It has been a while since our first contact with Anatoliy, a passionate software engineer and a very positive, interesting person who left sunny Malta to make his next career move. Today, one year after joining a Dutch software product company, he shares what it takes to land a great front-end job in the Netherlands and get settled into a new place. Here’s his story.

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Short Bio

Name: Anatoliy Gatt

Current position: Front End Developer @ eVision

Time in the industry: 10 years, 7 years professionally

Favourite tech stack: Node.js, GraphQL, React, React Native, Swift

Passions outside of work: Entrepreneurship & travel

What made you decide to relocate to the Netherlands? How long have you been here?

I am three months in. Just wanted to completely change my environment. Coming from a tiny island of Malta, things got old there. The Netherlands seemed to be a cool place, with good life-work balance, taxation, and a strong economy. I love the canals, architecture, The Hague, and Amsterdam.

Tell us a little about the selection process for the position of Front End Developer at eVision.

The first step was an interview with the recruiter of the hiring company, which consisted of general questions to me about my past experience, general questions from me about what the company does, the working process, team structure, etc.

I then received a simple coding task, completed it within a day, and sent it back. A couple of days later, I had a Skype interview with senior developers where I discussed the task, answered a few technical questions, and then some general questions about my hobbies and such.

The next day, I had another interview with a recruiter. He confirmed that they would like to fly me to their office. In 4 days, I was at their office for the half-day of interviews and checking out the internal environment. I got an offer the very next day.

Going through all that, what advice would you give?

Just know your stuff and show a high level of motivation and future commitment to the company’s goals and vision.

What was the role of RelocateMe in the process?

Daria from RelocateMe helped me to shape my CV. She was also following up with the recruiter after each stage and updating me about what’s on their minds, which was pretty helpful.

How long did it take for you (as an EU citizen) to actually move after accepting the job offer?

I accepted the offer in the beginning of December and moved in the middle of January.

What was the hardest part of the relocation process?

Nothing. I found a temporary apartment through Airbnb and set up a viewing before leaving home. Registering in the country and opening a bank account were all handled by the company.

What has been the most helpful thing in adapting to your new home abroad?

Colleagues! I got a lot of tips on good and bad locations for my future apartment, where to buy home appliances, which insurance to take, etc.

What are 3 things that impressed you the most about the Netherlands?

Architecture; bikes are everywhere; I haven’t used cash the whole time I’ve been here (super convenient); people are really kind and helpful.

Do you speak Dutch? How much do you need it for life in the Netherlands?

Nope, English is enough if you are living in a big city like The Hague, Amsterdam, or Rotterdam. Might be an issue in smaller cities, though, from what I’ve heard. All the government documents are in Dutch, so I use Google Translate. Apart from that, most stuff is available in English, for example: ATMs and my banking app are in English.

What is the average cost of rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown The Hague?

I’m renting my place for around €900 in the center of the city.

In general, is it hard to find an apartment for rent in The Hague? Could you name a couple of websites to search on?

I didn’t struggle. I used Funda and Pararius to look for apartments. Found mine on Pararius.

How have the Netherlands affected you (your life, your career)? Do you regret moving here?

It has been a very nice experience. Learning something new every day and blending with new cultures is very cool and exciting. Also, the central position of the Netherlands allows me to travel pretty easily and cheaply within Europe. Not regretting any of it.

In your opinion, what kind of skills and qualities are the companies looking for in software developers? What was your recipe for success?

Cultural fit and experience in the field. I had both 🙂