About
Hi, I'm Anastasiia
Hi, I'm Anastasiia
Every coaching 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.
WHY I BECAME A COACH
People have always fascinated me. Not because of what they do, but because of 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 moments in their careers. Some were preparing for their first leadership role. Others were questioning whether they had outgrown their job. Some were considering a complete career change but couldn't quite take the first step.
Over time, I realised that the conversations I looked forward to most had very little to do with HR itself. They were the conversations where someone started seeing themselves differently, where a problem that had felt overwhelming suddenly became manageable, and where a person stopped asking, "What do people expect me to do?" and started asking, "What do I actually want?".
I didn't set out to become a coach. It was simply the direction my curiosity kept pulling me towards. Today, coaching allows me to combine everything I've learned about organisations and careers with what I've always found most meaningful: helping people understand themselves more deeply before making important career decisions.
People have always fascinated me. Not because of what they do, but because of 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 moments in their careers. Some were preparing for their first leadership role. Others were questioning whether they had outgrown their job. Some were considering a complete career change but couldn't quite take the first step.
Over time, I realised that the conversations I looked forward to most had very little to do with HR itself. They were the conversations where someone started seeing themselves differently, where a problem that had felt overwhelming suddenly became manageable, and where a person stopped asking, "What do people expect me to do?" and started asking, "What do I actually want?".
I didn't set out to become a coach. It was simply the direction my curiosity kept pulling me towards. Today, coaching allows me to combine everything I've learned about organisations and careers with what I've always found most meaningful: helping people understand themselves more deeply before making important career decisions.
HOW I WORK
I won't decide for you. I'll help you understand yourself well enough to decide for yourself.
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.
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.
That's the space I create.
A place to understand what truly matters to you and leave with the confidence to move forward in a way that feels authentic.
WHAT I BRING TO OUR CONVERSATIONS
Four perspectives, one conversation.
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:
Four perspectives, one conversation.
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:
- The HR Insider
For over a decade, I sat on the other side of many career conversations— supporting decisions around promotions, succession planning, leadership potential and organizational change. That experience helps me understand not only how decisions are made, but also why they sometimes feel confusing or invisible to the people affected by them. - The Coach
As a certified coach, I do not hand you ready-made answers. I'll ask questions, notice patterns and challenge you when it serves you. My goal is to help you make decisions that feel true to you and that you'll be able to stand behind long after our coaching ends. - The Career Mentor
Not every situation calls for coaching. Sometimes you need practical guidance: how to position yourself in the Dutch job market, strengthen your CV, prepare for interviews or think strategically about your job search. In those moments, I'll draw on my HR experience and share advice openly. I'll always be clear about whether I'm coaching or mentoring. - The Person behind the Coach
Coaching works best when people feel safe enough to be honest – not only with me, but with themselves.
I bring curiosity into every conversation. I listen carefully, ask questions without judgement and genuinely enjoy understanding what matters to the person sitting opposite me.
CREDENTIALS
-
ICF (International Coaching Federation) Certified Coach - 13+ years in international HR roles
- MSc HR Management
Erasmus University Rotterdam - Professional experience includes working at multinational organizations, such as:
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.
There isn't a blueprint that works for everyone. Every career is shaped by different experiences, ambitions, strengths 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, which feels like too good a coincidence to ignore. Some things are simply meant to fit.
An atelier is a place where something is made with care, one piece at a time.
That is exactly how I think about careers.
There isn't a blueprint that works for everyone. Every career is shaped by different experiences, ambitions, strengths 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, which feels like too good a coincidence to ignore. Some things are simply meant to fit.
Let's talk
If you've found your way to this page,
chances are you're thinking about your career in a different way than you were a few months ago.
If you've found your way to this page,
chances are you're thinking about your career in a different way than you were a few months ago.
I'd love to hear your story, understand where you are today and explore whether I'm the right person to help.
