You’re from Romania. What inspired you to work abroad?

My dream is to own and manage a small restaurant at a beach on a small sunny island one day. So, you could say that I always wanted to work overseas but I never imagined a start like this. I had a pretty stable life in Romania. I owned a house and a small business, and I had a decent job. But family is what determined me to quit everything and start a new adventure. My wife got a job at the European Parliament last year and we decided that it’s best for our future to move to Luxembourg. So, I came without much of a plan – I just jumped into deep waters and forced myself to learn how to swim.

And what does “swimming” now look like? What are your tasks at Deutsche Börse Group?

I work in the Group Communications and Marketing department. Within this department, my team is responsible for the entire communication of Clearstream, among others, including social media, internal articles, newsletters, the website, as well as press releases and media relations. My fellow intern in Eschborn and I support the team in all these activities so that it can work as efficiently as possible.

How do you benefit from what you learned during your studies and former jobs?

I recently finished my studies in International Relations with a focus on European Studies. As you can imagine, this field includes a lot of communication, which was actually my favourite part. Before this, I studied Business Management, but it was not really what I have been looking for. I discovered my passion for diplomacy and communication while being involved in volunteering activities. Seven years ago, I joined an international youth organisation called Junior Chamber International (JCI) which pretty much changed my life. It helped me discover hidden passions and made me realise how far away I was from them in my day-to-day activities. The internship now gets me back on the right track.

What do you enjoy most about your internship and what is the most valuable lesson you already learned?

I enjoy the fact that the internship offered me the opportunity to build up on my newly discovered passion and it presented the perfect first step to do a change in my career. I love what I’m doing and I feel excited and challenged every day. One of the most valuable things I learned is the power of a good team and how many things can be realised if you’re working in a positive environment. Being almost 35 with a long career until now, I got to work in various teams. And a positive atmosphere and respect within a team were always the best motivators for its members.

With your wealth of experience, what advice would you give your younger self for his career start?

There’s no such thing as “too old” when you start doing something that you like. No matter if you’re a Young Professional or a Senior Expert, I would recommend anybody to try out new things – especially those which are outside of one’s educational field and comfort zone. You’ll be amazed at how powerful this can be to help you discover the one thing that gives your life energy and motivation – your own passion.