You probably know the Netherlands for the tulips, bicycles or maybe because of Amsterdam’s unique atmosphere. It might be a small country but it has always been a very international one and it’s a founding member of important organizations like the EU and NATO.
Aside from the capital, Amsterdam, which we will talk in more detail later, Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the country. It is home to the biggest port in Europe and one of the most crucial in the world. This makes the city a commercial center and a door to northern Europe through the sea.
If you’re looking for a new challenge, and specifically a tech-related job, Amsterdam is the place to be. We will give you a few reasons why moving to the Dutch capital, not only will give your career a boost, but also be beneficial for your life and those around you.
Amsterdam: Charm of the capital
Amsterdam has always been recognized as a very open and welcoming city. This reputation started building centuries ago when it became home to refugees fleeing wars and religious persecutions.
Often called by Europeans, the Venice of the north, the capital of the Netherlands has 165 canals which combine for a length of more than 100 kilometers. It’s orography and small dimension makes it a very easy city to travel around in, whether it’s walking, cycling or by tram or bus.
Amsterdam breathes culture, entertainment, and art through many museums and galleries, music festivals, cinemas, and exhibitions. Especially during the warmer months of the year when many festivals, national and international, land in the city for a few hours or days.
Europe’s tech capital
Regarding the tech scene, you’ll be happy to hear that Amsterdam was recently named the best European Tech City by Hubspot. The city of canals is home to nearly 600 international ICT companies and nearly 200 of those, like Uber and Netflix, have chosen to establish their headquarters in the territory. You might know about TomTom and Booking.com, right? These two Dutch unicorns were born and live in the capital as well, together with Adyen, Elastic, and Picnic.
All of these companies and many more are the reason Amsterdam is a magnet for tech talent. With more than 400k professionals working in the field (nationwide), the community is growing and there is a need to fit all roles, from UX to growth hackers and software developers. The talent isn’t answering the needs and that’s why more and more companies are open to bringing international talent as well.
At Landing.jobs we specialize in matching people with the right opportunities. If you’re thinking about moving to Amsterdam you can check out the job openings we have in companies like Creative Group, Flow Traders and REKKI. If you don’t find anything about your career path, we also invite you to check out all the job openings we have in the city. This is one of the main goals of Startup Amsterdam, to facilitate contact between talent and great opportunities at different Startups and Scale-ups! Amsterdam was placed eighth globally and third in Europe in the ranking of top 30 cities best positioned for long-term success, and that’s why Startup Amsterdam wants to facilitate that contact.
The international vibe
In contrast to other European capitals, the Dutch capital is not especially big, which makes moving around quite easy and fast. It’s normal for people to work close to where they live and commuting is done merely by tram, bike or on foot.
This international vibe mentioned before is also visible at work, which is one of the main reasons why there’s almost no language barrier in Amsterdam (#1 in the world for English proficiency as a 2nd language), as it might happen in other European capitals. The tech scene is often populated with people from all around the world, which is why English is the main language.
Work-life balance
We’ve talked about the opportunities and benefits of working and living in the Netherlands and Amsterdam in specific, but we have yet to mention the balance between both. According to the 2018 OECD Better Life Index, the Netherlands is the first country in the world when it comes to work-life balance.
It is not a normal practice to work overtime, which means that workers get more time to go out and explore the city and what it has to offer. This helps to build a sense of community that is what sometimes lacks in bigger cities.
The Netherlands is also a great place for those looking to build a family. The work-life balance gives parents the chance to actually spend quality time with their kids after school and work.
Last but not least, it’s important to mention that the average gross income for a professional in the Netherlands is really attractive. For more insights on the cost of living in Amsterdam, we invite you to check Numbeo.
You can also download our Guide to Landing in the Netherlands here.
We hope these reasons are enough to give you the final push to move to Amsterdam or at least get you interested in the city and what it has to offer. Who knows? Maybe in the near future, you’ll be cycling the streets of the city of canals.
Aim for more,
Damian Ciocianu
Business Lead NL @ Landing.jobs
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