The language learning method used by Language Institute Regina Coeli ensures that you learn to speak a foreign language quickly and effectively. The institute's highly qualified trainers teach you the skills, vocabulary and grammar that you need for your specific situation, so you can immediately start communicating in your new language.
Do you enjoy living and working in the Netherlands, and would you like to stay here longer? Then make sure you’re an exciting candidate in the Dutch job market. As the unemployment rate in the Netherlands rises, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find and keep a job. Yet, if you’re seen as having just the right mix of skills, you’ll have considerably more opportunities. So, invest in the skills that Dutch employers find essential—perhaps not for now, but certainly for later.
Three skills that score high in the Netherlands
The following three skills are well-liked by employers in the Netherlands:
1. Soft skills
In other countries, you might be hired for a position because of your specific knowledge or skills; in the Netherlands, it’s almost equally important that you fit in the team and are a team player. To cooperate well, you need pleasant, clear professional and interpersonal communication skills. You need a shared language in which everyone feels reasonably comfortable. In the Netherlands, this is generally Dutch or English. Another much sought-after competence besides teamwork and communication is the ability to adapt to new situations.
2. Cultural sensitivity
Your ability to adapt can be put to the test if you’re an expat working in the Netherlands. Depending on where you’re from, the Dutch culture may require some getting used to. How well are you currently able to deal with Dutch directness and openness? In Dutch business, hierarchy plays a much weaker role than in other cultures. For example, employees are expected to be proactive and not wait for their managers to ask them (to do) something.
3. Language skills
You don’t have to speak Dutch in the Netherlands because the Dutch themselves generally speak other languages. But if you do speak Dutch well, you’ll have the edge over expats who don’t. It also becomes much easier to get a job with an all-Dutch company. By speaking Dutch, you make it clear to others that you think forging connections with Dutch people matters. You also get to know the culture a lot better through the language, and the benefits of this are two-fold: Dutch is the most sought-after language in Dutch vacancies.
But don’t forget your other languages either! Alongside English, German, French and Spanish are also in high demand with Dutch employers. Native speakers of Russian, Chinese and Arabic can also quickly get to work in some companies. The Netherlands is and remains a trading country where it's crucial to be able to make contact across borders. Speaking other languages is a big plus in the Netherlands.
Invest in your skills
Chances are your current employer will welcome it if you want to improve any of the skills mentioned above. Perhaps you have a training budget that you can use for this. If your employer likes the idea of you taking a course, they may even pay for it in full and allow you to take it during working hours. If not, you could always opt to brush up on a language at the weekend.
One course is not the same as the next one. With a training course at Language Institute Regina Coeli, you not only ensure that you really learn to speak a language, but also that your curriculum vitae becomes significantly more attractive to Dutch employers. A training course at “de Nonnen van Vught”, as the Dutch say, signifies that you’re hands-on!