You might be wondering: How can I land a job in finance as a non-native speaker in the Netherlands? What opportunities are there for me and how do I make the process easier for myself? Diva Estanto is here to help, with her top tips on how to land your job in finance as an international living in the Netherlands!   

Meet Diva Estanto, Campus Recruiter at Van Lanschot Kempen 
Diva is originally from Indonesia. She came to the Netherlands in 2018 for her studies in International Law. After her studies, she decided that she wants to stay in the Netherlands after falling in love with the culture. She is now working at Van Lanschot Kempen as a Campus Recruiter for the Investment Banking and Investment Management departments, a very dynamic role that she really enjoys!  

The finance job-search as a woman 
From Diva’s experience as a recruiter, but also as a woman, she noticed that generally, “women tend to apply less to positions compared to men; if we feel that we are not a perfect fit for the job, we don’t apply - especially in the financial sector. It’s such a male-dominated industry, that women think they should not even bother applying because they are not going to get it anyway”. 

In line with recent calls to change the hiring process in order to attract more female talent, Diva mentioned that she sees a lot of recruitment processes focused on very specific profiles, something that has to change: “I think it’s time to break the typical profile, and build a more open one that attracts a diversity of talent.”  

Landing your job in finance as a non-Dutch woman
As you are exploring opportunities, it’s good to be aware of the job market and its requirements. The reality is this: certain opportunities in the financial sector require proficiency in the local language. For example, most of the Private Equity firms in the Netherlands work with local entrepreneurs that prefer to conduct their business in Dutch. For this reason, working in Private Equity in the Netherlands without being fluent in Dutch is very difficult.  

In the Corporate Finance sector, however, the opportunities are plenty! From banks to boutiques, plenty of companies in Corporate Finance hire non-Dutch people, since there is no necessity for Dutch language proficiency. 

A recruiter’s top tips
Here are Diva’s most valuable tips that can help you land your job in finance:

- Have clear motivation and drive: “I am looking for motivation and skills. Certain technical skills you can train. But a person needs to have motivation and drive even before they apply - and we can clearly see that. So ask a lot of relevant questions about the vacancy!” 

- Stand out through your motivation for the company: “It’s very important to know the company and to know why you want to apply. Tell us something we can’t see in your CV - knowledge of the company and knowledge of the role.”  

- Express your wish to stay in the Netherlands: “A lot of companies value employee retention so they want to see why you are here and why you want to stay." That’s also part of the reason why some companies are reluctant to hire internationals. If you are clear about why you want to stay, it’s a very good point to mention.