As a Brit thinking of moving to the Netherlands how important is it I have a firm grasp of the language if I want to get a job?

Office jobs will be fine. Anything that you aren't dealing directly with the public should be fine.

However...

I'm Irish and I live in Holland. The Brits and the Irish tend to be very similar culturally so keep in mind a few things before you move;

  1. The Dutch are a no nonsense people. Jokes or banter in the office can fall flat and it can leave you feeling very isolated. The opposite of this is true also in that you can sometimes say something in a lightly sarcastic way and the whole office will be on the floor laughing and you're kinda standing there thinking "it really wasn't that funny."

  2. After work drinks or meetups aren't that common. Things like work parties tend to be held in the office with a few beers but don't expect to make good friends from work. It doesn't really happen here like it does back home.

  3. The Dutch speak English very well but they aren't native speakers so they don't pick up on everything. The nuances and tonality of the language very often goes over their heads and they can take the wrong meaning out of what you are trying to say. This too can be isolating. I went to see Fury before Christmas and there were parts where the audience was in stitches laughing that really, REALLY weren't funny parts of the movies. This is down to that problem of nuance. So be prepared for it.

  4. A lot of people still speak zero English. They're a small minority but be prepared for it. You'll start to get used to going into shops and speaking English automatically but sometimes it doesn't work.

  5. When you do work, people will constantly badger you to learn Dutch. Don't let them bully you. That's just nationalism talking. Unless you're planning to stay for a very long time or you have an interest in the language there is no point. It isn't spoken anywhere else. I'm actually learning German while I'm here!

  6. Pick your city well. The Netherlands works as a polished machine as a country. Certain cities are hubs for certain industries. My partner moved us to Eindhoven in the south. He's a Business Exec and I'm a UI Designer. I can't get work in this city at all. It's a centre for industrial design so that takes over everything else, including other areas of design. I have to commute to Utrecht to work in a design studio because we didn't plan properly.

  7. There is a shit ton of bureaucracy in The Netherlands. You basically need a PA to get through all of it. First you have to get a job, then you have to register with the city and re-register every time you move house, then you have to sort out health insurance which is in addition to your taxes, then you have to find an apartment - the Dutch rental market is incredibly corrupt. Estate Agents routinely break the rules and lay extra charges on you because they know you're a foreigner. You can flat-out accuse them of this to their face and it won't make a difference because all the agents are in it together and have a monopoly on the rental market. So be sure have appropriate Dutch contacts in work to help you sort out a place. Make that a pre-requisite of you taking the job.

  8. The Netherlands is beautiful. The people in general aren't exactly warm but they're not aggressive or rude either. The have a very "keep yourself to yourself and don't cause a fuss" attitude that's very endearing. The countryside is beautiful, the cities are clean and efficient, there's a nice café culture, and absolutely everybody does some kind of sport or activity on the weekend here. People really love their hobbies here and that can be a great way to make friends.

  9. Also get ready for a shit ton of middle eastern food. Oh my god I never want to see middle eastern food again after I leave this place. Every fucking takeaway is Middle Eastern.

Hope this helped somewhat!

/r/thenetherlands Thread