About Me: 

My name is Shershah Zahir, and I am the founder of Career Language Academy.

I know firsthand how challenging it can be to build a career in a new country while learning a new language.

Originally from Afghanistan, I have lived, studied and worked in India, France, the United States and the Netherlands. My background is in architecture, urban planning and construction project management. I have worked internationally, including with UN-Habitat and the World Bank, and today I work as a Project Manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam.

When I moved to the Netherlands in 2020, I quickly realised that English alone was not enough to access the professional opportunities I was looking for. I studied Dutch intensively and reached B1 level in 14 months. But even with my education, experience and language skills, I faced more than 100 job rejections.

That experience taught me something important. I needed to focus on the Dutch I needed for work.

I needed to understand how to write professional emails, apply for jobs, prepare for interviews, participate in meetings, give presentations, communicate with colleagues and navigate everyday situations in a Dutch workplace.

Over the years, I studied through different books, courses, group classes, one-to-one lessons and, most importantly, through my own work experience in Dutch. I started collecting and developing the vocabulary, sentences and practical situations that I actually needed in my professional life.

That eventually became Zakelijk Nederlands Leren – De Taal van het Werk.

But I wanted to make it more than a book. I created the audiobooks so learners could practise listening and pronunciation, and then developed simple video lessons to make the material easier to understand and follow. Finally, I brought the materials together in an online course so learners can access them on their phone and continue learning wherever they are — while travelling, walking, exercising or doing everyday tasks.

Today, alongside my work as a Project Manager at the Municipality of Rotterdam, I help other international professionals develop the Dutch they need to work, communicate confidently and grow their careers in the Netherlands.

I created the course because I believe that it is going to be helpful to people like me. 

More About My Background 

• Originally from Afghanistan, living in the Netherlands since 2020

• Bachelor’s in Architecture – Pune University, India (2011)

• Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning – Polytechnic School, University of Tours, France (2012)

• Master’s in Construction Project Management – Michigan State University, USA (2015)

• Construction Manager – Mayberry Homes, Michigan, USA

• Urban Planning Officer – UN-Habitat, Afghanistan (2015–2017)

• Technical Specialist – World Bank Projects, Afghanistan (2017–2019)

• Project Manager, Real Estate & Area Development – Municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands (2021–present)

• Author of the book and digital course: Zakelijk Nederlands Leren – De taal van het werk! (Learn Business Dutch – The Language of Work!)

Feel free to connect with me directly via info@zakelijknederlandsleren.nl on watsapp (+31 -0624972187) or on LinkedIn. I’d love to hear your story and help you take the next step in your career.