Team of EMG – Global mobility service provider in Amsterdam

An interview: Indri Tjahyono, Relocation Coordinator

Hi Indri, welcome. Can you introduce yourself?

I’m Indri. I’m originally from Indonesia. I moved to the Netherlands for my bachelor’s study when I was 18, all by myself. I’ve been working at the EMG now for four years and I’ve just recently joined the relocation and immigration team. I have always had a great interest in HR area, so I really enjoy the learning experience and the new career opportunity offered to me.

What gets you out of bed in the mornings? 

Normally, to be honest, I will get out of bed because of my son. Either it’s a loud noise or a kiss or a cry. Whatever comes first.

What is your biggest achievement, personal or professional? 

My personal achievement is that I’m able to survive in a foreign country, also with foreign languages. I’m able to overcome life’s obstacles by myself. I have experienced  burnout before and now I’m having a stable life which I enjoy. I think it’s one of the biggest achievements in my life. 

Professionally, I used to work as an event organizer for a nonprofit company in the Netherlands. I think my biggest achievement is that I organized business events or signing events, which were attended by 150 international people from all over the world, from USA, Europe, Asia and also attended by the high officials, both from the Netherlands and also from Indonesia. I think it’s one of my biggest achievements professionally so far.

What does a typical day look like for you and what are you currently working on?

Well, I’m currently responsible for several subjects at work. As I mentioned before, I’ve just recently joined the relocation and immigration team, but I’m also still responsible for different subjects, like invoicing, tax return and meeting planning for my colleagues. This is what I’ve been doing before I joined the relocation and immigration team.

Basically, I start the day of my reading emails. I’m pretty organized. So I put the non urgent emails to folders that I have under my inbox and start with the urgent ones. It’s not always neat and smooth every day. There might be many urgent and unexpected requests and calls.

What three words would you use to describe your role?

Communication –  because I have to communicate a lot with people. Support – as we are offering our support to the clients. And Solutions.

If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be? 

I used to…No! I still want to be a supermodel:) I’m tall enough. Every time I look at them I think that’s a nice life. Of course, it’s not as easy as it looks, but it is fascinating me.

What is on your wish list for your next five years?

Well, I’m not a big planner. I don’t think that far. Going back to school or just taking master studies has been in my plan, but I don’t know when I can do that.

Now I’m working towards a balanced life, because I experienced burnout before. So now I’m just trying to take everything slowly and have more balance between work and my daily life. But yeah, I don’t really make wishlists for my life.

Talking about my job, I have a great interest in the HR area. So, hopefully, in a couple of years I could be the real specialist for relocation and immigration at EMG.

What are your biggest professional challenges?

Working at EMG is totally a new world for me. The global mobility world is also totally new. And I think to stay updated and to be on top of things in this market has been a great challenge for me.

Every country has their own regulations. And even in the Netherlands, the regulation itself changes rapidly, especially during the COVID period. 

Staying updated and being aware of what’s new now is a challenge.

What do you like most about your job? 

I like its complexity and the dynamics. Also the opportunity to work with people with different backgrounds and cultures. I find it very interesting and fun to get to know them. I like riddles and it gives me a rewarding feeling when I’m able to solve things.

What advice would you give to recent new experts? 

I think that communication is the most important thing. It’s a new world for the expats. Always ask questions. Don’t be afraid. Don’t assume things. Read your email carefully:) I think it’s a common problem, because sometimes we already mentioned the information, but then people keep asking the same thing. So I think one piece of the advice will be to read the emails carefully. And in my opinion, communication is the key.

We understand that the expats are very nervous to go to new places. They don’t know a thing about the Netherlands. So just ask us and don’t assume.

What is your motto or personal mantra? 

Great things never come from a comfort zone. Sometimes it’s scary, but you never know.