Karolina Noszkowicz – Manager Investment Accounting at Franklin Templeton Investments Poland. For nearly four years she had lived and worked in Great Britain. In 2008 she came back to Poland. For almost two last years of her emigration she worked as Senior Service Officer – Mortgage Services – National Australia Group in Glasgow. Karolina’s two greatest passions are travelling and fitness. She tries to spend every spare moment discovering new places traveling and doing intense body-shape trainings in the gym. She always finds time for her friends and family as well as to meet new people. She also likes cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.
Was making the decision to come back to Poland difficult for you?
I made the decision to come back to Poland overnight. I wanted to see if I can do it as well as I managed to do it when I went abroad. It wasn’t anything difficult for me. I’m a person who makes a decision and then does everything to make it happen.
Does it mean that you have a plan for your professional career and every step is taken consciously towards this direction?
When I was 20 years old I already knew what I would like to do in life. I was aware of what I wanted to achieve and which career path to follow. To some extent it was targeted from the very beginning – high school, professional experience (I was studying and working at Franklin Templeton Investments at the same time) – in order to be able to work in a large international company where I could use my skills and become a manager one day.
Does it mean that your moving to Great Britain was planned as well?
No, this trip wasn’t planed. I made the decision overnight. It was 2004 and there was no work or too many possibilities for people my age in Poland at that time. And as I have already mentioned, I wanted to develop and work in an international company. At this stage I could only choose between studying or working and because there were no studies I was interested in or work that would give me the possibility to develop, I chose emigration.
What challenges did you have to face there?
It’s an interesting story… the decision to leave was made very quickly – on Saturday I talked about it with my friend and the following Thursday we packed our bags and left for Scotland. We had our CVs printed and we looked for a job there. Of course, we realised that we wouldn’t find our dream job immediately and that we had to start from small steps and took the job that was available to make the living. Therefore, at first I worked in a hotel cleaning rooms. Later I was transferred to the restaurant where I was the head of waitresses and then I became the bar manager. After some time I was hired by an accounting department in a factory and from there I moved to a bank where I worked as a credit risk analyst. This was one of the biggest companies in the financial sector in Scotland and I worked there for almost two years. One could say I managed to fulfil my dreams!
What is most important in fulfilling one’s dreams and starting everything from the scratch again?
The most important thing is determination, not giving up, pursuing your goals and making your dreams come true. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall but how you get up. It is also important to learn lessons from every failure – do your homework and move forward. As we all know, nothing happens without a reason…
And what is failure?
Failure means everything else for everyone. For me it is a lesson. I don’t call anything a “failure”. I rather define it as learning things that can give me something positive. A lot depends on an individual approach but one has to look at it optimistically and see how many good and bad things a given situation has given us and what conclusions can be drawn, move forwards and pursue what you want to achieve.
Was coming back to Poland and getting a job at Franklin Templeton Investments a good decision?
Yes, it was a good decision. I can say that now I’m in a place where I have always wanted to be. I work in an international environment with very cool people. I have a chance to compare it with my previous experiences and I can say that what makes Franklin Templeton Investments stand out is the atmosphere. Despite the fact that it is an international company it is still a family business. Everyone here feels a part of the team, is always listened to and has an opportunity to present and realise his or her ideas. If someone is looking for stabilisation and wants to develop in an international company, it is a good place to be.
After coming back to Poland one has to assimilate again and find one’s feet in the new reality. What was most difficult for you?
For the first three months after I had come back to Poland I worked in another company and only then I applied for a job at Franklin Templeton Investments. I think that at that time the biggest difficulty for me was connected with our Polish mentality and people’s approach to different matters. This was a real challenge! When you live abroad for some time and get used to behaviours of people there it is difficult to get used to our Polish reality again. Compared to others we are a slightly closed nation, which results from our history and experiences.
Franklin Templeton Investments gave me a chance to work in an international environment and experience this positive combination of friendly atmosphere and possibility of communicating in English on a daily basis.
Is it why it is worth working at Franklin Templeton Investments?
Working here is worthwhile because it is a reliable company and I’m sure that people who are emigrants dream about stability and don’t want their life to be turned upside down all the time. This is a perfect place to be!
It is worth applying for a job at Franklin Templeton Investments because here you can use both written and spoken English. Another big plus, which I have mentioned earlier, is the atmosphere. If someone is looking for stability and possibilities to develop, this is a place to find them. The company’s operations cover various areas, starting from IT, through accounting and administration, to graphic design. I’m sure everyone will find something suitable here.
I have been working at Franklin Templeton Investments for 10 years and I think it’s worth it.
What do you like about Poznań?
Poznań is a compact city and you don’t have to waste too much time getting from one place to another like in Warsaw or Wrocław. In the city centre everything is also located nearby and you can get everywhere quickly. Poznań is also a great starting point to go abroad. It’s only a few hours by car from Berlin or Prague. Other places can also be easily reached from the Ławica Airport. Everything is close by.
Besides, there are many interesting things that can be done in Poznań because the city is constantly growing giving its residents many possibilities to realise their passions and interests. There are many recreational areas and parks where one can spend time actively. There is even a ski slope in the centre of Poznań! There are many places that offer good food and places to relax. There are more and more festivals and cultural events organised. I’m sure there’s something interesting for everyone.
Personally I like good food and I often visit restaurants during weekends (laughter) – especially those vegetarian ones. There are a lot of cool places in Jeżyce so everyone can find something tasty there.
What will your next step on the career path be?
I feel good where I am now! (laughter) I have a good superior who constantly gives me new challenges and in this way I can develop professionally.
I started working at Franklin Templeton Investments in February 2009 when I was a part of the reconciliation team dealing with verifying bank statements and cash flow in investment funds. I worked there for 1,5 years as an analyst and then I moved to the Net Assest Value Department to the position of Senior Analyst. After four months I was promoted to the position of Supervisor and for 1,5 years now I have been working as a manager in the same department. On a daily basis I mange 60 people along with other manager and our department is a very dynamic environment.
As you can see, if someone wants to develop and grabs all the challenges and opportunities that life gives one can get quite high and fulfil one’s dreams!
Photo © from private archive of Karolina Noszkowicz
The interview was prepared in cooperation with Franklin Templeton Investments Poland – Poznań.
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