Let us start with the most obvious item – the language. As you have probably found out, there are many different Dutch courses out there, costing you various amounts of time, money and effort. From my own experience, cheaper does not necessarily mean less effective. What it often does mean though, is professionally unrecognised. While many Dutch employers do not care whether you own an official language certificate or not – as long as you can actually communicate in Dutch – other institutions may care very much. If you decide to study at virtually any Dutch school, or apply for permanent residence or Dutch citizenship, you will be required to pass your NT2 exam, which is in its structure, difficulty and application very similar to English IELTS or TOEFL.
Maybe it has occurred to you that you can improve your chances of employment by taking a short professional course. There are a great variety of courses out there and again, not all of them are widely recognised. You can ask your desired employer and/or consult a career coach about which course would be a good choice for you. Universities offer short courses as well, however, most of the time you are required to be either a student or a working professional in order to get in.
You may even consider taking on a part-time HBO or WO study, which is a great idea, as long as you pick a programme that will actually help you move forward in your career. However, you should not underestimate the amount of time (and other resources) necessary for completing this education. Also keep in mind that most of these programmes are available in Dutch only and can require a variety of certifications to begin with.
Some courses may not be officially recognised, but you should not condemn them straight away as a waste of time. They are often cheaper than the certified courses and although they will not knock the recruiter’s socks off, they can be a positive signal that you are proactive and willing to work on your qualification.
Veronika Bacova