Sometimes life goes differently than planned. Dave studied labor and organizational psychology. Due to the financial crisis, he couldnt find a job in this field. He decided to go in a different direction and became a manager in the hospitality industry. Later, he worked at a law firm and studied law. Still, he couldnt keep his job.

Dave says: It felt like I had wasted my time. I had pinned my hopes on a job, and when that fell through, I didnt know what to do. I had previously experienced depression and noticed that I was heading that way again. Just sitting at home doesnt work for me; I need to have something to do.

Warm Welcome

When he applied for welfare, he was immediately referred to the Workstation in the South. There he was warmly welcomed by gatekeeper Sharon Leysner, who guided him weekly and looked at possibilities with him. From the beginning, it felt like we were doing it together. There was space to talk about how I felt and what I was struggling with. That gave me confidence and motivation.

Soon, job hunter Muala Halacoglu joined his trajectory. Together with her, Dave reviewed job applications, she read his letters, and they planned job fairs together. By nature, I am somewhat introverted, but Muala also went to a job fair with me, and that helped. I learned not only how to present myself but also how broad the possibilities actually were.

New Opportunity

The approach paid off. Staffing agency Unique had a vacancy that perfectly matched Daves qualifications. Muala pointed it out to him and helped with the preparation. After a few weeks, he had a job interview, and now Dave has been working at Zurich Insurance since March 3.

I learned at the Workstation how important perspective is. Once you have that back, the world opens up for you. I fully opened myself up to their advice and support, and that has brought me to where I am now.

More information can be found at rotterdam.nl/werkstation-op-zuid. Link opens an external page.