Dutch companies have skills shortages in spite of the expat influx

In spite of the flood of expats heading for the Netherlands nowadays, some 20 per cent of Dutch employers still have skills shortages.

If you’ve decided to give the Netherlands a try as a career base, applying for jobs in sectors with skills shortages is a sensible idea. According to the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency, employers in many professional sectors are reporting skills shortages. Especially desperate to fill vacancies are companies in the metals and technology industries, firms providing IT services, the architecture and design sector and even temp agencies. Skilled staff shortages in these sectors are running as high as 33 per cent. The list grows even longer, with the healthcare, logistics, agriculture and automotive technology sectors also experiencing a scarcity of staff.

Those arriving in the Netherlands without a job obviously aren’t as crazy as that sounds, as there are still plenty of opportunities out there. Even changing your career is possible, if you don’t mind starting from scratch. If you’re thinking outside the box as regards starting your own business, the transition between employee to potential employer is no different here than in your home country. Deciding first on a preferred lifestyle and fitting a new business around it have proven a success for many people in this present-day age of the expat.

Whether you’re looking for an existing job or looking to start out on your own, networking is your best friend as it’s the one sure way to impress people with what you are as well as what you know, what work experience you’ve had and what qualifications you hold. What networking isn’t about is handing over your business card and hoping for the best. Apart from its practical benefits, networking can often result in deeper, long-lasting relationships and investing your time and effort always pays off, sometimes in surprising ways. In the expat melting pot of the modern day Netherlands, anything can happen.