What is it like being a Manager?

What's it like to be an IT manager in Amsterdam? (or even just living there)?

• Well, I might be getting a job that would require me to move to Amsterdam. I would be a manager. I've never been to Europe before, although I do love traveling. I live in the USA now, and I was wondering what its like to live there... Culture-wise Cost of living as of 2010 (ish) (housing, food, travel, gas, average income for IT managers there) Customs and faux-pas or any other tidbits you may have available. But most of all, I want to know what its like! I speak French, Spanish and German (not Dutch) Is there anything that I should know before moving there? This job would be the opportunity of a lifetime! Thanks in Advance!

• Answer:

  I'm user "bla bla" will be along and fill in the gaps for me. Culture-wise. You cannot treat a dutch workforce like you can treat americans. There's no instant firing of people. Expect to be treated almost equal. Biggest mistakes I've seen foreign managers make were thinking that everything was allright after they announced an important decision and got not a s ingle question. There's something called a works council with you may have to deal with. Average income for a manager.. varies. Depends a lot on how big your team is and how high up in the organisation you will be. CIO will be 120k at least. The average department head, 60-80k. Income tax approximately 42% for a large part of that, 52% for the rest. Cost of living. Forget living in central Amsterdam unless you do make that CIO-type salary. Go for the suburbs and the towns around it. Count on approx 1000 euros to rent something. Gas is about 1.45 a litre. Food, well, my wife spends about 90 euros a week on groceries. Customs.. dutch in the workplasce will expect to discuss just about anything. It's your challenge to let them speak enough of their minds but also to get things done. There's a few special hollidays like Sint Maarten and Sint Nicolaas. There's the custom of wearing orange whenever our national soccer team plays. Faux-pas. Thinking you can treat dutch like americans and get away with it. Expressing the fact that the USA is the best country in the world. Just a few thoughts, I've been in IT for 15 years now, spend some time as a contractor for an american company.