Life Update: I got a full-time job!

The last life update that I shared was not so long ago. On July 13th 2022, I officially heard that I graduated. I now have a master of science. Two weeks later I shared that news on this blog and more about what’s next. My focus was to find a job, but keep pursuing my hobbies and other things I like in the meantime. That first part is done! That’s why today I am sharing this life update: I got a full-time job!

The Job search

When this blogpost aires, it’s my first work day, October 10th. On September 5th I started to look for a job, after enjoying a holiday for 6 weeks from 13th July onwards. I send out 3 application letters that week. From two of those three letters I got an immediate response, saying that I was invited for an interview. Everything happened very quick and I did not expect that haha. In the end, both companies made me an offer and I had the luxury to choose between the two. Right now, in the Netherlands, employers are looking for a lot of staff and so I’m very lucky to be starting now in 2022.

the job

I went with the job that I thought was the most fun and challenged me the most at the same time. From today on, I am working as a junior projectmanager at het Regionaal Energieloket. Just what a wanted, a junior function. I am supporting around 4/5 senior projectmanagers and am hoping to learn a lot from them. In the title of this blogpost I wrote that I have a full-time job, which is not actually true. I will work 4 days a week, 32 hours in total. In The Netherlands we don’t consider that full-time, but I consider it that haha! 32 hours, 4 days a week is quite a bit. I’m hoping it will be a nice balance, 3 days off, 4 days of work. But I have to see how that goes.

Het Regionaal Energieloket

Junior projectmanager sounds a big vague. For me, the company which I work for is the most important. I want to do something good with my work, add something to society. So, when looking for a job, I looked at the core of a company. Do they do something important? And do they make impact? In the end, I think I have made a very good choice.

Het Regionaal Energieloket is a company that supports different municipalities in the Netherlands. They support the municipalities in the proces of making buildings sustainable. Getting people double glass, isolation, heat pumps, solar panels, etc. That is something we very much need, we need to make buildings climate-neutral, quickly. Het Regionaal Energieloket does so in different ways. Organizing information events, collectively buying heat pumps for a big group of people to get a discount, sending letters to people about their home, etc. Very exciting! I think we’re a perfect match.

Always Evaluating

It seems a perfect match. But I want to always keep evaluating. Am I still contributing? And is what we’re doing still addressing the core problem? I feel that if you pick the right company, chances are high that what you do has important impact. But still, it’s good to keep the ultimate goal in sight. I want to help society move towards being resilient and sustainable. That starts today!

Future in Amsterdam

This contract is for 8 months. If the employer wants to keep me and I want to continue to work there, I might even get a new contract. It’s quite uncertain for how long I can stay to live in Amsterdam, since the housing market in the Netherlands is a disaster. For now, I will have to go with the flow and see how things work out. I like Amsterdam a lot, but I don’t want to stay there for all my life. The air is way too polluted and it’s extremely busy. But, for now, it’s great!

Hobbies and me-time

As I said, I’m very excited! However, I also have some concerns. I mean, 32 hours a week is a lot of time. If I want to keep working out 5/6 times a week, keep volunteering at BiteBack, keep making videos for Youtube, keep writing this blog, keep my house clean, keep seeing my friends, do some groceries, start piano classes and start volunteering at an animal shelter, I honestly don’t know if I can manage all that.

For now I decided to postpone the piano classes and the volunteering at a local animal shelter. I first want to maintain the things I am doing right now, before I add anything else. I think that will be a big adjustment already. It’s been about 15 months since I had a full-time job. I’m nervous, will I do good? Will I manage everything? Will I have enough me-time? I am looking out for myself and being careful.

New era

For now, it’s time for a new era! I am done with school and will have to work to some degree until I reach the pension age of 71. I mean, in the capitalistic system we live in there’s no way around it. Consequently, I have to work. And right now, I want to work. I want to contribute to society and I’m excited to do so! Right now I’m still celebrating, since I got a full-time job! Yay!

Yours sincerely,
Romee