Recently, I sat down with Cheyenne Knottnerus – Cammans, a manager at UWV, to discuss job search strategies in the Netherlands. Cheyenne kindly shared 4 valuable tips that I believe are useful for our international job seekers:
๐ญ. ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ถ๐ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ
Cheyenne emphasized that many positions are filled through personal connections. For managers, finding the right candidate can be challenging and time-consuming, so referrals and recommendations are often the most effective way to connect with potential hires. That’s why sheโs always open to meeting people interested in opportunities at UWV. Simply put: ๐ธ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ญ๐ธ๐ข๐บ๐ด ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ข๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด.
๐ฎ. ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ
It’s crucial to present your authentic self during the recruitment process. Managers need to assess whether a candidate fits within the team and its culture. Cheyenne mentioned tools like Insights Discovery and its color profiles as useful for building balanced teams. She even recalled a candidate she recommended to another department, who later proved to be a much better fit there than in her own team. Sometimes, itโs not just about qualifications and experience; ๐ช๐ตโ๐ด ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ง๐ช๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ต๐บ ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ต๐ฆ๐ข๐ฎ.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐พ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ
Having participated in numerous interviews, Cheyenne stressed the importance of making your self-introduction memorable. One example she shared was a candidate who brought a few personal photos to illustrate their story – a creative approach that left a lasting impression. Investing time in crafting a unique introduction can therefore set you apart in the recruitment process.
๐ฐ. ๐๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฏ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Want to make your application memorable? Cheyenne explained that candidates who call before submitting their application often leave a lasting impression. Showing your curiosity and interest through a brief conversation can make your application stand out. Be sure to reference this phone call in your motivation letter and mention what insights you gained from that conversation.
Which of these tips resonates with you the most? What strategies have helped you stand out as a candidate? Let me know in the comments below!
