Dutch Interview Prep Sheet

The exact prep so you walk into a PH to NL interview knowing what Dutch hiring managers ask and how to answer.

Who this is for

Filipino devs interviewing for a direct-hire or sponsor role in the Netherlands, doing the whole loop over video call from the Philippines, often across a 6 to 7 hour time gap.

What this helps you decide or do

Show up ready for the parts of a Dutch interview that catch PH candidates off guard: the direct feedback style, the relocation and sponsorship questions, the salary talk in euros, and the “tell me honestly what you are not good at” moment. This is prep, not a script. Use it to sound like yourself, just prepared.

Prep checklist

1. Confirm the interview time in BOTH timezones. NL is usually 6 to 7 hours behind Manila depending on daylight saving, so a “10:00” call in Amsterdam is late afternoon for you. Write down your local time and double-check it the night before.
2. Test your setup for a video call at PH-evening hours: stable internet, quiet room, decent light, headset. Have a mobile hotspot as backup and tell them up front if your power or connection is unreliable.
3. Prepare a 2 minute “why the Netherlands” answer that is honest. Dutch interviewers ask this and they can tell when relocation is not thought through. Mention you have looked into the visa and sponsorship path so they know you are serious.
4. Know the sponsorship vocabulary before you are asked: highly skilled migrant route, recognised sponsor, the IND salary threshold for your age bracket. You do not have to be an expert, but say “I understand the role needs to be at the IND threshold for my age, can you confirm the company is a recognised sponsor” and verify the company on the IND public register.
5. Have a salary range ready in euros, gross per month or per year, not pesos. Research the market range for your level and city. If they ask your expectation, give a range and say it is gross and that you would confirm the net after understanding the tax situation.
6. Prepare for direct feedback and disagreement. Dutch work culture is blunt by PH standards. Practice disagreeing politely with a “I see it differently because…” answer. They often test whether you can push back, not just agree.
7. Write 3 to 4 STAR stories (Situation, Task, Action, Result) with real numbers. Dutch interviews favor concrete over polished. “We cut load time from 4s to 1.2s” beats “I am very passionate about performance”.
8. Prepare an honest weakness answer. The “my weakness is I work too hard” answer reads as fake here. Pick a real one and say what you are doing about it.
9. Have 4 to 5 questions ready for them: team setup, on-call, how decisions get made, what relocation support they offer, and whether they have relocated someone from outside the EU before. Asking about relocation support is normal and expected, not greedy.
10. Ask logistics early in the process, not at the offer stage: who arranges the visa, do they cover relocation, is there a 30 percent ruling expectation, when do they need you to start. Getting this clear avoids a nasty surprise after you say yes.

Common mistakes

• Over-agreeing and never pushing back, which reads as having no opinion.
• Quoting salary in pesos or converting on the spot. Talk in euros, gross.
• Treating the recruiter call as small talk. In NL the screening call is already a real filter.
• Assuming the company is a sponsor without checking. Many are not, and it kills the offer late.
• Giving vague stories with no numbers because you do not want to sound boastful. Specific is expected here.
• Scheduling the call without converting the timezone and showing up an hour off.

What to verify

• The current IND salary threshold for your age bracket, on the official IND site, before you talk numbers.
• Whether the company is on the IND public register of recognised sponsors.
• The current state of the 30 percent ruling. It is changing from 30 percent to 27 percent in 2027, not disappearing, but confirm what applies to your start date with the employer or a tax adviser.
• Who exactly handles the visa application and relocation, confirmed in writing with the employer.

Jake note

I did the whole loop from Manila over video and the thing that surprised me most was how blunt and fast the Dutch process is. They are not being rude, that is just the culture, and once I matched that energy and gave straight answers with real numbers it went a lot smoother. I came in as a direct hire, no agency, so I had to ask the sponsorship and visa questions myself. Ask them early.