Amsterdam Newbie

**Advocate** · 20 January 2009, 10:10

I've just left after a year, fantastic city, easy to live and work in. Yes it's worth it! The Dutch are great people; don't eat FEBO.

Wonder if you've got the role I left

**Pondlife** · 20 January 2009, 10:12

Will you be staying out there full time or flying back to blighty for the weekends?

If the latter then I don't view it as any worse than a long UK commute. Try and fly back on a Thurs evening and work in your pants on a Friday.

If you're out there full time, then I'd talk to a specialist about taxes etc You may not be able to keep as much as you would in the UK.

**Mich the Tester** · 20 January 2009, 10:15

The rate’s OK (but not more than OK) for Amsterdam, but don’t try to get an appartment or hotel room in Amsterdam itself. Go to on of the outlying towns; Haarlem’s a very nice place and cheaper (decent hotels from about 65 e per night, lots of good affordable restaurants, but living space is in short supply as it is all over western NL. Alkmaar is fine too, Aalsmeer is small but reasonably affordable, but has no railway station. Amstelveen is boring as hell, has no railway station and it’s full of boring expats from boring companies like boring Xerox and boring Swiss Re and boring KPMG.

Try and learn some Dutch while you're here; it'll help you gain the respect of Dutch colleagues.

**AlfredJPruffock** · 20 January 2009, 10:17

You will be expected to be productive from day one - do not discuss rates ever as the Dutch keep a mental inventory of everything you have and can turn very nasty if they think you are on a better deal than they are.

Dutch contractors are often full time staff from Dutch Consultancies who are on normal wages and full job security - be very careful of this spieces as they will not be on your side at all.

And dont be fooled into thinking they are liberal and laid back - they are in fact conservative in outlook.

**Mich the Tester** · 20 January 2009, 10:20

Originally posted by AlfredJPruffock View Post

You will be expected to be productive from day one - do not discuss rates ever as the Dutch keep a mental inventory of everything you have and can turn very nasty if they think you are on a better deal than they are.

Dutch contractors are often full time staff who are on normal wages - be very careful of this spieces as they will not be on your side at all.

And dont be fooled into thinking they are liberal and laid back - they are in fact conserative in outlook.

True. They have memories like elephants and can get very jealous. They don’t generally appreciate ‘bling’ so don’t go flashing it about. Bling is seen as being rather ‘parvenu’, for people who’ve made silly amounts of money in a dodgy way and haven’t acquired any taste along the way. I tend to agree with them on that.

They're not liberal; they 'tolerate' but definitely disapprove of foreign pervs who come to visit prostitutes, smoke pot and get drunk.

**jmo21** · 20 January 2009, 10:24

i spent 6 months in Amsterdam a few years back, and was stuck working beside some consultancy based staff as described above

they would have fed you to the dogs if they could!

**Mich the Tester** · 20 January 2009, 10:27

Originally posted by jmo21 View Post

i spent 6 months in Amsterdam a few years back, and was stuck working beside some consultancy based staff as described above

they would have fed you to the dogs if they could!

I’ve worked for a Dutch consultancy and I’d second that. ‘Consultants’ are appraised partly on their ability to shift colleagues in and others out of ClientCo and receive guidance from their politically savvy account managers in how to do this. Happily many of them go freelance after they get sick of the politics, as I did, and you’ll find it’s not difficult to build a good network among Dutch freelancers who are generally a pretty good crowd.

**Spacecadet** · 20 January 2009, 10:27

Originally posted by AlfredJPruffock View Post

Dutch contractors are often full time staff from Dutch Consultancies who are on normal wages and full job security - be very careful of this spieces as they will not be on your side at all.

Bizarre, I've had the exact opposite experience with Dutch consultants, even got asked for my CV by one of the consultancy firms!

**s2budd** · 20 January 2009, 10:28

Hi all

Good advice thanks.
I don't think that I am interested then. The rate sounds good but I do not think that it will be worth the hassle of extra tax complications and living away expenses.

Cheers all

Amsterdam Newbie