I see so much support

Hillary Ovaga, DevOps Engineer

“Before joining APG I worked for SmartStream Technologies in Bristol, England. The company supplied APG with TLM Reconciliation software, so I already knew APG well. After nine years at SmartStream I was ready for an exciting foreign adventure. When I told APG relations about my plans, they mentioned the possibility of an expat like me working at APG in the Netherlands. I was immediately excited. Both the adventure and the country appealed to me; I remembered the beautiful stories my father used to tell about the time he spent in the Netherlands on a Dutch scholarship.

I joined APG in 2019 as a Senior Business Application Consultant, a title that has since been changed to DevOps Engineer 4. APG supported me with the ‘foreign local welcome package’, a plane ticket, finding housing, moving expenses and providing help with my tax returns for the first two years.

On my first day at work colleagues came to my aid from all sides. In no time I owned a work laptop and cell phone. An HR colleague helped me with all my requests and questions about work, living and feeling at home.

As a non-Dutch speaker, I find it amazing that life here has never been frustrating. I owe this to my good English-speaking colleagues and their thoughtfulness. The flip side is that there has been no incentive to really learn the language. That’s a pity, because I think that a good command of the Dutch language would help me to deepen my social integration. That's why I now take weekly classes, facilitated by APG. It’s tough and  nowhere near second nature to me yet, because I am constantly processing my subconscious thoughts in English. But it's going to be okay... as long as I practice every day."

#doyouseeyourfuturewithAPG