Pole Piotr arrived in Belgium in February 2021 to work through IMPACT. A new adventure after previously working in Britain and France. Meanwhile, Piotr earns a living making and finishing kitchen countertops. He loves Belgium and is very appreciative of IMPACT’s cooperation and good care.

In his homeland of Poland, the now 55-year-old Piotr worked for many years in the construction industry. But after many years, he would also hold a very different position there. There he became district manager of a large supermarket chain, similar to Delhaize or Carrefour. Over time, Piotr realized that those daily hours full of administrative matters and paperwork did not give him the satisfaction he felt during his years in the construction industry.

The nostalgia for dirty hands, tiling, working with cement and building walls or houses makes Piotr move to London at 39. “I certainly shouldn’t be flippant about it: I would earn more in London than in Poland. That is one of the reasons why my wife and children were also eager to send me in that direction. I hesitated at first, but decided to do it with them, and so I spent ten years working in the construction industry in various locations in England.”

Piotr learned to deal with change during his life. “I lived in 10 different apartments during my 10 years in England. I got used to change. That also made my choice to eventually come to Belgium a lot easier. Of course, I understand that other specialists with a similar profile to mine are hesitant to move abroad, but I can only advise them not to be afraid of change and to take the plunge, even if you don’t speak the language. You can always go back anyway if it’s not for you.”

After 10 years in London, where Piotr’s daughter still lives, he returned to his roots in 2015: Poland. “I found a job with a company that builds large sports stores for well-known brands such as Adidas, Puma and Reebok. Nor was it close to the region I come from, and again I had to constantly move myself: from the north to the south or west and back again. After about six years, I decided it was time for something else.”

And so, via a brief detour in France, Piotr finally arrived in Belgium in February 2021. “I searched the Internet for jobs and countries in which knowledge of English is sufficient. In Germany German is often necessary, in France you have to speak French compulsorily and knowledge of English is often limited. I started to write to several employment agencies in the Benelux, waiting for a positive and serious answer. I was primarily looking for a job as a tiler, my old stile.”

It was the response and first contact with IMPACT that convinced Piotr almost immediately. “Joanna, one of the recruitment consultants at IMPACT, was only the first to provide me with a satisfactory answer to my application. When I previously asked other employment agencies where I would be able to go when I arrived, what tools or documents I would need to bring, etc., they were almost surprised that I asked those questions. That doesn’t give a good impression and you feel like yet another in line.”

At IMPACT, the feeling was right right away: “With Joanna, I immediately noticed that we were talking on another level. The fact that we could talk in Polish was a bonus. Joanna found me a job and told me, including via Skype, that the door was wide open for me and that they would be ready when I packed my things and traveled to Belgium. The entire communication, also with the two other IMPACT colleagues, is very spontaneous and personal: that is very pleasant.”

The car trip from Poland to Belgium didn’t come in cold blood. “It was the first time I did such a long trip by car. Via Germany and the Netherlands, I finally arrived in Hasselt at IMPACT’s headquarters. I was immediately received warmly and they offered me a free night in a very nice hotel. Wow, it was a revelation to me to see that an employment agency that doesn’t really know a person like me yet offers that. I thought that was a huge plus that immediately sets a standard and sends a clear message to your temps.”

His first week in Belgium, unfortunately, Piotr had to spend in quarantine because of the coronavirus. “In itself, that wasn’t even that bad. This way I could calmly get used to my new environment and do some reading and learn about the job, Belgium and so on. Moreover, I could already move into the apartment that IMPACT had provided for me. Here, too, I was pleasantly surprised by the space of my own room. And if I had a question, IMPACT was immediately happy to answer it. That is still the case today.”

Still, not everything went quite as planned. “I first opted for a job as a tiler, but after a month it turned out that not everything fell into place. IMPACT showed great understanding and I was given the choice of whether I wanted to stay in Belgium: I agreed. During my new search, IMPACT paid the rent, a nice gesture. In the end, they found four jobs for me at four different companies. After all the interviews, I could choose between two nice proposals, which is interesting when choosing a job.”

And so the first job that went awry didn’t even turn out to be a bad thing. “The job I do now suits me so much more. It’s an environment that suits me better and a job with a lot of manual labor. Besides, it’s a job where you do the same operations or work with the same machine every time. Some may find that boring, but I just like it. After all, it gives you a chance to specialize in a certain thing to the point where you can approach perfection.”

However, Piotr does not practice the job of tiler, for which he originally came to Belgium. “Every day I’m busy making and finishing kitchen countertops in natural stone like marble or granite and materials like composite or ceramic. They often come in large blocks: I focus mainly on (polishing) the edges. I work with a machine consisting of fourteen discs and motors. Depending on the material, I have to choose the right disc, speed, etc. The CNC operators in turn take care of e.g. the holes for the drain in the kitchen worktop. We really work to the customer’s specifications and that makes it very challenging.”

Cooperation with his supervisor and colleagues is also excellent. “I have a very good relationship with my supervisor. She is the daughter of the founder, so she knows the company inside and out. Like her, I also work with a colleague who has been active in the company for 20 years. This means that I can ask them for help at any time and it is a company where people like to work. For example, everyone received a bottle of French champagne before construction leave, with no distinction between permanent or temporary workers. That’s not necessary, but says a lot, makes you feel good and is a token of appreciation.”

Needless to say, Piotr is completely comfortable in Belgium. “Belgium is a very peaceful country. Some may consider it a boring country, but I don’t think so at all. Besides, that usually means that there are few problems and things are well organized. Moreover, I find that Poles and Belgians do not even differ that much from each other in terms of character, unlike Poles and Brits, for example. Consequently, I immediately felt at ease in Belgium.”

Moreover, in our country, Piotr can further pursue his passions. “I am a huge lover of nature and in particular landscapes and mountains. I am into photography a lot and recently bought some lenses for my camera. I love spending time in the Ardennes and taking great pictures around the Semois River. In addition, I bought myself a bass guitar to do some jamming at my apartment.” “Belgium is a very pleasant country that is well organized: it offers many opportunities and is an ideal base of operations.”

At 55, Piotr is happy. “I feel I’m still growing and enjoying myself more and more. Just because you’re no longer in the beginning of your career doesn’t mean you can’t do that. I want to thank IMPACT very much for the whole package they offer me: guidance and advice, housing … Moreover, they are all very sympathetic and helpful people, like Joanna and Ania. It’s anything but a dry, businesslike or distant relationship.”

Piotr praises IMPACT to foreign temps. “You need a good temporary agency when you start working in another country. I advise you not to play the lottery and choose IMPACT. Besides the fine cooperation, Belgium as a country has a lot to offer. And if you have had enough of Belgium, it is an excellent base for a trip to France, Germany, Great Britain … In short: make an impact in Belgium through IMPACT, just like me.”