1. How long have you been working in the Netherlands?
It’s been 5 and a half years since I moved from Portugal to the Netherlands for my Bachelor studies. After Maastricht, my next stop was Rotterdam and it’s been my home now for the last 2 and a half years. I worked part-time next to my studies, but this is my first full-time job.
2. What do you do for iPS? Explain your job.
I am a Junior Recruiter at iPS Select. Most of my time will be spent on attracting candidates for On-shore/Office positions, getting to know them and ultimately, finding the right fit between Candidate-Client. Our vacancies involve us in all our industries, namely Maritime, Energy, Oil & Gas and Infra.
3. What are the biggest differences between the Netherlands and Portugal? What surprised you the most?
The feeling of individuality you get in the Netherlands is something pretty special. Not only how the rules stop where individual freedom begins, but also how people decide to express who they are or who they want to be. The diversity that you have in the Netherlands makes it easy to feel comfortable.
4. What do you miss the most about Portugal?
I’d say I probably miss the food the most. The warm food that reminds me of home is missing a bit. A Francesinha would come in very handy now!
5. Was it hard to integrate?
I don’t feel like it was hard to integrate. Dutch society seems to have diversity as one of its core features and that makes it easy to feel part of it. Still, I’m probably more part of the international community rather than the Dutch community. Ultimately, Rotterdam and the Netherlands is where I currently feel the most comfortable and that is why I would say it was easy to make it my new home.
Crossing borders
Our iPS Select colleagues are working at their offices around the globe. We celebrate our multicultural DNA, because together we can achieve more. We introduce three of our colleagues who live and work in different countries than the country in which they were born. Why did they make their choice? What are the differences they experience? Read their stories.
