Georgy Volkov - MBA Student From Russia
Yana Immis
Georgy from Moscow wanted to study and work in Sports Management. Life prepared for him hospitality & event management instead and the current job of a store manager, how high were the odds? Read his story here to know more!
| Place of Birth | Moscow, Russia |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Russian |
| Where did you live? | Moscow (Russia) |
| Education Level Prior to Relocation | Bachelor Degree |
| Reason of moving to Germany | MBA Program |
| When did you move? | 2014 |
| How old were you? | 26 |
| Are you still in Germany? | Yes |
| What is your current occupation? | Working full-time |
| What is your future goal? | Executive job or gathering knowledge for the own company |
| Would you like to stay in Germany? | Yes |
Chapter 1: Russia
I have been living in Moscow all my life. My mother is Russian and my father is from Georgia.
I started skiing from 5 years old. I was reluctant first but then I started liking it. I was in a Moscow national team for professional skiing and I visited half of Europe 2 times a year due to championships: Austria Italy France Switzerland. I guess, my love for Europe developed back then.
Languages were always easy for me to learn: I studied in an English specialized school in Moscow so I learned languages from an early age. In the 8th grade I chose German as my 3rd language. I don’t even know why. Now I definitely do not regret it. I always studied languages at ease. I did my home assignments with the left leg and still was successful. I am choosing the next language now: Chinese or Arabic? I am not sure. Any advice?
In a Russian school until 8th grade, we studied British English. From 8th grade we got a new teacher with American English. Why though? I had a conflict with the English teacher and that was the reason I switched school. I am a rebel! I refused to study American English.
I travelled 3 Summers in a row to the UK to learn English. I liked it a lot, but London is way too expensive and really for no reason. I started studying at a university in Moscow and finished a 5-year degree. That’s where I got my best friends’ group. And that’s when I developed my passion towards sports management. I got into football.
I graduated in 2010 and then helped my mother with our family business (managing restaurant). I am thankful for this experience because I realized: never again family business. My mother and I had absolutely different ways of managing business.
Afterward I worked with a daughter company of Lukoil for 3 years. I loved it and I got to know the racing teams. I love cars and races since then, let’s call it my weakness. I like Rally, Formula 1, I visited Sochi Formula 1, WTCC in Europe thanks to my connections from Lukoil, travelled to Austria and Belgium to watch. I do not race myself, but I am good at carting 😊
Afterwards I wanted to do a step ahead and to study abroad (2014) but I would never dare. The reason I started to think about it was when the universe gave me a sign (literally) - half of the company was fired including me to cut costs.
So I decided, I wanted to study Sports Management in the USA, but my parents said it was too far. The UK I disregarded right away, due to costs and we came up with Germany. I spoke German, relatives lived around Tegernsee, I did winter sports and it was not far away from Moscow.
I was choosing between Munich and Berlin and the program was predefined: MBA in Sport Management. Hockey, Football, Tennis, Skiing, Racing sport – I wanted to study that. But the universe (again) had different plans for me.
I chose Munich over Berlin because I visited both cities and there was no room left for hesitation. Berlin is very international and has less of a traditional German charm, which Bavaria has.
Chapter 2: Germany VS Russia
When I arrived, it was really hard. Bureaucracy drove me nuts: extending the visa or searching for a new flat. I was lucky with the flat though at first. I also couldn’t get used to the fact, that life stops at 8 PM. Everything is always closed, especially on Sundays. No people around; and it seems that Munich had Zombie Apocalypse or something.
In Germany, when things are promised, they are fulfilled. The people are neat, they are not in a hurry. Moscow is very chaotic and disorganized sometimes with walk-throughs. I got used to the order in things and life, to plan in advance and to schedule appointments.
In Moscow you can go to 24/7 shops and buy everything and you never plan.
With planning, you get so much free time because you prioritize your activities well. Cinema, museums (so many in Munich, love it), football, tennis, going to the lakes – so much more free time appears due to a well-planned day.
I missed friends and family but then I got to know new friends as well and it was easier afterwards. My friends from Moscow and my parents visit me 1-2 times a year.
I found a group of people, who travel to Austria and Italy. You pay participation fee 50 Euro per event, which includes transport back and forth as well as the ski pass and we travel to ski with them. This is incredibly cheap and this is a great group of people! You can find new friends everywhere.
Difficulty was finding a new flat – you take 3-4 months to find it. You write to 100 people, only 5 will reply. So take care of this in advance.
But okay, new country – new rules. I must follow them. I had to accept this fact.
Mostly I was using the English language everywhere, but my German drastically improved with no particular effort. If you come to study here and you want to stay, you definitely need to learn German if you want your salary to be higher.
I once went to Hugo Boss with my mother to buy a jacket and I spoke to the personnel in English. Then I switched to German and the service improved by far! They even gave me a present at the end. You see the difference how people treat you when you learn the language. They like it.
There is Hoch Deutsch – official German language – the one they speak in Hamburg, as an example. For me, Bavarian would sound cute and soft.
I graduated from my MBA and received 18 months job seeking a visa. How to find a job in Germany? The first step: proper CV with professional photo – employers right away see if you are serious about applications. Condensed efficient information, recommended 1 page with key points. Do not write much or a soap opera in your CV, you need to be as precise as possible on 1 page.
I recommend for the whole week long to apply to 20-30 jobs if you aim for quantity initially. If you are denied in the job applications – you either get no reply or a general reply. You will never know why you have gotten denied.
I found a job right away in event management and hospitality. I worked in Bayerischer Hof and Hilton hotels. We helped room service and managed banquets with VIP guests for Breakfast Management (for luxurious hotel rooms).
Finding a job in Germany has never been a problem. Finding the right one for me was.
I applied through LinkedIn & XING – these two websites I would highly recommend to everyone searching for a job. I have been working for 18 months to find my dream job, but I haven’t found it and my visa expired.
I was working for a company and my salary wasn’t good enough to extend my visa. I got job offers from different hotels, but I denied them because I did not want to go into hospitality. Not only that I didn’t want to do that, KVR (Immigration office in Munich) would not allow me to do so.
The first job of a foreigner must be related to your previous studies and it is always connected to your employer. It will be written on your visa and you cannot simply quit so be careful!
2nd visa for work is independent and you can work for any employer in Germany.
Chapter 3: Germany
I came back to Russia for the time being and returned quickly after, as my classmate from Munich offered me a job. Of course, I came back! After I lived in Munich for 4 years and then I came back to Moscow, I was incredibly depressed.
While I was surviving in Moscow for 8 months… Simon – my Munich classmate and a good friend from the Czech Republic started a franchise for British & American sweets in Munich and we decided to work together. I am currently a store manager. We are located at the central station in Munich and our shop is called The Candy Store.
I couldn’t work in the family business. But working with a friend is great. No conflicts, no problems – clear division of work and friendship. I like how Simon is a genuine businessman. He grabs every opportunity to develop business.
I would not think of opening my own business now. Maybe someday in the future. I love to be an executive, it is not for everyone to open a company. Let me first get my permanent residence in Germany and then we will see what the future brings.
We are launching an online shop soon for British & American candies. If everything goes well with the online shop, we are thinking of opening a second store in Munich. Once we are stable there, we will aim for the other big cities and expand. Pay us a visit! I love how much I learned about suppliers, renting prices in Munich, work with customers and I highly appreciate that opportunity.
It was very difficult to get a license to sell drinks, one of the beauties of Bavaria (sarcasm). Because of USA & UK not having the same “Pfand” (recycling) system. So we had to get the specific stickers and translations for that. It took quite a while but we finally got it running.
Who would think, from Sports Management to Hospitality to Store Management? When Life Gives you Lemons, make a lemonade!
I aim to stay in Europe, I did not consider other countries, because Germany is for me!
Will Germany be for you? Perhaps. If you follow this advice from me (below) you will be successful here!
Learn German!
Choose a good university! Not all universities are accredited or recognized. Many universities say they grant German degrees, but in reality, they issue British or Italian degrees or degrees with no accreditation. Always ask a consultant on territory for help!
Germanize yourself! To the traditions, way of life, rules
Be patient! Not like me – learn from my mistakes
Be initiative! This is something Germans appreciate
Don’t give up! You will have culture shock and you would want to come back home. Do not do that! You will only regret. I wanted to come back home, I was stressed and unhappy here first. But overnight everything changed and I never regretted staying in Germany after
Not everything will be perfect here, there will be ups and downs. But this is life. Accept it and move on!
