'I felt like if I had not done it, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life'

Moving overseas was something Kiki Tolentino wanted to do for a while. Slightly over a year ago, she made the move from Sydney, Australia, to Amsterdam. “I felt like if I had not done it, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life,” she says. Having spent the last 10 years working in startups and scaleups across both HR and Marketing, she’s now the Growth Lead at Tap Electric. 

Tap Electric is an Amsterdam-based startup building  driver-first EV software. Both their charger management platform and driver app aim to make EV charging more transparent, accessible and affordable for all drivers.

In this episode of Dutch Diaries, I spoke with her about her experience moving to the Netherlands. 

When did you realize you wanted to move from Australia? 

“I’ve wanted to move since I was in my early 20s and initially planned to move around 2020. Timing, money, and resolve came together last year—I was in a position where I didn’t have big commitments, and both my partner and I were made redundant from our jobs. It seemed like a sign to take this step.

I sold my stuff and ended my lease, only to realize I had started looking for jobs at the worst possible time—summer. Eventually, I found a job at Tap.”

How did you land a position there? 

“Before leaving Sydney, I reached out to all my contacts in Europe to see whether they knew of any job opportunity for me. While those conversations didn't lead to a job, I got some valuable tips and insights about working and living in Europe. My partner was interviewing for Tap, and the team there kindly offered to pass my CV through their network. Seeing my CV landing on their desk, they thought of me as someone who could add value. So I went through the interview, and I got the job.”

You wanted to move to Europe, but did you know already where? 

“We were choosing between Spain and the Netherlands, with the latter closer to Sydney in terms of lifestyle. Amsterdam has a thriving international job market, and so has more English-speaking job opportunities.”

What was your first impression of the Netherlands? 

“At first, I was shocked not to hear cars since most are electric; Australia is only starting to adopt them! Instead, you only see bicycles! Bicycles completely change the way you live, and I think it adds much more to the quality of life. I had to get used to the Dutch straightforwardness too; although Australia also has a low-context culture, the Netherlands goes further down the line.”

What is your take on the Dutch tech environment? 

“There are some impressive homegrown brands, but if I take it back to my job search, it wasn’t easy to find positions in early startup and scaleup. Markets are certainly tough at the moment, but perhaps there needs to be more local investment in the riskier parts of our innovation economy.”

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Is there a Dutch habit you don’t get?

“One of my colleagues once told me that one of the best feelings in the world is getting completely drenched by rain and drying off afterward at home. I don’t get it; I would rather just not be wet in the first place. I fully appreciate that the weather doesn’t stop the Dutch from doing anything. 

Something else I found strange is how late shops open. Sydney is big on morning culture: people wake up early, exercise, and have coffee at cafes at 6 AM. Here, it seems like nothing opens until 7:30, even the bakeries– that was also a bit of an adjustment for me.”

What anecdote do you always tell your family and friends back home about the Netherlands? 

“I always tell them about the bike culture and how it changes your daily life. Many cities see the benefits of the  15-minute city concept, and by cycling, I feel like I’m living it here in Amsterdam. It’s a big change from Sydney; most people drive everywhere.”

What practice would you bring from Australia to the Netherlands? 

“I’ve been told that giving nicknames is very Australian. Maybe it’s our way to connect to and bridge cultures in our working environment. From my HR background, an open and supportive work environment is important to me”

Do you see yourself living in the Netherlands in the coming years? 

“I’d like to stay here for at least two years and see where that takes me. The first year is for finding your way around things, and the second is for making deeper connections and understanding what you like more or less about your new life. I’m open to it and have started learning Dutch!.”