Tell us, who are you and what is your role at Coolblue?
Hi! I’m Büşra, I’m 30 years old and I work as an iOS developer for the mobile team in Coolblue. I joined Coolblue in May 2022. I live in Rotterdam but I’m originally from Istanbul, Turkey. Together with the team we are working on continuously improving our Coolblue mobile applications.
You came all the way from Turkey to the Netherlands. Can you give us an insight of the relocation process?
From the day I accepted the offer, I got a lot of help from my recruiter and the relocation specialist. If I had a question, they had the answer! To be honest, the only thing I had to do was collect some documents. For everything else I could 100% count on the relocation team. We had weekly meetings and when we ended our call I always felt happy. They made me feel at ease. I have a great apartment due to their help and even after I arrived the help didn’t stop. When I had an issue with my internet provider while working at home, they helped me solve this. At the moment we are working together on getting my BSN (citizen service number).
It’s actually funny looking back on this experience. I really can’t imagine why I was so nervous in the beginning! It feels like in a blink of an eye I was on the plane heading towards the Netherlands.
What was your first day at Coolblue like?
For my first day I had help from my colleague Kate and it was the best experience. She was waiting for me downstairs at the entrance of the office. Although we never met in real life, she gave me a big smile and a hug. It immediately felt like we’ve known each other for a long time. I got a tour of the office and was able to collect my laptop. My real first day working in the office (working hybridly) ended with the whole team visiting the Coolblue Super Demo. This was such a great experience. I felt really welcome and couldn’t wait for the next day.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love being part of this amazing team, especially since we are all from different backgrounds. We can learn from each other’s experiences and we like to share knowledge. Of course since I’m a developer I like challenges in coding as well. Especially being involved in new projects where we can discuss amongst us all what kind of approach would fit best.
Has this been different if you compare it to previous experiences?
It’s so different! For instance, back in Turkey the timelines were very restricted. I felt like I never had time to learn about new trends and technologies. At Coolblue we also have our requirements and timelines of course, but here they really care about the opinions of developers. I now have time to do research, focus on learning. And I like the fact that we make decisions as a team. I feel valued.
What is your favorite Coolblue meeting room?
If I book a meeting room I first check if 'Dok' is available. I always find myself smiling if I step into this meeting room, it really feels like you’re on a boat!
What type of Dutch food do you enjoy the most?
I really like 'bitterballen', a delicious fried snack. I tasted them on my first day and I have been a fan ever since.
What did you learn about the Netherlands that you didn’t know before?
It’s just so ‘gezellig’ here! I really love this word. This word only exists in The Netherlands, in other languages there is no real translation. Since I learned it, I started using it all the time.
On a more serious note I made a top three:
1) In the summer it’s still light outside almost until 10:30PM! I feel so energetic because of this.
2) I enjoy being able to visit a different city every weekend. Everything is really close together.
3) Last but not least: it’s so easy to recycle. Everywhere you go you can find recycling containers. This is definitely not the case in Turkey. I now feel I’m helping make the world a better place.
