During his semester abroad, Max Diemers already knew where he was headed. While still in his shared apartment in Barcelona, the ISM graduate decided to gain his first work experience outside of Germany. "I wanted to experience adventure and not start directly into the German work routine," Max recalls. "I also really wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking country." Today, he is a senior consultant at Deloitte in Barcelona, providing risk management services to Spanish banks.
The first time in Spain was not easy, despite his language skills. He quickly realized that life as an employee abroad cannot be compared to a semester abroad. "During a semester abroad, it's always very easy to meet new people. But when you work ten hours a day, it's harder. You're alone at first," Max explains. "In the beginning, I was focusing on my job and neglected my daily life. Then over the months, I learned to balance it." What made Max's start easier, in addition to his language skills, was the contact with others. "What helped me a lot and what was also encouraged a lot at ISM is networking. Even in your first year, you're told that they require you to grow your network, both within Deloitte but also within the bank."
For those thinking about an international career, Max advises applying directly to a company abroad and bringing some initial knowledge with you. "What is highly valued is experience abroad and also semesters abroad and internships. With what ISM offers, you shouldn't really have any major problems finding a job abroad. Always with the condition of mastering the language, of course. You don't have to be perfect, you learn it very quickly when you are on site, but you should already have a certain basis. The biggest obstacle, I think, is rather the fear of what might happen."