How recruiters in the Netherlands scan your CV
For international professionals, recruiters prioritize clarity, relevance, and evidence. They want to see role fit quickly, not long personal storytelling.
Your first half page should already show target role, strongest achievements, and relevant skills.
If your CV is too generic, callback rates usually drop even when your experience is solid.
Recommended CV layout and section order
Use this order: contact details, summary, work experience, education, skills, and optional certifications/languages.
One page is ideal for early-career candidates; two pages are acceptable for strong, role-relevant experience.
- Keep section headings clear and dates consistent.
- Place highest-impact bullets in your most recent role.
- Use clean typography and spacing for ATS and recruiter readability.
Write stronger summary and achievement bullets
US/UK resumes often over-index on long narrative and under-index on role-specific summary. Dutch screening prefers concise relevance and practical proof.
When translating format, preserve your achievements but trim non-essential context. Move strongest evidence to page one.
- Replace long paragraph summaries with 3-4 focused lines.
- Convert responsibility-heavy bullets into action + outcome statements.
- Rename sections to Dutch-market familiar structure and order.
Example bullet structure
- Action: what you changed or built.
- Scope: team, process, customers, or budget affected.
- Outcome: measurable result or visible quality improvement.
Keyword and ATS strategy
Mirror the vacancy language in your summary, experience, and skills. This improves ATS pass-through and human scan relevance.
For English applications in the Netherlands, keep language clear and simple while still matching local role terminology.
- Useful keyword examples: role fit, measurable outcomes, ATS-friendly format, clear summary, vacancy alignment.
- Use exact job-title wording when it matches your role.
- Export as PDF and avoid complex design elements in core text sections.
Final pre-apply quality check
Before final export, compare your CV against the vacancy sentence-by-sentence and close wording gaps in title, skills, and outcomes.
The best conversion keeps your original credibility while matching Dutch recruiter scan behavior.
- Role fit is obvious in first two lines.
- Each recent role includes outcome-focused bullets.
- Language, terminology, and file naming are fully professional.
Quick checklist
- ✓Original achievements are preserved; only structure and emphasis changed.
- ✓Summary is concise and role-specific for Dutch market expectations.
- ✓Top bullets are rewritten for measurable outcomes.
- ✓Section order follows Netherlands recruiter scanning patterns.
- ✓Vacancy terminology appears naturally in key sections.
- ✓Formatting remains ATS-safe and clean in PDF export.
- ✓Final version is tailored to one specific role, not generic.
FAQ
Can I apply in English in the Netherlands?+
Yes, especially in international companies and many tech roles. Confirm language expectations in the vacancy.
Should I keep my CV to one page?+
One page is preferred for starters. Two pages are acceptable for experienced profiles with relevant impact.
Does ATS matter in Dutch hiring?+
Yes. Many employers use ATS filtering, so keyword alignment and clean structure are important.
Should I include a photo?+
Usually optional. Include one only when it is professional and role-appropriate.
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