Darwyn Ricardo
+31 (0)6 57 96 16 12
d.ricardo@xelvin.nl
Gareth is 24 years old and comes from Derry in Ireland. In his spare time he spends his time sailing. His friends would say he is pretty outgoing, adventurous and sociable. He studied a Bachelor’s Degree in Yacht Engineering in Southampton UK before working as a Naval Architect there for two years. He is now a Naval Architect at Argos Engineering BV in Groningen (Netherlands). “I’ve always wanted to live & work in the Netherlands. My personal opinion is that it is the best place to work if you want to improve and progress your career within the marine industry. That’s a big part of the reason why I am here.
The first time I got to know Xelvin was when they came to my University to give a presentation when I was in my last year. I was really inspired by their presentation & what the Netherlands had to offer in terms of career opportunities and lifestyle. After 2 years I got in contact with them, set up some interviews and got the ball rolling. Argos Engineering B.V. caught my eye when I saw the projects they got involved with. This is how my journey with Xelvin restarted you could say.
“Without Xelvin moving would have been near impossible in times of lockdown”
In November I accepted the job and I started looking for a place to live. Finding a place was very difficult in the Netherlands, especially in Groningen.
After almost 5 weeks of house hunting I eventually came across a great place right in the city center and I was offered a viewing. I couldn’t believe it. The only issue was that I didn’t have anybody here to go and do the viewing. I asked Darwyn from Xelvin who is the recruitment consultant who helped me throughout the whole moving process. His help was invaluable. Without hesitation he went to the apartment and did a video call with me, so I was able to view my new place. Knowing the first day of my new job was on the 3rd of January, I accepted it without hesitating.
I flew to the Netherlands on January 3rd, before traveling directly to Groningen where I collected the keys to my new apartment. With the Netherlands in full lockdown this made the move very challenging. I therefore pre-ordered all of the essentials online from IKEA so they could be collected as I arrived.
Darwyn again helped me greatly by collecting all of my orders from IKEA, with the assistance of his colleague Kees. This was a brilliant help and really took the pressure off myself. Then followed a couple of busy days building flat pack furniture.
Now a few months later I am very happy with the place. It’s getting more homely each day and I am glad that all the stores are open again. I can finally get the basics without having to click & collect.”
When we asked Gareth what his plans are for the future, he answered: “Definitely working in the Netherlands for the next few years. The Marine Industry has been my passion for my whole life and I enjoy working in this sector. I want to continue to learn and progress in my career through building my knowledge, meeting new people and expanding my network.”
Ambitious as he is, we will definitely hear more from him in the future. But for now Gareth, enjoy your new place, the Dutch way of life and your new job!