Career Coaching for Students in the Netherlands
Unsure about what comes after graduation? You're not alone in this journey.
I help students in the Netherlands — Dutch and international — take the first step towards clarity and direction when the career path is not obvious.
Not everyone feels lost.
But if you do, this is for you.
My story — my career was not a straight journey
From Romania. Through Spain. In the Netherlands.
A bachelor’s in tourism. A master’s in marketing.
Throughout my studies, I worked in retail, hospitality and customer service, where I developed the work ethic, resilience and understanding of customers that would later shape my career.
Taken together, those experiences, three internships — including one unpaid — and the years I spent building my career in marketing eventually led me to senior marketing roles.
From the outside, that may look like a clear progression.
In reality, my career was anything but straightforward. I changed direction, made mistakes and often had to work out for myself what suited me — and what did not.
Still, every step gave me something I could carry into the next one.
Even though no one handed me a roadmap, I eventually realised that the conversation I needed most was an honest one with myself:
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What kind of contribution do I want to make?
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What matters to me?
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Where do I actually want to go?
The answers were less about pursuing a particular title or status, and more about understanding my values and what I wanted my career to represent.
Through reflection, trial and error, I found a clearer direction. Not a perfect plan.
This is the kind of conversation I am offering now.
Read my full story →
The difference between university and the Dutch job market
What Universities provide
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A structured and guided learning environment
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The resources to gain knowledge
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Individual and group assignments with defined criteria and expectations
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Support, examples and feedback that show what good work looks like
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Time to prepare, improve and learn from mistakes
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A recognised qualification
What Employers expect
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Initiative and greater self-direction
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The ability and curiosity to find what you need and learn while doing
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Individual and team-based work criteria and processes are not always fully defined
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Ownership of decisions and quality — whether or not someone reviews your work closely
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Quality delivered within commercial deadlines
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A track record you build by applying what you know
How do you transition from one environment to the other?
Education and experience are the foundations of your career, but they do not automatically give your career meaning or direction.
That comes from what you continue to build alongside them.
AI raises the bar for what employers expect, and knowing how to use it well is where you get ahead. Digital skills give you a further advantage; they are learnable, and most students underestimate how far genuine fluency takes them.
But hard skills alone are not the whole story. The biggest difference comes from something less visible — your soft skills and your values.
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Communication — articulation, directness, openness, transparency
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Ownership — responsibility, accountability, initiative, quality
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Teamwork — collaboration, leadership, reliability, contribution
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Adaptability — resilience, curiosity, openness to change, acting on feedback
You already have more of these than you think.
The work is cultivating them, applying them, and learning to show them.
What it is — and what it's not
Let me set the right expectations from the start — what this is, what it isn't, and who it's for. That way, we're on the same page.
What I offer is a structured space to:
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develop a clearer direction
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sharpen how you present yourself
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build a more intentional approach to your career search
Think of it as a pathway, not a shortcut.
I'll help you clarify the direction and shape the approach. What happens next depends on how you apply that guidance and the work you put in. That is where the results come from — and that part is yours.
What this service does not do is:
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recruit, as I am not a recruiter
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promise job placements or job offers
Best suited for you if
You:
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feel uncertain about your direction
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have tried to move forward, but something is not working
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are ready to reflect, be challenged and receive more than reassurance
Dutch or international, any business or commercial field.
Probably not the right fit if
You:
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already have a clear path and know how to pursue it
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want someone else to make the decisions or do the work for you
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expect a guaranteed outcome
We shake hands and move on. No hard feelings.
What we can work on
During our sessions:
Between sessions we'll work on:
What I ask of you
These sessions are free, so what I ask in return is that you take them seriously — the same way I will.
Here's what that looks like:
A
Come prepared
Read anything I send beforehand, and bring real questions. The more thought you bring into the session, the more you will get out of our time together.
B
Do the exercises between sessions
Things like: career reflection, values mapping, role comparison or personal SWOT. Much of the real value comes from the work, so it's worth the effort.
C
Stay open to direct feedback
I won’t just tell you what you want to hear — I’ll tell you what I genuinely think and explain why. That is the point, and it only works if you are open to it.
D
Let's keep it respectful, both ways
This is a real conversation between two people, and I'll bring the same respect I ask from you.
E
And if the timing isn't right, that's okay
If it turns out you're not quite ready for this yet, no hard feelings at all. I'd rather give that time to someone who is.
Frequently asked questions
Book your free coaching session
Fill in the form and I'll get back to you within 48 hours to set up your session.
Share enough for me to understand where you are, what you are trying to work out and how I can prepare. Be thoughtful, but don’t overthink it.