Margreeth Kloppenburg
For this article we conducted five group interviews with auditors coming from places all over the world. Different personalities, with different educational backgrounds, from different continents, but united by one similar step in their personal and professional lives: they all came to the Netherlands to work in auditing. Just as you are perhaps planning or considering yourself. To make this future step a little easier, these auditors shared a lot of information as well as good stories on living and working in the Netherlands. They talk about appreciating the international environment, enjoying cultural differences and blending in in new surroundings. About dealing with bikes (‘watch out when crossing the street’), surviving Dutch lunches (same warning but then for ‘drinking karnemelk’) and the famous change of the weather by having four seasons (main message: make a run for the sun when it does shine). You can read more about their experiences on specific themes and through portraits of individual auditors throughout this publication. When you come to the Netherlands, you are at serious risk of staying here for a much longer period than you might be thinking of right now – because many auditors who once came to work in the Netherlands for a short period have chosen to stay longterm. Bilgen Yildiz, for example, arrived nine and a half years ago from Istanbul, Turkey and became attached to the country, as did Stephanie de Groot-Reed; though she has decided, after being here for nine years, to return to her home state of Winconsin in the United States. She will be accompanied by her Dutch husband and their two kids. So what reasons did these auditors have to look for a job outside their home coun try in the first place? Well, most of them were seeking the thrill of a new adventure and were quite determined at some point in their professional lives to go abroad and experience a different environment. Some even thought of that very early in life by choosing an education that would allow them to work all over the world, as auditing does. Others took part in a mobility or rotation programme offered by their firm or had specific knowledge or experience with a client which led to an invitation to come over and work in the Netherlands.
here to stay
Here to stay
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