For a few months now, Yavuz has been a program manager at Refugee Talent Hub. Yavuz is from Turkey and has been living in the Netherlands for three years. Colleague Dennis asked Yavuz all about his background, first impressions, the projects he has worked on, and the valuable lessons he has learned so far.

The start in the Netherlands

Yavuz came to the Netherlands three years ago and went to study at the Vrije Universiteit (VU), where he obtained his master's degree in marketing. In addition to his studies, he took a language course at the VU; he still sees this as one of the most important steps in his process of getting used to Dutch culture. After obtaining his diploma, he noticed that his interest lay mainly in current problems in the world, such as migration and climate change. "When I got the chance to contribute to bringing employers and refugees together at Refugee Talent Hub, I wanted to seize that opportunity immediately," Yavuz says enthusiastically.

First Impressions of Refugee Talent Hub

Before he started, Yavuz knew that Refugee Talent Hub was an organization with a great mission that he fully supported. Still, he was a little worried about what it would be like to work in a predominantly Dutch work environment. “People often say that getting used to an international company is easier than getting used to a Dutch company,” he says. But his worries were unfounded. “From day one, I felt part of the team. My first day at work also turned out to be a team day, with lots of activities and a nice lunch. That broke the ice right away!” Yavuz says enthusiastically.

Refugee Talent Hub is a small organization, very enterprising and personal. “It feels like a family because of that, very warm. That is of course a difference with the larger organizations that I got to know during my studies, such as Unilever. Both have their charm.”

Valuable lessons and collaboration

In his first 100 days, Yavuz worked on several projects, including setting up mentoring programs with FrieslandCampina and Twynstra Gudde, and organizing meet-and-greets with NS, a new partner. One of the challenges Yavuz encountered was a project with a partner that did not go according to plan. “When things go wrong, people get disappointed, and then we feel a great responsibility to help them. It is then extra important to communicate well, understand what people are going through, and work together on solutions. "Because of my Turkish background, I had the opportunity to look at things from a different perspective and contribute better," he explains.

In addition, Yavuz greatly values ​​the collaboration with his colleagues. “We don’t just talk about work, but also about our lives. That creates a good atmosphere and makes the work sincere. We also talk a lot about food, of course, a topic we can talk about every day during our lunch at BOOST,” says Yavuz.

Growing and developing

When you start working after your studies, you learn a lot right away. That's how Yavuz feels: "planning skills, insight into how our partners work, organizing programs, managing your own time..."

“My ambition is to further develop my hard and soft skills and to grow in my role as a program manager. And I would like to learn more about what other colleagues do. I also want to become even better at organizing events and strengthening customer relationships.” Growing and developing, that makes him happy, but above all an environment that touches your heart: “If you have a good cause and nice colleagues around you, you experience real satisfaction,” he says.

Thank you, Yavuz, for sharing your experiences and insights. We are happy to have you on our team! :-)