People from over 35 different nations work at the Roche sites in Waiblingen, Aldingen and Kornwestheim. So does the International Project Consultant Raphael. He is originally coming from Brazil and decided back in November 2016 to leave the mega-city Sao Paulo to come to the more placid Rems-Murr District in the southwest of Germany. We met him and asked him how he has settled in his new home country since his arrival.

Raphael, there are 12 million people living in Sao Paulo – thus for Germans a real "mega-city". Are you directly from Sao Paulo?

No I am not directly from Sao Paulo. I was born and raised in a city named Sao Jose dos Campos, which is located approx. 100 km in the north of Sao Paulo and which is with its "just" 600.000 residents still bigger than many German cities.

When and especially why did you decide to leave Brazil and continue your career in Germany?

This decision was a quite spontaneous one. In Brazil I worked as a "Lab Consultancy and Project Management Specialist" for Roche (Roche Diagnostics Brazil). When I came back from my vacation in August 2016 I discovered in the internal job postings that a position in "Global Consultancy" within the DIA SIS (=Solution Integration Services) organization had been offered. I applied, got the job and moved in autumn 2016 from Brazil to Germany. I already like my new home country that much, that I am planning to stay in Germany for a longer period.

Great to hear, that you are feeling comfortable in Germany. But nevertheless there probably are some differences between your everyday life in Brazil and Germany, right?

Of course – many things changed for me since I have arrived back in November 2016. For example I am now living in an apartment all by myself – for the first time. Also ordinary things like going to the supermarket, the weather or the currency have been a real challenge for me. I am also struggling with the fact that in Germany the days during winter-times are really short and during spring and summer comparatively long – I am not used to this and it conflicts with my sleeping routine. :)

Would you say that you have already settled in Germany?

Of course this is a long-term process and I am still right in the middle of it. I have already successfully taken all bureaucratic and organizational hurdles. Now spring and summer are almost there and I am enjoying the lovely weather to discover the region by bicycle and meeting new people.

What are you missing the most about your home country?

Even though the internet helps a lot when it comes to reducing the distance between Germany and Brazil I am still missing my family and my friends! However the kindness and the openness of the people here and the German "welcome culture" are reducing my homesickness.

Let's get back to your relocation. Which role did Roche play in this whole process? Did the company actively support you?

Yes, Roche did really support me! They managed nearly the whole relocation process, incl. the transport of my furniture and my household items. I got also support regarding the search for a new apartment, visits to the authorities as well as the introduction to the details of the German tax and insurance system.

Besides this really practical assistance, what do you value the most about Roche as an employee?

First of all the great people who are working for this company! Furthermore at Roche every single employee counts, is esteemed and gets the support he or she needs to reach his or her goal – this makes the company special to me!

Raphael holds a degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Electronic, from the University of Sao Paulo. Raphael joined Roche Diagnostics Brazil in 2013. Since November 2016 he has been working in the Global Consultancy Group.