What if you don’t have to be the perfect candidate?
As part of the MVIdee Mentorship Programme for international students in the Netherlands, we’re back with the third episode of our podcast — a series about the real challenges, choices and lessons that come with studying, working and building a life abroad.
This time, we’re talking to Gergana Bogdanova, an HR Business Partner, about what actually matters when you enter the job market.
She shares her own journey from studying International Business Management at The Hague University of Applied Sciences to building a career in HR — and the unexpected turns along the way.
Her advice is refreshingly simple:
You don’t need to tick every box on a job description. Your internships don’t have to look perfect on paper. The skills you picked up somewhere unexpected might be exactly what makes you stand out.
And sometimes, the most important question is not “Will they hire me?” but “Is this a place where I can actually grow?”
We also talk about supportive teams, psychological safety, curiosity, transferable skills — and why finding balance might be more important than constantly pushing harder.
Listen to this and other episodes in our Spotify.