I have been working since I was 16 and what I can say is that I have grown the most as an individual in international settings like this.
Laurin Ivetic
How I landed the job
To be honest, I heard about the job by pure coincidence. I got a tip from a faculty member that the International Office is looking for an assistant in the Online Marketing and Communication department. She thought that I might be a good match and asked whether I would be interested. She forwarded my CV and motivation letter and not long after, I was invited for the interview and luckily I got the job!
My experiences
The best thing about the job is that even though I am “only” a student assistant and not in the office every day, my colleagues make me feel like I am a full member of the team. I am taken seriously and I really appreciate that because it motivates me to put everything I got in my efforts. I also have my own projects and areas of responsibility in which I have more freedom to express myself as I initially thought I would have. The working atmosphere in the team is easygoing and chill, but we never forget to work towards our objectives and within the deadline. This reminds me a lot of one of my last jobs in a startup in Amsterdam. So, even though it is a rather academic environment, it is still casual. In comparison to a German working culture, which can be a bit stricter, I genuinely enjoy the Dutch working culture as I have experienced it so far. I feel it helps you develop your skills a lot. Plus, it is just as efficient and organized as the German system.
Job search recommendations
I have been working since I was 16 and what I can say is that I have grown the most as an individual in international settings like this. I feel like working in a different country offers you sincere insights in how you really are because you have to adapt to a rather new environment and step out of your comfort zone. You do not only learn a lot about the country you work in, but also a lot about its culture and its people. This process really helps you grow. Being a student also means being in sort of a trial-and-error-period. In the university environment, people are well aware of that and want to support the future generation by providing them a learning environment. All you need to show is that you are enthusiastic about what you do and that you willing to go the extra mile if needed. Therefore, my advice would be to always try everything and just go for it, if an opportunity is opening up.