What type of job really makes her eyes twinkle and how can we make sure she gets hired? For Jaap Verheijen, Manager of Parking & Mobility Services at Eindhoven Airport, these were the key questions in the project ‘A buddy works’. Jaap is the buddy of job seeker Miranda Groenen (53) from Eindhoven, who was looking for work that offered more hours and a specific minimum hourly rate. He supported her with the application process and in her search for that job. Jaap: “Eindhoven Airport is committed to the region and joined the project from a social commitment perspective. I stand by that commitment and want to do my bit by using my previous recruitment and selection experience to help job seekers.”

Jaap coached Miranda, worked with her to emphasise her strengths in her curriculum vitae, and helped her write a cover letter that was more convincing. According to Jaap, Miranda had no reason to feel insecure. “She has a wealth of work experience and demonstrable capabilities that she can use is many different sectors, for example in healthcare or hospitality.” For Miranda, the fact that she didn't have her MBO vocational diploma was often the bottleneck. Jaap finds that hard to understand. “She ticks all the boxes for so many positions.” Miranda came into the project with very low self-esteem. “I was insecure and could really use some help with my cover letter.” After helping her update her LinkedIn profile, Jaap wrote his own post about Miranda's career ambition and used his network in her job search, which quickly led to Miranda receiving a string of invitations for an interview. With varying success. Miranda and Jaap stayed in touch and a career in healthcare - an industry she already worked in as a home carer - continued to attract Miranda. “I like many things. I want to interact with people and help them.” Working in healthcare therefore still held a special place in her heart. Following Jaap's suggestion, Miranda took a leap of faith in order to achieve her ambitions by enrolling in a three-year vocational education course as a personal assistant for special target groups. She is doing the course at her current employer, Sint Annaklooster care organisation. It's an opportunity Miranda has seized with both hands. “This way I can keep working in the care sector and grow further with a diploma in my pocket.”