Go-getters in the Netherlands

So what’s the catch? In schemes like this, there’s always a catch.

Until they find an academic position, jobseekers coming to the Netherlands are not allowed to work beneath their level. So just in case you were thinking, “Great idea! I’ll get a crappy job somewhere as a cleaner, pizza chef or [if you’re very integrated] deep-frying croquettes somewhere,” then think again. The legal framework is complicated to explain, but in effect that avenue is closed off. So you’ll need to finance your stay in the Netherlands right up to the day when you get your first pay check from your high-flying job at the university, Philips, TomTom, or wherever.

It’s a pity, and the Netherlands is depriving itself of an opportunity. And not just because extremely talented people who could otherwise make a significant contribution to the country’s economy can’t come here to apply for jobs for financial reasons. To make it in life you not only need talent, but character as well.

Imagine the person who says, “I’m here to achieve my goals, so I’ll just have to spend a few months cleaning tankers, doing dishes or waiting on people in a café to earn some cash for food and board.” This person not only has a dream, but (as opposed to the majority of the earth’s population) is prepared to do anything to make it a reality. During the famous Golden Age, the time of Rembrandt, Vermeer and the grandiose canal mansions, there was a society in Amsterdam whose Latin motto was Per aspera ad astra – through hardships to the stars.
Society needs people who are prepared to undergo such hardships. That’s why the Netherlands should actually be encouraging foreign applicants to see their transitional period through with work that is harsh, low-level, and probably badly paid. Because those are the real go-getters.

Han van der Horst