Port of Opportunities

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫! Since a few weeks, we have a new addition to our team: Job Van der Wacht! He has joined us as the fifth Matchmaker at Port of Opportunities and we couldn't be more thrilled to welcome him. His energy and enthusiasm has already made a positive impact and we are looking forward to seeing all the wonderful contributions he will bring to our team. Continue reading the short interview below to get to know Job better and learn about his journey at PofO! Before coming to PofO, Job had been on a search to find the perfect part-time job that would align with his career aspirations and personal interests. He dedicated a great amount of time to search for a role that fits him best: “I was really looking for the right opportunity for myself where I could develop my skillset and learn more about different subjects,” Job shared. His determination to find a position that would offer both professional growth and personal satisfaction was evident. During this search, Job reached out to Max with whom he had known for some time: “Because I’ve been knowing Max for some time, I asked him about his opinion and if he knew a fitting place for me,” Job explained. Max, recognizing Job’s potential and understanding his ambitions, suggested that he could consider joining PofO. “Max suggested that I could also come work for PofO and enhance my talents there. So, after talking about working for PofO, I was very excited to take that opportunity and start my career here!” Now that Job has settled into his role at PofO, he feels very positive about his new function and the impact he can make. “I’m currently studying HR Management and being able to do this work connects very well with my course,” he explained. The practical experience I’m gaining at PofO complements with my studies, allowing me to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world situations. I also find it very interesting to speak to people from all kinds of cultures and countries. This way, I can broaden my perspectives by hearing about theirs and this excites me a lot." Job also highlighted the importance of being part of a supportive and dynamic team. “Being able to do this work in such a great team empowers me too. They support me greatly, which helps me to learn more about the field that I’m now working in.” Outside of work, Job has a variety of interests and hobbies that keep him engaged and fulfilled. In his free time, he plays football and he has a passion for collecting vinyl records, a hobby that reflects his love for music. Job also loves going to concerts!

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨... ... visit one of our candidates! 👋 Last week, Paula Dijkstra visited Oleksandr at the company where he recently started working: Watertaxi Rotterdam. Of course, she has to do this in style and take one of the watertaxi’s in Rotterdam to visit the company. When she arrived at Watertaxi, Paula had a great conversation with Oleksandr about what his experiences have been like now that he works for Watertaxi. He shared nothing but positive thoughts and we are very happy to hear that he is having such a good time with his new career! 🚤 We don’t only do this for Oleksandr: we visit all of our candidates within some weeks after they have started at their new job. We find it important to talk with our newly placed candidates to really get to know more about their new experiences. It’s also because we want to assure them that we are always willing to help with anything, even after that we have found the right opportunity for them. 💙 Watch our video below to follow Paula on her trip to Watertaxi! Together for your future! #port #industry #rotterdam #watertaxi #portofopportunities

𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐧 ✨ Vorige week donderdag ben ik samen met Tycho naar Utrecht gegaan voor het event Nieuwkomers & Werk 2024, georganiseerd door Refugee Talent Hub. Het was een inspirerende middag, waarin ik positief verrast werd door de indrukwekkende sprekers en de kracht van hun verhalen over nieuwkomers, integratie en dromen. Ik zou over alle sprekers wel iets kunnen vertellen, maar in het bijzonder was ik (ben ik eigenlijk nog steeds) onder de indruk van de afsluitende toespraak van Karien. Een echte eye-opener over het geven en bieden van gelijkwaardige kansen middels het weggeven van kratjes en eventueel zelfs het omzagen van een schutting. Want, wie geef jij morgen een kratje en welke schutting zou jij omzagen ❓ Het was geweldig om met zoveel gelijkgestemden samen te zijn en te praten over een onderwerp dat ons allemaal aan het hart gaat. Op naar volgend jaar! Sprekers bedankt! Nizar El Manouzi, Wilma Roozenboom, Rob Knigge, Patrick Warmerdam, Stijn Otten, Arnon Grunberg, Frank Candel, Karien van Gennip

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥! 👏 Vorige week donderdag ben ik samen met Paula Dijkstra naar Utrecht gegaan om in het hoofdkantoor van Rabobank het event Nieuwkomers & Werk 2024 bij te wonen, gehost door Refugee Talent Hub. Tijdens dit event waren er meerdere gastsprekers die elk hun verhaal vertelden over nieuwkomers en integratie m.b.t. met het thema van deze dag: #dromen. Met Nizar El Manouzi als presentator was de was de kick-off over dromen, ambities en wat de huidige tijd van ons vraagt die door Wilma Roozenboom gegeven werd erg interessant. Om door te gaan op het onderwerp “dromen”, spraken Rob Knigge, Patrick Warmerdam en Stijn Otten - van Beest over wat hun dromen zijn en wat zij graag willen bereiken in hun markten m.b.t. het aannemen van nieuwkomers. Zo steldde Rob dat “door vluchtelingen te verwelkomen en hen banen te bieden, verrijken wij onze eigen maatschappij, bedrijven en onzelf als individu”. En ik deel deze mening ook volledig: doordat er meer mensen uit andere landen en culturen komen die elk hun eigen perspectieven op onderwerpen bieden, creëren we de mogelijkheid om als samenleving ons te ontwikkelen en gezamenlijk te bouwen aan een betere toekomst. Zo werken we samen naar een nieuwe start. De volgende spreker was Arnon Grunberg. Als schrijver en essayist vertelde hij een prachtig verhaal met een zin die mij enorm geraakt heeft: “Zolang wij niet onsterfelijk zijn, is elke oplossing tijdelijk”. Geen enkele oplossing zal voor altijd zijn. De oplossing zelf zijn, zal wellicht niet snel gebeuren. Maar we kunnen wél bijdragen aan een deel van een oplossing en hiermee verder werken om anderen te helpen. Ook waren er drie nieuwkomers die op het podium elk hun ervaring deelde over de integratie, problemen die zij hebben gehad (of hebben) nu zij in een compleet ander land wonen, etc. Het was erg aanmoedigend om te zien hoe zij elk hun verhaal deelde, omdat zij elk werken aan een nieuw hoofdstuk in hun leven om zo de volgende top te bereiken. Als kers op de taart sloot Karien van Gennip, minister van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid, de dag af met een zeer inspirerende en overtuigende toespraak. Ze daagde ons allen uit om anderen de hulp te bieden waar zij dit nodig hebben, hindernissen te verwijderen en grenzen te verleggen. Ze sprak volledig vanuit het hart en haar verhaal over over integratie was erg stimulerend en vooral een goede afsluiter. Ik ben blij dat ik mee heb mogen gaan naar dit event. Het was erg fijn om met zo veel gelijk denkenden in een zaal te zijn en te praten over een gezamenlijk onderwerp.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞! We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our intern Tycho has successfully passed his internship! He completed his internship last week by giving the final presentation at his school for his teacher and @Max. Here, he got the good news and we expected nothing less! Even more exciting is that Tycho will continue working for PofO as an official employee! So far, he has been with us for more than four months and we are excited to welcome him to the team. He will be working in the area where is at his best: communication and marketing. This means that you will be seeing a lot more of him and his work here on LinkedIn and our other socials! Together for your future!

Since a few months, we have started to post loads of videos on our Instagram and TikTok. Most of these videos are directed at newcomers. We discuss various topics, such as: 🧡 Notable aspects of Dutch culture; 🧑🏫 Dutch language (abbreviations, accents, idioms etc.); 💻 Tips on professional identity. A few months ago we made this video about Louis van Gaal. Newcomers might struggle with the Dutch language, but let’s not forget that a lot of Dutch people struggle with English too! Louis van Gaal is absolutely iconic in the way he translates Dutch sayings to English literally. In the light of UEFA European Championship 2024, we wanted to reshare this ✨masterpiece✨ with you. Enjoy! 🧡💙 #ek #ek2024

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐔𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬! 💙 Last Friday, the European Union made the decision to extend the temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 4th, 2026. This means that over 4 million people who have fled from the conflict in Ukraine can continue to find safety and support within the EU. This extension isn't just about legal status—it's about providing a sense of security and stability for families who have faced unimaginable challenges. Temporary protection ensures that these individuals have access to essential services like healthcare, education for their children, social welfare, and the opportunity to work and rebuild their lives. Seeing the protection extended again is a positive sign that this support will continue as needed in the future. This is especially important for their #careers. Now, with protection guaranteed until 2026, we hope employers will feel more confident in hiring and investing in Ukrainian talent. This decision gives everyone a clearer picture of the #future. It helps refugees plan their lives better and allows businesses to see the long-term potential in these hardworking individuals. It’s about building trust and breaking down barriers so that Ukrainian refugees can secure stable jobs and contribute to their new communities. Moreover, this decision underscores the importance of integrating refugees into the labor market, which benefits both the individuals and the host countries. By leveraging the skills and talents of Ukrainian refugees, businesses can address labor shortages and enrich their cultural diversity. We are hopeful that this development will lead to more inclusive hiring practices and a broader acceptance of refugees in the workforce. Let’s continue to support and stand in solidarity with our Ukrainian friends during these challenging times.

𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 👥 Last Saturday, our team embarked on an 20-kilometer journey throughout the city of Rotterdam, marking our participation in the 15th edition of the #NachtvandeVluchteling. This annual event, which seeks to raise #awareness and funds for refugees, began and concluded at the historic and beautiful Laurenskerk, a landmark in the heart of Rotterdam. The Nacht van de Vluchteling is an event that brings together thousands of participants who share a common goal: to support Stichting Vluchteling, an organization dedicated to providing essential aid and support to refugees around the world. This year, our team joined countless others in a collective effort to raise as much money as possible for this noble cause. 💛 Prior to this event, our team had already been actively #fundraising through the successful raffle we held a few weeks ago. With all of our efforts and actions, we were able to raise an impressive total of €3.421,-! We are incredibly thankful for anyone who helped us realise this amazing amount of funds for Stichting Vluchteling. 🤝 We were thrilled to be part of such a meaningful event and to walk alongside so many like-minded others. We already can’t wait to participate in next years edition! Together for your future!

𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐤𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 🏚 Yesterday, Sylvia and Tycho visited the Ukrainian House in Rotterdam. The UK House organizes job fairs for newcomers every few weeks. PofO isn’t the only organization that attends this fair: multiple organizations come to these job fairs to inform others about their vacancies and answer questions in person, rather than to only work from their office. 👥 PofO visits this job fair frequently. With each visit, we highlight several job opportunities at our stand. Our colleagues also answer questions that visitors have and support them in looking for their ideal #career. We believe it’s not only important to visit fairs like these to support the visitors, but that it’s also important to connect with other organizations in order to broaden our own network! 🤝 It was a very #successful day and we want to thank the UK House for continuously hosting this event. We can’t to be back here again at the next edition. 💙 Together for your future!

𝐀 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠! 💛 As you may have seen on our socials, recently we have been organizing a fundraisingevent to raise money for Stichting Vluchteling. In addidtion to walking 20km on the #nachtvandevluchteling, PofO wanted to contribute something extra for this organisation that helps refugees worldwide on a daily basis. 🤗 In order to do this, we have put effort into making a lottery with a big variety of prizes. Thankfully, there were a lot of sponsors that donated very amazing products and services for our lottery and we couldn't have been any happier! By doing all of this, we were able to sell 600+ tickets, resulting in collecting a total of... ...€3.000,-! Port of Opportunities will donate this to the organization to help their mission in supporting refugees worldwide on a daily basis! We will donate these funds when we will walk 20km for the Nacht van de Vluchteling on the 15th of June. 🚶♀️🚶 We would once more like to thank all of the sponsors that made this lottery possible and thank everyone that got tickets to support our goal! We hope our winners will enjoy their prizes as much as they can. 👏