Turning challenges into chances – Karthigai’s journey from India to an IT Role in the Netherlands

“In India, the job market is huge. You can find roles for every skill level in local companies or global ones”, she shares. “But in the Netherlands, many operations jobs require Dutch. That made my search more difficult.”

Despite her strong background in managing product data and leading teams, Karthigai quickly discovered that the Dutch market had fewer entry points for experienced professionals looking to switch into more technical roles, especially without local language skills.

“There are many internships and traineeships but mostly aimed at students or Dutch speakers. As a professional with experience and just English, the options were limited.”

After nearly a year of job hunting she came across a vacancy posted by Exactpi. She applied, got in touch with recruiter Anna, and although the company was initially on a hiring freeze, she didn’t give up and continued the search. Eventually, a match was made and Karthigai now works as an IT Application Specialist, supporting the company’s product information management (PIM) software.

“At amazon I worked mostly with update or removing data using different tools, but here we are mostly responsible for the functionality of the tool. I’m three months in, learning and still focusing more on implementing my technical skills.”

Karthigai highlights that one of the biggest differences in working with Exactpi was their openness to international professionals and their willingness to see potential beyond language limitations.

“Many agencies don’t have roles for English speakers. But Exactpi had more options, and more importantly: they took me seriously. Anna was so supportive. She gave me insights about the company, helped me connect my experience to the new job, and always encouraged me to keep going.”

She also appreciated Exactpi’s honest and warm communication. “It never felt like I was just a CV. I felt seen. That gave me the confidence I needed.”

“The most important thing is to keep trying. Yes, it takes luck. But you also need to stay open and keep learning. I had moments where I was ready to go back to India. I told myself: if I don’t find something in two years, I’ll stop trying. But here I am now, working, growing, and planning my future again.”