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Kenan

Creating the city of the future @ Gemeente Rotterdam

For me personally realizing a dream revolves around three important factors: desire, perseverance and a suitable opportunity. Which I forced and got.

I am Kenan and I came to the Netherlands knowing absolutely nothing about what to expect, what language is used, how society behaves.. etcetera. What I was sure of, however, was that I had the desire and perseverance. Even though I am almost 40 and have a family consisting of my wife, myself and three children, I saw that I can still fulfill my dream of becoming a Civil Engineer. I started to learn Dutch and am following a course at Hogeschool Rotterdam through the BeAnEngineer traject. Step by step I am getting closer to my dream. Here comes the chance I was waiting for, and I 'pak het met beide handen aan'.


Through Port of Opportunities I got the opportunity to work at the City of Rotterdam in the urban development department, at the heart of civil engineering. Study and work together with pleasure and seriousness. In the first months I worked on different assignments in different departments. The goal is to find work that is the most enjoyable for me and that matches my competences. I now work in the road design department and find this department very interesting. In the future (when I have completed my studies) I will work at the 'Bruggen en Tunnels' department. Never be surprised if you drive on a bridge with your car, and I am one of the designers. As a foreigner, bureaucracy, contracts and orientation are my biggest fears, but the Port of Opportunities team in the harbor knows that in advance. They orchestrate and minimize unknowns to help me focus on my work with as little anxiety as possible. Great and very helpful.

 

The municipality of Rotterdam is a very large organization. Personally I call it a city. An organization with more than 14,000 employees is difficult to identify and navigate without help. But thanks to Port of Opportunities and the buddies it's clearer and simpler for me. I've been working here for several months now. I receive good help and all my questions are answered professionally and accurately. The three factors have come together, I am now on my way to fulfilling my dream. I only have a few years left to finish my studies.


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