Although pastries have always been a passion, they were never something Valerie dreamed of making a career out of. But after being laid off in 2013, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to follow her dreams.
‘While at a training session in Paris I talked with a Slovenian dessert chef about the pastry business in Slovenia and the country’s need for French know-how,’ she says. ‘I decided that with nothing to lose, why not try my luck in Slovenia!’ So with that, she moved to Ljubljana hoping to find work when she got there.
A valuable experience
Moving countries and changing careers when you are 40 years old isn’t easy. To help with the transition, Valerie’s first stop in Ljubljana was the EURES office. Advisers helped her review and update her CV and prepare for job interviews – useful for older workers who may have been out of the job market for some time and whose interviewing skills need refreshing.
‘EURES really helped me a lot when I first arrived in Slovenia two years ago,’ says Valerie. ‘Having a close, personal relationship with my adviser was key to successfully finding a job as a pastry chef at the four star Vander Hotel Urbani Resort – a job that I felt very passionate about.’
The work gave Valerie a chance to learn about other types of pastries and techniques and to build a portfolio of experience. ‘I was also able to get to know a wonderful country and meet very nice people, many of whom remain good friends today,’ she says.
New challenges call
Valerie’s experience of working as a pastry chef in Slovenia soon opened doors to new opportunities. When personal circumstances found her moving to Istanbul, her work in Slovenia and the jobseeking skills she learned from EURES proved invaluable. ‘Turkish people love the French way of cooking and, thanks to my pastry experience, I was able to find a job in less than a month,’ she says.
So what’s next for Valerie? ‘In collaboration with my Turkish partner, I plan to open my very own French pastry shop in Istanbul,’ she says. ‘Thanks to the initial support and training I gained from EURES, I have the skills and confidence needed to make this new venture a success.’
Related links:
Employment Services of Slovenia
Read more:
Working and living conditions in EURES countries
EURES Jobs Database
EURES services for employers
EURES Events Calendar
Upcoming Online Events
EURES on Facebook
EURES on Twitter
EURES on LinkedIn
EURES on Google+
Details
- Publication date
- 2 February 2017
- Authors
- European Labour Authority | Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
- Topics
- Business / Entrepreneurship
- EU toolbox for mobility
- Success stories
- Related section(s)
- Sector
- Accomodation and food service activities
- Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies
- Activities of households as employers, undifferentiated goods- and services
- Administrative and support service activities
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing
- Arts, entertainment and recreation
- Construction
- Education
- Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply
- Financial and insurance activities
- Human health and social work activities
- Information and communication
- Manufacturing
- Mining and quarrying
- Other service activities
- Professional, scientific and technical activities
- Public administration and defence; compulsory social security
- Real estate activities
- Transportation and storage
- Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities
- Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles