From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Meetings in the Netherlands
Nowhere else will you have as many meetings as in Dutch companies. The Dutch adore consulting, brainstorming and meeting up. Even though you often hear them sighing about their diaries being packed with back-to-back meetings, the alternative—no meetings—would be even less appealing. Then the Dutch would feel left out and that their opinion does not count. Do you find Dutch meetings something of an enigma? Then read on for some pearls of wisdom and helpful tips.
Do you have a training budget? Put it to good use!
As a professional, you know that continuing professional development is a must. Many Dutch collective labour agreements contain agreements on personal training budgets for employees. This means that you can request that your employer fund training or education. Research has shown that at least 40% of the time, individual training budgets go unused and simply expire at the end of the year. If you work for a Dutch company, make sure you reap the benefits of your training budget.
Take your English skills up a notch
For global citizens, it is becoming the norm to speak English as fluently as their own languages. Young people grow up with English all around them, and their higher education is taught in English increasingly often, almost to the point that they have a better command of writing in English than in their mother tongue. Yet, let us be honest—you are setting the bar quite high if you want to communicate as easily in a foreign language as in your native one. Here are a few tips to help take your English skills up a notch.
Which language is the best to learn for a flourishing career?
More and more employers are looking for employees who speak Chinese. Job vacancy site Indeed recently concluded this based on research they carried out in August 2019. Indeed compared the required language skills listed in Dutch vacancies with those from the previous year and saw a skyrocketing rise in demand—nearly 70%—for knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin).
Working in an international team
If you work in an international team, you have probably noticed how varied your colleagues’ English can be. Even when everyone hears the exact same sentence, they might have a different understanding of what has been said. Here are a few tips for communicating in an international team.
Sing along to Dutch classics
The later it gets in evening, the bigger the chance that the entire cafe you are in will break out in a sing-along of Dutch hits. And then there you are—the expat. Why not seize the day and take that opportunity to improve your Dutch? No one will even hear you in a cafe full of music and merrymakers belting out tunes? So join in! There is no better way to work on a language than singing. Read why!