Since early 2020, expat partner Auke Berenbroek has lived in Madrid, where she has got a taste for the Spanish lifestyle and developed her career through study and work.
How to live
“They certainly know how to live in Madrid! The culture of eating out and spending time with friends late into the evening is wonderful. And it feels like the weekend starts at midday. Who wouldn’t like that? We have a great social life and we will definitely be sad to leave, when the time comes,” says Auke, a mother of two kids (five and eight years old), who attend the Dutch School in the Spanish capital. “Living abroad has been a wonderful experience for us as a family. We are even closer as a unit.”
New professional goals
“On a professional level, I was eager to gain new international experiences and develop new skills in Madrid,” says Auke, a Credit Risk Manager, now working for a fintech company. “With the support of my husband’s company, I worked with a coach, who was very helpful when it came to rejigging my resume for the local job market. She also gave me good insights regarding the working culture which were useful as my first job in Madrid was with a Spanish bank.”
Looking past the challenges
“I also identified some courses that would help me develop professionally knowing that I had a budget (provided by my husband’s company) to cover the cost of tuition,” says Auke. “It’s not easy to give up your job at home and then relocate to another country, where there are no guarantees about finding work. I appreciate that the support I received from my husband’s company is very flexible, so I can tailor it to my specific needs and make the most of my opportunities.”
Sense of responsibility
“I also feel a sense of responsibility in how I use the budget. Once I established a course that I wanted to take, I contacted the provider, noting that there were two rates – a company quote and an individual quote, which is more expensive. After an exchange of emails, they agreed to give me access to three courses so I basically got a three-for-one deal, so I was very happy with that great value!”
Photo: Auke with her family in Madrid
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