(no subject)
Residence permits in The Netherlands are an absolute bitch, unfortunately. To put it shortly, if you want to come here to work, you have to have a job lined up before arriving and you have to wait six months for the paperwork to get settled before you can actually work. Lots of other tiny circular little things have to get dealt with too, but that's the main issue.
It may be easier in other European countries, but I know folks who've tried to work in Italy and England and they've run into the same issue: it's too expensive for a college student or recent grad to live here during the time it would take to find a job. It's a system catering to wealthy, well-established business people who can afford to come over for an interview for a weekend and potentially live here for up to six months without pay. Bollocks. Unless you can find an American company with offices in a foreign country, can prove you're a self-sufficient entrepreneur, or work as an au pair, it's under the table, which could be exciting too, I guess.
Other than that sucking, I am enjoying myself while I'm here - lots of beer and biking, and speaking Dutch. It's all wonderful, but it doesn't seem quite real to be here, because it's not quite mine yet. Unless one of those aforementioned long shots comes through - all of which I have at least signed up for some list or placed a call about - I'll be in Winston Salem or thereabouts for about six months, doing... something. Working as a tutor, or a translator, or for a paper who will have me.
So little as it benefits me, I really can understand that the government is trying to avoid anyone just moving here and being a drain on the government in any way, and actually contributing. I don't understand, however, that they would be unwilling to let an American college graduate try to find her first job in the country where she wants to live...
It may be easier in other European countries, but I know folks who've tried to work in Italy and England and they've run into the same issue: it's too expensive for a college student or recent grad to live here during the time it would take to find a job. It's a system catering to wealthy, well-established business people who can afford to come over for an interview for a weekend and potentially live here for up to six months without pay. Bollocks. Unless you can find an American company with offices in a foreign country, can prove you're a self-sufficient entrepreneur, or work as an au pair, it's under the table, which could be exciting too, I guess.
Other than that sucking, I am enjoying myself while I'm here - lots of beer and biking, and speaking Dutch. It's all wonderful, but it doesn't seem quite real to be here, because it's not quite mine yet. Unless one of those aforementioned long shots comes through - all of which I have at least signed up for some list or placed a call about - I'll be in Winston Salem or thereabouts for about six months, doing... something. Working as a tutor, or a translator, or for a paper who will have me.
So little as it benefits me, I really can understand that the government is trying to avoid anyone just moving here and being a drain on the government in any way, and actually contributing. I don't understand, however, that they would be unwilling to let an American college graduate try to find her first job in the country where she wants to live...