‘Grateful for the many opportunities I’ve been given to grow’
Yasin Budak, aged 33, comes from the Stuttgart region. Although he still enjoys the beauty and vibrancy of his home town, he wanted to broaden his horizons. His journey took him to Mexico to study and later to China, where he continued his studies and gained international work experience. After returning to complete his master’s degree, a road trip took him to Maastricht. It was love at first sight there.
The perfect match
“In August 2019, I went on a Benelux road trip with three friends. I was already working at Mercedes-Benz at the time. We hired – naturally – a Mercedes and visited Luxembourg, Maastricht, Brussels and Amsterdam in ten days. During that trip, Maastricht completely took me by surprise, in the most positive way. I visited the university, became enthusiastic about the International Management programme with a specialisation in Change Management, and decided that this was the place where I wanted to live, study and work. I was admitted to the programme and was offered a position at Mercedes-Benz CAC Maastricht as a Senior Customer Representative. To me, it felt like the perfect match.
I’m still working at Mercedes-Benz, now as a Senior Programme and Project Manager. I’m grateful for the many opportunities I’ve been given to grow. I love my job, especially because my projects are international. It offers plenty of variety and diversity. You might call it challenging, but for me it’s actually very rewarding to work on different topics at the same time and see how they all come to fruition.”
The city’s vibe
“What appeals to me most about Maastricht is the city ’s vibe . Charming, international and yet personal. Its location, right between two other countries, makes it extra special. I love going out for a meal and think Maastricht has something to offer everyone. The restaurants and cafés are fantastic and the bars and restaurants around the Vrijthof are always bustling. I enjoy having a drink at Coffeelovers, I like going to the gym and I often go for walks through this beautiful city.”
‘My family and friends also love coming to Maastricht. They visit me, but they also enjoy the many boutiques, pick up a Pinky waffle and soak up the city’s cosy atmosphere.’
‘Its location, right between two other countries, makes this region particularly special.’
Friendships
“During my studies, I came into contact with various international students who, like me, wanted to stay in Maastricht. I also got to know lots of locals quite naturally. We went out together, they brought friends along, and that’s how I met lots of new people. My network grew even further through my work.”
In the six years I’ve lived here, I’ve moved house three times. For the first two months, I stayed at The Student Hotel as part of my relocation package. After that, I lived in a studio flat in Scharn for three years. When the landlord sold the building, I had to move out within two months. That was stressful, especially as not all landlords accept international tenants who don’t yet speak Dutch. In the end, I made a conscious decision to stay close to the city centre, in the Wyck neighbourhood."
Rules and systems
“The longer you live here, the easier everything becomes. You learn the language, understand the rules and get used to the systems. In my opinion, parking is expensive, and it took me a while to get used to the healthcare system. I’m still not entirely sure about the BSGW, but I’m sure there must be a good reason for it.”
‘I definitely want to improve my Dutch. If you’re planning to live in a country for a longer period, you should at least try to learn the language. It always pays off.’
