From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Overcoming organisational culture differences with language
You often need a common language to be able to collaborate with people from other countries. After all, it’s hard to have in-depth conversations, make appointments or chat about the weekend using rudimentary gestures alone. More often than not, that common language is English, although that may not always be not the handiest choice.
Write to improve your language skills
Have you ever taken the time to sit down and produce piece of writing in a language other than your native one? It’s one of the best ways to get a better grasp on a foreign language! Writing improves your speaking skills, so even if you never need to write anything, grab a pen and paper anyway and start composing!
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).