REVIEW – TENS Holanda

Daniel´s Experience

I didn’t want to start working in the Netherlands at first. I was looking for some jobs in Spain and I came across this opportunity while browsing InfoJobs. It seemed like a great opportunity and I didn’t hesitate twice. My main motive was to become independent and make a life for myself. I had once thought about working abroad, but I never thought I would end up in the Netherlands. I also looked for opportunities in Portugal, but it didn’t really convince me. Before coming here, I had never been to Europe, only to France on a school trip. The desire to get to know the world, and more so the north of the continent, pushed me to make a decision and now I am here; in the Netherlands.

It all seemed like a very fast process to me. This made me a bit suspicious, so I started looking for information about TENS Holanda. I got to their website and read a few experiences of people who were already in the Netherlands. This is very helpful, because this is what makes you realise that the experience you will have will not be just any experience, but a life-changing experience that will help you in the future. In the experiences people manage to touch your heart and encourage you to make the decision. I recommend it to people who are reading me, because without it I might not be here telling my experience. I also have a page that tells you if websites offer fake products or are a scam. I decided to be safe rather than sorry, and put TENS Holanda in the search engine. It told me that I could trust the site. With this I was no longer suspicious and I was completely convinced to start writing a new chapter in my life.

A lot of people have asked me about my goals when I started the process and this was to explore who I am and to develop myself. I think it is a very important process for everyone. Living different experiences and getting to know yourself in the end brings something positive: it builds confidence and a certain attitude that is often necessary in the world of work.

The beginning of the process was very good. Helena’s presence as a recruiter made me more and more confident. The security that Helena creates in you often makes the difference and any doubts you have about the process are dispelled when you have the interview with her. Already on my arrival in the Netherlands my expectations were far exceeded. The accommodation, which was something I was worried about, was great. I had a single room for a few days until they found a roommate. Sharing a room was no problem, sometimes even beneficial as you have someone to talk to and get to know each other. The job always delivers. I work five days a week and although sometimes the production level drops, I always have something to do in the company. The treatment, the accommodation and the job was so pleasant that I recommend TENS Holanda to everyone I know whenever I get the chance.

The beginning, as always, was a bit difficult, but I got over it and it didn’t take long for me to enjoy it. My accommodation is in Workinn, a kind of residence for the employees of TENS Holanda. It’s quite a lively place. Many of us know each other and from time to time you meet people for a drink or a chat. The first week was a bit difficult for me, because I had financial problems and that always makes you rethink everything. Luckily this was just a phase, because after that, I started to feel much more comfortable with everything. The people you meet are super nice and they manage to create a family atmosphere, which in many cases is necessary. I owe a lot to English. It has opened up a world of cultures and humanity.

In my job I enjoy it a lot because I always have things to do. There are times when production goes down, I clean the environment. I don’t like that, but it’s like everything else, there will always be something that wasn’t in our plans, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop everything. In the breaks we have, you can feel the good relations that exist in the work environment. As I am a bit more reserved, I don’t usually take part in them, but I always listen to my colleagues to get to know them better. The interculturality that exists in my company is great, but I am very grateful to have Spaniards around. With them you can express yourself without any linguistic wall limiting you.

I always walk everywhere. I love walking. I always walk to work, even when I was offered a bicycle, I turned it down because I saw it as something useless for me. What I wanted was to walk. Also the proximity of my home to the river makes me go out on my days off to get to know the surroundings. It may seem strange to you, but I had never seen swans before, and this river has a lot of them. They mix with many varieties of ducks and I love being able to see all this. This may be my favourite thing to do since I have been here. Walking and having time to think about my own things while watching wildlife… It’s priceless. Then there is the architecture which I love. The houses are so cute that they don’t go unnoticed. The peace that this activity gives me is more than recommendable, just like coming here to Holland. I can only thank TENS Holanda for the opportunity they have given me. It is something I will never forget.

REVIEW – TENS Holanda

Cheila´s Experience

I already knew the Netherlands. I loved the tranquillity of its cities, both big cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam and smaller ones like Eindhoven or Groningen. I have always been a person whose aim has always been to enjoy a calm and peace that the places I had lived in before had not given me. Therefore, when I found TENS Netherlands, I saw that it was my opportunity to work in this country that is now my home.

I am Portuguese, but I have lived in the UK for 15 years, and English was always a driving force to push me to work in a country with an English level outside the British Isles. TENS Holland helped me a lot, especially in the sense of language. Even though they live in Madrid, they speak to you in Portuguese or English. In my case, that was essential to trust them. It is not the same to leave your comfort zone without certain facilities than with the help of someone close to you and who, in addition, SPEAKS IN YOUR LANGUAGE.

Throughout my selection process, I communicated with Helena at the beginning. She spoke to me in Portuguese, which made me feel comfortable. She knows how to deal with people and, above all, in a close and human way. She is very sweet and we even felt a certain connection because of very similar experiences. Really something that made me want to start this adventure and enjoy everything to come. Other colleagues like Tamara and Rodrigo also made me feel very welcome in a process where you often feel like you are just a number. I will always be grateful for this unique treatment.

As I said before, Holland caught my attention because of the language. I think there is a point in life where languages become difficult to learn and it is very difficult to learn a new one. English is my second language, and in Holland it’s the same for many people. I didn’t want to go to Germany where the percentage of people who speak English is not the same as in the Netherlands, let alone France… The Netherlands was the best option; the one that best suited me and my plans for the future.

When I started the whole process, I thought it would be much slower, but it flew by. They take all the calls, even when you call the recruiter you have. I loved that. It’s something that a lot of people are looking for, because there are times when calling companies or the public administration can be a pain. With TENS Netherlands this is not the case. It is a pleasure to get in touch with the staff in Madrid. Who would have thought that looking for “Working in the Netherlands” would not only help me to find a future job, but also to meet people who are so close and concerned about your goals and objectives?

My expectations were no big deal, I wanted to work there and TENS Holland made it possible. It was also not a radical change for me. I have always been living outside my home country and this was to do the same. 15 years in the UK makes you feel like a local, but you always have something left. A little piece of where you are. That’s why being in the Netherlands is a formality for me. I enjoy myself and my surroundings without having to worry about a longing for the ephemeral.

At the beginning it was very hard, but that’s like everything and everyone. I felt lost. I had seen everything on Google Maps a few days before and I thought I had it all under control, but that’s the theory. When it comes to putting it into practice, things change. Thankfully, along with my pre-contract I received information that served as an itinerary about the transport I had to take when I arrived in the Netherlands. That helped me a lot, but I also asked Helena a lot of questions about how to get to places. We are human, we have to make mistakes, ask questions and act. It is essential, especially in another country.

My daily life in the Netherlands is perfect. I go to work and focus on doing my best. I am a person who loves to talk, and that’s what I do when I have time off. I make it a point to get to know my colleagues at work, I talk to them and ask them about their lives. But not only with my colleagues, also my bosses are a target for me. I want to get to know them, and that exchange builds confidence, both from me and from them. When I get home I put on music, take a shower and talk to the family. I think this is a basic part of my routine. Without this I think I would go crazy. Meditation also helps me a lot, but what really gives me life is travelling around the Netherlands. I am getting to know a lot of landscapes and castles. It’s something amazing in this country, how beautiful all the landscapes are!

My experience in Holland is highly recommended. I have to thank TENS Holland a lot. They have managed to give me this life that I enjoy so much, with new people who are like a new family, with a job that I love, in a beautiful country and all this, thanks to an agency. I highly recommend working with them. They are a bridge with the companies, but they care about you and how everything is going.