Julio

Julio Mexico Learning Program Manager 35 years old

The Netherlands is the right place to be if you are looking for professional growth
in a very international, open and healthy environment.

I lived in France for five years, and I travelled a lot during my life for personal but also for professional reasons, and I can say that the Netherlands is one of the best countries in Europe to be! I totally recommended it! Of course, there are also things that I like less, like the fact that we pay a lot of taxes or the fact that Dutch people need to schedule everything, even to grab a coffee. Nevertheless, I am here since 2016 and I still think that the Netherlands is the right place to be if you are looking for professional growth in a very international, open and healthy environment.

In my opinion, these are the main benefits of working in the Netherlands:

  • Personal life and work balance
  • Better wages than other countries in Europe
  • Room for professional growth
  • Social and tax benefit for expats (30% ruling)
  • Big international community
  • Healthy life environment
  • Dutch society is more direct, hence it’s easy to work with, than other cultures
  • Possibility of working from home if you wish

What about the advantages of living in the Netherlands?

  • Do more solo things. I was used to only do things with friends, but now I have realized that I can do many things on my own. Like going to the cinema alone, etc.
  • Dare to speak the local language
  • Work-life balance
  • Everything is easy to do here
  • Very good connectivity with other countries/cities
  • I became more social, as I did not have any friends at the beginning I used to go out to bars and meet people

Here’s what I like the least…

  • Crazy weather
  • People are a bit of a challenge, to make friends and get along in the society it’s tricky if you don’t speak the local language
  • Loneliness can be hard during the winter
  • Not much social events in the city and people are always busy. I’m bit bored of making new friends every six months, as expats come and go often.
  • Doctors or the health system in general. This topic has become a burden to all expats, as general practitioners do not care much about it. Let’s say that they have another way to deal with the health issues
  • I miss my family back home
  • You need to schedule everything, even to grab a coffee, sometimes non-official stuff is fun to do
  • Taxes, we have to pay a lot of taxes here