Finding your way in the Dutch job market as an international professional

Moving your career forward in a new country can be exciting, but also challenging. You may have strong experience, international skills and valuable language knowledge, but still wonder how to position yourself in the Dutch job market. Which roles are realistic? How important is Dutch? Should you follow every new trend? And how do you know whether a company is truly open to international talent?

Alex Pop, International Business Consultant at Exactpi, knows these questions well. With roots in Romania and a focus on international recruitment, he works with multilingual professionals and companies in sectors such as FinTech, sales, marketing, finance and HR.

In this interview, Alex shares what he sees in the market, what international candidates often underestimate and how you can approach your next career step with more clarity.

For many international professionals, the Dutch job market can feel very specific at first. Job titles, language requirements and industry expectations are not always easy to interpret.

“I often speak with candidates who are stronger than they think,” Alex says. “They look at a vacancy and focus on the two or three things they don’t have. But employers often look at the full picture: your experience, mindset, communication style, languages, adaptability and motivation.”

That is especially true in international business environments. FinTech companies may look for technical or financial knowledge, while sales and marketing teams may value commercial insight, customer understanding, creativity or experience with specific regions.

International professionals often bring more than language skills. They understand cultural differences, communicate across borders and are used to adapting quickly. According to Alex, that can be a real advantage.

Still, many candidates do not make this clear enough in their CV or interviews.
“Sometimes people mention languages at the bottom of their CV, almost as a side note. But if you speak English, German, French, Spanish or another language, and you understand a specific market or culture, that can be a strong part of your professional profile.”

His advice: do not only list your languages. Explain how you used them. Did you manage clients in different countries? Support international customers? Work with global teams? Translate customer needs into commercial or technical solutions? Make that visible.

Alex works closely with FinTech roles, a sector that continues to attract international talent. But the way companies hire has changed.

“A few years ago, many fast-growing companies were focused on scaling quickly. Now they are more careful. They still hire, but they want to understand exactly what someone will add to the team.”

That shift is not limited to FinTech. You can see it in sales, marketing, finance and HR as well. Companies are looking more critically at skills, ownership and long-term fit.

Many professionals feel pressure to constantly move with the market. In tech, that may mean learning the newest tool. In marketing, it may mean jumping on every AI trend. In sales, it may mean changing your profile because everyone seems to be moving into business development, partnerships or customer success.

Alex understands that pressure but does not believe candidates should follow every trend. “Of course you need to keep learning,” he says. “But you don’t have to reinvent yourself every six months. If you are good at something, build on that. Trends come and go. Strong skills, curiosity and the ability to learn remain important.”

That applies to both technical and non-technical professionals. A marketer who understands customer behavior, content and data can grow with new tools. A sales professional with strong relationship-building skills can adapt to new markets. A finance professional with analytical strength can move into more international or data-driven environments.

With more companies using automated screening tools, candidates sometimes worry about how to “beat the system.” Alex believes the basics still matter most.

For international candidates, clarity is especially important. Employers may not immediately understand foreign employers, education systems or job titles. That means you sometimes need to give more context.

Instead of only writing a job title, briefly explain the scope of your role. What type of company did you work for? Which markets did you cover? What were your responsibilities? What results did you contribute to?

Alex also advises candidates to connect their experience to the role they are applying for. “Don’t send the same CV to every vacancy. You don’t need to rewrite everything, but you do need to make the relevant parts easy to find.”

Many candidates hesitate when they see a long list of requirements. This happens in technical vacancies, but also in sales, marketing, finance and support roles.

“You may see ten requirements and think: I only match seven, so I should not apply,” Alex says. “But not every requirement has the same weight. Some are essential, others are nice to have.”

His advice is to read between the lines. What is the real purpose of the role? What problems does the company need to solve? Which skills seem central, and which ones could be learned?

Want to prepare for your next interview? Read our article with 8 smart questions international professionals can ask during a job interview.

One of the biggest questions international professionals have is whether they need to speak Dutch.

“The honest answer is: it depends,” Alex says. “For some roles, Dutch is essential. For others, English or another language can be enough, especially in international teams or multilingual customer environments.”

In sales, marketing and client support, Dutch can sometimes be important because of local clients or internal communication. In FinTech, data, engineering or international customer roles, English may be the main working language.

His advice is practical: do not exclude yourself too quickly, but do be realistic. Look at the role, the team and the customer base. And when in doubt, ask.

For many candidates, career decisions feel bigger when they are building a life in another country. There may be questions about salary, contracts, location, hybrid work, visa status, family, language and long-term plans. Alex sees this often.

That may be in FinTech. It may be in sales, marketing, finance, HR or another international business environment. The most important thing is that the role fits your skills, ambitions and life phase.

“You don’t need to have everything figured out before you start a conversation,” Alex says. “Sometimes a conversation helps you discover what is realistic, what is possible and what would actually make you happy.”

Alex Pop is International Business Consultant at Exactpi. With roots in Romania and a focus on international recruitment, he supports multilingual professionals and internationally oriented companies, with a special focus on FinTech and business roles.