Dutch Learning Community and Resources

This is already the fifth blog in our series ‘Navigating the World of Business Dutch’. In this article, we will focus on job applications and interviews. You may be able to get by using English throughout the job application process in the Netherlands. However, knowing and understanding the Dutch phrases in this blog will make you stand out from the crowd and more likely to secure the position you are going after. 

Before jumping into the linguistic aspect of the interview, I’d like to take a few moments to lift the veil on Dutch business culture and the difference between the use Dutch formal and informal pronouns.  

Quick Dutch Business culture refresh 
There is a full blog about Dutch business culture in this series that you can read here, but as a refresh, here are the main points to consider: 

• A direct and honest communication style is typically preferred and can be expected 
• Being on time is considered polite will make a good impression on the interviewer 
• Having a proactive attitude is often appreciated. You can show this by, for instance, researching the company ahead of time and preparing questions for the interviewer 

Dutch informal vs. formal pronouns 
Another important aspect of Business Dutch to be aware of before going into job interviews is that it is polite to use the formal pronouns ‘u/ uw’ instead of the informal pronouns ‘je/ jij/ jouw’ when addressing your interviewer. Even though Dutch companies typically have a relatively flat hierarchical structure, it is common courtesy to use these formal pronouns until the person says, ‘je mag je zeggen’ (i.e. you may use the informal pronoun). 

Okay, now we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s get into some helpful phrases that you could use and recognize during your interview. 

The Helpful Phrases for Your Interview 

Introduction & small talk 
When you come into the interview room or when you enter the video call you typically start out with a brief small talk session and later an introduction. Here are some helpful phrases for that part of the interview process: 

• NL: Goedemorgen/ Goedemiddag/ Goedenavond 
  EN: Good morning/ Good afternoon / Good Evening 
• NL: Aangenaam kennis te maken! 
  EN: Pleasure to meet you!  

• NL: Ik ben [insert name] 
  EN: I am [insert name]  
  
  

Talking about your professional experience and the role you are applying for 
After the small talk session is done, it’s time to get down to business and talk about your professional experience. In this section, I will write some example questions with possible answers you could give to give you an idea of what this might look like.  

 Question: Why are you applying to this role?  

• NL: Ik ben klaar voor de volgende stap in mijn carrière. Ik zou nu graag bij een start-up, zoals jullie, werken om meer impact te hebben in mijn baan.
  EN: I am ready for the next step in my career, and I would like to work at a start-up, like your company, to make more of an impact in my job. 

Question: What are you most proud of in your career thus far? 

• NL: In mijn vorige baan heb ik een heel succesvol event georganiseerd, wat uiteindelijk voor 150 nieuwe klanten heeft gezorgd. Daar was ik wel trots op. 

• EN: In my last role I organized a very successful event that led to 150 new clients. That is something I am proud of. 

Question: What do you consider your best qualities in work? 

• NL: Mijn beste kwaliteiten in mijn werk zijn dat ik een team player ben, ik toon initiatief en neem mijn verantwoordelijk om mijn werk gedaan te krijg. 

• EN: My best qualities are that I am a team player, I take initiative on new projects and take my responsibility to get my work done seriously. 

Question: Why do you think you are the right person for this role? 

• NL: Ik heb niet alleen de ervaring om deze baan op een goede manier te doen, maar nog belangrijker, ik geloof in jullie missie en wil me daar 100% voor inzetten. 

• EN: I not only have the right qualifications for this role, but I also completely believe in your mission and am prepared to give it 100% to reach that mission. 

Asking questions 
At the end of most interviews, the interviewer will ask you if you have any questions. And in the Netherlands specifically, it is greatly appreciated if you are prepared to ask some questions. It shows that you are interested and invested in getting the job. Here are some examples: 

• NL: Wat voor cultuur hebben jullie? En wat vind je het leukste aan hier werken?  
  EN: Could you tell me a bit about your company culture and what you enjoy most about working here? 
  
  

• NL: Wat zijn belangrijkste kwaliteiten om te hebben voor deze baan?  
  EN: What are the most important qualities I need to have to succeed in this role? 
  
  

• NL: Wat zijn de belangrijkste doelen die jullie nastreven in het komende jaar? En welke rol speelt deze functie in het behalen van die doelen? 
  EN: What are most important goals your company is trying to reach in the coming year? And what is the role of this position in achieving those goals? 

At the end of the interview 
Once the formal part of the interview is done, it’s time to wrap up the conversation in a polite and enthusiastic manner. Here are some examples of phrases that might be useful: 

• NL: Dank je wel voor uw tijd! 
  EN: Thank you for your time!  
   

• NL: Het was leuk u te ontmoeten en meer te weten te komen over uw bedrijf. 
  EN: It was a pleasure to meet you and learn more about your company. 
   

• NL: Ik kijk ernaar uit van u te horen! 
  EN: I look forward to hearing from you! 

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I hope you enjoyed reading this blog and that it was helpful. If you want to read more blogs about business Dutch, you can check out the whole series here.