Interview with BTU Alumnus Nelson Barbosa (Environmental and Resource Management)

Nelson Barbosa came to Cottbus from Colombia to study for a master's degree in Environmental and Resource Management (ERM) at BTU. In addition to the energy topics, he particularly liked the internationality of the program. He himself also contributed a lot to the internationality at BTU and moderated a Spanish campus and city tour for the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg YouTube Channel and helped Latin American students find internships. Besides that, he had had many online side jobs during the pandemic, which also had to do with his international background. For example, he has worked at the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation as a support to the executive secretary , for the Cottbus Chamber of Commerce and Industry advising trainees who want to go abroad and worked as an English and private tutor. Despite the large number of part-time jobs, he has now been able to successfully complete his studies almost in the standard time.

Hello Nelson, how did you get involved in ERM studies and the BTU?
Since I was 15 years old, I have been fascinated by German culture and German philosophers. I started with Hermann Hesse and as a teenager I studied many German authors. The German mentality and culture stuck with me. I really wanted to see with my own eyes how society works. In 2010, I started my studies in environmental engineering. At that time, it was clear to me that Germany was a pioneer in environmental issues. In 2015, after a year of working and saving, I was able to spend 20 days in Germany. During my visit I looked at the big universities, TU Munich, TU Berlin, Uni Freiburg, Uni Hamburg and realized that I can well imagine doing a management master in such a university.

Coming to Germany as a Colombian is not that easy. I had to do a lot to fulfill the requirements. Unfortunately, my parents could not support me financially. Then I built up my own business as an English teacher, because you earn so little as an engineer in Colombia that I had to figure something out. I had to do many jobs at the same time to raise the money to apply for a visa. It took me two years to get the money together. It was a lot of work, but it also came with great experiences and personal development. In 2018, I applied to different universities and chose Cottbus because of its good reputation and program.

You did an extreme amount of side jobs during the pandemic, what did you learn for yourself from the experience?
My biggest lesson from the various side jobs is that a person's limits can always be expanded until you can't see them anymore. The inner attitude plays a big role in this, because if you think you can't do it, you actually can't do it, but if you think you can do it, almost anything is possible. Logically, you have to put in a lot of effort and also make a lot of compromises, but if the goal is clear, it's worth it. I also learned discipline and time management with my part-time jobs, which is very important for the job market. Now as an employee, I miss this hustle and bustle a bit. That's why I decided to continue working as a tutor and as a supervisor of Latin American students. I really enjoy supporting and motivating other people.

You found a regional employer after your studies, what exactly do you do now professionally?
I now work for a project developer for wind turbines. We are planning plants in the state of Brandenburg. The job is very complex. The requirements you have to meet in order to build a wind turbine are very diverse. We want to generate CO2-free electricity, but in doing so we don't want to degrade the environment or the quality of life of local communities. To do this, we have to take into account all the factors on site, including avifauna, bats, noise emissions or shadow flicker, for example.

Do you have any tips for international students on finding jobs in the region?
The German job market is very challenging not only for foreigners, but also for Germans who want to work for the big companies. After all, Germany is known for being a meritocracy. One important requirement that international students tend to forget in order to enter the German job market is a very good command of the language. German employers value it very much if you have a high level of language skills. But that's not all, you also need to understand the application process. This is different in every country. Fortunately, there are many online portals where you can get good information for a successful application. Germany is always looking for skilled workers. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, there is a shortage of academic specialists in the fields of medicine and engineering. Many students who want to work here in Germany can benefit from this.