Anna Tomas
Credit Suisse,
Performance and Risk
Bachelor Student in Accounting
Namibia University of Science and Technology
February 01 - April 30, 2023
work
Working at Credit Suisse has been amazing, everyone is very kind and helpful. The fact that they speak English at work made it easy for me to communicate and get used to the work environment. It was very easy for me because I worked in the best team, everyone was interested in getting to know me and someone was always available when I had questions. I was amazed by how flexible it is, I could work from home and that is one thing I do not see often. My 2 mentors were always available to help and not only in work related issues. It was fun to work at CS because I was not only limited to one thing. I was given a chance to explore other departments that I was interested in, and I got a lot of insightful information. This was my first work experience, and I am honored to have done it at Credit Suisse.
My Swiss host family
I spent my 3 months with the Kaufmann family in Cham in the canton of Zug. I was always looking forward to going home after work because they were so loving and caring. We spent a lot of time eating dinner just talking stories and getting to know each other more. We also spent time together during the weekends and even travelled together. I will never forget when they first took me to see snow, I was very excited, and we were sledging with Fabienne. We also spent one weekend in Engelberg, and Stefanie taught me how to ski. We did many more activities like hiking, ice skating, watching ice hockey and they even took me to Milano and Konstanz (Germany). They introduced me to their friends and family, and they became my friends as well. I 100% enjoyed my time with the Kaufmann Family and I will always be grateful to them for welcoming me in their home with open arms.
My highlights and challenges
My biggest highlight is when I ended on the front page of the newspaper. There was an article in the Zug local newspaper about me and my host family. I was very honored that the reporters took an interest in hearing my story and wrote about it. My second highlight is having been able travel in Switzerland and Europe, I visited cities like Geneva, Bern, Rome, Paris, Milano and some more. I was always looking forward to the weekend so I can explore.
As for my challenges, I struggled with balancing work and school. Most of the times I did not study as much as I should because I was exhausted from work, so I had to take leave days to prepare for my tests.
My future plans
My long-term goal is to study until I become a Chartered Accountant, as well as to start a charity organization to help orphans, people who are homeless and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to get an education so they can find ways to help themselves.
For now, I will continue to study towards my Bachelor’s degree and graduate so I can start with a bridging course to be able to study towards chartered accountancy.
Personal message
I would like to thank Sabina Balmer and the whole B360 team, my mentors Daniel Gasser and Tanja Grobelnik, the Kaufmann family, Credit Suisse, and everyone else involved in making this possible and making my experience memorable. I have learnt a lot and I have grown so much as professional and as a young woman. I am very grateful for this opportunity.
I would like to tell the future B360 interns to be the best version of themselves, an ambassador to your country and university. Work must always be the priority. Use this opportunity to learn and grow as a person. Have fun and explore Switzerland and Europe at large.
