Working in a country that was not on your radar

Joshua Cu is one of our senior SAP Consultants. He helps transform business requirements to functionalities. His output helps his Jumbo Tech Campus colleagues create the best possible solutions. Currently, he is working on an app that helps stores run their day-to-day business more efficiently and easier. Joshua: “For example: it gives them forecasts on what they should prepare for that day.”
We talk to him about his work and his decision to move here from the Philippines.

Mobility and efficiency

We start off by talking about his work as an SAP Consultant at the Jumbo Tech Campus. We talked about our transition to a new SAP version, since our current one is nearing its end-of-life term. Joshua states proudly “We’re moving Dutch stores to the new SAP version which is much more user friendly and easier to use. Soon, my colleagues can walk around the supermarkets carrying just a tablet and still have access to all functionalities. It will mean the end of being dependent on specific hardware and connection types, like VPN’s.”

Not getting anywhere

Joshua joined the Jumbo Tech Camps during the pandemic, in 2021. Leaving his home country, the Philippines, was a challenge, but one that paled in comparison to finding a job that suited his skills. Joshua: “I really wanted to work abroad. In the Philippines, I felt I was reaching the limits of my ambitions. So, I started applying for jobs all around the world. But that got me nowhere. I got loads of those basic rejection mails. Soon, it became clear to me that most companies weren’t eager to employ people from abroad.”

From LinkedIn to the Netherlands

It was a frustrating time for Joshua: “I knew I had the skills and the experience to be the perfect match for them, but it felt like I never got a real chance to prove myself. Then, I stumbled upon a LinkedIn post from Jumbo with a job opportunity. I applied and before I knew it, I was doing interviews with the recruiters      that are now my colleagues.”

Joshua had 4 interviews with different people, and he took an online competency test. After that, he was offered a job. “To my own surprise” he admits. “But here I was, hired by a company in the Netherlands, a country I would have never imagined myself visiting, let alone having a career there.”

Let the moving begin

Moving from one country to another is no easy task. But his home country made it extra hard to do so. Joshua had his work cut out for him. There was plenty he had to take care of, starting with the permission to leave his home country: “The Philippines wants to check out your new employer before you can leave. The idea is to protect you from fraudulent companies, but these things may take a while. Especially during a pandemic.

The pandemic slowed this process down considerably. But after a while Joshua and his family were given the green light and they boarded a plane to the Netherlands. As with everyone joining Jumbo from abroad, they had the support of our relocation team. Their belongings were shipped in a container and their visa and other legal documents were taken care of. Just as housing for him and his family. All they had to do was get on and off the plane .

Going Dutch

Joshua: “We adjusted quickly. Mainly because we had no big issues to deal with. Only minor stuff, like getting my driver’s license approved, some paperwork and practical tasks like finding a doctor. For all the important and more complex issues I could count on my colleagues from relocation services.”

After a relatively short period I was able to buy a house, so we are here for the long run now. I even started to learn Dutch. I passed the basic course, but now I must wait for the next level to start. Fortunately, with almost 50 different nationalities here on our campus, we can get by with English just fine.

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