Career Insight with Tatiana

Interview with Tatiana, Senior Consultant, Consulting, Technology Strategy and Architecture at Deloitte.

You are Belarussian and have been working abroad for more than 10 years, both in Germany and Switzerland. What is the biggest difference you see between the working cultures you have experienced?

There is no doubt that the country and local culture have an impact on the way people work. However, I believe that your personality, aspirations and dreams are what makes a difference. Living in different countries and interacting with people from different backgrounds encourage you to challenge yourself and to step out of your comfort zone. What makes life at Deloitte so attractive to me is that there are no physical boundaries. Being part of the consulting team has given me the opportunity to be part of an international team, and to work on exciting assignments abroad. Every time I had the chance to work on an assignment in a new country I took the time to discover and adopt local practices. I believe that understanding the local culture is key to succeed and achieve great results.

You speak 6 languages! How useful are they for you in your daily job?

Although the most commonly used business language is English, nowadays it is often not enough, especially when it isn’t your mother tongue. Combining both your professional and language skills are a key asset in an international environment. If you are able speak your business partner’s language, you are more likely to build a stronger and more trustful relationship.

How important is it to work in an international environment?

If I had to describe myself in one word, I would choose “international”. I am Belarussian with Ukrainian roots, holding a German passport, living in Switzerland and working in different countries. Yet a profile like this is not unique at Deloitte. My team numbers 29 practitioners: we represent 15 nationalities and speak 17 different languages. Working in such international environment is a great opportunity for me to grow and develop personally and professionally. Thus, in my free time I pursue my passion as an interior architect and designer and my international experience serves as an excellent source of inspiration for my design projects.