Weams Story: “Enjoy creating your own opportunities”
First-hand experiences
Patience, hard work and perseverance. Weam Alariki knows better than anyone how important these qualities are. After following a few activities at Refugee Talent Hub and an intensive language course at the Vrije Universiteit, she will start her new job at Accenture later this year.
The first gray days of January don't seem to affect Weam. As we speak digitally, there is regular laughter, the atmosphere is good. Streamers hang in the background - one of her sons recently had a birthday - and Weam beams. With her, the sun always seems to shine, regardless of the season.
She introduces herself: “I am originally from Yemen and have been living in the Netherlands for over three years now. I am a single mother of two boys and live in Amsterdam. I studied Communications & Electronics Engineering at Sana’a University and worked for an international organization in my home country. Later, I moved to Saudi Arabia, where I taught mathematics at an international school. Then we left for the Netherlands, where I hoped that my dreams could finally come true.”
Be patient
That path was not without obstacles. “The asylum procedure and finding housing took a lot of time. I had to learn to be patient, which was not my strong suit,” she laughs.
Finding work was also a challenge. “With experience in marketing, teaching and engineering, finding focus was difficult. But sitting still was not an option; I kept searching and working on myself,” she says determinedly.
During her stay in the asylum seekers’ center, Weam participated in a mentoring program with FrieslandCampina through the Refugee Talent Hub. “My mentor helped me clarify my goals, but without a permanent residence and sufficient knowledge of Dutch, it remained difficult to make progress.” After moving to Amsterdam, Weam focused on learning the language and her children. Finding a job disappeared from the background, until I came into contact with Accenture.
Talent Track Accenture - Closing Event
Patience was not my strongest point, but in the Netherlands I learned how important it is, haha.
Weam Alariki
Unexpected opportunity at Accenture
“On the Refugee Talent Hub website, I saw a meet-and-greet at Accenture. Although I was not actively looking for work due to my situation, I decided to participate. Afterwards, I was unexpectedly selected for a six-month internship. My gut feeling told me that this was a unique opportunity, and I decided to put everything aside and go for it completely,” she says.
At Accenture, she learned the role of Scrum Master and obtained her certification. With that certificate, she confidently started her internship at ASML in Eindhoven. “I was welcomed with open arms at Accenture and my mentor inspired me enormously. I decided to learn as much as possible from him. I was soon given more responsibilities and was even allowed to temporarily take over his role. That gave me a lot of confidence.”
During her time at Accenture, she took training courses on leadership and problem solving. “For me, it’s not just about a job, it’s about continuing to learn and grow.” After her internship, she chose to complete her intensive language course, in order to fully focus on her role as Business Operation Analyst, which she will start at Accenture in August.
Talent Track Accenture - Closing Event
Work on yourself, keep learning
Weam looks back on her journey with pride. Her perseverance, eagerness to learn and the support of Refugee Talent Hub and Accenture have helped her overcome obstacles and achieve her goals. “Sometimes it feels like everything is against you, but you have to keep going. Jobs don’t just come to you. Work on yourself, keep learning and develop new skills. You will succeed.”
Her most important advice is: “Don’t give up. It’s normal that things don’t work out right away. Sometimes it’s just not the right time. But if you’re patient and keep investing in yourself, the opportunities will come.”
Weam concludes with a beautiful message: “Life will smile at you one day. And if it doesn’t smile at you, smile at life yourself; it will surely smile back. Believe in yourself and don’t hesitate to seek out opportunities and apply for them. Losing an opportunity is not the end. Enjoy creating your own.”
Life will smile at you one day. And if it doesn't smile at you, smile at life yourself; it will surely smile back.
