Digitalprimate

You called?

…and they are BIG!

Great. Now how do I get them to delete my data and account?

Eh, there are a few spots that it certainly feels like it, especially the Frisian islands.

You could get a decent e-bike?

If you are skilled labor, yes: https://www.expatica.com/nl/finance/taxes/the-dutch-30-ruling-explained-101641/

But what @abbadon420 said is equally true. Housing market’s fucked beyond belief. Now, if you want to WFH and live out in the sticks, you’d be set.

Yet…

How is this not downvoted into oblivion - I know it’s a link to that instance, but still.

Name checks out.

Came here to write the very same thing.

How would he “disagree with some of the things they’re saying” when he "know(s) nothing about Project 2025?

This is very real. You can read it here: https://www.project2025.org. You can google multiple right wing websites commenting on it for yourself.

Or you can watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYwqpx6lp_s

Believe people when they tell you who they are.

While it’s all fine and good to just say “hire the right people”, that’s a gross oversimplification.

I’d say it’s combination of chemistry and luck. I have one position that, thank god, it now filled with a really cool dude who took the job based on the flexibility it offers, but I’ve been here five years and had six people in that role before he came along. Then I have a lady who, on paper, didn’t look very qualified, but she came across as confident and honest in her interview. I’ve promoted her three times in four years. All that was a combination of the interview chemistry plus a ton of luck.

And yes, they are all indeed smarter than me in multiple ways! The other managers are insanely jealous of my team. I guess I, for once in my life, got lucky!

That’s a fair point about SMART being exactly what some people may need to hear. I hadn’t thought about it that way.

Yeah for sure, avoid big groups of British English speaking dudes for sure (and some of my best friends are English and they would agree!)

Fair enough!

It’s still possible, in my opinion, to visit as a “tourist” (I live in Haarlem now, so technically I’m a tourist when I go) and avoid all the trashy stuff. You can seek out the cool little neighborhoods like the Jordaan or de Pijp.

Digitalprimate

Oh simply be polite and most of all have a sense of your surroundings/situational awareness, i.e., don’t get in the way. You probably want to spend as little time in the main “downtown” area (roughly central station to the Rokin) as possible.

Although everyone under 80 years old speak near-native English (I exaggerate), you’ll endear yourself by learning to say good morning, good evening, thanks, and please in Dutch and to start conversations by asking “Is English ok?” in Dutch.

Basically just don’t be a jerk and the native Amsterdamers will happily take your holiday money.

This bullshit just infuriations me. Nearly every country ALREADY HAS LAWS that prevent minors from buying vapes (and cigarettes, etc.) Just enforce the damn rules rather than turn two pack a day people back to two pack a day people and then have to pay for their cancer treatment.

Jesus these fucks are dumb.

Well, it’s more like we don’t want them to come here.

It’s good and kind of you to explain SMART …but let me tell you as exec management it’s bullshit designed fulfull some other HR exec management’s last HR course they took, or some obscure ESG requirement.

I tell my people what needs doing, and then they *just do it *because they are far smarter than me at their own jobs and usually find a more efficient way, with better outcomes, than I could design. I set an overarching goal, they do the rest how they see fit.

Hire the right people and you don’t need corporate schemes like this.