After two weeks of searching for work and accommodation in the Netherlands and Belgium, I returned to Slovakia with no idea what was waiting for me. Before I left Belgium, my cousin said she had a feeling a company or recruitment agency would contact me with a job offer as soon as I got home. I didn’t think much of it, but she was right! 😁
An Unexpected Call Right After I Got Home
On Wednesday, after about fourteen hours of driving, I finally arrived home. I ate, slept, and the next morning a WhatsApp call woke me up. I was still half asleep when a woman from a Dutch recruitment agency asked if I was still looking for work. I was surprised because I had never contacted this agency.
Later, I found out that another agency, whose offer I had turned down, had forwarded my CV. I thought, why not? We started talking, and my details were passed on to a manager named Nikki. She told me about two possible jobs, one in Utrecht and the other in Tiel. The accommodation would be in Veenendaal, and we tentatively agreed that I could start on October 22. There was one downside to the first offer. The accommodation was about 40 kilometres from work, which meant an 80-kilometre round trip every day. It wasn’t ideal, but I wanted to start working in the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, I started sorting out everything I needed to do in Slovakia. I rearranged my doctor’s appointments, dental hygiene visit and tyre change, and planned to replace the timing belt and spark plugs in my car. This time I wasn’t going just to look for work. I wanted to move there, so I needed to prepare my car, sort things out at home and pack for life abroad.
The First Rejection and More Opportunities
On Friday, Nikki sent my details to a company in Utrecht. But on Monday, she told me they wouldn’t even invite me for an interview because I had no truck driving experience in the Netherlands. That surprised me. In Slovakia, we have plenty of narrow roads, potholes, old factories and difficult entrances to loading and unloading areas. I think driving a truck in Slovakia might even be harder than in the Netherlands, although I have yet to find out. Every country is different, and I respect each company’s requirements.
Since this job also involved a long commute, I wasn’t particularly upset about losing the opportunity. Nikki told me that her colleague Nino would contact me on Wednesday with other offers. I saw it as a normal part of job hunting. That one didn’t work out, so let’s move on.
An Autumn Hike and an Unbelievable Coincidence
On Tuesday, the autumn weather was beautiful, so I went hiking at Skalka near Kremnica. The hike was demanding, but being outdoors felt great. At the same time, I was still talking to another recruitment agency whose original offer I had rejected because the conditions didn’t suit me. A different place to stay had become available, this time about 20 kilometres from a job near Eindhoven. I gave myself a day to think about it and eventually decided to give it a chance. I filled in the form and kept in touch with the agent.
On Wednesday, we spoke on the phone about my work experience and why I wanted to move to the Netherlands. During our conversation, she mentioned that she was about to contact someone at the company where I might work. Suddenly, I had an idea and asked if it happened to be the company where a man named Bart worked. When she said yes, I couldn’t believe it! 😂
I had already been in contact with Bart during my first job search in the Netherlands. I was interested in working for his company, but I couldn’t find suitable accommodation. And now, after all the travelling and rejections, a different agency was offering me a chance with the same company!
The agent was happy Bart and I knew each other, as she could explain my situation and wish to move to the Netherlands. I had to laugh at the coincidence. You spend weeks travelling abroad, looking for work and accommodation, return home, and somehow end up back at a company you had already spoken to. We agreed she would get back to me on Thursday or Friday.
Whoever Calls First, That’s Where I’m Going!
By Thursday, I was in contact with two agencies and decided to stop overthinking everything. I decided that whichever agency called first with a concrete job offer, I would take it. That’s it, basta! 😁
And believe it or not, at ten in the morning, Nino from the first agency called me! He had a new offer in Utrecht, but this time the accommodation was only five kilometres from work. I would be driving a refrigerated trailer between distribution centres. We discussed the conditions, and Nino then called the client to see if they wanted to hire me. At three in the afternoon, he called back to tell me the company wanted me and I could start at the end of October. The decision was made!
After all those weeks of searching, I finally had a confirmed job and accommodation. And most importantly, I was incredibly happy about it.
One Month of Searching and a New Beginning
When I look back at everything, it feels almost unbelievable. I had been out of work for exactly one month, spending about two weeks abroad and another two in Slovakia. I searched for jobs and housing in the Netherlands, explored options in Belgium, met people in person and spoke with companies and recruitment agencies. Several times, I thought something was finally going to work out, but the real solution came only after I returned home, just as my cousin had predicted.
That month was full of changes and uncertainty, but I never stopped believing things would work out. Life doesn’t always go according to plan, and sometimes you just have to accept that certain opportunities aren’t meant for you. Maybe that’s how it was supposed to happen, because in the end I found a job with a much shorter commute and a confirmed start date. Now I just need to finish preparing and packing for my journey abroad. On Monday, I’m leaving Slovakia, stopping to visit my cousin in Belgium and then continuing to the Netherlands. This time, I’m not going there to look for a job. I’m going to start a new chapter of my life behind the wheel of a truck.
I don’t know exactly what is waiting for me, but I’m really looking forward to it. After a month of searching, it finally worked out, and I’m genuinely happy that I can keep doing what I love.
My new Dutch chapter can finally begin! 🚛 🇳🇱