A view from overseas

I have always asked myself how it would be to work abroad: different language, different culture, different people and so many things to learn.

I am Markus, 26 years old, and a student of Finance and Management in Germany. I recently finished an exchange term in Durham and thought it could be interesting to get some work experience abroad as well. So I applied for an internship at Carbon in Edinburgh. Because I work part-time for a financial adviser in Germany, this seemed to be a great opportunity, especially as the UK is ahead of Germany in several aspects in the financial sector.

Due to regulation there are a lot of changes for companies in this sector all over the world. One company that masters these changes really well is Carbon. In my opinion, they have a bright future and deliver great value to their clients.

During my internship I learnt a lot about their work and how it improves the lives of their clients. One of my key takeaways is that transparency and understanding the clients’ needs are really important in this job. It is not about making fast money. A good long-term relationship with the clients is most important. You need to understand the economic and financial models very well but must also be able to explain them in an easily understandable way.

My employer in Germany follows a similar approach. We are smaller than Carbon but our clients face the same problems. I am taking away many new ideas that could be applied in Germany as well.

I am really grateful to Carbon for this opportunity. During my short work experience, and despite the differences in language and culture, I always felt as a member of the great Carbon team and was treated and welcomed in the best possible way.

My experiences have exceeded my highest expectations. Thank you for letting me be part of Carbon these past days. It was an honour to get to know so many of the team.

Markus Engelmann is a student of Finance and Management at The University of Osnabrück in Germany. It was a pleasure to have him in our team.