"Striive is professional as well as approachable - they really take a lot out of your hands, from contract to invoicing."

An interview with independent professional Dounia Lkoundi


Dounia Lkoundi (50) is a Recruiter and also has her own coaching practice in which she helps women stand in their power. Since 2022, she has been working as a freelancer for the Dutch Railways (NS) through Striive. She likes variety, enjoys working with people and appreciates the convenience and support Striive offers her as an independent professional.

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Start at NS 

Through her cousin, who also worked as a freelancer at NS, she discovered an open assignment in 2022. "I started looking on the hiring desk and saw a vacancy for recruitment. I had done that before, so I responded - and I was selected." Since then, she has worked in various roles within NS. I started at Recruitment Operations. My assignment then consisted mainly of conducting job interviews. Then I got a new role at Operations Management. There I was responsible for the entire selection process: from intake to contract. Meanwhile, I'm back at Recruitment Operations, but now I conduct interviews with internal colleagues who want to progress within NS. This variety and challenge keeps the work interesting.'' 

Striive as a reliable partner 

What really makes the difference for Dounia is how Striive supports her work as a self-employed person. "I arranged everything myself for a long time, but now so much is taken out of my hands. The contract handling, invoicing, payment - it just runs smoothly. And if I have a question, I get a quick and personal answer. It's professional and approachable. That feels familiar."

Looking ahead with the job board

Besides the operational relief, the platform also helps in finding new assignments. "Via the assignment overview, you easily set up a search. Then you automatically receive updates when a relevant assignment appears.

For Dounia, her current assignment at NS still runs until August, but she is already looking ahead. "If it is extended, I would love to stay. But I am also open to new challenges. Through Striive, I easily keep track of what is available."

Warmly recommended

Dounia is positive about the cooperation. "I would definitely recommend Striive to other self-employed people. It really takes a lot of things off your hands: contracts, payment, invoicing. You don't have to think about it, and the platform is just user-friendly. That's really fantastic."

Do you also want to take advantage of the benefits of our services? Look here for the opportunities we offer. And who knows, you might soon end up on your new assignment through Striive!