Name
Jonas Tausent
Time at GESS
1993-1996 (Preschool), 2007-2009
What has your learning journey been like after GESS?
After my graduation I went back to Germany and studied Business Management in my hometown of Hamburg and combined that with living abroad for a few months. Being abroad of course is not new to GESS students but it was certainly nice living outside of Oslo in Norway for a semester although it was very cold during my stay from January to May. I also spent a summer in Barcelona. After finishing my university studies with a Bachelor’s in Business Management I moved again – this time within Germany – and started working at a Frankfurt-based bank.
Occupation
After I started working at a bank in Frankfurt, I worked there for five years in a sort of stock trading and capital market advisory role and then, just 2 years ago, I was approached and convinced to move to Switzerland. I now work in a role that is called investor relations. It’s an advisory role in the sense that I advise the company and the board on capital market developments and on the other hand try to get the message of the company out to investors and to the general public as a whole. It is therefore sort of a dual role. We work in a small team where corporate communications and the specialised investors role are within the same department. It’s a nice job that never gets boring. Every morning when I get to work there’s always something new to do.
What is your favourite memory of your time at GESS?
Our Abitur cohort was quite a small group, I think there were 12 of us who graduated together. From the first day we were a very tight-knit group, always doing things together. I think half of Grade 12 was on the volleyball team, playing tournaments together. Of course, now we are not as close anymore as we used to be, but this friendship is something that really stuck with me. Now when I meet new people I try to be as open and friendly to them as possible and try to get them included very quickly, just like I was, when I returned to GESS in 2007.
What do you miss most about your time at GESS?
I have a lot of memories; when I look back I think about the city and the people I met. When I think about GESS, I think about the great teachers, some of them might still be at GESS. Then there’s the old campus which was at that point still the school’s home. Something I also like to think about. I visited the new campus in 2018, so just a few weeks or months after the new campus opened. That was really exciting. In general, it’s more the whole experience that I miss.
What do you miss about Singapore and your life here?
Obviously, the food is something I miss. Singapore’s cuisine is something that is not readily accessible in Europe. There might be one or two good restaurants here or there that cater to a specific niche and sort of try to replicate the food and it does take you back a bit, but the whole food experience is something you really don’t get in Europe. That’s the big part that I miss. Secondly, I miss being able to go to the beach easily. Well, I have Lake Constance close by, but that’s not the same thing. And then, there is the city itself obviously. It is such a melting pot of different cultures that you are able to see and you constantly experience new things. That is something that I have never experienced anywhere else.
Do you think your time in Singapore and your time at GESS has impacted your (future) life?
I think it had quite the impact, because without having gone to Singapore or GESS specifically, I would not have been exposed to as many different people, different views, different cultures. Another part is English. I am struggling with all foreign languages that I took up and since then have forgotten again, but English is the one that stuck with me, the one I can really use, so that is very useful. Another aspect is risk. It is a risk to open up to new people, to try new things, maybe start a new sport. You have to be open-minded and be willing to experience new things. I have learned that I had to take risks in order to go forward. And I think the job I have now and where I live, is a result of me being willing to go out and do something new, try something new and for me that is the most important take-away of my time at GESS.
Is there any piece of advice or any experience you would like to share with current GESS students?
My advice ties in with what I said previously about taking risks: Try new things, go out, do stuff! Even if in the moment you think “Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s not for me and I don’t know these people that well…”. Just go out and try it and if it’s not for you, you can still stop, not go a second time or rethink your approach. If the worst happens, you have still gained an experience and that’s one of the most important things that students have to experience themselves. The same applies to what studies you are taking up after graduation, what jobs you take. Be open to things, try new things and don’t just go with the beaten track. Everyone can apply and work at big company XYZ, but maybe you will find you’ll be happier in smaller companies, smaller offices and you might be able to experience more things, because being part of smaller teams tends to lead to more diverse tasks, different things that you can experience every day.
You are a GESS Alumni and would like to share your memories of GESS with us? Please email us at alumni@gess.sg. We would love to get to know you!
