Driven by curiosity and the courage to embrace new challenges, Amal Sharaf Aldeen transformed her career path from mobile app development in Yemen to shaping data-driven insights in the Netherlands. Her story is one of perseverance—navigating language barriers, mastering new skills, and seizing opportunities that led her to thrive as a Junior BI Specialist at UWV.
A Fresh Start in a New Country
Amal’s journey began in Yemen, where she completed a Bachelor’s in Computer Science and spent five years as a mobile app developer. Two years ago, she moved to the Netherlands through a family reunification program.
Amal: “Moving to the Netherlands, meant starting over. My degree was recognized as equivalent to an HBO Informatica, which was great, but I quickly realized that my Dutch wasn’t up to par. I went on over 8 interviews but the Dutch-language requirement kept cropping up. My English was solid, but without Dutch, i couldn’t move forward.”
Despite networking and skillful interviews, the language barrier proved to be a significant challenge. Amal’s determination only grew stronger..
Discovering SpikeUp AI
- One evening, after another day of rejection, Amal googled “data engineering courses Netherlands” and found SpikeUp AI. SpikeUp provided her with the tools and support she needed to bridge her skills gap and enter the Dutch data engineering market:
- Personalized Mentorship: One-on-one guidance from industry professionals who provided feedback on her approach and offered information on career pathways in the Netherlands.
- Structured, Hands‑On Curriculum: Step‑by‑step ETL exercises and real‑world case studies that built her confidence in designing, building, and troubleshooting data pipelines.
- Certification Support: Dedicated study plans, practice exams, and instructor-led review sessions that enabled her to pass the Professional Data Engineer and Cloud Architect certifications on her first attempt.
- Communication Workshops: Targeted sessions on Dutch business language, complete with role‑playing and presentation feedback to improve her confidence in meetings.
- Curated Networking Events: Demo days and industry mixers where she pitched her projects to hiring managers and received actionable feedback.
Amal: “I’d worked with databases before, so pivoting to data engineering felt natural.”
By combining technical depth with cultural and language coaching, SpikeUp AI empowered Amal to transform her strengths into a competitive advantage in the Dutch job market.
Mastering Dutch Workplace Culture
In the Dutch workplace, clear communication and collaboration carry as much weight as coding skills. Amal discovered that mastering formal versus informal language, decoding idiomatic requests, and presenting insights concisely were crucial competencies.
Amal: “Every challenge was a learning opportunity.”
To accelerate her progress, she practiced common Dutch phrases daily, practiced speaking with language coaches, and delivered mock presentations to peers. These efforts boosted her confidence and honed her ability to convey complex ideas to diverse stakeholders.
Landing the Role at UWV
On April 7th, Amal began her role as a Junior BI Specialist at UWV. Her responsibilities include:
- ETL Pipeline Development: Extracting, transforming, and loading data into the company’s data warehouse.
- Dashboard Creation: Building Power BI dashboards to guide leadership decisions.
- CI/CD Pipeline Development: Automating Code Testing and Deployment for Faster, High-Quality Software Delivery.
Amal: “At UWV, there’s no English fallback—everything is in Dutch. It’s challenging, but it’s the fastest way to learn.”
Amal’s daily routine of stand-ups, pipeline work, and dashboard demos has accelerated both her technical and language skills.
Wisdom for Fellow Career-Changers
Amal offers practical advice to newcomers:
- Persevere Through Rejection: “Every interview refined my approach.”
- Cultivate Soft Skills: “Technical expertise is essential, but so is your ability to communicate and collaborate.”
- Leverage Community: “SpikeUp’s network was my lifeline—reach out, practice, and volunteer to demo your projects.”
Looking Ahead
Amal’s next goal is to deepen her expertise in data engineering and studying for a master’s degree after mastering the language. She aims to lead a BI project end to end and mentor future graduates while continuing to learn on the job.
Her journey shows that with curiosity, persistence, and authentic connections, you can overcome any barrier.
Amal: “Keep learning, keep networking, and every ‘no’ will bring you closer to your ‘yes.’”
Ready to start your transformation?
Explore our data engineering and analytics programs and join the next SpikeUp AI cohort today!
A Note to Employers
At SpikeUp AI, we partner with forward-thinking companies seeking driven, adaptable talent. Graduates like Amal bring a unique blend of technical expertise, hands-on project experience, and cultural resilience. By opening your doors to diverse professionals—who have navigated and overcome integration challenges—you enrich your teams with fresh perspectives and foster an inclusive, innovative workplace.
Consider SpikeUp.AI alumni for your next data initiative and tap into a pool of motivated problem-solvers ready to contribute from day one.
