"The fact that you are with people who are on the same path and the program itself empowered me to believe that I will get my chance..."

 

#mtopstorytelling tells the stories of our MTOP associates.

Be inspired by our MTOP stories!

What is your name, how old are you, and where do you come from?

My name is Radolav, I am from Serbia and I am 41 years old.

What did you study or work on in your home country?

I studied Industrial Management and have Masters in Quality Management and Logistics. 

Since when have you been in Austria, and what circumstances brought you here?

I have been living in Austria for a couple of  years. We chose it a neutral territory for me and my wife who is from Croatia. And I always thought it was good to learn a new language.

Could you tell us more about your job search journey?

It started back in 2023 when my wife was waiting for her visa. After about 5 months I was able to receive mine. I wanted to start a job in customer service as I had worked at Emirates airline before. I got my first job through a recommendation and worked in room service at a hotel. I realised if I stayed in that job that did not require German, I would not improve it and quit after 14 months. So I applied for a lot of jobs on LinkedIn, even got invited to interviews - was close but did not get hired.


How did you hear about MTOP?

I heard about it during my German course at IBIS Academy.

"You have to be patient and take steps."

What was your biggest challenge when arriving in Austria? How did you deal with it?

You have to be patient and take steps. It is a slower path but it is more about your integration when you take German courses and take part in the MTOP Associate Program for example.

How did the program support you or in what way was it helpful?

The fact that you are with people who are on the same path and the program itself empowered me to believe that I will get my chance and to be confident. The best part of the program for me was the German Course Deutsch in Unternehmen mit Walter. It was very structured and I was glad to learn from someone who has first hand experience of work - over 35 years - in the Austrian corporate sector. Walter inspired me to learn German.

What was your path to MTOP / what are you currently doing?

I have been working at IKEA as a Team Lead for 7 months now. This job got through MTOP Connect and it is going well. I work in both German and English. 

How do you like your current activity? Could you tell us a little bit about it?

I like my job and feel lucky as there are only two Team Leaders who were hired externally - me and one more person. I work at a warehouse and in logistics which is relevant to education.

What tip or advice would you give to people who are new in Austria?

Stay open and look for opportunities. Do not chase the money, invest time in taking steps.