Carlos´s Experience
We are not aware of the salary we get in the Netherlands until we get here. In my case, I had already read about this. The difference between the salaries in Spain and the Netherlands is huge and not for the worse, quite the contrary. The development and progress of the Dutch society made me decide to move here with TENS Netherlands. I read a lot about the growth and progressiveness of this country. It really caught my attention and I had to experience it on my own and not from a book.
I was looking at and comparing various ETT’s and among all of them this one really caught my attention. It seemed to have good reviews and there were no problems with it. I really did that “shop around, compare and if you find something better, buy it”. TENS Holanda was the best I could find and, as the phrase suggests, I bought it. I took a chance and sent my CV to the company’s email address. It’s a very fast process. I got a call from Nerea, a really nice recruiter. She set up an interview with me and did it. I had applied for a position at an amusement park in the north of Holland, but she told me that the positions had already been filled and that I had to start with GXO Primark until there was another request from the amusement park.
I didn’t really have very clear goals when I started the process, but it was clear to me that they had to be related to improving my English, saving money and getting out of my comfort zone. I think age also plays a big role. At 24, I have nothing to hold me back in Spain and this makes everything easier. When I arrived the first day, with the nerves and everything at the beginning, I left a suitcase in a place in the house and I forgot it there. I started looking for it everywhere and I couldn’t find it. I thought it had been stolen or something, and I panicked. When I realised that it was in the same place where I had left it, it was a relief. You can see from this that it’s not so easy to get to a new place.
At the beginning everything is more difficult, but it’s like anywhere else when you start. I came with savings from Spain, and it’s from the first month that you start to save a lot of money. I am a fan of travelling, and this is what I do the most when I have free days and some money. I have already visited several cities in the Netherlands and Belgium. Rotterdam, Tilburg, Antwerp, Brussels and Amsterdam are the cities I have seen so far. But all this would not be the same if I had not had my group of friends. From the very first moment I felt welcomed by everyone.
There are a lot of Canary Islanders and Andalusians, and come on…. We are a huge family. We all get along well with each other. This relationship is very necessary to disconnect from work. They help you to rest and make you forget about any problems you may have. I am a very family-oriented person. I plan to go down to Spain at Christmas and see everyone. Then I will decide whether I want to stay in the Netherlands or not. For now, I can’t have any complaints with anyone or anything. It’s an experience that I have to recommend to everyone and it fulfils you as a person. I will always be grateful for everything that has been offered to me here. This is what has given me the opportunity to get to know the world, people and work experience.