Do you have no holiday plans yet and would you like to earn some extra money? Then is this vacancy as a holiday worker at IKEA Delft might be something for you. Jelena Cucakovic started as a holiday worker less than a year ago, but is now a sales manager. “Ikea has given me many more opportunities than I ever imagined”
Jelena moved from Serbia to the Netherlands just over a year ago for love. “Even with my university education and six years of work experience, it was difficult to get a job in the Netherlands. Fortunately, I saw another expat living in the Netherlands share her experience on Facebook. This gave me the idea to apply as a holiday worker at IKEA Delft.”
The job interview
You can indicate in the vacancy in which department you would prefer to work. After the job interview, IKEA Delft will look at which department would suit you best. “When I applied for a job, I indicated that I would prefer to work as a sales employee in the cash-and-carry warehouse.”
When Jelena was invited to a job interviewshe felt the tension. “I didn’t speak the Dutch language well at all, so I found that exciting. Fortunately, this turned out not to be a problem during the conversation. I prepared my interview well in advance. For example, I had prepared questions and I read carefully into what kind of company IKEA Delft is. For example, I was curious about the vision, values and expectations of the company.”
The first working day
“I heard pretty quickly that I was allowed to work at IKEA Delft,” says Jelena. “Before you can get to work, you first have a onboarding from HR. You learn everything about safety, the rules, your work clothes and much more.” Your first working day starts the next day. “I still remember very much looking forward to my first day at work. I immediately felt like I belonged.”
That feeling is very important to Jelena. “Because I come from another country, you can sometimes feel different from others. Fortunately, I have never had this feeling at IKEA Delft. You have many colleagues here with different cultures, languages and educational level, so you can learn a lot from each other.” In addition to her great colleagues, Jelena really likes the company’s values. “We are always open to change and improvement. Everyone therefore has the opportunity to express their opinion and thus make a difference.”
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career opportunities
After Jelena worked for three months as a holiday worker, the vacancy for team leader. “I saw an opportunity here to implement my ideas and improve processes internally. My knowledge about the products we sell was not yet very broad. But because of my attitude and motivation I got the job anyway.” For now, Jelena doesn’t want to go anywhere else. “I still have a lot to learn. In addition, IKEA Delft has so many options that I don’t see myself working for another company anytime soon.”
Tips from Jelena for applicants
Jelena also has a few tips for new applicants. “Don’t be afraid to apply for a position in a department you like. You don’t necessarily have to have the right experience. Just look at me,” she jokes. “It is important that you want to learn and work and that you are available for at least four weeks in a row.”
Apply now as a holiday worker
Do you also want to earn some extra pocket money during the holidays and perhaps continue to work at IKEA Delft afterwards? Apply now on the position as a holiday worker and maybe you will become Jelena’s colleague in the future.