Davide comes from Italy and is now a Talent Acquisition Partner at Viasat in Amsterdam. He studied International Human Resource Management at Saxion and graduated in 2020. He shares his experience at Saxion and in the Netherlands, as a space where he could be truly himself and leverage his own strengths.
Can you introduce yourself?
I came to Saxion in 2016 to study International Human Resource Management and graduated in June 2020. I’m from Italy and have been living in the Netherlands for seven years. Back in Italy, I was studying Engineering and I decided to make a transition to Human Resources. I got to know Saxion through the Discovery Days and realised it was something interesting for me. The feeling I had was that of a welcoming and familiar environment. I met caring people who were interested in my growth and learning so I thought “It must be a nice place!”. Besides my studies, I worked for Saxion’s International Office as a student ambassador for two years. One of my tasks was to help organise the Discovery Days and other initiatives to create a great feeling of community among Saxion’s international students.
How do you remember your time at Saxion?
I have a very positive memory of my time at Saxion. Having experience with Engineering in Italy at university level, I can now compare with a University of Applied Sciences – the hbo level of education. At Saxion there are a lot of practical studies, projects and collaboration. In comparison, education in Italy is far more theoretical. I enjoyed a great deal working on projects and brainstorming with the lecturers and fellow students to understand a topic more in-depth. Everybody was approachable and this truly had a significant impact on my study experience.
Also, the smaller size of Saxion -compared to other institutions- made it easier for me, as moving abroad is a big step and I experienced that being in a smaller university made it easier for me to fit in. Although I felt homesick at first of course, there was still a familiar feeling within Saxion: the classes are made of small groups, and you see the same people all year round, so it certainly feels cosier and helps settling in a new place far from home. Even though I moved abroad, and it was a new place, I could really find good ground. Similarly, Enschede as a city is not too big, you can go everywhere in five or ten minutes by bike and even in the shops everybody is very friendly and can speak English. It was a truly positive experience and I am still in touch with some classmates and employees of the International Office.
“Going to Saxion was really the highlight of my week.”
Can you describe the atmosphere in the classroom?
The atmosphere was very positive. Back in Italy, I experienced a lot of judgement and bullying at school. But at Saxion it felt like a fresh start: there was absolutely no judgement and everyone was encouraged to be inquisitive, ask questions, challenge teachers as well as fellow classmates. I could just interact with everybody and share my ideas, in the most natural way. The class size was between sixteen to thirty-two students, so they were relatively small and this enabled easier and smoother collaboration and sharing of ideas with each other. I loved it - there were eruptions of ideas, like a volcano! Going to Saxion was really the highlight of my week. That’s also the impression I had from other students. It might be a cheesy statement but I genuinely had a great time.
The education at Saxion is practical-oriented, can you name a project you remember?
I have one impactful project in mind. In the change management course, we worked on a company case of HEMA. In the past, HEMA went through a lot of reorganisations and changes in the way their shops were managed. This change management class was fantastic because it was about reflecting on what the company has done and then applying the knowledge gained through the course and the own expertise of the lecturer to approach the issues faced by HEMA through a different approach. We were supposed to advise HEMA on what they could improve from the changes they made into a better setup for the organisation, in terms of design as well as culture. There was a lot of creativity involved and I loved it.
Moreover, during the second year of International Human Resource Management, we had a term called “practical quarter”, where we were in contact with real companies. In fact, we partnered for a project with IKEA in Hengelo. Two professionals from IKEA came to Saxion, shared their business case and evaluated the deliverables. This year Viasat itself was the client, and the students worked on developing an onboarding programme for the Early Career program.
How was life in Enschede, and living in the Netherlands?
At first, it was quite tough because moving to a new country is certainly a big change. When I compare the Netherlands with my home country Italy, there are a lot of differences in the way we spend time together and socialise. In the Netherlands, people tend to spend social time together during the borrel (having a drink in Dutch), especially during student life, whereas in Italy we connect more around meals and going out for dinner. I had to learn how to make new connections with this cultural difference. However, the IHRM programme has a lot of international students so I could connect with them, and this helped a lot in building my social network. Besides, there are a lot of activities organised by the study programme and by the International Office to bring students together. Around the winter break, they have the Winter Programme where they take students to Christmas markets for instance. Those activities really helped students become friends. Some of us went on trips around the Netherlands together during the weekends, because all the cities are not far away from each other and well connected by an efficient public transportation system.
Was it your plan to stay in the Netherlands?
At first, I was not sure I wanted to remain in the Netherlands, but a series of opportunities presented themselves and I eagerly seized each of them. Working in Human Resources in the Netherlands is far richer and more structured than in many companies in Italy, and there are a lot of varied work opportunities. It is impressive when I look back to my first days in the Netherlands - I now live here for seven years and married to a wonderful Dutch woman.
When you graduated did you feel prepared to enter the job market?
Absolutely! Although I think that on the job we might actually use only a portion of what we learn at school, I am confident that the IHRM programme considerably helped me build the foundation to be successful as I build my career. During the programme, we worked on a lot of cases with real companies. We apply the theory into practical assignments and projects. In an actual job, there are a lot of other things to consider (the rules, policies, cultures etc.), so of course it is different from what one experiences at school, but can always go back to that knowledge and experiences as a good reference point to take inspiration and ideas for your current job. The programme really provided a worth of knowledge and skills to kick-off my career.
Can you tell more about your current job?
I like the job I have now. Here’s a bit of background: I started with my internship and graduation thesis at Danone in Hoofdorp. I started there as HR Business Partner for Interns and Young Talents. One of my focus areas was to support them in their first steps in the corporate world and navigating challenges with their managers. My responsibilities also covered the whole HR cycle, supporting employees through their journey from onboarding, to performance management, talent development, daily demands, etc. The role then evolved into a partnership and support for all employees across the HQ.
I later moved to Viasat, where I was offered the opportunity to combine full-cycle recruitment for all roles, as well as designing the strategy and executing the launch of a new Early Career programme for Viasat across the EMEA region. Besides working on the recruitment cycle, I can use my creativity and desire to keep on thinking outside of the box: I like to create new processes, improve current ones and look at how we can improve the synergy between those and the experience of the candidates.
“My personal stance is to be creative, think outside of the box and use empathy when dealing with people. That’s something I could do at Saxion without the fear of being judged.”
What piece of advice would you give to students about the IHRM programme?
First: make the most out of your time at Saxion, and use every opportunity given to you. Opportunities will come in different shapes or names. Don’t be afraid to raise your hands and ask questions. I know this can be scary depending on your culture, but the posture of the lecturers at Saxion is special: they will share with you more than what is written in the books or slides because they have thorough industry experience themselves and they are enthusiastic to share this knowledge with their students. Saxion is really a place to dare to be yourself. My personal stance is to be creative, think outside of the box and use empathy when dealing with people. That’s something I could do at Saxion without the fear of being judged. Utilising your strengths is what makes you really stand out as you leverage what you can do best. In this way, you also get to know yourself better. You will become a better teammate and colleague in your projects and be able to spark interesting discussions.
The second suggestion is to be open to opportunities offered by the International Office to connect with other students, especially international students. For me, the internationally focused activities were the best. I could connect with other people who like to travel, and people who share similar experiences - I especially loved the opportunity to connect with people outside of your study programme to get a different perspective.
And, finally: if you’re thinking of staying in the Netherlands, get all the opportunities to study Dutch, it will really help in your job opportunities and social interactions. It is very convenient to speak English at first, but you will find more opportunities if you speak the local language. Also, the Dutch appreciate a lot when you try to learn their language. All internationals understand that if somebody tries to speak in your mother tongue, they are reaching your heart and so do the Dutch.
If you choose to either study IHRM or any other programme at Saxion, I am sure you will truly enjoy the journey. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch on Linkedin!
All the best in your next endeavours!
