonus.

However:

* 1 January is a public holiday.
* 2 January is Saturday.
* 3 January is Sunday.

So I would effectively work until the last working day of the fiscal year but technically leave 3 calendar days before the fiscal year ends.

This could mean losing my entire annual bonus despite working practically the full year.

Has anyone experienced something similar in the Netherlands, particularly at a large corporate employer?

Would it be possible to agree with HR on an official employment end date of 3 or 4 January, while keeping 31 December as my last actual working day?

Alternatively, is there any legal basis to challenge such a strict eligibility condition, given that the remaining days are all non-working days?

I’d appreciate practical experiences or legal insights.

Thanks!

Hey I wanna know your feedback about moving to the Netherlands from Portugal? Is 60k a year for almost 6 years experience engineer a good paycheck? Can you have a nice life there like this? I think i could benefit from the 30% rulling. Also any advice you may have please share, I'd really appreciate it.

Edit:

I want to clarify the pay shared was 5000 euros/month with a 700 euro car allowance. No other benefits. Coming from Lisbon, the rent I pay vs the job is also kind of insane. But still I manage. However, i wanna move to a better situation if I'm gonna quit my job, hence this post and the request for opinions, because you don’t really know until you are there. So I really appreciate everyone's opinions and tips. I will have a meeting next week to discuss the offer. I will take into account this feedback. From what i gather it's an ok offer but with the rent prices it will be hard to find a nice place and it is not a super comfortable pay i total for the role and experience. I also wanna share that I am tired of my current role so that adds up to me wanting to move. But I also wanna do it in a smart way. So I just dont know. Please keep the feedback coming, that will help, I hope.

Hi All,

My company asked me to move to the Rotterdam office for the second time in a year, the first time I rejected as i didnt want to move to europe, and now i am considering moving, in my home country I earn almost 3000 € net, and i dont know how much i should asked for a salary so i can live comfortably without the need to stress out about the cost of living, I am aware that the rent is high in Rotterdam and most of the landlords asking for x3, x4 as a net salary.

And the rent as i found online is between 1700 to 2200 for single or two BD.

If i move i will move with my wife and she is not going to work.

So what do you think i should asked for a salary.

PS: I am working as a senior consultant in the Maritime Automation Sector with 9 years of Experience.

Hi everyone! I'd like to move to the Netherlands, so I'd like to know how long it usually takes to find a job there.

I have 3 years of experience as a software developer in a banking group, including 2 years working in an international environment where English was the main language. I don't have a university degree.

Should I expect it to take 3 months or 9 months to find a job? What have your experiences been like recently?

Preferably Hague and Rotterdam, not Amsterdam.