How to create the perfect CV: 10 amazing tips

24/03/2023 Mark Starink

Perhaps there is no such thing as a perfect CV, but companies and recruitment agencies alike have certain expectations when receiving a CV. As recruiters, we’ve seen thousands of CV’s throughout our experience. From rather plain layouts and two-liners to board games and flower power themes; when we think we’ve seen them all there’s always a new one that catches our eye, whether it’s good or bad.

Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

1. Do a lot of Research

Research is key to being able to create a perfect CV for an opportunity. Indeed, rules are different from one country to another so it is incredibly important to always check if your CV corresponds to what is expected. For example, in France, a CV should never be more than one page and in the UK you must never add a photo or you will never be considered. Always make sure that your CV meets the guidelines of the country you wish to work in.

Research does not stop at the country’s culture but also concerns industries. Recruiters do not expect the same type of CV coming from a Finance major or a marketing one. Finance CVs tend to be very strict, black and white only and extremely simple whereas a marketing CV has to showcase the applicant’s creativity, their capacity to match colours or think of nice designs.

The last thing you could research before starting the creation of your CV is the CVs of employees who have been hired by the company you want to apply to. Sometimes, employees, have them posted on their LinkedIn profiles. Doing so will help you see what kind of candidate they are looking for and the presentation they expect. Try to reproduce how they present their job experience for example so you can have a perfect CV for their company specifically.

2. Make sure you share all the right information

Ensure that you have all the necessary information written down on your CV. You want to make sure that you facilitate the work of the recruiter to ensure that your profile goes to the next step. Avoid as much as possible forgetting important details that require the recruiter to contact you. Your CV is your only way to “prove yourself” at the beginning of the process make sure it is pristine. Make sure you hand in the perfect CV right away. The way you present your CV, write it and fill it showcases your personality, your sense of organization and your way of thinking.

The information to not forget is the following:

The town you live in, it does not have to be the exact address
Education
Language proficiency following the CEFR Framework
Work Permit and its validity duration
Ways to contact you
Description of the task you had

Information you should never add:

BSN
Bank account
ID Card number
Passport number

3. Use the right categories

The idea is for the recruiter to be able to see everything you are and have done in seconds. To have a perfect CV, we would advise you to divide it into two columns. The first one should be organized in the following way :

A short motivational paragraph
Education
Language proficiency
Interests

In the second column, you should have:

Professional experience
Skills

4. Use a template to simplify the creation of your CV

If you are having trouble creating a CV by yourself, you can use CV templates to ensure having a perfect CV. Many websites offer templates for free the most well-known are the following: canva, novoresume, goodCV, …

Just be careful as often templates come with bar graphs, star rating systems, etc for skills and language proficiency. We highly suggest you avoid them as they aren’t appreciated by recruiters.

Your language skills should only be represented by the official European language proficiency system, the CEFR Framework.

As for your competencies, you should only write them if you master them 100% so it doesn’t make sense to present them through ratings or Graphs. You take the risk of getting asked rather uncomfortable questions such as “Why are your communication skills at 60%? What are the missing 40% ?”

5. Do not forget to mention your languages

If you are applying through Abroad Experience International recruitment agency, it means that you have special language skills. It is very important to mention them along with your level of proficiency in every one of them. Indeed, our clients choose us especially to find skilled multilingual job seekers, it is therefore important that your idioms are noticeable in one glance.

6. Use the right job experience presentation

When it comes to presenting your job experiences they are rules that must be followed and are true internationally. They are mandatory if you wish to have a perfect CV.

Your work experiences should always be presented from the most recent to the oldest (anti-chronologically). It is important that the recruiter is able to see as quickly as possible if your last experience corresponds to the job you occupied.

You cannot only write your job title and the company, you have to precise your main missions through bullet points. Job titles are not always linked to specific missions so it is important to give an overview of what you actually did. For example, Project Manager can have a thousand meanings so it is important to be precise about the mission you actually had. Not describing your missions may result in your CV being rejected.

Another important piece of information to share is the dates and duration of each of your job so your recruiter may see your loyalty to brands as well as how experienced you actually are.

7. Personalize your CV to the company you are applying for

We do realize that it is not always realistic to do so when you are searching for a job. You usually are applying to a lot of different jobs but if one happens to particularly catch your eye do not hesitate to go the extra mile. Designing a perfect CV for them will definitely increase your chance of being selected.

It can be as simple as changing your CV colours to match the brand’s to a creative wink to their products. For example, implementing little lego icons if you apply for the Lego company.

8. Use the job Keywords available on LinkedIn

A great tip we can give you to design your perfect CV, is to check the skills wanted by companies on LinkedIn, they are quite easy to find. If you see skills that you do have, do not hesitate to add them to your CV so it corresponds to what they are looking for.

Step 1: go on a job offer you are interested in

Step 2: Click on “skills“

Step 3: A list of skills will appear

Step 4: Add all the skills you have to your profile thanks to the add buttons.

9. Write a good motivational paragraph

Usually named profile and objectives, it is used to give the recruiter a quick overview of what you are looking for and your background.

Do not write a long text it should be 3 to 4 sentences max. Use it to share your latest accomplishment, the opportunity you wish for and your main qualities.

EX: “Having obtained my diploma in Banking Finance Engineering at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, I am looking for a job in equity. With a background in Banking, I am precise, efficient and organized.”

10. Perfect CV tips specific to the Netherlands

Finally, if you are looking for rules specific to the Netherlands they aren’t any in terms of format, picture or categories. But make sure it matches the Dutch culture. Your CV should be:

Direct: As you may have noticed by now Dutch people do not beat around the bush, they want the information exactly as they are. You do not need to sugarcoat any of them. Just be honest and truthful.
Simple: You do not need to create an intricate CV presentation. Just make sure that it looks organized, readable and that categories are easily identifiable.
No exaggerating: Having a perfect CV does not mean that you have to be Hercules. It is incredibly important that you do not lie on your CV. When you will be interviewed, anything you have written is something you can be asked about. Everything you write should be linked to an example of something you have actually done. For example here, the title of manager goes to a person who led a team so avoid that title if you did not, write that you were a coordinator instead.

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck to create your perfect CV, do not hesitate to send it to us!

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, free guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

What is an intake interview & how to succeed

20/02/2023 Mark Starink

Photo by ANTONI SHKRABA production

Are you looking for a job and wish to learn more about recruitment processes within recruitment agencies? You have come to the right place! Let’s start at the beginning and focus on the intake interview: the expectations, the format, and the goals.

Intake interview: Definition

An intake interview is quite short, the goal for the recruiter is to quickly grasp what your motivations are for the role, get a better understanding of your experiences and finally know more about your personality. Usually, it lasts between 15 and 30 minutes during which you get a presentation of the brand, a more thorough job description and get asked general questions.

The format

The intake interview is the next step after you applied for a new role. It commonly represents your first interaction with your recruiter, who will have previously emailed you to plan this interview. The usual structure of an intake interview is the following :

Presentation of the interviewer
Presentation of the brand
Presentation of yourself
Presentation of the job
Questions about you, your experiences and the vacancy.

At the end of the intake interview, the recruiter knows whether or not you fit the role as well as if you will thrive within the company culture.

The expectations

It is important that you keep in mind that the recruiter will be evaluating you on different criteria during this interview: communication skills, behaviour, personality, and capacity to present your experience in accordance with the opportunity… As you may have guessed by now, even if it is short it is not an interview to go unprepared for, they are questions that you can and should have an answer ready for.

Can you present yourself? If there is one question you should have a prepared speech for, it is this one. It will be asked throughout the whole interview process. Unfortunately, candidates tend to lose themselves in the question and go back and forth when remembering details they forgot to mention. In order to avoid that, the most efficient way to answer is the funnel method. The funnel method consists in starting with general information about yourself and ending your answer with specific information. The perfect way to answer would be to first quickly present the values and qualities that define you best, your educational background and less significant experiences that are still worth mentioning and to end with the most interesting work experience. By interesting, we mean the one that is closest to the job you applied to or gave you the most important skills for the new role. This last part shows the recruiter that you did your research, know how to present yourself efficiently as well as started to picture yourself occupying the role.

What kind of job you are interested in? Here the recruiter is trying to see two things: if you understood the job description and if you match other roles they have available.

What is your understanding of the job description? There, it is important for you to be able to provide your own explanation of the job description and not just read back to the recruiter the job offer you found online. This is an opportunity as well for you to align the position’s mission you are applying for with experiences you’ve had previously.

What is your ideal work situation? What kind of companies do you see yourself in? Here the recruiter wants to see what kind of work environment you are hoping for, how you view your colleagues as well as how you act as one.

Why do you think you are a good fit? This is an alternative question to the one mentioned before. Here the recruiter expects you to demonstrate your knowledge of the position as well as your ability to match your skills to the position’s requirements. Do not forget to justify everything you state to the recruiter. For example, don’t just say “I am extremely creative”, but “I am extremely creative as you can see with my job experience in 2020 where I got the opportunity to rebrand my brand’s social media completely and rose up to the challenge”.

Why are you looking for a job? Why did you leave? Here the recruiter is trying to figure out how it went with your previous company. Did you get fired? What was missing from your previous job? Make sure that the answer you give is not negative towards your previous employer. Indeed, it gives the recruiter an idea of how you would speak about their brand if you happen to leave at some point. Answer honestly and stay neutral.

What kind of person are you? How would your friends describe you? This question allows the recruiter to perceive whether or not you fit into the company’s environment as well as the team you would be working with. It is important to be yourself as it is important that you end up in a company in which you feel comfortable.

Why the Netherlands? When do you plan on moving? If you are an expat that hasn’t moved to the Netherlands yet (housing guide) make sure you have a precise answer to that question. Indeed, the recruiter won’t present you to their clients if they feel that your plan to move here is not serious. To answer correctly to this question make sure to mention, the date you plan on moving, where you think about living, if you already have been to the Netherlands, and if you know someone already living here…

What languages do you speak? As we are a recruitment agency specialised in the recruitment of multilingual job seekers, it is important for us that you are able to share your language proficiency with the CEFR levels so we can show an accurate representation of your skills to our client.

What is your salary expectation? It is important for you to prepare that question and justify the salary you aim for. Make sure to study the market, look up the salary given to similar positions.

Last advice

the intake interview may seem quite daunting after seeing all the different questions you need to be able to prepare but do not worry it is quite simple. Once you have your answer prepared you can succeed in any intake interviews that may come your way.

Be yourself: an intake interview is not only for us but for you to evaluate whether are not the position and company are made for you.
Be honest: never say something you do not actually think in order to “fit in” there is no point as you wouldn’t be happy if you end up in a company that does not match your personality.
Always justify your answers: give examples of situations you encountered during your previous work experiences.
Always prepare questions: it is an easy way to demonstrate your motivation and preparation. It is also a great way for you to know more about the job and your future company.

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck for your next intake interview!

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, free guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Eigen Risico (“Own Risk”): the interesting Dutch Health Insurance System

15/11/2021 Mark Starink

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

The health insurance system in the Netherlands works slightly differently from the social or health institutions of other European countries. This blog article will explain everything you need to know about the eigen risico (literally “own risk”, or deductibles) that all Dutch medical insurance companies mention in their policy.

If you decide to move to The Netherlands to live and/or work, it is compulsory to sign up for a Dutch health insurance plan. The monthly premium amount set by the government is a guideline for Dutch health insurance providers, who determine their own prices at the end of the year.

These insurance providers also need to adhere to the Dutch government mandates outlining what is covered in the basic package, which usually consists of general coverage and a compulsory deductible.

For more information check the following link: here

Eigen Risico: the legal amount

Every year, the government sets the fixed legal amount of insurance eigen risico. What this means is that you have to pay the first fixed legal amount in medical expenses yourself. Bills exceeding this amount will be paid directly via your insurer, depending on your chosen policy.

However, you can also negotiate these costs by choosing a voluntary deductible of up to €500 more. In this way, your monthly premium for basic insurance would initially become cheaper. Nevertheless, you could eventually incur more healthcare costs than the basic health insurance package!

You don’t pay excess deductible fees for the following expenses:

General Practitioner
Costs for nursing care
Maternity care
Obstetric care
Cost of integrated care for diabetes: There is an increasing number of healthcare providers who treat people with diabetes (DM2 or increased risk) in the Netherlands.
Vascular risk: addressing risk factors for cardiovascular disease
COPD: chronic lung disease
Check-ups for donors

We do recommend checking with your own health insurance company to clarify the details of your own policy and avoid any misunderstandings. Make sure to remember that changing your current Dutch health insurance to another one is only possible between December 15^th and December 31^st of the year.

For more information about Dutch health insurance, we recommend the following websites: https://access-nl.org/healthcare-netherlands/dutch-healthcare-system/

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck in your brand-new Dutch adventure!

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

The best reply to the interview question: Where do you picture yourself in 5 years?

13/11/2021 Mark Starink

As part of an ongoing blog series, we will be taking potentially tricky questions you might encounter in an interview and dissecting it to help you formulate a thorough, satisfying (and always honest!) response. If you have an interview question that has you stumped, leave a comment and let us know!

Five years ago, did you see yourself being where you are now? Probably not. It’s tough to even know what you’re going to do six months from now, let alone 5 whole years. You’ve probably been asked this question in a variety of ways, making it no less difficult to answer. However, it’s something that we should all be asking ourselves every once in a while, and this week, we’re delving into it with you.

So why is this question asked?

Interviewers are interested to see if the job at hand is something that will interest you long term, help you reach personal goals and, ultimately, whether it’s worth your while… and the company’s. So hearing about your dedication will be very important to the company, as it will demonstrate that both parties will only gain from you being hired.

So how should you go about answering this question?

At the end of the day, think about responsibilities and achievements, not items, promotions or perks, as well as show the impact you could have on the company and the kind of positive growth the company could benefit from by hiring you. It’s also best to concentrate on your career goals rather than personal ones unless specifically asked.

Don’t say: “I see myself in an F015 Luxury in Motion Mercedes, driving to work as the CEO of XYZ enterprises with a salary indication of X amount per year.”

What that sounds like: “I expect rapid promotion and an increased salary from the current position I’m interviewing for without specifying how I plan to earn it. I am shallow and don’t seem particularly interested or passionate about the actual job or industry.”

Instead say: “In five years, I hope to know all there is and more about your company’s values, products and services while expanding my skills and responsibilities to become an even greater asset to the company.”

What this sounds like: “I am ambitious, eager to learn and put down roots rather than branches in order to become increasingly valuable to the organization by taking on new responsibilities within the XYZ department/ team.”

This response makes no mention of promotions (vertical growth) by rather the addition of responsibilities on a team or in a department (horizontal growth). You’re expressing a desire to remain with the company for several years and build up your value to them, something all companies are eager to find in their new hires.

Practice makes perfect

Unfortunately, no DeLorean can bring you back to make a second first impression. Before any interview, come prepared with answers to these sorts of open questions. Not only are they looking at who you are now and what you have done, but they also want to see the person you expect to become and if that person is the right fit for their company. Make sure that you prepare your answer enough that it sounds natural and not like a recitation.

For our previous question series article on “How would your friends and colleagues describe you?”, please click here.

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck for your next intake interview!

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, free guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

How to answer: how would colleagues describe you?

08/11/2021 Mark Starink

As part of an ongoing blog series, we will be taking potentially tricky questions you might encounter in an interview and dissecting them to help you formulate a thorough, satisfying (and always honest!) response. If you have an interview question that has you stumped, leave a comment and let us know!

When you’re playing the competitive game of applying for jobs and going forward for interviews, you find yourself triple-checking the tasks and requirements of the job description and preparing for any questions that may come your way. But truthfully, you can never be 100% prepared for every curveball a clever interviewer could throw at you. Take, for example, this tricky question:

“How would your friends and/or colleagues describe you?”

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Think about it now… What do those people think of you? And how are you really able to speak for them without sounding conceited? It’s not very often that you sit down with anyone to talk about how they feel about you. Most days we can only guess what other people think about us. Everyone just has their own thing going on and probably doesn’t have time to think about how much they adore you.

So, how best to approach this question?

Get some honest feedback from friends and colleagues. Different relationships involved different sides of your personality that most likely result from the levels of comfort and professionalism that we have with each person; feedback from different kinds of relationships will give you a well-rounded response.

Ultimately, the interviewer wants to know if you are bearable or fun to work with and they’re trying to figure out what type of person you are from the opinion of others. They want to be able to picture you in their team and how it would play out. But perhaps they should be asking a different question – how do you see yourself? In life, we are always searching for who we are, what we like and who we like, and all of these features are what make you, you.

A good way to transform this into a concrete addition to your response would be through a removed perspective, such as a reputed personality test based on psychological criteria. This test, for instance, is based on the Big Five personality trait model, which measures Openness, Consciousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. In the end, it will tell you the context of the terms, and what your score in that dimension is. This way you can formulate an honest, yet positive spin on how you may view as an “Introvert” rather than “shy” or “timid” and so on.

Can you think of any other curveball questions that you’ve been asked in an interview? Did they feel irrelevant or out of context, and how did you respond?

For more detailed information look at our other blogs on interview tips and tricks, and how to present yourself on social media…

Abroad Experience International Recruitment wishes you the best of luck with your next interview!

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, free guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

What is a collective labor agreement (CAO) and what does it mean to work as a CAO uitzendkracht?

07/11/2021 Mark Starink

What is a CAO?

CAO stands for ‘Collectieve Arbeidsovereenkomst’ and can be translated to ‘collective labor agreement’. CAO’s are collective labor agreements between an employer and a trade union in regards to wages, working hours, probation, pension and other important rights & duties of the agency and temporary employee.

Abroad Experience works in accordance with the ABU’s collective labor agreement. The ABU, which is short for the Federation of temporary employment agencies Federation of temporary employment agencies. Their CAO Collective Agreement is for Temporary Employees working in The Netherlands.

Working as a CAO uitzendkracht via Abroad Experience Recruitment

If you are working as a temporary employee via Abroad Experience and come to our office for your contract signing, then you are working in accordance with the collective labor agreement of the ABU. You are a CAO Uitzendkracht.

Do you want to know more about how many holiday days you have? Do you want to know more about your pension? Your holiday allowances? Your overworking hours? What to do when on sick leave?

When working with Abroad Experience you will receive an English version of a PDF file with the Collective Labor Agreement of the ABU. You can also find the link to this PDF file below:

ABU CAO English 2019-2021

Do not forget to follow us on social media to be updated on new blogs, free guides and job openings: Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Do I need a work permit to work in the Netherlands and if so, how can I apply for it?

21/10/2021 Mark Starink

Photo by Ylanite Koppens

You wish to work in the Netherlands- fantastic! Do make sure to ask yourself, before you apply or attend interviews, whether you still need to arrange a work permit to start the next chapter in your new home country.

Who needs a work permit to be able to work in the Netherlands?

Are you a citizen from within the EU, the EEA, Switzerland or Croatia? Then you do NOT need a work visa or residence permit to work legally in The Netherlands. You have the ”freedom of movement”. Since 2018 Croatia was added to the list of countries that are granted the right to work in the Netherlands without a permit.

Are you a citizen from a non-EU country? Then you will need to obtain a permit to work in the Netherlands.

Please be aware that Abroad Experience cannot assist you with obtaining a work permit. We cooperate with international companies that only accept applications from candidates who already have a valid work permit! For more information, please scroll to the bottom of the blog article.

Other situations in which somebody does not need to apply for a work permit:

1. You are in a registered partnership with a Dutch or EU citizen who is legally able to work in the Netherlands.

2. You have a one-year working holiday visa: If you are from Australia, New Zealand or Canada and you are between 18-30 years old, you can work for one year in the Netherlands.

3. You are enrolled in a Dutch university program and came to the Netherlands for education as a non-EU citizen, then you are able to work on the side of your studies for a maximum of 16 hours during the academic year and full-time in the months between June-August. You will need to apply for a TWV work permit to do so. A work permit is not required if you do an internship as part of your studies.

4. You had a work permit for the Netherlands in the past: If you worked in the Netherlands in the past for at least 5 years and had Dutch residency (3 years for Turkish citizens), then your employer does not need to apply for a work permit again.

I have Dutch residence but how do I know if I need an additional work permit?

Your residence card will state on the backside that you are free to work in the Dutch labor market without a work permit (it will state in Dutch: Arbeid vrij toegestaan. TWV is niet vereist).

What are the different kinds of work permits and which one do I need?

There are different kinds of work permits:

An employment permit (TWV)
A single permit which is also known as a combined residence and work permit (GVVA)
A highly skilled migrant permit
A search year visa (zoekjaar visa) for expat graduates
A holiday working visa

Depending on how long somebody is aiming to stay in the Netherlands, they need to apply for a TWV or GVVA. Only the GVVA is a permit that job seekers can apply to themselves. A TWV can only be applied to by an employer.

For more detailed information about different work permits, we advise you to check the following websites:

https://www.government.nl/topics/foreign-nationals-working-in-the-netherlands/question-and-answer/what-permits-do-foreign-workers-need

https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/official-issues/work-permit-netherlands

Below you can find an overview of all the types of work permits that our recruitment agency and clients consider:

EU Citizens

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals do not require a work permit to work legally in the Netherlands.

Dutch Citizens

There are three ways to acquire Dutch citizenship: by means of naturalization, option procedure, or by law (birth or family ties).

Family

You are able to stay in the Netherlands when you are married or in a registered relationship, should you wish to stay with your unmarried partner or are a minor who wishes to stay with your parent(s).

Highly Skilled Migrant

In order to receive this permit, you will need a residence permit or provisional residence permit (mvv). Only a recognized employer is able to submit an application on behalf of the highly skilled migrant.

Recognized sponsorship companies that can offer support with residence permits + work permits:

If none of the above situations applies to you, please check the link below where you can find a list of companies that offer sponsorship visas. The Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) publishes a list each year with recognized sponsorship companies.

https://ind.nl/en/Pages/public-register-recognised-sponsors.aspx

Abroad Experience BV is an international recruitment agency that offers unique career opportunities to multilingual job seekers. See our vacancies.

Great work benefits: Travel expense payments

06/10/2021 Mark Starink

Photo by Skitterphoto

Although it is not compulsory, most companies in The Netherlands reimburse the cost of your work travel expense. The policy regarding the amount to be compensated for public and private transport varies from company to company.

When travelling by private transport it is common to receive €0.19 cents per KM up to a certain KM distance per day. The KM distance per day is once again decided by the company. When travelling by public transport companies request invoices/receipts of your travel costs, to insure the reimbursement of your travel expense. The policy regarding travel expenses will be stated in the Assignment that you sign with us.

How to get travel expense payments?

When starting a new position and travelling by public transport you are required to obtain the yellow personalized OVchipcard (persoonlijke OV-chipkaart) with your photo on it. You can request this through the NS/OV chipkaart website. You will need to provide a passport picture for your card, as seen below.

If you do not have a personalized OV chipcard yet, you will need to buy it as soon as possible as it may take up to 2 weeks for you to receive the card at home. For our information, you will need a Dutch bank account to order this card. If you do already have it, you will only need to pay for the new monthly “abonnement” via the website.

Please be aware that we will not be able to reimburse the cost of the card itself (around 7,5€).
You can pay via IDEAL and you will receive an invoice with the charge. Once you email us the invoice as proof of payment, we will reimburse your travel costs in your 4 weekly salary payments.

For further information, please visit http://www.ns.nl/reizigers/ovchipkaart/index.html