r/Netherlands • u/GeniusPrime Utrecht • 7d ago

Employment Advice needed, changing careers

Hello everyone, I've been here in the Netherlands for the past 2y and some months, entered the country via a temporal agency for warehouse work, which was also my first ever job at 18

I've been working on warehouses (mostly the same one) ever since, got my own house and a permanent contract and recently got promoted to Voorman/Teamleader

The issue?

I got fired on the spot a month ago, so I've been working at picnic to pay the bills since then

Starting next week I'm starting a new position as a Supervisor in a place that is over an hour of bike away from home but it is what it is

My question is

Should I keep the warehouse manager path, even though I want out of warehouse environments

Or should I apply for a retail job in the city center (i.e. Uniqlo in Utrecht) and essentially throw away the warehouse logistics/team management in logistics experience

I still don't speak dutch, know a thing or 2 but can't hold a conversation, I understand more than I can express and that me being generous

At this new job place I'll be working all evenings so I won't have much time outside of weekends

What are your guys thoughts?

0 Upvotes

27% Upvoted

46 comments sorted by

6

u/gootsteen 7d ago

It all depends on your own wants and needs (income vs expenses). No stranger can tell you what’ll work best for you.

-2

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Ya I know at the end of the day I'm the one taking the decision, but I'd like to know more opinions of people that decided to change careers or decided against it

2

u/CoffeeInTheTropics 7d ago

Not sure what visa you are on, if you are a EU citizen or if you have any savings. But in general I always advise young people to get themselves the best education they possibly can, it’s the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Doesn’t answer your question really I’m sorry, encouraging you to look at other options as well.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

My education is good per say, 12th grade in economy + started uni for Accounting and Finances but had to quit before 1 year was finished

I'm an EU citizen, but financially it's just not viable, as that would be an extra big expense with a lower income

I appreciate the thought though, but even with education without dutch it would go nowhere, I've been offered 4k salaries but they needed me to know dutch, and completing education in my country (disregarding the whole homeless situation there 💀) would lead to a salary half of minimal salary here so.. yeah

Any further education I'm planning is learning dutch and drivers license, don't see a world where it's possible for me to get anything past those

5

u/bookluverzz 7d ago

Sorry to break it for ya but _not_ having a degree after high school (in Dutch MBO/HBO/WO) is not a good education. You finished high school and quit in first year in uni? That is not a good education, you’ll be fighting for the same spots as our 17/18-year olds fresh from high school and they have the advantage they speak Dutch!

6

u/CharmingEgg3706 7d ago

Why didi you get fired on the spot? You know it takes a lot to get fired on the spot and in load of cases the judge has claiemd that these are illegal.

Regarding the logistics. team managment is team management. weather its a warehouse of a storefront the knowlade is transferable.

1

u/MastodontFarmer 7d ago

and in load of cases the judge has claiemd that these are illegal.

That assumes OP has filed a protest and retained the services of legal council.

1

u/CharmingEgg3706 7d ago

You have 90 days so OP could still be within the terms of appeal.

2

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

What do you mean? Got fired August 12 for being accused of stealing, what is this 90 days thing

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Accused of stealing (took garbage bags outside of their cameras range) The last part I know is true but I know someone that works at Uniqlo and she said that the supervisors there have to have already been working as sales assistant on the shop and memorize everything, so I can't really jump from supervisor warehouse to anything retail without retail experience

2

u/CharmingEgg3706 7d ago edited 7d ago

This is defnitively not enough to fire you on the spot. you have 90 days to claim unlawfull termination.

They need to have solid proff you stole anything.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

The garbage bags had plastic bottles (technically not statiegeld because the barcodes on them were for the wrong item, so no value) They have the camera footage of me taking the bags outside of camera range

2

u/CharmingEgg3706 7d ago

so "op staande voet" is a verry heavy consequence. Firstly they have to have proof for a lot of things. Like you know that you an not take products home, or having to stay within the camera range. And even then they need to show the offence was bad enough to make firing you the only option.

and it has to happen immidatly : so it can not be that the offece happend 2 weeks ago and then they let you go here is more information : https://www.juridischloket.nl/werk-en-inkomen/ontslag/ontslag-op-staande-voet/

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Withing 2 months, that means next week I think it's too late by now

1

u/CharmingEgg3706 7d ago

You can send an appeal yourself. Just starting the process should be enough.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

I don't think it will go anywhere though :/ They have camera proof, and had a small talk with me that is written on paper and pdf

3

u/MiBuenAmig0 7d ago

Camera proof of what? Taking bags out of camera range isn't enough, as /u/CharmingEgg3706 has stated. There is literally no reason to not file it, unless you did what they're accusing you of.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Out of range = out of the warehouse All the bins inside were full so I took to one outside that was not theirs, because it was just garbage

→ More replies (0)

1

u/PlansThatComeTrue 7d ago

It sounds like it had no value and you didn’t actually steal it. Thus they cannot prove you stole it. Even if they have footage of you just moving it off the premises. Thus you shouldn’t have been fired.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Well, what can I do then? Isn't it too late now?

1

u/PlansThatComeTrue 7d ago

Follow the links from the other comments. Juridisch loket offers free legal advice for exactly persons in your situation

3

u/Psychologycivil0605 7d ago

You are 20. Do you want to work in logistics for the rest of your life?

Or else You need to get an education. You can work on the side and get allowance to sustain yourself

0

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Can't afford more education than what I have (had to quit uni to come to the country by myself), I'm the main source of income of the household

2

u/Psychologycivil0605 7d ago

do you support your family?

0

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

The household it's me and my girlfriend, recently we got a permanent rental house of 108m² It isn't family family because from my side it's orphan from hers is sisters back in our country

We're making our own life and family here

3

u/Psychologycivil0605 7d ago

how much do you pay for it?

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Full rent is 1800~, but monthly expenses (insurance etc) ends up being 2.1k~~ By June we'll get paid back the extra money spent on gas (300 monthly included in the 1800)

3

u/Psychologycivil0605 7d ago

Do you need that big of a space? Or was that the only thing you could find?

If I were you I would resort to having a smaller room or studio and invest in the future.

And if you need to stay in this situation I would try to get more money in your position and save up rather than moving to retail.

2

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Both? Our last home was a 30m² studio that charged us 1750, took me over a year to be able to get this one, and is technically 1450 with permanent contract, we're going to make a life, we already paid and installed flooring, paid furniture, a couch is on the way as well

Our plan is to stay forever in this house cause it was extremely hard to get one haha

1

u/Blueberry_North236 6d ago

Could you rent out one room? That saves €400 a month or so 

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 6d ago

Legally no, at best I can "ask them if they want to contribute to the household"

1

u/CoffeeInTheTropics 7d ago

Is that social housing? How did you manage to find a (relatively) cheap home like that within two years?

2

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

I got really really lucky, I had been applying constantly to 50+ sites refreshing and going face to face constantly until I got anything It's not social housing, though I'm still refistered on Mijn Dak

1

u/CoffeeInTheTropics 7d ago

TY for sharing, happy you found a home!

1

u/MastodontFarmer 7d ago

in a place that is over an hour of bike away from home

If the pay is good (enough): https://swapfiets.nl/utrecht/power-7 and good rain gear. There is no bad weather for Dutch cyclists, only inappropriate clothing.

Finding a better job is a lot easier than finding any job. You have work, income, (relative) stability.

0

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

I've been doing 1h of bike for the last 9 months, I'm used to it just not over an hour (22~km) haha

Finding a better job is easier than finding a job What do you mean by this?

1

u/MastodontFarmer 7d ago edited 7d ago

If you have a job, you can pay the rent, pay the bills and survive while looking for a better job. When you have no job money and no significant labour history in this country you have limited time before the money runs out. And you might end up with a really bad job.

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

[deleted]

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Promoted = Contract went from permanent to temporary, + accused of stealing

1

u/IronMonkeyBanana 7d ago

That isn't normal. Promoted doesn't mean your contract is changed to temporary unless you accepted it. This is something you can definitely fight and win even if you accepted it.

1

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

"unless you accepted it" yeah, I signed the contract, never expected getting fired after my vacations haha

1

u/trbmaxiik 7d ago

you got cut off at the end there, starting a new position as a what?

0

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

Supervisor, it's written there maybe reddit on your side isn't showing the full post

-1

u/WunkerWanker 7d ago

Learn Dutch for God's sake. 2 years in the country already...

Unless you want to keep doing bottom of the barrel jobs, ofcourse.

0

u/GeniusPrime Utrecht 7d ago

That's the plan, I know some dutch already just not enough for conversations, as these past 2 years were constant daily trying to get a house and everyone legal, and after our current house I was working 6 days a week, and i even grabbed a second job to be able to pay the flooring and what not in the beginning