A lot of people associate The Netherlands with brightly colored tulips. But did you know that you could get a job to work abroad directly with the flowers themselves? While you won't spend your days gardening, you'll still be surrounded by the bright buds of tulips and beyond.
My name is Livvy Skelton-Price, I lived in The Netherlands for a year living and working throughout the seasons. I managed to land my ideal job - working with flowers. I helped multiple friends land jobs at the same company and now I’m sharing my knowledge with you in hopes you can also land your dream job overseas.
Let's dive into where I worked, how I got the job, and if it's the right gig for you too.
Short on time? Here's the cheat sheet:
🌷Looking for a unique job opportunity? Say hello to Royal FloraHolland.
🌻I worked here while in The Netherlands on their Working Holiday Visa but know that they're helpful and open-minded to working with other visa holders and locals.
🌼You'll likely have to deal with sexism from fellow employees and a high pressure environment...
🪻But you'll be surrounded by incredible beauty and have the chance to make friends from around the world.
We’re not a regular travel blog; we’re a collection of women living around the world, all with different backgrounds, jobs, desires, & nationalities. What do we have in common? A passion for life abroad. Each article is written from the 1st-hand perspective of a woman who has actually done or experienced what she writes about.
Learn more about the author by clicking her bio pic at the start or end of each article.
Working at FloraHolland
It’s been almost a year since I got on a plane which flew me all the way across the world to a land I had never stepped foot in. The thought of finding a place to live and a job to keep me afloat was daunting and a task I thought was far too big for someone like me.
But I was able to stay for an entire year. I found accommodation and most importantly, I found a job that employed me and many other international staff members.
The company was Royal FloraHolland - one of the biggest flower distribution companies in the world.
The FloraHolland warehouse is located in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands. Just south of the famous Amsterdam. The warehouse gives tours to those who wish not to work but still to see the process of flower distribution - and a gift shop for all those souvenirs.
What Is FloraHolland?
FloraHolland is a magical place for any flower enthusiast. They import beautiful flowers from various flower farms across the world - including Africa and all across Europe. Once these flowers reach the warehouse, they are sorted into bunches or turned into bouquets and only the highest quality flower is then sold to customers at a daily auction.
The auction is a place for buyers - sometimes another distribution company and sometimes a small shop - to bid on the bunches of flowers they want, the highest bidder becomes the buyer. Once the flowers have been bought, they are sorted onto trolleys and sent into another part of the warehouse.
A staff member will drive a cart that has an attachment which will automatically attach to the trolleys when in proximity. The driver will then take this trolley along to different ‘buyer carts’ and distribute flowers onto them.
These trolleys are owned by the buyers, and when full are sent onto trucks or planes to be delivered to the buyer.
How I Got My Job at FloraHolland
The job I was employed for was driving the carts and distributing flowers onto buyers' trolleys. Which I absolutely loved.
I was able to see which stores were going for what aesthetics, which ones preferred variety, and what types of flowers big companies - like Interflora - were purchasing.
Insider secret: Some bouquets are premade in the warehouse, while some flower shops choose to make their bouquets in store.
The job itself, I originally found on the website Glassdoor, which is a great site catering to internationals looking for work outside their home country.
The Requirements
Generally, the requirements for a job at FloraHolland:
- A working holiday visa
- Height of 160cm+ (5'2''+)
- Reasonable fitness (need to lit barrels of water over your head)
- Living in an area with public transport at 5am or your own car
If you won't have your own car, places with public transport to FloraHolland at 5am include: Aalsmeer, Hoofddorp, Amstelveen, Amsterdam.
You're very lucky at FloraHolland - as long as you have a personalized bus card (this is a way to get cheaper fares on public transport), the company will reimburse your travel expenses each week. All you have to do is send them an email with the amount they owe you.
Beware - they are extremely aware of how much transport costs so you won’t be able to get away with any tricks. Not that you would try any...
The Application Process
When I applied for this job I was put through to a recruiter from a recruitment agency. This was pretty common for everyone who worked at FloraHolland.
I had a call within a couple days of sending my CV. We went through details regarding the hours I was okay to work, my height (as there is a minimum height requirement they will go over with you), where I live (they talk you through bus timetables) and transport (they’ll go over parking if you have a car or public transport).
They are very clear about what is expected and what they can offer, they are also open about the drawbacks to the job which is necessary to know. For example, no one will lie to you about those 6am starts.
Once they accept you, you’ll be invited to have a look around the place. They show you the work you’ll be doing and go through what the company does and who they are. All communication is in both Dutch and English as they are very good at accommodating an international community. If you need another language, let them know and they can sort this out for you.
The Training
The training was quick and a lot of fun. I spent one day with about five others who started at the same time as me and we learned how to drive the carts.
They took us to an empty part of the warehouse to take us through drills - like reversing, turning, attaching a cart etc. They'll also take you through the ‘road rules’ within the warehouse.
That’s right, the place is so big it needs to be treated as though you are driving outside on the road! They take you through signalling, safe places to stand, using the turning bay, parking etc. It’s full of information and it’s a lot of fun too - you do get to have a little race on the carts, following the road rules, of course.
On the second day you go into the warehouse where you are expected to do your job to the full capacity but they send an instructor to follow you and talk to you through a headset. They help guide you to the buyers’ carts and help you understand the instructions given to you through an electronic headset.
They are also there if you panic and forget the road rules or become overwhelmed with the commotion in the place - it can get busy!
Pros & Cons to Working at FloraHolland
Working in flower distribution at FloraHolland is a lot of fun. You get to smell fresh flowers everyday and be witness to all the flower varieties you didn’t know existed. Most people who work there are internationals and it’s a great place to make friends - I met many lovely people there.
But there’s always two sides to every story.
There is a lot of sexism and many men will prioritize their own workload over yours while blowing you a kiss. They’ll cut in front of you with their carts and start laughing with their buddies if you challenge them.
There is a lot of aggression, generally stemmed from the pressure head office puts on the staff for productivity.
All instructions are given through a headset and you must give verbal cues based on where you are located in the warehouse and when you pick up a new cart - because of these verbal cues they are able to time you while you work.
If you do well and work fast, you get promoted. If you are slow, you get re-trained and if need be, they let you go.
The early starts are painful, I would wake up at 4am every morning to catch my bus to be there at 5:30am to be organized and ready to distribute at 6am on the dot. It’s hard work and there is a lot of pressure but if you have good friends and love the smell of flowers it makes it all worth it.
I wouldn’t recommend aiming for this type of work to be long term. It’s great as a short term job - although they would prefer their workers to stay for the long term.
Working Holiday Visa in The Netherlands
Since I'm from New Zealand, I needed a visa in order to live and work in The Netherlands. Although there are other options, I chose to apply for the working holiday visa.
I obtained a working holiday visa before entering the country of The Netherlands. The visa is pretty simple and all the information is online. The two biggest requirements are you’ll need to prove you can support yourself while living over there (have 2,500 euro in your bank account) as well as sending them a copy of your passport.
The visa was a simple process and within the month they let me know I had been accepted.
From my experience, FloraHolland won’t help you with the initial visa but they will help you to extend it if you wish to stay. They do a check-in with you once you’ve been there for three months and ask if you wish to stay in The Netherlands long term and if you wish to continue working at FloraHolland long-term.
If these answers are yes, they will be your support crew to get that visa. FloraHolland employs a lot of international people and refugees, so they are onto it when it comes to handling visas.
Another option to move to The Netherlands, and not on the Working Holiday Visa, is to get hired as an au pair. With that job you'll then be on the specific au pair visa.
Will You Try Working at FloraHolland?
For those that love the smell of fresh flowers and don't mind hard work, you might love working at FloraHolland just like I did. While personally I think it's best as a short-term job to give you the chance to live in The Netherlands, there are opportunities to get a permanent contract and get visa support in order to stay.
While this job isn't for everyone, it is a unique and fun opportunity for the right person!
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