This city has many major multinationals and smaller companies that are always looking for talented new professionals with multilingual capacities and international ambitions.
Find a scale-up job that fits your ambition
The greater Rotterdam region is full of amazing, fast-growing innovative scale-ups, and they need the right people to grow. This is about you. Look beyond what you know and unlock a world of new opportunities. Contribute to making the lives of healthcare professionals easier, disrupt the world of financial services, or help build earth’s largest platform for printed products. Ready to #hackyourcareer? Discover all the opportunities by clicking here.
Welcome to NL Platform
The Netherlands scores highly on its work-life balance, inclusive business culture and wealth of career opportunities. If you’re considering an international career move, get the answers to your most pressing questions. Visit Welcome to NL and read up on everything from innovative industries to daily life and socialising.
Work and live in Greater Rotterdam – The Hague
Looking to find your place in vibrant cities such as Rotterdam, The Hague, Delft and Leiden and work together on global challenges? On this job portal you can find more than 3500 vacancies with over 500 international companies operating in the Greater Rotterdam – The Hague region. Discover what the region has to offer you by clicking here.
College Life
College Life Work is a career platform for international talent. Foreign students & graduates can find non-Dutch part-time, internship and graduate positions in Rotterdam and other parts of the Netherlands. College Life’s team works closely with the HR teams at all companies listed on the website, which ensures that you always have direct contact with those individuals that make the final decision regarding your application.
Recruitment agencies in Rotterdam
You can also ask for the help of an intermediary, via a recruitment agency. These agencies are located all over the city and you can find them online as well. The following list is an overview of recruitment agencies in the Rotterdam area.
Start networking
In the Netherlands, word-of-mouth recommendations and face-to-face meetings are highly appreciated. It is smart to join expat communities, business fairs and networking events (check if they’re in English first) to get to know people from the companies you would like to work at.
Open application
Employers appreciate it when you take initiative. In the Netherlands, it is not uncommon to apply for a job when there are currently no vacancies posted for a specific position. If you want to send an open application, it is smart to find a contact person at that company, e.g. the company recruiter or someone from the human resources department. You can ask this person if it is common to send your letter (it probably is) and you can ask for a particular person to address your letter to.
Application for a Dutch employer
If you are planning to send an application to a Dutch employer, there are some small unwritten rules that might differ from your country of origin. For example, it is advisable to start your letter with ‘Dear’. In most cases – although there are of course exceptions to this scenario – you should keep the style simple: not too formal, not too informal.
In most letters, it will be fine if you point out your work experience, educational background and professional qualities, as well as why you want to work at this specific company. It is much appreciated by Dutch employers if you point out any extramural activities, hobbies and interests. It is common to send a letter not longer than one A4 page and to add your CV. The most common approach is to send a PDF via email, not a physical letter via the post.
The best of luck with your job hunt! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Rotterdam International Center (formerly Rotterdam Expat Centre). We are happy to give you any advice that could help make your job hunt as rewarding as you hoped.
