Moving halfway around the world

Personal Growth

The main reason Lydia chose to embark on a journey that would bring her to Veghel, was personal growth. She explains: “I saw plenty of people that were satisfied with staying within their comfort zone, but at this stage in my life I want to grow as a professional and as a person. I saw moving to another country as the best way to increase my opportunities and expand my horizon. So, I started looking around and planning my move.” The perfect opportunity came alone when she saw a job opening at the Jumbo Tech Campus. She reached out and after a few interviews, she was offered the job! Her plan to become an expat was set in motion. 

Lydia already visited the Netherlands as a tourist, a few years ago. “We came to Amsterdam then, just like most of the tourists. It’s a great starting point for visitors, but as a city to live in, I must say I prefer my new ‘hometown’: Eindhoven. Overall, the first few months here have been great. This country and all the people I meet, make me feel welcome. And I absolutely love the cheese.” Lydia laughs as she adds that last bit of vital information. 

Demotion

Back in the Philippines, Lydia already made a career for herself in SAP Consultancy. Working at an American company for several years, she had already travelled abroad and worked with people from different cultures and countries. Shortly before she decided to make some changes, she had become a manager. Lydia: “The thing is, I didn’t want to be a manager., because then your time working with SAP hands-on decreases to an absolute minimum. That’s what they expect from you as you move up the career ladder. But it wasn’t what I wanted. Getting demoted was not an option, so I had to find another way to get back to what I love to do. This job at the Jumbo Tech Center proved to be the perfect solution.” 

Getting away…

At one point, Lydia started to fear she might lose her new job before she even got started: “To leave the Philippines and to work in another country, you must follow a rather bureaucratic process. Getting all the required papers can take up to two months. I had already signed my new contract, but waiting for my official documents took very long, I feared I might lose that job if it were to take much longer. Fortunately, the people at Jumbo were very supportive. They didn’t rush me or anything. Quite the opposite; they helped my get things already sorted in the Netherlands while I was waiting for my documents.” 

… And settling down

“One of the things that surprised me in a very positive way, was the support I got. An agent was assigned to me, and she got to work finding me an apartment in Eindhoven. She went and did the viewing in my place and secured the apartment. So, when I got on the plane, I knew I had a place to settle down in. That made such a difference. It was quite a luxurious feeling. In Eindhoven I joined a network of expats, and some of them have worked in other parts of the Netherlands as well. They all assured me that Eindhoven is the place to be. And I understand why; it’s a real city with all kinds of shops and facilities and yet it’s a very relaxed and friendly environment to live in.

On the campus

Lydia tells us about her reception at the campus: “For the first few days, I couldn’t come to the office yet, so I met my team during online meetings. They also made me feel really welcome. One particular thing Lydia noticed was the apparent lack of hierarchy: “I love that. There are no real ‘bosses’ here. Where I come from, we have all kinds of different words and phrases we must use to express respect for seniors. That almost always leads to very indirect and unproductive communications. Here everyone’s opinion matters and our team leads encourage everybody to speak their minds. That really ensures good collaborations.”  

Dutch Culture

Depending on your perspective, the Dutch are famous or notorious for being so direct, it borders on being rude. When asked about that, Lydia takes some time to think: “No, I can’t say I have noticed that. On the other hand, as a team and on the Campus as a whole, we communicate rather directly. We respect each other and we all want to get the best results. Being direct helps get things done more quickly and everyone knows exactly what they’re expected to contribute.” There is, however, one Dutch trait that baffled Lydia: “Every Dutchman – or woman – I meet seems to plan everything lightyears ahead. At the beginning of the year, they already have all their holidays marked in their calendars. I love planning, but I’m also used to doing things in the spur of the moment. I’ll try and get used to it, but I have my doubts about that. I still really like to do things spontaneously.” 

The future

Like she said before, Lydia doesn’t like to plan too far ahead, and she prefers to stay out of her comfort zone. So, when asked what her long-term plans are, she answers honestly: “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get bored with SAP at some point. On the other hand, I find that hard to imagine. It’s an ever-evolving platform and these changes keeps me alert and interested. For now, I’m far too happy in my new job to consider other career options. Why would I change what I have?  A great job, great colleagues, and an apartment in a fun city. And – possibly most importantly – a country filled with shops that sell cheese.”

Enthusiastic yet? Take a look at our vacancies! We look forward meeting you!