Anyone can run into obstacles in their career. Maybe you have lost your job, or maybe you are self-employed and do not earn enough to make ends meet. Or maybe you just lack the diploma that would allow you to get started. Whatever your situation, ZW Werkt Door is there for you.
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We spoke to Gerardie about her path to work that fits haar fits. She was self-employed in the hospitality industry for a while, but found out that it wasn’t for her. With the help of Frida, career coach at ZW Werkt Door, she managed to discover what makes her happy. You can read how that went in the interview below.
After working in salaried employment for a time, Gerardie started for herself and opened a coffee shop. For a year she worked as an independent contractor, but eventually found that the turnover was not high enough. She quit and continued as self-employed in catering and services, to see if she wanted to continue in this direction.
It turned out not to be the right place for Gerardie. Knowing what you no longer want in work is one thing, but how do you figure out what you do like to do?
Gerardie: “I had heard through word of mouth that it was possible to get coaching at ZW Werkt Door. The service was free of charge, and that was a godsend for me because my income had also dropped significantly. It was very nice that that was possible.”
She was paired with career coach Frida.
Frida: “What I really like about my work is that I learn things from everyone. For example, from Gerardie. It was a brave step to let go of entrepreneurship. What you do after that is a journey of discovery.”
Career Coaching
During an initial consultation, Frida and Gerardie interacted online.
Gerardie: “I initially thought I would get practical tips, that Frida would tell me what to do or give me tools. But with Frida it worked differently. She looked with me at the underlying things: where you come from, your family and background, everything you take with you in your choices and ideas about work. I had never looked at it that way myself.”
Frida: “I look at what hooks together. What you like and what you don’t, and what’s behind that. For example, if you’re used to taking a lot on your shoulders, that says something about how you grew up.”
The nice things in work
When you’ve had a negative experience in the job field, it can stay with you for a long time and make the search for new work more difficult. Gerardie noticed this, too:
“I found out that I was very attached to negative feelings about my salaried job. The fact that I would go back into salaried employment felt like a step backwards. There were some fears there.”
Frida: “I think everyone already knows a lot about themselves, and it can give you a lot of insight to become aware of that. If you’ve had negative experiences, you quickly think: that work can’t be fun anymore. But I think we can also find very nice things in work.”
Gerardie adds: “Frida made me realize that even my not-so-pleasant experiences with work ended up bringing me great things. That was a nice insight.”
A job that suits you
Then it was time to map out what she did look for in a job. Frida helped her list her wants and needs.
Gerardie: “I especially wanted to work on concrete things. In my previous job, I was working on pretty big themes and goals, and had less of a feeling that my work was really contributing something. It often remained a bit vague in the air. In my new job, I wanted more clarity about my tasks and what I was working on. At the same time, I wanted to contribute to something positive, something that would be edifying and where I could help people. Even if in a small way, that would be enough.”
Gerardie chose to pursue training with the Step budget. That training triggered a lot in her. It allowed her to express her creativity and she discovered how much fun it was to learn new things. With Frida’s help, she managed to focus on the positive things instead of the uncertainties and obstacles she experienced around work.
The next step: finding a job
Gerardie: “I then started looking for companies and organizations that I would like to work for. Then I started keeping an eye on those companies: do they have vacancies open, and which ones seem fun?”
She sent out quite a few cover letters. Eventually she was invited for an interview at one of the companies she had her eye on, and she was hired. Gerardie has since enjoyed working at the University of Amsterdam as a management assistant since October 2023. She supports the teachers and the administration of her department; a versatile job that suits her down to the ground.
Gerardie: “I really enjoy it. It’s challenging and varied work where you get to do all kinds of things. I mainly help the teachers, which is inspiring and makes me feel like I’m contributing to something positive.”
Frida adds: “Because you’ve done so many different projects and worked with so many different people, it also suits you very well.”
Stuck in your career? Ask for help!
Anyone can encounter barriers in their career. Seeking help in your area or region is always a good idea in this regard. Gerardie has advice for people in the same situation she was in.
Gerardie: “To my mind, people wait a very long time to seek help. I always think: why figure things out on your own? There are more people than you think available who recognize your situation or can help you further. Finding help is easier than you think. Especially in this case, because the coaching and help I received was free for me. Why not take advantage of that?”
At ZW Werkt Door, help and coaching is paid for through grants. This ensures that you can take advantage of this at no cost. All that is asked of you is your own commitment and motivation.
Frida also advises everyone to ask for help when needed, especially when you are self-employed as Gerardie did.
Frida: “An entrepreneur said to me the other day: if something happens to me as a self-employed person, I have no safety net. It takes quite a bit to work as a self-employed person. It’s nice to be able to take it out once in a while. This help is available, you can get support. Take advantage of that.”
Can we help you, too?
ZW Werkt Door is there for everyone in the Zaanstreek-Waterland region. Can we also help you find (other) work that really suits you? Feel free to contact us. We would love to talk to you!