What Dutch Recruiters Actually Look for in an Expat CV

It is not about quality. It is about fit.

Most expats I speak with have strong backgrounds. Good experience, relevant skills, genuine motivation. The issue is rarely the substance — it is how that substance is being presented for this specific market.

A CV that worked well in another country, formatted the way you were taught, structured around your responsibilities and career history, often lands very differently here. Dutch recruiters have a particular way of reading CVs and clear expectations about what they should contain. When those expectations are not met, strong candidates get filtered out before anyone has properly looked at what they bring.

What this market expects

There are real differences in what Dutch recruiters prioritise — in terms of length, structure, the balance between experience and results, and how you present yourself in a motivation letter. These are not small stylistic preferences. They shape whether your application moves forward or not.

Understanding those differences is one of the most practical things you can do before your next application. It does not require starting from scratch. It usually requires a clear-eyed look at what you have and a few specific, targeted adjustments.

The motivation letter: more important than most people think

One pattern that comes up consistently is how little attention expats give to the motivatiebrief. It is often treated as a formality, something to attach and move on from. In the Netherlands it carries real weight. A letter that is specific, thoughtful and clearly written for the company in front of you signals something that a CV alone cannot.

The gap between a generic letter and a well-considered one is usually smaller than people expect. But the difference in how it lands can be significant.