EXPAT WOMEN 

Thriving in The UK

Paulina Krause-Niwinska

Paulina Krause-Niwinska is a highly accomplished Chartered Financial Planner with over 18 years of experience in the financial services industry. Originally from Poland, she moved to the UK in July 2006 to gain work experience with a firm of financial advisers.  Today, Paulina is a Client Director at Templar, where she is on the brink of becoming a shareholder in the business. In her role, she manages a team of professionals and oversees compliance within the firm, ensuring high standards are maintained across the board.

Background and Arrival

When did you arrive in the UK? – July 2006

What was the main reason for your move to the UK? – work experience programme for a firm of financial advisers.

What were your first impressions of the UK? – that is very different to Poland! Form food, people, culture, attitude, lifestyle and weather (of course!).

Were you planning to stay here forever or were you planning to come back after a while? – planning to be back after a year, this was 18 years ago 😊

Employment and Career

What was your first job in the UK? – administrator (I used to be a waitress in a restaurant when came to the UK just for a summer break in 2004, and a barmaid in 2005, when attending University for 6 months)

How did you find your first job? – via a job agency

What challenges did you face in the UK job market initially? – the biggest challenge was my perception of myself – I didn’t believe in myself and thought that I was not good enough to compete with the British.

How has your career progressed since you arrived? – While being a barmaid, I did a term at the university and signed into a students’ job agency. When completing my Master’s Degree in Poland, I got an invite for a job interview for an administrator/work experience in a financial advisory firm. From administrator/PA, I became account executive/paraplanner, obtained my Chartered Status and became a qualified Financial Planner.

Education and Qualifications

Have you pursued any qualifications or further education in the UK? – yes, I took over 16 exams to obtain Chartered Status.

Career and Business

What do you do now? – I’m a Client Director, and I will soon become a shareholder in the business, looking after a team of people as well as my lovely clients. I also run the compliance side of my firm.

Are you planning to get qualified or change your career? – no

Have you been considering opening a business in the UK? – I haven’t

Life in the UK

What made you decide to stay longer or permanently? – Being offered an opportunity to develop and achieve great qualifications and also find love😊

What aspects of life in the UK do you enjoy the most? – freedom, being able to look after my family, whilst doing what I love.

Advice for Others

What advice would you give to other women considering moving to the UK? – Believe in yourself and do what you love/make you happy, this will help to drive your career. Take exams/become qualified and never be ashamed of who you are and where you are coming from.

What should they know about finding employment here?- It is a highly competitive market, but with good qualifications and experience, you have a great chance to succeed.

How can they best prepare for life and work in the UK? – being open-minded, having a good level of English, working hard

Personal Reflections

What has been the most rewarding part of your experience in the UK? – being within a very small number of women who obtained Chartered Status before age 30, being a foreigner here, starting from nothing with £50 in my pocket to become a well-respected adviser within the financial advisory world.

How has living in the UK changed you or your perspective? That you can achieve anything.

Community and Integration

What cultural differences have you noticed and how have you adapted? – British are more open-minded and less judgemental.

Have you been involved in any community groups or activities? – I take part in various charity events.

Family and Support

What support systems (family, friends, community) have been most beneficial to you? – my greatest support was my mum (who is in Poland) and my husband who I met in the UK.

Do you belong to any networking group or any women’s organization supporting them in the UK? – not yet, but planning to!

Final Thoughts.

Is there anything you wish you had known before moving to the UK? – Being a foreigner and a woman doesn’t determine who you are, it can be your strength.

Obstacles

Have you encountered any significant obstacles since moving to the UK? - My greatest obstacle was myself, I underestimated myself for a very long time. Also, the financial world that I work in, is dominated by men and I had to work twice as hard to prove myself.

Can you describe a particularly challenging moment you faced here? - Lack of family, friends and home at the beginning of my journey, working full time and taking qualifications at the same time living in shared accommodation, getting up at 4 am every morning to study and then going to work.

Have you ever considered returning to your home country due to these challenges? – no, I was too determined to achieve my goals.

How did you cope with feelings of homesickness or isolation? - It was challenging as there was no Skype/WhatsUp, or Facetime at the time and there were no cheap airlines. The current technology makes things easier now.41. How did you overcome language barriers, if they were an issue? I was worried about my Polish accent but soon realised that it doesn’t matter