The Netherlands has more than a million VMBO and MBO-educated employees. It is therefore strange that so much – mainly positive – attention is often paid to higher educated people in studies and articles. But there are also recent studies such as that of De Telefoongids BV. This shows that VMBO and MBO students are satisfied and hard workers. And also that they usually know what to do with the ‘golden rules’ for a successful job application. Read on for figures, facts and opinions. VMBO and MBO do not always receive positive attention, not even in the media. Many studies focus on higher education, and in our ‘good better best’ society it sometimes seems as if education is a race for the greatest prestige. While, of course, training is in fact a ‘path’ to the best way you can spend your working day! Fortunately, the tide is turning. Gradually people are realizing that VMBO and MBO are also solid courses. And that a country can never do without VMBO and MBO graduates. Especially now that the trend is to reduce all those towering layers of management in companies. Before there is one ‘managing Dutchman’ for every Dutch person… In short, time to upgrade VMBO and MBO. De Telefoongids BV just came up with a very positive study about VMBO and MBO students. Because guess what? VMBO and MBO graduates are hard workers and satisfied workers. And they often know exactly what to do with the ‘golden rules’ for applying for jobs.
Research: satisfied at work
The research by De Telefoongids BV showed first and foremost that virtually all Dutch people with a VMBO and MBO education enjoy going to work. No fewer than 93% of respondents said so. What ‘makes’ job satisfaction? Nice colleagues, said 80% of the survey participants. But varied work is also an important condition for most VMBO and MBO educated Dutch people to enjoy their work: 78% of the VMBO and MBO graduates interviewed gave this answer. It is striking that those who participated in the De Telefoongids BV survey did not attach much importance to the opportunity to have childcare arranged for any children through work: only 2% thought that was important. A funny sidestep for comparison was the question of whether shelter for… pets was an important factor? No, only 1% thought that was an attraction. Yet that is hardly more than the fans for childcare through work!
Social and ‘within the box’
Four in five VMBO and MBO-educated Dutch people interviewed, or 82%, want to express their social side at work. They indicated that they prefer to work with colleagues rather than alone. This social side is also reflected in the fact that two-thirds of respondents are flexible when it comes to following the rules at work. If people do see a stumbling block, it is the rules surrounding holiday planning (13%).
Full-time favorite
Another fact that employers like to see: almost half of VMBO and MBO educated Dutch people prefer a 40-hour working week. However, only a mere 7% want to exceed that, with a maximum of 60 hours per week. Almost a quarter see the most in a 32-hour working week. Women more often indicate that they want to work fewer hours than men. ‘Wanting’ is of course often ‘being able to do’, because in our society most of the work in the home and family unfortunately still falls to women.
How do you get a job?
How do VMBO and MBO graduates find a nice job? Here too, the figures provided by De Telefoongids BV are remarkable. Almost a quarter of respondents appear to have landed a job most often not through social media, not even through an advertisement on a job site or in the newspaper, but… through an open application (23%). Own activity therefore appears to be worthwhile much more often than we sometimes think. The answer ‘via-via’ follows quite quickly, coming in second place (20%). In several studies, social media appear to be a lot less established in the ‘labour country’ than the hype suggests. It is no different here. Because not one of the respondents has found a job via social media.
Who, how and what?
The Netherlands has approximately 1.2 million VMBO and MBO educated Dutch people. The Telephone Directory had a survey conducted among them into their jobs and their ‘golden job’. The reason for the research is the presentation of the website www.GoudenGidsBanen.nl. This online research into jobs and the “golden job” was carried out by Stadspeil, on behalf of De Telefoongids BV. The method was a so-called representative sample among VMBO and MBO educated Dutch population aged 18 years and older, who either currently have a paid job or have otherwise had one in the past three years. A total of 1,068 respondents participated in the survey.
‘Golden’ rules for applying for jobs
How well do the VMBO and MBO graduates interviewed know about the ‘golden rules’ of applying for a job? That turns out to be fine. Most people who participated in this study prepare well for a job interview. Of course, this starts with leaving home well in advance: the majority does this. One of the standard questions during a job interview is of course: what are your strengths and weaknesses? More than half think about this carefully in advance. The majority of employees in this study were smart enough to take a good look at the website of the company where they are applying in advance. Barely half of those interviewed consider in advance which clothing is most appropriate for the ‘image’ of the company they have in mind. Yet one in ten, or a total of 11%, is such a daredevil who does not prepare for the job interview at all. And with a little lie, VMBO and MBO students have just as little trouble as the rest of the Netherlands applying for jobs. A quarter of respondents, or 24%, sometimes conceal something during a job interview.
About Yellow Pages Jobs
With the experience and knowledge from the SME market, De Telefoongids BV can offer VMBO and MBO educated Dutch people the golden job in the area. She presents current jobs at VMBO, MBO and HBO level and focuses mainly on VMBO and MBO educated people. The use of the site www.GoudenGidsBanen.nl is free for job seekers.