The easiest answer would be: ‘Sure, you never know when you might luck out’. But in the real world, where you need to spend hours tailoring your CV and motivation letter to each end every ad separately, this kind of approach will get you nowhere. Not all job posts were created equal, so how do you know which ones are worth your time?
Assess your level of Dutch. If you can read and understand the ad, that is probably a good sign. If you need to run it through a translator first, that is probably a bad sign. If you speak no Dutch whatsoever, and the ad says you need to, move on. Some jobs require a ‘good’ command of Dutch, but that does not mean you should disregard it just yet. What the recruiter probably tries to say here is that you should be able to follow meetings held in the Dutch language, and occasionally give a presentation in Dutch. You do not need to be a native speaker to manage that. On the other hand, if the ad says ‘excellent command of Dutch language’, the chances are bigger that you will have to communicate solely in Dutch, and moreover, your Dutch should be near flawless.
Consider the nature of the job in question. If you think that your skills and qualifications outweigh your inability to speak the local language, go ahead and apply. For example, for a specialised position in IT where you rarely communicate with the end customer, language skills are less relevant than in the case of a customer service executive.
When you decide to react to a job ad written in Dutch, it would be a sensible move to send your CV also in Dutch. If you cannot produce one yourself, ask your friends for help, or, if you want to be on the safe side, seek professional CV services. This may help avoid the situation where a recruiter dismisses your application based purely on the CV being in foreign language. You can accompany your Dutch CV with a motivation letter in English, explaining that at the present time you are more confident communicating in English, but that you are actively working on improving your Dutch.
You may be very well qualified for the advertised job, and still lose the race to a more proficient Dutch speaker. That might be due to the fact that some recruiters simply think that having someone who speaks both English and Dutch might come in handy when operating on the Dutch market (you cannot blame them for that, right?). Whatever their mind-set, you will have to prove them that you have that little something that is worth reconsidering their opinions. Show them that you are a friendly, approachable and engaging individual that can be and will be an asset for them.
Veronika Bacova