There is a large expat workforce in Amsterdam, recent figures show it to be around 100,000 which is roughly 7% of the population. The Dutch economy has been steadily strengthening over the last five years and its low unemployment rate (5.4 % in 2006) is testimony to that. Amsterdam is an attractive city in which to work and not just because of the lovely views. There are several employment sectors in Amsterdam that are always actively recruiting on the international job market. Generally these are with larger multinational corporations like Cisco Systems, Phillips and KLM. There are also many opportunities with Dutch banking institutions like ABN-AMRO and ING. Recently Amsterdam has become known as a ‘creative city’, with many creative shops basing themselves here, from independent advertising agencies to new media shops like Guerilla Games. Over one quarter of the creative workforce in the Netherlands is employed in Amsterdam. With such a wide variety of employment opportunities your problem should not be finding a job but making sure you find the right one. If your company has arranged your visa for you it will be very difficult (but not impossible) to change jobs once you have arrived.

If you want to increase your desirability for Dutch companies it is advisable to learn the language; being able to speak Dutch is an asset but not a necessity as English is broadly spoken and some international companies communicate only in English. Be aware that some organisations may expect you to start taking Dutch classes when you arrive, indeed for some of you it may be an obligation of your residence permit. As with anywhere else in the world the kind of jobs you can apply for will depend on your history, education and experience, so make sure your CV (resume) is up to date.