Why Experienced Maritime Engineers Are Difficult to Recruit in the Netherlands

Your CV: What You Can Keep Private and What You Should Never Misrepresent

For Maritime, Shipbuilding and Offshore engineering professionals considering career opportunities in the Netherlands and Belgium.

When looking for a new job, it may be tempting to adjust certain details in your CV.

A younger age. A few additional years of experience. A more senior job title. A qualification you have not actually obtained.

Perhaps these changes could help you pass the initial screening.

But what happens when you are asked to demonstrate your knowledge or provide supporting documents?

You do not have to tell an employer everything about yourself. But the professional information you provide must be accurate.

Here is where to draw the line.

1. What You Do Not Have to Share

For a typical engineering application, you generally do not need to include:

• Age or date of birth — unless legitimately required at a later stage.
• Marital status or children — your family situation is private.
• Religious or political beliefs — these are not relevant to ordinary engineering recruitment.
• Medical history or diagnoses — medical information is subject to specific legal protections and procedures.
• A photograph — generally unnecessary for an engineering CV.
• Your full home address — your city and country are usually sufficient for initial screening.
• A copy of your passport — do not automatically attach identity documents to applications.

Certain positions and employment procedures may involve additional legal requirements.

However, there is an important distinction.

Keeping unnecessary personal information private is not the same as providing false information.

If you prefer not to include your age in your CV, you can generally leave it out.

But do not invent a different date of birth.

If an interviewer asks an inappropriate question about your private life, you can politely decline to answer.

2. What You Should Never Misrepresent

Some information directly affects whether you are qualified and legally eligible for a position.

Be accurate about the following.

Identity

Do not use a false identity or another person’s documents. Your official details must be accurate when identity verification is required.

Nationality and Right to Work

Do not claim citizenship or employment authorisation that you do not have.

Living in an EU country does not automatically give you unrestricted permission to work in the Netherlands or Belgium.

Education

Do not list degrees, diplomas or completed programmes that you have not obtained.

Professional Certifications

Do not present expired, incomplete or planned certifications as valid qualifications.

Employment History

Do not add years of experience, invent previous employers or change employment dates to appear more qualified.

Job Titles and Responsibilities

Do not describe yourself as a Project Lead or Senior Engineer if you did not perform the corresponding responsibilities.

Engineering Projects

Do not claim responsibility for technical decisions, designs or project results that were actually delivered by other team members.

Technical Skills

Do not claim advanced expertise in EPLAN, AVEVA, AutoCAD or other engineering tools without the corresponding practical experience.

Language Skills

Do not exaggerate your English proficiency or other language abilities required for the position.

Professional References

Do not invent references, provide fabricated recommendation letters or list people as referees without their agreement.

These details may be discussed or verified during recruitment.

3. The First Interview: Speaking With a Recruiter

The initial conversation helps establish whether your professional experience matches the employer’s requirements.

At SlavaWorks, relevant topics may include:

• Your current engineering discipline.
• Your experience in Maritime, Shipbuilding or Offshore.
• Projects you have worked on.
• Your actual technical responsibilities.
• Your professional qualifications and skills.
• The type of position you are looking for.
• Your interest in working in the Netherlands or Belgium.
• Your availability and potential relocation plans.
• Your right to work, where relevant to the position.

The purpose is to identify a suitable professional match, not to make you appear qualified for every vacancy.

Being clear about your real experience helps avoid unnecessary interviews and unsuitable opportunities.

4. The Next Stage: Meeting the Employer

After the initial screening, you may be invited to a technical interview directly with the employer.

At this stage, simply listing skills in your CV may not be enough.

For example, if you claim experience in Electrical System Integration, an engineer may ask:

• Which vessel systems have you worked with?
• Which interfaces did you integrate?
• What were your personal responsibilities?
• Which technical problems did you solve?
• How did you verify the results?

If you claim Project Management experience, you may be asked about budgets, schedules, resources and decision-making responsibilities.

If you list EPLAN expertise, the employer may discuss specific engineering tasks or request a practical assessment.

Depending on the position, the employer may also verify qualifications, certifications, employment history, identity and legal eligibility to work.

Not every employer performs every check.

However, relying on inaccurate information remaining unnoticed is a risk that can cost you a genuine career opportunity.

Significant discrepancies may raise concerns about your credibility and lead to rejection.

5. Your Professional Track Record: What Have You Actually Done?

Employers do not always make hiring decisions based on qualifications and job titles alone.

They may also consider your professional track record — the actions, decisions, responsibilities and results that demonstrate how you have developed throughout your career.

For maritime engineering professionals, this can be particularly valuable.

A Senior Electrical Engineer may be expected to explain not only which vessel projects they worked on, but also which technical decisions they made and how their work contributed to project delivery.

A Project Engineer may be asked how they coordinated engineering activities, addressed technical issues or managed changes during a project.

A Commissioning Engineer may need to explain which systems they tested, what problems they encountered and how these were resolved.

How to Present Your Track Record

Instead of simply listing previous positions, prepare examples that answer four questions:

1. What was the project or technical challenge? Describe the vessel, system or engineering task.
2. What was your responsibility? Explain your personal role and level of authority.
3. What action did you take? Describe the decisions you made and the work you performed.
4. What was the result? Explain the outcome and your contribution to it.

For example, rather than writing:

“Responsible for electrical engineering on shipbuilding projects.”

You could provide a more specific description, if it accurately reflects your experience:

“Coordinated electrical design documentation for a vessel project, reviewed technical interfaces with other engineering disciplines and supported the resolution of design issues before installation.”

This gives an employer a clearer picture of your actual responsibilities.

You do not need to disclose confidential client information or protected technical documentation to describe your contribution.

Our advice: Before an interview, select two or three relevant projects and prepare clear examples of your responsibilities, actions and results.

A credible professional track record helps employers understand not only what you know, but how you apply that knowledge.

6. Why Accuracy Is in Your Own Interest

Imagine successfully passing an initial interview because your CV suggests more experience than you actually have.

You prepare for further meetings, invest your time and begin expecting an offer.

Then, during the technical interview, it becomes clear that your experience does not match the employer’s requirements.

The result may be rejection, disappointment and wasted time.

That same time could have been spent exploring positions where your real skills are genuinely valuable.

Being rejected because you lack a particular skill is not the same as being rejected because you provided inaccurate information.

In the first situation, you may still be a strong candidate for another role.

In the second, the employer may question your reliability.

7. Five Things to Check Before Sending Your CV

Before applying, ask yourself:

1. Are all my diplomas and certifications accurately described?
2. Are my employment dates and years of experience correct?
3. Can I explain my personal responsibilities, decisions and results in the projects listed?
4. Do my stated technical and language skills reflect my actual abilities?
5. Have I accurately described my right to work and my willingness to relocate?

If you notice an error, correct it.

If you do not meet one requirement, clarify whether it is essential.

If you do not know something, say so.

Do not present what you hope to become as something you have already achieved.

8. Your Time Has Value

Every interview requires preparation.

You research the company, review its projects, prepare questions and make time for the conversation.

The employer invests time as well.

That is why it is important to establish early whether your actual experience meets the requirements of the position.

An unsuitable vacancy is not a personal failure.

It simply means that another opportunity may be a better professional match.

Do not waste your time trying to demonstrate experience you do not have. Use that time to find an employer who needs the skills you genuinely possess.

A Final Word From SlavaWorks

Your professional background does not need to be perfect.

Career breaks, changes in direction, incomplete education or limited experience in a particular discipline do not automatically reduce your professional value.

You do not need to disclose unnecessary personal information to demonstrate your abilities.

But when it comes to qualifications, engineering experience, professional responsibilities and legal eligibility to work, accuracy matters.

Your professional track record can show what you have accomplished, how you approach technical challenges and what you can contribute to a future employer.

Protect your privacy. Be accurate about your experience. And let your real achievements demonstrate your professional value.

Ready to Take the Next Step in Your Engineering Career?

Your experience, technical skills and professional track record deserve to be presented accurately.

If you are considering new opportunities in Maritime, Shipbuilding or Offshore engineering in the Netherlands or Belgium, SlavaWorks can help you explore whether your professional background matches relevant employer requirements.

Start with an honest conversation about your experience, career direction and expectations.

No need to present yourself as the perfect candidate. Let’s understand where your expertise can bring real value.

Get in touch with SlavaWorks to introduce your professional background.

Sources & Further Reading

• Government of the Netherlands — Job interview questions
• Business.gov.nl — Employing staff in the Netherlands
• Belgian Data Protection Authority — Recruitment of candidates
• Belgian Federal Public Service Employment — Rights and obligations before employment

Last Verified: 9 November 2026.