Culture

“After having lived in the Middle East my whole life, I knew it was time for me to take my next big step. Right after graduating from high school in Egypt, I moved to the Netherlands on my own at the age of 17 to begin my bachelor studies at The Hague University. Move forward four years later and I can definitely say that I’m delighted with the decision to move. I was able to escape my comfort zone and adapt to an entirely new culture and environment. Although I live and study in Den Haag, I decided to take on my first internship in Amsterdam: At Clay. Amsterdam has a lot to offer in entertainment, but so does Clay. The 'Bricks' are some of the friendliest people I’ve met. Because of Clay’s small size, it feels like working as part of a small family. I was able to connect with everyone and become a Brick right away. That’s the kind of corporate culture that represents Clay. I can say with confidence that I couldn’t have asked for a better place to work. Not only do I have the opportunity to work at Clay, but I also get to be a part of a great city like Amsterdam”

“I was born and raised in Kyiv, a city with which I’ve always had a love-hate relationship. The last couple of years I spent there, before moving, were really comfortable and enjoyable, but I realized I wanted to experience something else. So I packed everything into two suitcases, flew to Amsterdam and crashed on a couch somewhere in ‘Bos en Lommer’. I got a bike the next morning and a place of my own a bit later. As a software developer from Ukraine, I was very spoiled and had to adjust to how expensive Amsterdam is, but to me, it was totally worth it. I met amazing people here, most of them fellow Bricks. They lent me money, helped to assemble my Ikea furniture, and got me food when I was hungover. We missed flights, painted watercolours, and sang terrible karaoke together. I am really happy I have the chance to experience this adventure together with these cool kids. And I am sure there is still so much to come.”

"I was actually in Amsterdam when the results of the Brexit were announced and remember thinking it was a sign of changing times. My boyfriend and I were visiting the Netherlands on a reconnaissance mission, looking at houses and job opportunities. We holidayed in Amsterdam many times and it was love at first sight, I loved the architecture, the sound of ringing bike bells echoing through the city and the barrage of terraces serving good beer. At that time we were living in London which was exciting, fast and furious but we knew it would never be where we hung up our hat and settled. And so, 3 months later we were living (the dream) on one of the canals in Amsterdam city and it was the best move we ever made. The city has a charm unmatched by anywhere I have ever visited, my stressful commute on the tubes and been converted to short cycle on a bike with a basket full of miscellaneous 'stuff' and my very corporate, suit wearing office is now a cosy, family feel startup. To be honest, I found the transition quite easy, even without speaking the local lingo the Dutch locals are always very accommodating and happy to chat in English and whilst finding good housing in the city is a big challenge, we fell lucky and found an amazing starter home in the buzz of the city. Two years down the line and am working at Clay, which is a great analogy of Amsterdam itself, flexible, progressive, open-minded and uncomplicated, it really was the icing on the cake for me and like Amsterdam, I was made to feel really welcome."

“'I am from Osijek, a beautiful city in the eastern part of Croatia. Although I was happy there working at a great company and a strong, national IT scene the thought of living abroad was dancing around in my head from time to time. Since I was (un)lucky to experience a long distance relationship for a couple of years, my girlfriend and I often talked about this situation and how to solve it. Finally in 2017 we were able to settle down somewhere together, and (obviously) Amsterdam was the (right) choice. We had visited the city back in our high-school days, and from that point on Amsterdam was THE city for me. There is so much to do, see and experience here, it's not surprising there are millions of "What To Do..." posts online. Honestly, I was very sceptical about a huge relocation step, but fortunately, due to awesome people in Clay it was so easy and seamless that it felt natural. Anyway, I won't bother you any longer, just join Clay and see for yourself: It's an amazing place!”