Are you interested to start a career in the Netherlands after graduation? Then don’t miss this event! Our career and entrepreneurship experts are ready to prepare you for a smooth start on the Dutch labour market or entrepreneurial scene. Our international alumni will share their first-hand experiences with you. And our keynote speaker will provide some inspiration and motivation to get you started.
- Date
- Tuesday 3 Mar 2026, 13:30 - 18:30
- Type
- General
- Spoken Language
- English
- Building
- Senate Hall
- Location
- Campus Woudestein
About the event
This event consists of an exciting programme to get you the information and inspiration you need to kick-start your career in the Netherlands. You will learn if rules and regulations apply to you when starting a career in NL. You will receive valuable tips and tricks from our experts as well as our alumni who have taken this career path before and found jobs or started businesses. You will also get a chance to talk to them during the networking drinks or ask questions during the panel sessions. And, of course, our experts will help you plan your journey on the Dutch labour market and entrepreneurial scene.
Event details
Tuesday 3 March 2026, 13.30 – 18.30 hrs
Senate Hall (Senaatszaal), Erasmus Building (A), Woudestein Campus
Burgemeester Oudlaan 50, Rotterdam
(Networking drinks in Cum Laude, Erasmus Building)
Programme
- 13.30 | Doors open & registration
- 14.00 | Welcome & introduction by International Office
- 14.05 | Rules & regulations (search year & start up scheme) by IND
- 14.30 | Find your way on the Rotterdam labour market by Rotterdam International Center
- 14.45 | Dutch working culture at Fastned, an EV-charging company
- 15.15 | Parallel sessions:
- * Effective job search strategies in NL by EUR Career Services
- * Entrepreneurship in NL by Erasmus Enterprise
- 16.30 | Alumni Panel & Q&A by ESN Rotterdam & EUR Alumni Team
- 17.10 | Networking drinks with alumni & speakers in Cum Laude
- 18.30 | End of programme
Get to know our speakers
Bart graduated in 1993 with an MBA degree from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and has known an exciting career since then. Starting out as a consultant at PWC, he soon stepped into his dad’s footsteps and chose for a career in the entrepreneurial scene. He currently is involved in several businesses, varying from hospitality to investments, and in the role of director or board member. The most well-know company he co-founded is EV-charging company Fastned which you may have passed when driving on Dutch highways. In his career as entrepreneur Bart has worked and employed many internationals and is eager to share some tips with you.
Elea Ormiston is a fellow EUR student and the current President of ESN Rotterdam.
She is French and Australian by descent but has lived most of her life in Hong Kong.
Growing up she had the chance to travel all around East Asia and learned a lot about different cultures and the things that bring people together. This is why she joined the cultural committee of ESN last year: to create events and bring people together from all over the world. Besides her role in ESN Rotterdam, Elea is also a mentor for first year students in the IBA programme (International Business Administration).
For our event she is excited to enter into conversations with alumni who have ventured out into the Dutch labour market or entrepreneurial scene and provide you with the opportunity to ask your questions to the alumni panel.
Esther, Marcel and Laura are account managers at the Immigration & Naturalisation Services, Team Business. In their respective roles they advise and support universities which enrol international students and other organisations which employ expats as ‘recognised sponsors’. The account managers advise on various topics varying from general practical issues to complex cases. They also organise thematic meetings on current rules and regulations. During this event they will inform you about various rules and regulations for non-EU/EEA graduates of Dutch universities, such as the search year (zoekjaar) and start up scheme as well as opportunities for knowledge migrants.
As account managers of the RIC, Gladys and Satsita are happy to welcome internationals to our city and link international graduates and expats to a wide network of Rotterdam-based companies and organisations. The RIC also provides information on a variety of practical matters such as health care matters, housing market opportunities and professional networks. Gladys and Satsita are also in charge of organising events for international where they bring them together with their partners. During our event Gladys and Satsita will provide you with practical information on opportunities for EUR graduates on the Rotterdam labour market and opportunities for networking and arranging practical matters.
Karen has worked in internationalization in higher education in various roles since the start of her career and mobility has always been in the job description. She joined the EUR Alumni Team in 2020 and transitioned to the EUR – International Office in 2023. She enjoys inspiring students to expand their horizons both during and after their studies and has been a speaker about career development in many national and international events. For this event she is keen to give other experts the floor to inspire you.
Liesje is the Marketing & Business Development director at Erasmus Enterprise – a driven and diverse entrepreneurial community on the EUR campus, on a mission to help you transform your innovative startup ideas into successful businesses and your businesses into thriving scaleups.
With a strong international background in business development, innovation, and venture building, Liesje is a strategic, results-driven commercial leader who knows how to connect the dots between startups, investors, corporates, and government. She thrives on collaboration, stakeholder management, and building partnerships that accelerate growth. Her mission? Creating positive impact with people who aim to move forward.
When she’s not busy building ecosystems, you’ll find her chasing the wind on a kitesurf or carving down a mountain on skis – anywhere in the world.
LinkedIn: Liesje Goldschmidt | LinkedIn
Mersiha is the HR & Office Manager at Erasmus Enterprise – a driven and diverse entrepreneurial community on the EUR campus, on a mission to help you transform your innovative startup ideas into successful businesses and your businesses into thriving scaleups.
At Erasmus Enterprise Mersiha leads HR and office operations with heart, structure, and a strong people-focus. She drives recruitment, team wellbeing, and a smooth-running workplace - creating the foundation for team members and startups to grow. Outside the office, you’ll find her training for a half marathon, traveling, cycling and hiking through nature, or enjoying good food and life in her home city Rotterdam.
Nikola works as a career advisor at Erasmus University Rotterdam as part of the Career Services team, focusing on supporting international students during the transition to the job market. Originally from the Czech Republic and with her own experience studying in Denmark, she understands what it’s like to navigate life and build a career in a different country.
In her role as career advisor, she provides one-on-one career advice and facilitates workshops on topics such as networking, effective job search strategies, and career orientation — helping students explore questions like “Who am I? What do I want to do?” Besides that, she also gets to tap into her creative side developing new workshop content or tailoring the current workshops to the specific needs of faculties, student associations, and other central services. The diversity of tasks and students, combined with the supportive environment of my colleagues, makes her mission of empowering students to use their potential while working towards their career goals truly enjoyable.
Registration
The event is free of charge, but prior registration is required as places are limited.
Please complete this registration form for participation in Kick-Start Your Career. We will contact you with further details about the programme, participation, and next steps.
