You may want to take a look at this page from the Dutch government on working in the Netherlands: https://ind.nl/en/work/working_in_the_Netherlands Be sure to click on the "Show more" button to reveal a rather large array of various types of work.

Generally speaking, it goes much easier if you can get your employer to transfer you to the Netherlands (or any other country) because they will have to obtain the work authorization for you. Once that is done, a visa is pretty much just a matter of process. But getting work authorization for a foreigner can be difficult. The employer-to-be needs to show that the foreigner is not going to be doing a job that someone already in the country could do - so it usually involves some sort of "unique" skills or training or experience that may not be available in the area.

And everything I have heard is that the Dutch are very insistent that new arrivals must learn the language. Dutch isn't an easy language to learn (though it's a bit easier if you know German or a similar language already). On the page I referred you to, click on Study in the top menu bar for information about studying at a Dutch university.
Cheers,
Bev

 

I'd say it would be very hard to crack that industry in NL. One of the things I disliked about the NL and one of the reasons I left is the extreme greed. I don't know how to explain it, but it was nothing like anything I experienced before dealing with landlords.

What I mean is that the people in building and associated industries, from what I know, are rather inescrupulous and it's still very Dutch. In other industries, such as knowledge economy there's pleny of expats. But I doubt you'd be able to find a job, not speaking fluent Dutch, and also because you might need some certifications.

I hated the Nethlerands, I think it is a depressing hellhole. Most expats that move here are too busy with kids to realize what a horrible place it is. Most Americans I know don't like it. Americans that have come to visit me just for a few days like it because they've been lucky with the weather. But it's a completely different thing to coming to live here.

The weather is awful, most of the time a flat dull grey sky. NL has some of the highest suicide rates for both men and women in Western Europe. It also has extremely high euthanasia rates compared to Switzerland - which is the other country perhaps along with Belgium that also has euthanasia law.

Despite what surveys may say, the people in NL are not generally happy. A better way to put it is the definition of happiness varies by culture and their idea of happiness is very different from idea of happiness in US, Spain and UK (which are more similar to each other and the one that resonates with me).

To me they are like robots. I would recommend Germany instead. I think it is horrible to live in NL, with the bad weather, extremely poor service in restaurants and poor customer service in general, rather poor food quality and choices compared to other countries, loud crowded trains where people will do things like paint their nails and talk loudly on the phone next to you. A general sense of superiority and arrogance (If it ain't Dutch, it ain't much - they say). I could go on and on with the many negatives this place has.

 

What part of the US are you originally from? I saw your earlier posts and sounds like you had a horrible time. Although I've met many people here in NYC who have lived there and had the complete opposite experience. Different strokes for different folks?

 

I doubt your work experience would be of any value in Europe, since regulations are different. And to add to the previous poster, I can confirm NL isn't a very fun place to live for a foreigner. Amsterdam is awful. There are some nice places on the East, though, near the German border. Everything is very clean, the people are very polite, but you've got to be a local to enjoy life there.

 

Moving is a big step and totally different from visiting and you have to step into it with a positive attitude or you end up like Expat 2016. We moved early last year from SF (after living in China, JP for quite many years) to Amsterdam area. My wife had never lived there and she loved it right up until November when the gloomy days step in. Winters are dark and the weather is very unpredictable. Now she's much more enthusiastic again. Compared to SF everything is cheap (except branded textiles and cars). As far as the language, you can get very well by with English, however to understand whats happening in the community some Dutch is always helpful. There are lots of openings for skilled laborers as long as a company sponsors you, which in your area is more complicated as they can also use east Europeans without that hurdle. Getting in via a study is much easier and there are full English spoken studies at all universities or colleges.
a pretty good view of Dutch habits/culture (although exaggerated in extremes you can find in the book The Undutchables (Colin White, Laurie Boucke). As far as the happiness factor, most are pretty happy but due to the very well organized social systems people start to complain immediately if they loose a right and it over runs all other things (you still hear some people complain about the Euro/Guilder exchange rate......).
Good luck.