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Job Coaching Sessions:
Your Path to Career Confidence
"Truth be told, I might never have made it to the summit without Sherpa Tenzing. His strength, his spirit, and his knowledge of the mountain carried us both higher than I could have climbed alone."
Edmund Hillary about Sherpa Tenzing Norgay
(first climbers on Mountain Everest)
Welcome
Hi, I’m Akerke Makhanova, founder of Expats Career Consulting.
As an expat, starting or growing your career in a new country can be exciting, but also confusing and challenging. New systems, new expectations, and uncertainty about where to begin can make the process feel lonely. That’s where I come in.
I help expats feel more confident in their career direction, understand their strengths, and take practical steps toward finding the right opportunities. Whether you’re searching for your first role in a new country or ready for the next step in your professional journey, I provide tailored support to guide you through it.
Together, we can turn your move abroad into a career story you’re proud of.
Welcome! your next chapter begins here.
My services
Hi, I am Akerke,
your Job Coach & Partner
I’m an expat myself, so my work is deeply personal to me. I know firsthand what it means to build a career while being on visa sponsorship, and how stressful, uncertain, and at times overwhelming that journey can feel.
I’ve been through the job search process in the Netherlands myself, applying to many roles, attending many interviews, rejections, learning from Job Coaches, and figuring out how to position myself in a way that works in the Dutch market. Through that experience, I developed my own job search strategy, shaped by both practical learning and real-life experience.
Today, I bring that knowledge into my work with other expats. I have helped numerous international professionals find jobs with visa sponsorship, build new careers, and start a new chapter in the Netherlands. I do this work not only as a Coach, but also as someone who has walked this path myself and understands how important the right guidance can be.
Client feedback
Aysima Kiris
Research Consultant
I collaborated with Akerke M. in career strategy consultation.
She shared and guided me through very helpful and impactful strategies to rebuild my professional identity and inspired me to explore alternative career paths in market research.
With her enduring support and guidance, I started to be more vocal and visible in professional platforms, writing my own content in relation to my industry insights and observations, as well as building relationships with other industry experts along the way.
Ruolin Qi
Online Merchandising
Working with Akerke was one of the best decisions I made during my job search. As an expat herself, she truly understood what I was going through — the uncertainty, the challenges, and the self-doubt that can come with trying to build a career in a new country. That empathy made all the difference.
Her energy, warmth, and unwavering support helped me find clarity and confidence, and with her guidance, I was fortunate to land a job within one month.
I would recommend Akerke to any expat navigating the Dutch job market. She's not just an incredible coach — she's living proof that it can be done, and we're not alone.
Nazerke Makhanova
Senior PMO
Akerke's energy is vibrant and she has this ability to gather people towards the common goal. I would say that she's a strong leader who can motivate crowds. She has sharp mind and can find solution for every challenge.
On top of being colleagues in global organizations, she also was my JobCoach and thanks to her techniques and personal approach I could land several job offers in Belgium and Netherlands with visa sponsorship being an expat over 30 years old. I witnessed her successful cases with other clients as a JobCoach and her caring, attentive approach to every single case. She makes wonders with her solution oriented and results driven mind.
Aya Yerkin
Digital Marketing Specialist
As a recent graduate from a Dutch university, I faced the harsh reality in finding a job in today’s competitive market. I can honestly say that the progress I made in just a few weeks with Akerke far exceeded everything I had been trying to do on my own for months.There are many fresh graduates like me capable and motivated, but simply unsure of how to transition from university to the workforce. For those individuals, I highly recommend working with a professional like Akerke Makhanova. Her knowledge, patience, and personal approach make a real difference.
Akmaral Zhursinbayeva
As a newcomer to the Netherlands, navigating the local job market and adjusting to cultural expectations was an overwhelming experience.Fortunately, I found the support I needed through Expats Career Consulting.From our very first session, I felt immediately at ease. Akerke Makhanova demonstrated not only deep expertise in Dutch hiring practices, but also genuine empathy for the emotional and practical challenges that expats face
Aigerim Bektibayeva
Though I was exploring opportunities in the Netherlands, I ultimately received an offer in Spain just a few weeks after working with her. Without her guidance and encouragement, I doubt the process would have moved so quickly or felt so empowering.
Experts feedback
I have had the pleasure of guiding Akerke through several career coaching sessions, during which she has demonstrated an exceptional combination of talents, drive, and resilience.
Akerke's interpersonal skills are outstanding. She deeply cares for people, listens attentively, uses her intuition wisely, and deals with emotions with sensitivity and respect. Her style is a unique blend of empathy, creativity, and practicality, She is also highly skilled in training, teaching, motivating, and inspiring individuals and teams.
Sabine Havelaerts
Job Coach, Travvant
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