Arrived in Germany

Hassan Alzayed and Akbar Anwarzada fled to Germany in 2015. They came to DZ BANK a short time later for an internship – and the rest is history. Eight years after their arrival in Germany, the two are still working at the bank, now in permanent positions.

Hassan Alzayed works in Operations and is studying business informatics in parallel. Before joining DZ BANK in 2017, he had already gained some initial professional experience in Germany: "I worked for a tax consultant and in a service company. But the most important thing for me was to learn German quickly," says the 35-year-old Syrian, looking back on his early days. After the job shadowing and a six-month internship, Hassan Alzayed initially took up a temporary position in Operations. Among other things, his team was responsible for checking the data of trading transactions. He now works there without a fixed term and studies business informatics in Frankfurt on the side.
 
"The security provided by the permanent position has made me confident - both in the job and with people in general. Many of my friends and acquaintances were not so lucky." He feels comfortable at the bank: "The tone is very friendly and working with my colleagues there is so much fun." He says it's fascinating that there's an expert for all topics at the bank. "Even if that one expert can sometimes be hard to find." Away from work, Hassan Alzayed likes to spend his free time in nature. "The great thing about Frankfurt is that you can be in the countryside in half an hour, which is total relaxation for me."

Akbar Anwarzada works as an application support specialist in Research & Economics. When he looks back on the last few years, he is particularly proud of one thing: "After completing my bachelor's degree, I was offered a permanent position at the bank.” In the meantime, he has added another string to his bow - a Master's degree in risk management and treasury which he will finish by the end of the year. Anwarzada also started as a trainee at DZ BANK in 2016 – and has been in his current role since November 2020.  
 
Anwarzada had no teething problems: "As a newcomer, you get support with everything, both from HR Development and from your own team. Right from the start, I felt part of a community here. It didn't matter where I came from," recalls the 33-year-old native Afghan, who now has German citizenship. His "German family" has also contributed to his integration – a family that has supported him and his wife from the beginning. "Today we have a very close friendly relationship, as we do with some of our colleagues at the bank."