Auditing in a New Country

Berlin Beckons for Barbara

Barbara Bolya is a 26 year old auditor from Hungary who is currently working at MOL, a Hungarian oil company, in the Hungarian capital city, Budapest. But she’s heading west to Berlin to start a new career. And start a whole new life.

 

Which company have you got a new job with?

The position in Berlin will be with Bombardier [a transportation manufacturer]. I’ve been working in Hungary for many years and I’m now moving to Germany to start a new career. I was at the Ernst and Young office in Budapest for three years. I then worked at Diageo, a drinks company [they make Smirnoff, Guinness, Baileys, etc], and now I’m currently working at MOL, a Hungarian oil company.

 

 

Why the move?

I would like international experience. I’d really like to communicate with different people and experience a new culture. So I’ve taken this job in Berlin. It will give me the chance to improve my communication skills and experience Europe. But it will be difficult.

 

What difficulties do you expect to face?

Well for a start, I don’t speak German!

 

You’re moving to Germany and you don’t speak German?

No! But I speak English and can use my English in Berlin. But I am looking forward to starting learning German. I think it’s a really good opportunity to learn a new language, although it will be very difficult. It does show how important English is in the world and how you need it in business. Even though my job is in Berlin, a country in Germany, I communicated with them in English. 

 

You must love Berlin to have chosen to work there. Do you know Berlin well?

No! The first time I saw Berlin was when I went there for my job interview! I had never been to Berlin before. I have some friends in Germany and I wanted to move to an EU country, so this is a great opportunity.

 

Are you excited to be moving to Germany? Do you think it’s a good choice?

Yes. It’s close to Hungary so I can still go home to visit my family and friends. And it will be really nice to learn German.

 

How did you get the job?

I posted my CV on the CareersinAudit website and I started to receive calls from headhunters pretty quickly. I didn’t specify which country I wanted to work in, just that I would like to work in an EU country. I put my CV on the site in March and I got a job in June, so it didn’t really take much time.

 

Did you try any other methods to get a job?

No, the internet only. I found it really easy. All I did was posted my CV on and I started to get calls from recruiters quite quickly. Although qualifications and experience are very important, a lot of getting a job comes down to luck. If you are in the right place at the right time, then you might be lucky and the right job comes along quickly.

 

What tips do you have for any others thinking of moving to another country to start work?

Make use of the internet. It’s fast and easy and it proved really useful for me. It’s a way to find out about jobs, companies, other cities, transport.

 

Have there been any difficulties so far?

Well, the biggest difficulty is getting my work visa. I am still in Hungary waiting to go to Germany. Hungary has been a part of the EU since 2004 but the problem is that many EU countries have not opened themselves up to the free movement of workers from Hungary. There are still some EU countries where a work permit for Hungarians is necessary and Germany is one of them. And getting a work visa is not easy. I will have to wait between four and six weeks to get my visa. I hope to receive it at the beginning of August. And then I get over to Berlin to start my new life!

 

 

You might be pleased to learn that Barbara received her work permit at the start of August, and is now living and working in Germany.

  

Barbara found her latest job through CareersinAudit.com.