h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just applying for a fabulous job in Belgium that I would give my eye teeth for. An incredibly political environment, (I am *cr@p* at corporate politics), but a role which has my name written all over it.

Ben
*keeping on keeping on*

Holland must be heaven in the spring when all the tulips and narcissus and hyacinths and etc., etc., etc. are in bloom.

Caerwyn, thanks for the hootoo link. I can go bug them now too

Thanks for the info Amy, I assume you mean British ex-pats?

B, thanks for the awesome post...I'm re-reading it repeatedly to take it all in. Well, now for the hard part, the actual application

My pleasure. And !

B

Hey B the Scribe, I think it's time for you to wrap your notes and send them to me.

What is the prognosis for the Netherlands in respect of global warming?

Get scuba gear!

Wrapping up notes and sending them in a waterproof package.

B

*eyes Ben's travelling boots*

for all the applications everyone

Hmmm... I remember reading an article just the other day (can't find it right now) about how the ice on Greenland is melting 10 times faster than previously estimated...

Found it - not only 10 times faster, but even 10 metres per year!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3922579.stm

I avoid the area around Monmouth Park like the plaque on the Haskell weekend. The traffic is unbearable. Tell me, d'E, did you spend more time travelling to and from the track than you did at the event itself?

I'm trying a not-well used parenting method. one of the precepts of this method is not reminding them of what incorrect decision the child made. This is the reason I left that off the contract.

hmm, interesting GDZ. So that they have to dwell introspectively about what got them their? That sounds like a good idea.

Ben, let me pick your brain for some details. 1st, you mention unfurnished apartments having just walls & outlets. Does this mean no appliances (stove, fridge) as well? Does unfurnished have a different meaning in another part of Europe?

About being conservative with their money. Maybe this is me applying an American's xenophobia, but I could see how that would be a good reason for them to only want to hire a dutch person for the position I'm applying for. Not that the salary is very high, just that the equipment I will get to use is very, very expensive, and paid for by the government.

Clean cups! Clean cups! F38024?thread=459053

You'd have to check with some relocation sites. In Germany I did get a furnished apartment, cutlery, crockery, everything, but the unfurnished ones not only don't have appliances, they don't have kitchen cupboards or sinks either. I don't know if this is true in Holland.

>> I could see how that would be a good reason for them to only want to hire a dutch person for the position I'm applying for.

The Netherlands is tiny, and a large number or European organisations are used to hiring other Europeans to work there. Europe really is becoming a single labour market. The multinationals are used to American consultants coming in from IBM or Accenture or whoever.

They have a high regard for qualifcations and references, (references taken up after the job offer is made), and if yours stack up, they will not be particularly bothered about where you are from.

I have been on the receiving end of more racism in the UK than in Europe.

B

At least in larger companies, we're quite used to foreign people joining over here - even Americans

Where I am, we have something like - erm, let me count *takes off socks* - 8-10 foreigners out of a total of 45(ish) in the marketing department. In the group I'm in, I raised the percentage of Danes to 50% when I joined...

Due to various rules, including some taxation stuff, most of them choose to stay for 2-3 years - but some end up hanging on. My immediate colleague - who's Dutch, btw, so I might consider taking bribes to solicit information form him - has been in Denmark with his family for something like a year and they're looking to buy a house so odds probably are that they stay on for quite a while...

with all the international applying!

Psst Santra - we've moved over here:

<./>F38024?thread=459053</.>

...and there's already some backlog to catch up with - watch out for the cattle prod!

The topic of conversation moves as well when we all move to a new thread

F38024?thread=459053

Me...?

*scratches head*

Where did everybody go...?