Notes
Honest writing about trades work in the Netherlands. No SEO fluff, no listicles. We'll only publish when there's something useful to say.
· 7 min read · CAO · Salary · Construction
How CAO Bouw salaries actually work in 2026
Age × experience × function tables, 8% vakantiegeld, the 13e maand, what gets added on top, and the floor below which nobody legally pays.
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· 6 min read · Hiring · Negotiation
What to ask a Dutch employer before signing — the no-bullshit list
A checklist tradespeople can use in the second interview. Salary band, holiday allowance, 13e maand, pension above CAO, tools, vehicle, overtime, sickness.
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· 5 min read · Verification · KvK
KvK verification: how to spot a serious employer in 10 seconds
What the Kamer van Koophandel number tells you, what it does not, and the red flags that even a verified KvK number cannot hide.
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· 6 min read · Industry
Why Indeed and LinkedIn don’t work for trades
Algorithms tuned for office work, salary kept hidden until the third interview, mass-applies that go nowhere. An opinion piece — with sources where they exist.
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· 7 min read · Languages · Newcomers
Working in Dutch when you don’t speak Dutch — what’s actually possible
Which trades and which companies hire workers who don’t speak Dutch, where the line is, and the resources that actually move you forward.
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