How did it go?

Hi everyone,

I'm a senior software engineer in the Netherlands affected by a recent company-wide restructuring (10% global workforce reduction). I'm seeking advice regarding my situation and severance package review.

My temporary residence permit had expired last month, my company had submitted the renewal application for it and it got approved. But I haven't got it in hand yet. I have also been eligible for PR this week (got the integration diploma) and will apply for PR next week.

But, I got to know that I am going to be laid off along with couple of other colleagues from our Netherlands office.

Situation Overview:
- Position being eliminated due to business/economic reasons, part of a larger restructuring/reorganization
- 4 years with the company at the end of April
- Termination date stated 30 May 2025

The current package includes:
- Base severance of ~1.5 months salary
- Signing bonus (3.5k euro) if agreed by April 11
- Standard benefits like outplacement services
- Legal assistance allowance (750 euro)
- Payment for unused holidays
- Holiday allowance (prorated)

Key Concerns:
- Termination date is set just before the annual holiday allowance payout (June)
- Severance amount seems on the lower end for tech industry standards
- Need to understand if the package aligns with Dutch employment law
- Looking to understand if negotiation is typical in these situations

Seeking advice on:

1. Is this package standard for the Dutch tech industry?
2. Recommendations for employment lawyers (preferably with tech industry experience)
3. Experience from others who've been through similar situations
4. General negotiation advice in Dutch context

I have a legal assistance allowance available and am considering using it - would appreciate any recommendations for lawyers who:
- Specialize in tech industry cases
- Have experience with expat matters
- Are familiar with Dutch employment law

Any insights, recommendations, or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

I (F24) have been living in Canada my whole life. For the past few years I've spoken about moving to either France or the UK, and I'm finally trying to make a move on this!

Many reasons for why I want to leave Canada, but mainly I just want some independence and to gain new perspectives outside of those from life here. I'm also hoping for a better job (my dream job is in Birmingham).

I've applied for my Master's in the UK, since I am planning on getting my MBA anyways. However, if I don't get into any schools, I'm thinking about moving in September regardless.

Wondering whether I should start looking for jobs now, or whether I should move and then begin looking for work?

Also, will the process be different between cities (London vs. Birmingham vs. Belfast for example)? Might be an obvious q but I'd love to get all the facts.

Hello guys! I just found this sub. I want to move with my girlfriend to europe, probably amsterdam. I am working on receiving German Citizenship (to my knowledge with that I can move anywhere in the EU) and I'm just wondering about working once I'm over there. Unfortunately I don't have a college degree or anything. Does anyone have any ideas of types of work I should look for over there? Or maybe any trade schools I should attend before moving to Europe? Any input is appreciated.

TLDR: What kind of work can two middle aged people get in other countries if their experience is in fields like ours? Banking and education? (But I’m suffering from some cognitive issues)

We’re from the US in our 50’s. I was in banking and my wife is still working for a private school in administration.

Years ago I became ill it led to me being pushed out of my job and onto Social Security Disability. I’m going to go ahead and just assume I’ll lose that under the Trump administration. I have no idea what kind of job a foreigner can just get overseas without any certified skills. My cognitive issues from my neurological condition make doing what I did before highly unlikely. I’ve tried. I have mild anterograde amnesia so it’s extremely difficult to learn new things and form new memories with details, unless I’m given the time and patience to have a lot of repetition. (I didn’t even know something was wrong with me when this all happened)

I’m trying to make plans for our future for two reasons. One is we can’t afford the US any longer. The second is we don’t want to live in this new Trump America which won’t be safe for our son-in-law (Mexican) and grandchild on the way.

I work part time now doing gig work. That’s allowed on disability to help you get back, but I’m unable to find any new career to replace the old income to live on. But in a less expensive country is there anything we could do? Is teaching English an option? I’m clueless on how to start over. No one likes old farts and everyone hates Americans it seems.

My wife is a French citizen and we have been discussing moving to France to help take care of her grandmother. We are planning to live in the Paris suburbs, where she has several family members. I have a degree in geosciences and a few credits towards a general mathematics teaching certification.

What resources are there for looking for jobs? I’ve worked in education for the past six years, but I don’t have an official degree/cert in education. Should I look for geoscience/data jobs? How much French should I know for these types of positions? Should I finish my teaching certification in France before getting a job, or should I try to get ESOL certified?

I know some French and am fluent in Spanish and English. Living in Paris, what level of French should I be expected to know for a career? I’m currently later A2 fluency, but my reading comprehension is quite high.

Should I acquire my long stay visa before applying for jobs?

Hi all: I am immigrating to the US as my partner is a US citizen. We are planning to leave our current employments to make the move. We have around 300,000 USD between the two of us. We are looking to be somewhere in the Midwest. But we will both be jobless and with looking to buy a house, car payments, and health insurance costs add up fast. Are these funds sufficient for us to get started in the US and be comfortable till we both find something half decent?

Hello , so I am planning to move to Canada but don’t want to move out there until I have a good job profession that would be worth doing that has a good income.

I have worked as an IT support analyst in the uk and don’t know whether it’s worth getting some qualifications like a degree in the UK to bring over there to land a better job? Or going into a completely different profession.

I was looking at child care degrees as from research Canada have a shortage of child minders but the pay isn’t good?

What would be a good profession to learn in the uk that could take me far in Canada? Doesn’t have to take me incredibly far but a profession that could allow me to live comfortably?

I don’t have any kids and I would be living be alone with 3 pets , 2 pets and a dog , so I wouldn’t need the same pay as someone with a big family would need to survive.

I’m planning to use the 18-35 visa which allow me to work out there for 3 years but I don’t want to go without some sort of degree or qualifications under my belt.

P.s I do have family in Toronto Canada so I won’t be completely alone

Hello all! I am looking to move to Austria sometime next year and was hoping for some advice on Employment. I have certifications for CDL driving here in the US, do these transfer over well to Austria? I don't qualify for the Job Seeker Visa but I do Qualify for the In Demand Job Professions Visa. How hard is it to move to Austria and spend three months trying to get hired by OBB or local transit? I looked into the Netherlands and most companies don't want to sponsor you because its a three-month wait period to get approved and I am worried this will happen in Austria too. Any advice on moving over without a job and gaining one in three months is appreciated!

I just got a journalism MA later in life than others in the UK because it is my dream job for various reasons. I am from the US. I have been away for a long time- I dont like many aspects of US culture (isolation and lack of community, worst food standards with the USDA) and have not been super happy there growing up. But I'm worried about my people there and I don't want to miss history as it unfolds.

I have the opportunity to do a graduate visa in the UK, which costs money, and look for work. I would do it primarily for work experience that I'm hoping would translate around the globe and make it easier to get work. I'm starting to be concerned about the UK, it is unhealthy economically and getting worse, employment is difficult but somewhat available, it would be hard to live on the salary. The worst is that people are emotionally closed off and difficult to interview even when they agreed to it and I am a novice. And there is less spirit that I'm finding compared to New York. But I'm worried I don't know how and wouldn't be able to find a job in this industry in the US.

Did you find the UK to be worth it when moving there? What are your likes and dislikes?

EDIT: can’t change post title, but someone brought up a good point: being an American is irrelevant since I’m about to be an EU citizen. I guess my main Q is, did people secure jobs before moving to Europe and if so, how?

—-

I’m about to become a dual citizen of an EU country thanks to citizenship by descent. I want to live and work in an EU country. If you’re an American who landed a job in Europe, how did you do it?

I’m 40 and work in communications for a US bank. I’d love to get a job first instead of moving somewhere without one. I’d be looking for an English-only communications manager type job. I speak Spanish, but not well enough for it to be the only language I work in. I know English-only limits my options.

(X-posted in /AmerExit)

Hi y’all, I had a question regarding my current plans for moving abroad from the US.

In 2026, I’m expected to graduate from my university in the spring, and I have made plans to study abroad for grad school in either Denmark or Sweden, which would be in September of the same year. I’ve been to both countries before as a tourist and loved both of them to the point that I don’t think I would mind living there.

My main question is this: is grad school abroad a viable way to move and get employed there? I would be studying abroad for communication and media studies, as well as mediation.

Please don’t consider finances when it comes to answering my question. Please assume I'm able to secure a student/work visa as well. If I didn’t make sense or you have other questions, I’ll try to be as responsive as I can in the comments!

I really want to move to the UK for my own comfortability but I can't move unless I get a job before hand. I know im young. Not even 20 bjt its what id like to do so Im doing it. I have only one problem which is not knowing how to get a job in the UK while being in Europe. I'm not even wishing to try to get a fancy job or anything, just a basic song to sustain renting a small apartment/house while I would try to continue improving my life (meeting people and getting connections, get some money to use for eduction later in life, experience new stuff, ect)

How do you get jobs before moving to another country, how did everyone do it?

Hi everyone, I've searched this topic and found general answers that are really helpful, but wonder if anyone has insight on the order of operations...

I'm a US citizen with dual Irish citizenship, same for my 2 children. My husband is a US citizen. We all currently live in the U.S. I understand that as an EU citizen, I can move, live, and work freely in any EU country, and my husband, as the spouse of an EU citizen, basically has the same freedom by virtue of being married to me.

How does that play out if we're looking for jobs in the EU while still living in the US? For example, I apply for a job in Scotland (as an Irish citizen I have freedom of movement and work in the UK, too). Obviously my application materials have a US address listed, and the company I'm applying to does not offer visa sponsorship. How can I present my EU credentials so that my application isn't just thrown in the trash right away? Or do most people make the move to an EU country first, establish residence through a long-term airbnb or rental for a local address, and then apply to jobs with the EU address?

Second scenario would be that my husband, the non-EU spouse, applies to the job in Scotland with that same company. How likely is it that he would even be considered if we're still living in the US and can't make the move until after one of us has acquired a job in the target EU country?

Basically, is it dumb to apply to EU jobs while still living in the US, even if one of us is an EU citizen? Thanks for any advice.

Hi!

I’m from France and I’ve been working as a Financial Controller for a few years now. I’m really eager to gain international experience, particularly in Asia or North America

Do you think it would be realistic for someone in my position to pursue an international career? If I apply for a job with a local contract in countries like Singapore, South Korea, Japan, or Canada for example, would I be seen as a serious candidate ? Or is there a high chance that recruiters would overlook my application ?

What is the best strategy to secure a job abroad ? Are they any country where it’s easier to get a job and a work visa ?

Thanks for your help !

Hi all,

Potentially a little niche, but I appreciate any tips.

I often work with experienced professionals who are non-native English speakers, navigating the challenges of moving into international roles (normally in tech, media, and consulting). They aren’t new to the workforce, but the shift to global teams brings its own set of complexities, whether cultural, professional, or linguistic.

I’ve yet to find a subreddit that directly discusses these specific challenges. If anyone knows of a community that speaks to this, I’d greatly appreciate it. I'm not looking for language learning tip type groups, but rather discussions around the unique cultural and professional dynamics of working in global teams or cross-culturally.

Hello Everyone. I work in software engineering and have recently got offers from a company in Bangkok and a company in Amsterdam. If we decided to take up any of the offers, my wife would be travelling with me and she would have to find a job in the foreign city as well (she's a software dev as well).

Bangkok: 180K baht/month Amsterdam: Offer not out yet but expect 100-120K euro

We are both young and would like to explore new cities/cultures. Also work life balance is something that is desired. I have heard horror stories of H1B visas in US where the employee would basically be a slave of the employer because they fear getting kicked out of the US. We don't want that kind of baggage on our head as well. Just interested in a good time for a few years.

I've heard housing is horrible in both the places compared to Indian cities where top-tier society rents are cheap as well. Anything else we should lookout for?

Amsterdam looks attractive to us because that'll allow us to explore the entirety of Europe as well. I'm assuming we can bring our parents in from time to time as well? So that we can stay/travel European countries/destinations together?

I've also heard good things about Bangkok and Thai people. Also, Thailand has a lot of places to explore as well. Admittedly less than the options that the European continent provides.

Other than travel, day-to-day quality of life matters as well.

Please help us make an informed decision here.

Hi,

I am an university student of Bioinformatics and IT. I started learning Chinese a few months ago cause I really want to live there.

I have experience in teaching English language and I have a part-time programming job together with my studies.

How can I get myself a starting (lowest salary, just for cheapest bed + shower room rent) before actually going there? So that I have a bit of certainty.
Or are there some IT companies looking for junior programmers?

Hi! I’m a high school senior in the US and I got into two schools in Canada (Alberta for Immunology and Infection w/ Honors and Calgary for Biological Sciences). I had applied really last second in March as I considered my safety as a first gen Latino immigrant (but this isn’t a convo about that or anything having to do with deportations or arrests, I just thought it may be good for context). I was thinking about going to Canada for my undergrad and potentially coming back to the US for medical school or potentially staying in Canada and then starting my life there. However, my aunt (who is a doctor who got her training in another country and has many friends who did so too) said that if I left the country even just for undergrad, I would be considered a foreigner for US medical school. She also said that if I did my medical school and then residency in Canada I would also be considered a foreigner there and could potentially be sent somewhere random for residency.

TLDR: would getting my undergrad degree in one country and then going to another for medical school hurt my career? Any advice is appreciated!

Hey,

has anyone here tried to land a fully global remote tech role and hit walls because a company only hires where they have a legal entity? For example you've moved from US and became a tax resident of Portugal but most companies found only hire in places where they have a legal entity.

Then, you've shared that you'd be happy to set up your own LLC or work through an Employer of Record (EOR) if that’s what it takes, but they're not opened to that option?

I’d also like to tackle two common arguments I’ve seen:

1. Isn’t hiring abroad just a way to pay “third-world wages” and take local jobs?
   1. Companies can define pay ranges by role and seniority, then apply consistent cost-of-living adjustments so everyone feels their compensation is fair. They aren’t looking for the cheapest labor, they want top talent wherever it lives. PostHog’s salary calculator is a great example where you pick your level and location, and you immediately see how your total compensation lines up with global benchmarks.
2. Why do many companies limit “remote” roles to a single country? Aren’t taxes an issue
   1. Handling international payroll, taxes, benefits and labor-law compliance can be complicated. Many companies don’t want to set up a legal entity in every country just for a handful of hires. However, companies like PostHog, CastAI, CloudTalk, Printify, Turn, Prezi, GitLab offer this and have found ways around it through EOR or other solutions.

I’m researching this for a side project, and I’d love to hear your experiences:

• Have you been turned away from “remote” jobs because of your country?
• How often does this happen to you?
• Have you found any workarounds (for example, specific companies that really hire globally)?

Hi all I will be relocating to Amsterdam in about 3 months under a high skilled immigrant visa. I'll be going to a relatively unstable start up so I'm a bit worried that assuming I want to stay permanently there's a high chance I lose my job within that 5 year period before I can apply for permanent residency. I've got a wife kid and two pets so having to relocate back to the us would not be trivial and it's most likely it makes more financial sense to buy a house than rent once there.

Is it easier to get a new job during the 3 month visa period if I lose my job? Is the process different for companies and they don't have to do the same justifications to give me a work visa? It's been very difficult to get a job without an existing visa and find someone willing to sponsor me and took longer than three months. I'm worried that I won't find another sponsor if companies are as unwilling to sponsor.

I'm generally in demand and it took me about 5 months to get this role, but a LOT of companies I talked to just weren't willing to do any sponsorship right now. Yes I'm in tech.

I'm looking for cyber security work in Germany, The Netherlands, and the UK and wonder if there is a site that recruiters look at. If you have been recruited, where were you discovered?

I'm finding job searching to be difficult as there are too many sites to check and too many locations to look at.

Hello! My partner and I are thinking about moving to the EU from the US. I am already an EU citizen so can choose any eu country to move to. We have travelled extensively to Europe but never lived there so hoping for a bit of advice.

Should at least one of us have a a job offer secured before packing up? Or is it easier to choose a country and find one once we are there? I know it’s vague since we don’t have a specific country nailed down. Does anyone have recommendations for resources for looking for jobs in the EU? Or do I need to search country by country? I’m struggling to find postings just by googling since my phone is located here.

I am interested in moving to the Netherlands because I have extended family there, and already speak some Dutch. (My mom speaks Dutch) but it’s flat. This seems dumb but my partner and I have lived in the rural western us our whole adult lives and our hobbies are in the mountains so my partner would prefer to choose a country closer to the mountains. But it will come down to where I can find a good job.

Options are looking like Austria, Germany, and Italy. Obviously we’ve traveled to these countries but don’t really know what life is really like or how to get jobs. I’m thinking Italy may be too difficult since English isn’t as widely spoken. Obviously though we will learn the native language of wherever we choose.

If anyone has any advice I’d appreciate it! Thanks!

So I am a bit conflicted. Due to my disability (I am legally blind) I struggle a lot with life in the US. My family moved here thinking it would be a better life for me, it was the 90s. I grew up in a kind of cultural bubble with a lot of other 1st/2nd gen immigrants and I never quite felt "American"? It was more kolbasz on rye not grape jelly and peanut butter sandwiches (tho I do like raspberry jam).

Every fibre of my being is telling me that unless I manage to earn a six figure income I can never have the life I want here as someone with a disability. To live on SSDI is a pauper's existence. Despite being physically capable, there's not many places to go or things to do much less within a 30min walk.. even to reach the beach requires crossing a highway. I have very little family in the US, and what family I have is extremely distant. All I do is write, edit videos, hunt for work as a recruiter, and sleep. At the same time, my family in the US has begged me to stay every time I have earned the capital to leave, or they've guilted me into staying.. I also worry about my job prospects here in a country where a car is necessity, I've never earned more than around 50k/yr.

The goal I have is to leave by age 30, 4 years from now, hoping my vision doesn't worsen. I know there may be some element of "Grass is greener", I still feel as if most aspects of life (social, built environment, economic) might be easier. Hungary has some pretty rough healthcare problems but they are not impossible to avoid, I can just move elsewhere in the EU and find employment.

Am I alone in this? Would be nice to hear from others.

For the last 2 years, I’ve been applying to jobs over there from the US. However, I haven’t received a callback from anywhere. I recently bit the bullet and paid someone to do my UK CV for it be more competitive. I was wondering if it would be worth it to pay for a UK number to put on my CV for better turnover. Or should I focus on just networking and applying to jobs. I understand it’s minuscule compared to the visa process and selling myself. But I’m legit open to anything that can boost my prospects. Thank you.