Yes, they want me! Now, can I still negotiate on salary?

I am having a second job interview and they want to know about my salary expectations. What is an average salary?

Check here (in Dutch) for an accurate overview of salaries in the Netherlands. Keep in mind that many people included in these statistics work in smaller companies, which generally pay lower salaries. Larger and international companies can be expected to pay more.

Salaries are usually expressed:
› per year
› including holiday pay, but not including a Christmas bonus (if applicable)
› based on full-time employment. This is also the case if you are applying for a part-time job. If you work an 80% workweek, multiply the salary by 80%
› before taxes; after all, you may be able to get tax refunds that other people cannot get

Primary benefits
Primary benefits or labour conditions include such things as: salary, bonuses, profit sharing and terms of a contract. These can be indefinite (not common anymore, but still something to push for) or finite (usually one year, with an extension to an indefinite contract if you perform as expected). Keep in mind that during a one-year contract, you are unlikely to be fired but you cannot quit before the end of that one year!

Secondary benefits
Secondary benefits (sometimes called "emoluments") are:

› Pension: this can be fully paid by the company or partially paid by you. It can be based on a fixed amount to be paid or on shares, which means you might receive much more money than you put in, but you could also receive much less, depending upon how the stock market performs during your career. In case of a fixed amount, this figure can be based on an end-of-career salary or on an average career salary.

› Holidays: the Dutch minimum number of holidays is twenty per year, but many companies offer more. A normal number would be 28. More holidays can result in less salary and vice versa. Government funded organisations and companies like Philips generally offer more holidays (up to 45, depending on your age and working hours).

› Professional development: one external training of several days per year is normal, but you can also ask the company to pay for relevant education you are pursuing on your own time.

› Collective insurances or discounts on insurances: the most common is a discount on your health insurance.

› Saving plans (levensloopregeling and spaarloonregeling)