The Career Journey: Four Stages of a Job Search in the Netherlands

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The career journey

The four points where internationals typically get stuck

Each stage asks something different of you. We work through them in order, or start wherever you are right now.

The first question is: how do I search for jobs, and how do I build a compelling application?

What gets in the way: It seems obvious, but using the wrong job search channel or resume template can cut your chances to zero from the beginning.
What needs to change: Every market has its own standard way of working. Following best practices is what determines whether you start on the right foot.
How we work on it: We set the search up properly: the right channels for your field, and a resume built to local convention rather than the one that worked back home.

You send hundreds of applications and hear nothing back. This is much more common than you'd think.

What gets in the way: Volume was never the constraint. A generic application competes with hundreds of near-identical ones and gives a busy reader nothing to hold on to.
What needs to change: We need to address the core problem the role is meant to solve. Understanding the organization's pain point, and building your application around it, is what it takes to catch a recruiter's attention.
How we work on it: We read the vacancy properly, work out what breaks if the role stays empty, and rebuild your application as the answer to that. Don't let the silence get you down.

Receiving an email titled "Invitation for the 1st interview" is thrilling. This is just the start of a journey that can take up to seven steps.

What gets in the way: Preparation is crucial, and more than ever we need to talk through the role, the company, the people, and expectations.
What needs to change: AI is an excellent tool for this kind of preparation, but in the end, a real person from the company will interview you.
How we work on it: We work through every step together: desk research, case studies, storytelling, rehearsing, and confidence. Whatever format they throw at you, we'll get you ready and sharp for it.

How great it feels, after months of job searching, endless processes, and setbacks, to finally get a job offer.

What gets in the way: Watch out, and keep your emotions in check when negotiating, because you may leave a lot on the table.
What needs to change: Every person has a different skill set, and every company assesses it differently, so negotiating well isn't just important; it's a must.
How we work on it: Salary bands, hiring bonuses, the 30% ruling: we look into all of it, based on your role, your market, and your timeline.

Next step

That's usually the first thing we work out together. Twenty minutes on a call is enough to tell.