Nail Your Dutch Interview

You have probably been closing job tabs because of the Dutch requirement.

Not because you cannot do the job. Not because your Dutch does not exist. But because you cannot picture yourself speaking it under pressure, in an interview, with someone evaluating every pause and sentence.

That moment of self-disqualification is costing you opportunities you are already qualified for.

Here is what we have learned from working with international professionals in the Netherlands since 2016: the barrier is almost never grammar. Dutch interviewers are not listening for perfect sentences. They are listening for confidence, effort, and the ability to stay composed when the language lets you down.

That is a learnable skill. And it is exactly what this session is built around.

About Brenda Isken

Brenda has spent ten years in HR hiring people and coaching them through the Dutch job market. She has sat on both sides of the interview table. She knows what Dutch employers are actually listening for, and she knows that the candidates who do best are rarely the most fluent.

They are the ones who know what to do when they lose a word.

What the session covers

This is not a language class. It is three hours of targeted preparation built around the real situation.

You will work on the vocabulary that comes up in actual Dutch interviews, not textbook exercises. The frameworks for answering questions like "Vertel eens over jezelf" without freezing. What Dutch interviewers notice and what they are willing to forgive. How to stay composed in the moment when your Dutch does not show up the way you need it to.

By the end, you will not have perfect Dutch. You will have something more useful: a clear understanding of what Dutch employers are actually evaluating, and a genuine reason to believe you are closer to that standard than you thought.

What participants from the first edition said

"It gave me courage to try Dutch during interviews."

"I feel more confident to speak Dutch now."

"I didn't expect to enjoy it."

"It showed me I understand more than I thought."

92% of first edition participants left satisfied. Not because their Dutch became perfect in three hours. Because something more specific shifted: the way they understood the situation they had been avoiding.

A word from Brenda

"The candidates who did best in Dutch interviews were rarely the most fluent. They were the ones who knew what to do when they lost a word. Confidence and effort count. Not perfect Dutch."

The format

Ten participants maximum. That is a deliberate choice. A small group means Brenda can give each person individual feedback, run real interview simulations, and create the kind of environment where it feels safe to practise the uncomfortable part. Once the ten spots are filled, registration closes.

This session is for you if

• You have studied Dutch and use it in daily life but freeze when a job is on the line
• You have been avoiding roles that require Dutch because you are not sure you qualify
• You want to practise the real thing, not review grammar rules
• You are ready to stop letting language uncertainty make the decision for you

Practical details

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2026 Time: 09:30 to 12:30 Location: ACE Consulting, WTC Amsterdam Zuid Group size: 10 participants maximum Ticket: 39 euros

About the Empowerment Foundation

Since 2016, the Empowerment Foundation has been supporting international professionals in navigating the Dutch job market through free coaching, community, and practical resources. Nail Your Dutch is part of that mission: a session designed not to sell you on confidence, but to give you a specific reason to have it.

If your Dutch gets you through daily life but shuts down when it matters professionally, this is the session built for exactly that.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Empowerment Foundation