If you come to the Netherlands for the first time, and you are looking  for a side job, there are a few things you need to take into account before you start searching.  

1 Do you have time for a job?

As a student, you may want financial sustainability, which is very understandable, but you have to consider that having a job during the school year can be very hard. My advice is to simply sort everything out for the first couple of months, and if you want to get a job, wait until you are a bit more settled. 

It’s important to ask yourself a couple of questions before you make the decision to get a job, such as; How much money do you need? What times are you available? What kind of job do you want? Additionally, it may come in handy to learn some basic Dutch, it is not that it is impossible to get a job when you don’t speak Dutch. However, speaking Dutch can increase your chances of getting one. 

2 prepare yourself

If you are not from the Netherlands, it’s likely that there are a lot of documents you need which you may have not thought about. If you are going to work in the Netherlands, it is mandatory to have a Dutch bank account. You need this to receive your salary, but you will also need it for other things like rent or in some supermarkets you can only use a pinpas as they don’t accept credit cards or visa debit cards. 

If you are from outside the EU, it is important to know that in the Netherlands we have different rules for the amount of time you can work here. So, for example, if you want to work for less than 90 days you need a short stay visa and a complementing work permit but if you want to work for over 90 days your employer can apply for a combined permit for residence and work. 

When working in the Netherlands you also need to arrange Dutch health insurance.

3 where to look for a job

Searching for a job may seem easy, but it can be the hardest part of the process. You need to know the best websites for finding a job, so I have some websites linked down below. It is good to have a look at the specific things that are required for the job, so you know if you fit the job. If you don’t speak Dutch it is a bit challenging, but there are a lot of food deliveries services, and other jobs like this where you don’t need to speak Dutch perfectly.

Websites:

1. Jooble 
2. Expatjobs.eu 
3. indeed.nl
4. https://recruitastudent.nl/jobs/Region/Hours/Branch/ 

Check out these options too:

1. Look at the newsletters of Campus Fryslân for a position as a Student Assistant. Student Assistants are working basically in all departments of the faculty and are a great opportunity to gain some working experience while being paid for it. Most positions are 1 day a week.
2. Join the student pool. If you are part of the student pool, you can register for specific tasks like helping out with the Open Day’s that are organized. The difference with a student assistant is that it is incidental and not on a structural basis. 

4 Applying for a position 

Every country has its own preference on what a resume should look like, and their own style of job interviews. Your CV is an important aspect of your application, because based on this you will get invited for an interview. But what does a CV in the Netherlands need to look like? 

• Personal details
• Education
• Work experience
• Hobby’s
• Other skills you have that may come in handy with the job interview
• The CV should not be longer than 2 pages!

Top tip: if you search on the internet for CV Nederland, you will find some templates, and you can fill in the template and everything you need to put in it will be there!

When it comes to an interview, it is not seen as an overly formal occasion. You don’t have to dress overly fancy. Although this does depend on which job you have an interview for. And being yourself is the most important thing.

5 work culture in the Netherlands/ salary/ contract

The work culture in the Netherlands is not that special, but it is good to know how it works. So the Dutch usually work 36 - 40 hours a week. This happens mostly between 9am and 6pm. The minimum wage varies depending on your age. It is important to know your rights when it comes to your wages. Here you can see a chart with the minimum wage for each age.  

I think this counts for every country, but if you sign a contract, please read it through and take your time. If you are going to work at a Dutch company, you should be able to request an English version so that you can read everything thoroughly. And don’t sign anything if it doesn’t seem legit. Here are some extra tips on contracts. 

6 tax system

The tax system in the Netherlands is very complicated, as a Dutch citizen myself I still have a hard time understanding it, but I will try my best to help you understand it. Any resident  living in the Netherlands is required to pay taxes if they earn money. You have a few different kinds of taxes:

1. Income tax

You pay tax on your income. If you are employed at a company, they will automatically deduct it from your pay cheque. If you are self-employed, you need to calculate your own taxes. 

1. Payroll tax (loonheffing)

This kind of tax is also withheld from your pay cheque by your employer. Which is very handy because it prevents you from having to do it yourself.  You may wonder why you have to pay so much in taxes, well that is because the Netherlands is a welfare state which means that everyone contributes to the social system.