Amsterdam area

[Release]

long story short, I need to find work in the Amsterdam area. So, anyone who lives in that area if you could help me out by pointing me in the right direction.. It would be a huge help

also rent, I'm not quite sure where to look for apartments on the cheap or an alternative...

I'm planning a move from the US...
I have about 20k USD to play with
any help is much appreciated

[Release]

hm, I can't edit my post.. anyways, I'm kinda on a tight time schedule.. I'm basically looking for information on what areas to look for work/housing etc etc. (in the Netherlands region, not specifically Amsterdam, tho that is where I will be arriving)
I'm ex military if that helps... :|

[Kixer]

Well, I wouldn't know a job specifically in a split second, but, I do know, or should I rather say I could advise you, to try to find this agency called an "Uitzendbureau".
What they do basically, is match workers to open jobs. So you visit/call them, ask if there's any work and they'll do the searching and stuff for you.
Only problem with this is that it's possible you'll get a nice job, but still have to do most of the shitty work like cleaning or something because you don't have a "real" contract they think you'll be the garbageboy sometimes..

[Release]

interesting, that's a good possibility, I honestly don't care what I'm doing. I just need to show I can earn an income. Also through my research I found a helpful collection of articles
How not to get hit by a bike / contents

I've been in the Amsterdam area a few times while on deployment and I think I know the agency your talking about, I will definitely look them up when I go back.

[ridl3r]

What I meant is that, As for the cost of living compared to the UK, wages are probably a bit lower. Taxes are higher, but you do get tax rebates. If you have a mortgage, the rates are much lower, and again you can claim tax rebates.

health insurance is compulsary

Prices in the stores are the same or cheaper, petrol more expensive (yes !!!)

They do speak good english but for living there you'll probably have to learn a little dutch.

[Release]

Originally Posted by ridl3r

What I meant is that, As for the cost of living compared to the UK, wages are probably a bit lower. Taxes are higher, but you do get tax rebates. If you have a mortgage, the rates are much lower, and again you can claim tax rebates.

health insurance is compulsary

Prices in the stores are the same or cheaper, petrol more expensive (yes !!!)

They do speak good english but for living there you'll probably have to learn a little dutch.

hm, I have military insurance that covers me no matter where I am, I called my agent and they told me it was transferable.. not really sure how that works over there.. I know enough dutch to save my life :P I had to learn it when I was over there during deployment.

and the area I'm going to could be anywhere in the "region" not exclusivly Amsterdam, since I could just catch a train to visit.. So if theres any other recommendation on other outlying areas that are cheaper that would be helpful

[Common]

I'm not sure what you're looking for when it comes to housing, but if you're thinking about staying here for longer periods of time I would definately check out Explanation in English - Kamernet.nl | kamer huren | kamer verhuren | kamers huren | kamers verhuren , as they have the largest selection of low-priced housing available. There's some real gems there for a small price, you just gotta find them between the more expensive and crappier houses.

Amsterdam-area is a lot of fun, English will get you whatever you need because really, Amsterdam is nothing like the rest of the Netherlands. Been there twice and felt like a complete tourist both times.

It is a plus that you at least speak a little Dutch, as this will help you get a job with relative ease. They do hire foreigners, but they prefer openminded people who are at least willing to give the language a try.

The job-centres or Uitzendbureau's as they are called here are a good option when it comes to finding a job. Best advice I can give you is to play the job market like you would play the casino; spread your chances. Don't focus on one job-centre and hope they'll get you a job, send out CV's to multiple job centres and have multiple job-options going. This way you get to pick whichever job you like best, because really, no one is gonna last long if they have to clean toilets all day long. Don't settle for the first job they offer you, and be explicit about your prefered pay range. I myself found a job as a data engineer for Holland's biggest ICT company through one of these job-centres, the pay is good and the work is doable (heck, I'm surfing to netcoders which shows I've got a lot of time to spare at work).

If there's anything else in specific you would like to know, don't hesitate to ask me (PM's will be answered, I get bored at work too you know )

Regards,

Common

[pC#.]

I live in amsterdam, guess i should be able to assist you. When are you planning to come over ? What kind of work are you looking for ?

[Release]

well I'm making another trip in January for 5 days. I was going to try and work out a lot of stuff during that time(finding a immigration lawyer etc etc). As far as work I couldn't care less, I'm a jack of all trades so to say.