Stanislaw moved from Poland to the Netherlands in February 2018. His first son was just three months old, and he was looking for work to support his family. The first company that replied to his CV? InAxtion. Eight years later, he's grown from electrician to foreman, and he hasn't looked back once.
A Production Line That Never Stops
Stanislaw compares his first months at InAxtion to an episode of Discovery Channel: a new facility, a new production to discover, week after week. "You can touch it, you can break it, you can fix it and at the end, you get paid for it," he laughs. That same sense of discovery has never gone away, even through longer-term projects at places like ExxonMobil and the Impala Fuel Terminal.
His favourite memory? Early one morning, still dark out, replacing light fixtures on top of one of the tallest towers at the ExxonMobil refinery in Rotterdam. "I could see the whole factory from a completely different perspective. That's really something special."
The Right Mindset
Arriving with a Polish diploma, Stanislaw started from scratch on his first Dutch project. The techniques he knew didn't quite match local practice, for instance, running cables through plastic conduit instead of straight into the wall. His strategy: voluntarily take on the toughest jobs available, to gain experience as fast as possible.
That mindset paid off. Stanislaw earned his ATEX certification and grew from electrician to foreman, taking on more and more responsibility for guiding tasks on site. Today, he's happiest working in explosive (Ex-rated) environments in the petrochemical industry – the more complex and hazardous the setting, the more satisfaction he gets out of it. "That was my childhood dream," he says.
Working With People From All Over the World
At InAxtion, Stanislaw works alongside colleagues from Romania, Portugal, Argentina, and beyond. Everyone approaches problems in their own way, and that's enriched him. As a foreman managing a mixed group of twenty people, he learned that leading is about more than technical skill: "Sometimes the biggest challenge isn't the work, it's the people. If you make people feel like they're on the same ship, and you invest in the social side – a beer after work, a moment of connection – you see results."
Settling Into Life in the Netherlands
The move to the Netherlands wasn't without culture shock; cyclists everywhere, paying with Maestro instead of Mastercard, and the sheer quantity (and quality) of Dutch cheese and cocoa his family has since come to love. What struck him most: the informal way people interact here stands in sharp contrast to the formal, sometimes slow-moving bureaucracy around institutions. "If I order a screwdriver from my supervisor, it can take three weeks. By then I've already figured out how to solve the problem myself," he jokes.
Still, he genuinely appreciates the Dutch approach: the road system, public transport that runs on one simple system, and the calm, careful safety culture in the petrochemical industry. "If you forget something or a task doesn't go right the first time, there's no punishment. You can just come back and try again. For me, that feels almost therapeutic."
Staying Curious, Staying Young
What keeps him sharp and curious after all these years? "I never killed my inner child. Inside, I'm still six years old, just with power tools now." His two sons keep him just as busy at home; there's always something to fix.
Looking five to ten years ahead, he'd still like to be on the work floor, perhaps taking steps toward project support or design work. But change for the sake of change isn't the goal: "I think I've found my sweet spot. Every project brings new technology. This work doesn't feel like work, it feels like play."
His Advice for Anyone Considering a Move to the Netherlands
"Don't be afraid to try new things and stay open to new ideas. Don't put pressure on yourself to prove everything from day one – that's how you burn out. Take small steps. You'll find there's real room and guidance here to grow, even if you think you're already experienced. If you show that you bring value, people will take care of you."
Recognise yourself in Stanislaw's story? InAxtion is always looking for skilled electricians and technicians ready to grow. Check out our current vacancies and find out where your next step could take you.