ABOUT
Hi, I'm Anastasiia.
Every relationship starts with trust. So before we talk about your career, here's a little about mine and about how it shaped the way I work today.
I'm originally from Ukraine, but I've spent most of my adult life in the Netherlands. Before I became an HR Business Partner, a coach and the founder of Career Atelier, I was a 21-year-old who moved here to study, without really knowing what building a career in a new country would ask of me.
If you're an international professional in the Netherlands, there's a good chance I'll understand more of your experience than you might expect. I know what it's like to build a career while you're also building a sense of home.
Like many people who move countries, I had to learn a new culture, understand a different job market and build a professional network from scratch. Over the years, my career took me through the Netherlands and Spain, where I worked closely with people navigating promotions, career changes and new leadership roles.
Looking back, I realise those experiences taught me something that has stayed with me ever since.
If you're an international professional in the Netherlands, there's a good chance I'll understand more of your experience than you might expect. I know what it's like to build a career while you're also building a sense of home.
Like many people who move countries, I had to learn a new culture, understand a different job market and build a professional network from scratch. Over the years, my career took me through the Netherlands and Spain, where I worked closely with people navigating promotions, career changes and new leadership roles.
Looking back, I realise those experiences taught me something that has stayed with me ever since.
Career decisions are rarely just about work.
They're about confidence, identity, belonging and the kind of life we're trying to build.
They're about confidence, identity, belonging and the kind of life we're trying to build.
People have always fascinated me — not what they do, but how they make decisions, what holds them back, and what gives them the courage to move forward. I find it deeply rewarding when someone leaves a conversation feeling less tangled than when they walked in.
For more than thirteen years, I worked in HR, often alongside people at pivotal career moments. I noticed something telling: a day of processes and policies left me drained. A single real conversation — the kind where someone finally said out loud what they'd been avoiding — left me alive for hours. Those were the moments someone stopped asking "What do people expect me to do?" and started asking "What do I actually want?".
For more than thirteen years, I worked in HR, often alongside people at pivotal career moments. I noticed something telling: a day of processes and policies left me drained. A single real conversation — the kind where someone finally said out loud what they'd been avoiding — left me alive for hours. Those were the moments someone stopped asking "What do people expect me to do?" and started asking "What do I actually want?".
I remember one conversation in particular: someone who came in to talk about a promotion, and left having admitted, almost by accident, that they didn't actually want it — they wanted permission to want something else entirely. That's when I realised: the parts of my job I kept returning to weren't really about HR. They were about helping someone find their way back to themselves before a decision that would shape their life.
Leaving corporate for coaching wasn't easy — I gave up certainty for something I couldn't fully explain, only trusted. Now, when I sit across from someone facing a hard decision, I recognise it, because I've made one myself.
WHY I BECAME A COACH
I do not believe there is one definition of success. For some people, it means stepping into leadership. For others, it means finding work that actually fits their life, not just their CV. Sometimes it's deciding to stay exactly where you are, but with a completely different perspective.
I do believe you're far more capable than you probably give yourself credit for. You can be your own best friend or your own worst critic — most people are fluent in the second voice and rusty in the first.
People I work with often tell me our coaching conversations are the first place they've been able to think out loud without feeling they need to defend, explain or impress anyone.
I do believe you're far more capable than you probably give yourself credit for. You can be your own best friend or your own worst critic — most people are fluent in the second voice and rusty in the first.
People I work with often tell me our coaching conversations are the first place they've been able to think out loud without feeling they need to defend, explain or impress anyone.
HOW I WORK
I won't decide for you. I'll help you understand yourself well enough to decide for yourself.
That's the space I create — where the critic finally goes quiet and the loudest voice in the room is finally your own.
MY APPROACH
What I bring to our conversations
Everyone who comes to Career Atelier arrives with a different story. That's why I adapt my approach to each person I work with.
What remains consistent is four perspectives that I bring to our conversations.
What remains consistent is four perspectives that I bring to our conversations.
- The HR Insider
For over a decade, I sat on the other side of career conversations — promotions, succession planning, leadership potential and organizational change. I know how HR and leadership see these decisions and I'll help you position yourself accordingly. - The Coach
As a certified coach, I don't hand you ready-made answers. I ask questions, notice patterns and challenge you when it serves you — so you can make decisions you'll stand behind long after our coaching ends. - The Career Mentor
Not every situation calls for coaching. Sometimes you need practical guidance: positioning yourself in the Dutch job market, strengthening your CV or preparing for interviews. In those moments, I'll draw on my HR experience and share advice openly. - The Person behind the Coach
Coaching works best when people feel safe enough to be honest — with me and with themselves. I bring curiosity into every conversation, listen carefully and take real interest in understanding what matters to the person across from me.
CREDENTIALS
EXPERIENCE WITH
The background behind the work
ICF
MSc
13+
3
International Coaching Federation Certified Coach
HR Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Years in international HR roles
Countries: Ukraine, the Netherlands, Spain
Philips
Signify
Heineken
Cargill
Avature
Carrier
WHY "CAREER ATELIER"?
An atelier is a place where something is made with care, one piece at a time. That is exactly how I think about careers.
Every career is shaped by different experiences, ambitions and circumstances. Together, we create a career that reflects who you are, rather than who you think you're supposed to become.
The name also has a personal meaning: my surname, Shvets, means tailor in Ukrainian – too good a coincidence to ignore. Some things are simply meant to fit.
Let's talk
You've just read my story.
I'd genuinely like to hear yours.
Let's talk
You've just read my story.
I'd genuinely like to hear yours.