Career entry in the Netherlands

Question

Hi there,

I'm currently studying for my bachelor's degree in business administration at a German public university. After my master's degree, I would like to start my professional career in the Netherlands, preferably in consulting. For the next semester, a language course in Dutch is planned.
What are the exact steps (e.g. interns, choice of master's university etc.) I should take to make the entry possible?

Answer 1

Hi there,

Q: What are the exact steps (e.g. interns, choice of master's university etc.) I should take to make the entry possible?

I would consider the following:

Enroll in a target school
Become fluent in Dutch before application (for MBB, Bain Amsterdam is the only one that hires candidates without knowledge of Dutch, based on my experience)
Structure correctly your CV and Cover (see how below) – if needed get work experience with strong brands to improve the CV
Learn how to prepare for interviews (see how below)
Find a referral (see how below)
Apply for consulting internships
If you don’t manage to get internships, get a strategy role and apply again for full time

For networking and referrals you can find some tips here:

▶ How to Land Consulting Invitations

For CV and Cover you can check this:

▶ CV and Cover tips

For general case prep, I would recommend the following:

▶ How to Prepare for a Consulting Interview

Best,

Francesco

Answer 2

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on the clear perspective of your future career!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

Without knowing the details of your current situation and your precise career aspirations, it is very hard to provide a meaningful answer. Would you be willing to share more about those two aspects?
Generally speaking, though, you should
- Continue your academic path with a clear “target university” (which most public universities in Germany are)
- Gather relevant work experience (via internships, activity in student associations aso.)
- Excel in your Dutch language skills (since I suppose they will demand C1 level)
- Network as soon as possible (by directly reaching out to alumns, participating in consulting recruiting events aso.)

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your upcoming career entry, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Answer 3

Hi there,

First of all, check whether the Dutch offices of consulting firms require that you speak Dutch and at what level. Then you should have a clear target of what language level you should attain.

Then figure out what are the target universities for recruitment into management consulting. You can find this online or by connecting with people who work in consulting in the Netherlands.

Best,
Cristian

Answer 4

Hello!

I think language would be for sure a clear differentiator, so deep dive on that (knowing German already it won´t be that hard).

On top, as other coaches already pointed out, target schools make the road much easier, as well as internships in the right companies (for which target schools also help very much, then it´s a snowball effect).

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Clara

Answer 5

Hi there,

1 semester in Dutch is not going to cut it…you need to be business fluent in the local language for most offices.

We can't really tell you the “Exact” steps. I'm sorry but if you want this, you need coaching. We don't know enough about you and your situation.

In general:

Building up your consulting-relevant experience
Network extensively
Speak the local language
Get your resume/cover letter professionally reviewed by a coach

Answer 6

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Answer 7

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