A bachelor’s degree in urban planning, a master’s degree in urban management & development and more than 4 years of work experience as an urban planner. With such an impressive resume, it would be easy to find a job, you would think. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth for 28-year-old Samim. He wants to learn more about the Dutch job market and is open to any opportunity to gain work experience in the Netherlands. Through his contact at the municipality, he ends up at DUO for a JOB. We pair him with Jaap, who already has experience as a mentor. Jaap shares his experiences with the Dutch job market and the recruitment process. They improve Samim’s resume and work on his application skills. Samim becomes a bit of a mentor himself, because with the feedback he gets from Jaap, he in turn helps a friend improve his resume.
Jaap makes Samim go to his job interviews with more confidence, and it soon turns out well: Samim is hired for the position of account manager at an international consulting company in Rotterdam! Samim sees this as a wonderful opportunity to expand his knowledge in management and finance and start his career in the Netherlands. He is very grateful for the help he received in finding a job in his new home country: “DUO for a JOB significantly boosted my understanding of the Dutch job market, empowering me with valuable insights about the recruitment process. My mentor Jaap and coordinator Karen played a pivotal role by standing with me before and after each interview, providing invaluable guidance and enhancing my interview skills”.