In ‘The side job of…’, Avans students talk about the work they do to earn a living. In this edition: Ivana Ivanova discusses her work in hospitality and events.
Ivana is a second-year International Business student in Breda and hails from Bulgaria. When she moved to the Netherlands last year to study, she hadn’t planned on looking for a job right away. Her intention was to first get used to a new country and her studies. “Until I got a fine in my second week here for cycling with my phone in my hand,” Ivana says with a laugh. “I couldn’t afford to pay it; I needed money.” From a cousin who had been in the Netherlands for a while, she heard about A la Carte, a recruitment agency for students in hospitality and events. Through them, she quickly found a side job as an international student.
Efteling
Students can sign up for shifts via an app. Ivana mostly signs up for jobs in Breda, the city where she lives and studies. Her first assignment was one she immediately loved: working as a hospitality staff member at the Efteling. “It was a great experience to work in that park. I sold drinks, and I really enjoyed it,” the international student explains. She has also worked shifts at the Chassé Theater in Breda and at the NAC and PSV stadiums during matches. “It’s a beautiful way to get to know the Netherlands. I prefer not to work in a restaurant where you do the same thing with the same people every day. I want to discover new places, and this allows me to do that.”
Ivana can decide for herself which shifts to sign up for. She isn’t required to work a specific number of hours per month, making it a flexible job. “I don’t work around exam periods. I sometimes get a text asking if I can work a certain shift, but if I can’t, that’s perfectly fine. I can also go back to Bulgaria during the holidays if I want to; I’m not obligated to work then. That’s very nice as an international student.”
Language Barrier
The student enjoys working in the Netherlands. She meets many people and also meets up with colleagues outside of work. She also enjoys the interaction with guests. “When they realize I don’t speak Dutch, it often leads to small talk, which I like. They ask where I’m from and what I’m doing here,” says Ivana, who usually isn’t bothered by the fact that she doesn’t speak Dutch. “Sometimes I try to guess what Dutch customers mean. They’ll say a few words I recognize, and I think I’ve figured it out. Other times, I just ask if they can translate.”
However, she hasn’t only had positive experiences at work. Sometimes she receives unpleasant reactions when she speaks English and doesn’t fully understand a customer. “They’ll say: ‘You’re in the Netherlands, why don’t you speak the language? You should be able to.’ I usually just laugh it off and say I’ll learn it in the future,” the student says. “Those comments are not nice. I’m here to work, not to have a deep conversation with you. For the work I do, I don’t need to speak Dutch. I don’t have a language course planned yet. If I decide to stay here after my studies, I’ll consider it.”
Opening Up
Ivana notices that some international students around her only have a job for the money. She understands that—because you need money—, but she believes that mindset doesn’t help you stick with a job for long. “Find a job you enjoy. If you don’t, you make things unnecessarily difficult for yourself and you’ll go to work with dread,” she says. Ivana sometimes hears that companies are reluctant to hire international students. “I haven’t had that experience. If you really want a job, you’ll find one. But you have to be open and willing to learn. Don’t hide yourself away.”
Dit stuk is naar het Engels vertaald met behulp van AI.
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