In our last blog we covered the basics of getting ready: researching the company, knowing your CV, and sorting out the practical details. This post is about interview first impressions, the first few minutes of a Dutch job interview.
Dress for the place, not to impress
When in doubt, smart but relaxed is the safe choice. Dutch workplaces tend to be casual, so a full suit can feel like too much in a lot of offices, while turning up too casual reads as not having made an effort. If you’re not sure, it’s completely fine to ask your recruiter or whoever arranged the interview what the dress code is.
It starts before anyone says hello
A job interview doesn’t start when you sit down. It starts when you walk through the door, or when your camera switches on.
Aim to arrive about ten minutes early, not thirty. Being on time matters here, but it’s expected rather than praised, and turning up too early causes its own small problem: it puts pressure on an interviewer who might still be busy with something. If it’s an online interview, join a minute or two before the start.
And be friendly to everyone you meet on the way in, the receptionist, whoever shows you to the room, anyone you pass. You’re not being tested, but the people who greet you are often asked how you came across, so they’re part of the impression you leave.
The greeting is brief and equal
A handshake, eye contact, and your name said clearly. That’s the whole thing, and in most cases that’s all you need.
What surprises a lot of people is how fast the formality drops away. You’ll often be on first-name terms within seconds, even with a director. Titles rarely come up, and seniority just isn’t emphasised the way it might be elsewhere. It’s simply how things work in the Netherlands.
How you carry yourself as you sit down
Sit back, not perched on the edge of your chair. Keep your hands still and in view. Look at whoever’s speaking, and if there are two or three of them, share your attention around. And slow down, because nerves speed everyone up. Talking a bit more slowly than feels natural is the easiest fix there is.
Nerves are fine. Pretending isn’t. Interviewers expect you to be a little nervous, and they won’t hold it against you. What does land badly is covering nerves with an act, whether that’s overselling yourself or a rehearsed answer said word for word. Both feel out of place when everyone else is being straight with you.
The small talk is short, but it counts
You’ll almost certainly be offered a coffee or tea, and it’s fine to say yes. Then there’s a minute or two of small talk, usually about your journey, before things get going.
It’s easy to treat this as filler, but it sets the tone. Keep it light, don’t stretch it out, and let the interviewer steer things towards the job when they’re ready.
If the first few minutes go wrong
Sometimes they just do. The train is late, the call freezes, or your mind goes blank on a question. If you stumble, a quick “sorry, let me start that again” is better than pushing through a sentence that’s lost its way. Say it once, then carry on. The mistake is going back to it afterwards, because repeating the apology is what turns a small wobble into the thing they remember.
The takeaway
A strong start isn’t about charm. It’s about turning up on time, meeting the informal tone as an equal, keeping the small talk short, and staying calm if something doesn’t go to plan. Get those first few minutes right, and the rest of the conversation has room to go well.
Next in the series, we take on the question most people hope won’t come up: what are your weaknesses? There’s a way to answer it that’s honest and still works in your favour.
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