Lakshmi Bharathi (29) is an Electrical Functional Design Engineer at GKN Fokker Elmo. In this Talent Talk, Lakshmi shares her experiences with WFS PRO, including her pre-boarding and the process of moving to the Netherlands. She is from India and moved to the Netherlands with her husband for this job.
Lakshmi explains how she came across WFS PRO: “Friends of mine were already employed there, so I knew it was trustworthy. Also, my husband got placed here”. Her husband is recruited by WFS PRO and placed with GKN Fokker Elmo. Lakshmi herself is seconded to GKN Fokker Elmo via WFS PRO. They even work in the same department.
During a job interview with Puk, Recruitment Consultant at WFS PRO, Lakshmi mentioned that her husband also needed a job if they were to move to the Netherlands. WFS PRO helped her husband with finding a job with GKN Fokker Elmo. Initially, Lakshmi had no plan to change jobs and move abroad, but after talking with Puk she changed her mind. “At that time, I was working for the best aerospace company in India. I had no plan to change, but Puk convinced me by handling my husband’s job, housing, visa, and everything. He even gave me the contacts of people working at GKN Fokker Elmo, so that I could discuss more about the experience, salary, savings, and stuff like this with somebody who has gone through the same process. Puk was really helpful.”
Moving abroad for work, especially from outside the EU, is a big step that requires many arrangements. “My husband and I moved together, and Monique helped us really well. Monique told us the entire process of visa and how to complete the process from India. And when we arrived at the airport, somebody was already waiting for us to pick us up from the airport. Also, the house was already arranged for us.” Monique founded Dutch Expat Solutions, which support WFS PRO in immigration matters. Together with Dutch Expat Solutions, we arrange matters such as visa applications and support in finding suitable housing.
Having support during the immigration process isn’t self-evident, according to Lakshmi. “I heard from other companies that they would only have a hotel for 1 month and that you have to find the house by yourself”. But having support when you’re moving abroad is important, she explains: “WFS PRO handled this really well. The recent Dutch classes are really helpful to get connected. If you’re planning to move abroad WFS PRO is the best place to work. The initial set-up was really smooth, and you know the people who you can reach to ask a lot of questions. The fact that WFS PRO helps with stuff like arranging a house and visa, and helps with the taxes are really important if you’re moving abroad.”
