Build a network and be social – Stanislav’s job hunting tips

So you’ve found your dream position but there’s just one little snag. You still need to wrap up your studies and can’t fully commit to the full working hours just yet. This is the exact situation that HR Coordinator Stanislav Milkov was facing during his job hunt in Groningen.

For our next employee spotlight we sat down with Stanislav to learn more about life in Groningen, his tips for people wanting to settle down here, and of course how he navigated his tricky situation to land a job at Youwe.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Yeah my name is Stanislav Milkov, I’m 26, and I come from Bulgaria. 

I came to Groningen in 2020 for my master's in international business. I decided to do this after completing a bachelor’s in human resources in the UK.

What’s your role at the digital agency Youwe?

As a Human Resources Coordinator I'm leading a few projects within HR from A to B. One of the projects that I do is secondary benefits and role profiles and generic onboarding.

I try to delegate with stakeholders on how to get a project from A to B.

I really like what I do because it's challenging. Working with people is not easy. And also working with people is always different.

When you meet different people, every time it's a different experience. Working with projects is something that is always different as well. Because once you finish one project, another one comes along. And that one is almost never the same as the one before. And there are always little things that you need to polish.

So sometimes it is a little bit challenging if you're a perfectionist, but I would say challenging is good.

How did you find your job and what attracted you to apply? 

I found the job via an online platform where I saw that Youwe is looking for an HR coordinator and I was very interested in it for two main reasons. 

The first one is that it was based here in Groningen and I really wanted to stay and continue living here because I really like it here.

And the second one was that it was as an HR coordinator and I really wanted to continue my growth within HR.

When I applied the position was advertised as full-time. Since I was still doing my master’s I asked if it was possible to start as a part-timer and then move into a full-time role. Luckily they were very keen on doing that. Long story short, I started part-time and a year and a half later, I'm still working here full-time.

How has it been integrating into the Northern Dutch community?

Moving to a new country is not easy. I’ve had to experience that two times so far ever since I left Bulgaria.

But I would say the Netherlands is a very welcoming country. And especially here in the North, people are very relaxed and very welcoming

The fact that I was 22 and single also made it easier. The only thing I needed to do was to find a place to live and find some friends. For that I joined a volleyball association because joining a sports club or some sort of an activity where people share the same interests is a great way to find your people.

I was also active in the master's community of my study. So being a student is a little bit of a step before really moving into a new country and that really helped. So that's what's created my circle here in the North of the Netherlands.

The reasons that make me want to stay are also the fact that people are relaxed, are very welcoming and it’s cozy.

As Dutch people call it, it’s gezellig. 

What do you like the most about living and working in the Northern Netherlands?

I really like the fact that here people don't put too much pressure on things. They just live their life and try to enjoy it as well. And I feel like in the Randstad, which is the busy part of the country where its heart lies, things are a little bit more stressful.

I don't think that stress is something that I was looking for, so I decided to stay here in Groningen. 

What was the hardest challenge that you had to overcome related to moving and living here? 

I would say finding a place to live. It was quite difficult because Groningen is experiencing a housing crisis.

I would recommend to people to network and make connections in order to be able to find housing. It makes it easier.

What is your favourite thing to do in your spare time here? 

I love playing volleyball. That was one of the reasons why I joined the volleyball association.

But I also enjoy cycling. I used to do professional mountain biking and was disappointed here since it’s all flat. On the other hand, it’s easy to just pick up your bike and cycle somewhere.

Do you have any tips for international people who are currently looking for a job here?

My tip would be similar to the one I gave for housing. Build your network and try to be a little bit more social. I feel it’s something people don’t talk about enough.

Being an expat is really about trying to integrate into a new society. It's not only about the perks of working abroad, it's also about going out of your shell and going the extra mile to meet new people.

So I would recommend creating a network. Make more friendships. Join associations, join communities and clubs. And that can really help you. 

Any final thoughts?

I would say Groningen is a very underrated area of the world. It’s a very lovely bubble where everyone is nice. It’s a very welcoming society. And if you're looking for a new place you would like to move to, I would say Groningen is that place.

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Video by Julia Dumchenko.