Meet Robert, FXStreet German Team member

FXStreet is famous for its English site. But did you know it also exists in 15 other languages? One of them is German and today we want to introduce you to one member of our German team, Robert, who’s been working with us since September 2014. He lives in Thailand, has two jobs, works at night, love the markets, surfing and cats. Meet Robert, another great member of our international 60-people staff.

Robert at work

How does a day in the life of a member of FXStreet German team look?

My job at FXStreet is colorful and multifaceted. My day usually starts at around 21:00! One hour before my shift begins, I start looking into the last developments on the international financial markets to be up-to-date. Then I check my email inbox and answer all new emails. After that, I update our social media platforms with current market analysis and answer questions from our users. Then I turn to daily business. I am primarily responsible for ensuring that the German site of FXStreet is always updated, which can be very challenging in a 24-hour market. I write reports on the current developments in the foreign exchange market, translate our English news feed into German and check our economic calendar. In addition I always keep an eye on my charts to detect moods and tendencies early on.

Tell us a bit more about the German website…

The German site was launched almost 4 years ago now and the most visited pages are the economic calendar, the news feed and the analysis section. In the latter we publish in-house reports but also analysis of external authors to help our users prepare for the upcoming trading challenges and opportunities. We always look for new collaborations and if somebody wants to publish his analysis on our website, please just drop us a message at [email protected].
Our users are 25-45 years old, on average.

If you were not a member of the German Team of FXStreet, what would you like to do for a living?

I really love Star Wars! Even though I keep hearing that my Midi-chlorian count* is too low, I’ve always wanted to play in a Star Wars movie and fight the dark side of power, hahaha!

*In the Star Wars mythology, Midi-chlorians are microscopic, intelligent lifeforms that live within the cells of all living beings. The Force spoke through the midi-chlorians, allowing certain beings to use the Force if they were sensitive enough to its powers.

… and in the real world? 😉

My realistic dream job is to open a small bar right on the bright, wide sandy beach of St. Martin island, in the Caribbean Sea! I visited this island several times and I just love the weather and people there.

Besides working for FXStreet, I think you also work with Navin Prithyani, who is one of the contributors of FXStreet. Can you tell us a bit more about this collaboration?

Sure! I’ve been working with Navin Prithyani for more than two years. I am in charge of all the social media channels at Forex Watchers and Urban Forex. I also provide analysis on a daily basis and take care of Forex Watchers customers. It is interesting to be part of his team as he has a vibrant attitude towards his students and colleagues. I ran into him in the past as a student myself. Many firms out there claim to be trading firms but their teachers don’t actually trade, while Navin actually trades with his students. He noticed my interest and reached out to bring me on board. I’ve been with him since then.

What do you like best about your job?

I enjoy the ability to work independently and I find lot of fun in dealing with the current economic events and what impact they may have on the respective economies.
When I sit at my PC and work, I’m just in my element and sometimes I find myself talking aloud. FXStreet is a matter of special significance to me, because I owe the company so much.
Besides, I love working with my German team colleague Marco, who approaches the job with the same amount of passion than I.
And of course, we are happy at the end of the day when we receive a positive feedback on our work from our users. It motivates us day by day to bring our users Forex news in more details.

What do you like least about your job?

Holidays in the USA, because the market simply does not want to move, and as a result we have less to do… Or when I don’t have enough time to do everything and since I have two jobs (FXStreet and Forex Watchers) to manage and coordinate, it’s sometimes difficult . But without a little rain, there is no rainbow.

You work from home. It’s a pretty special condition to work remotely 100% of the time. Do you like it?

I love working at home. But one can also be distracted very quickly, though I also had this problem when I was working from an office environment, because there is the evil internet. I prefer to work from home, because it’s just cosy. I have a personal life and a professional life and I can not separate them very well, because I love my work. Previously as an employee, it was always important for me to be away and off, but it’s different now.

Do you work in a quiet environment or do you put music or radio?

During working hours, I usually listen to the radio. My favorite radio station is Capital FM – Liverpool’s Number 1 Hit Music Station.

Why a radio station from Liverpool?

I don’t really have an explanation for this, hahaha! With music it’s pretty much like with people. Once you hit it off, you hit if off! I really like it when musicians write their songs and stories themselves.

Your favorite band at the moment?

My favorite band is the Beatles and my favorite artist is James Blunt.

Any unconfessed vice or weird habits you have when working?

I’m constantly humming a song. I hum softly to myself, which is owed to my musical affinity and artistic ambitions, hahaha! But if I have to just really focus, then I can sometimes be really loud in telling people to get out… (girlfriend )! At the end of the shift I will obviously excuse myself for that 😉

Animated gifs are often used in internal emails among collaborators at FXStreet… Share with us a gif that you particularly like!

 

 

This is me every morning when I pass by the mirror! 😀

Private Robert

You are German but live in Thailand. How and why a Germany young guy lands in such a remote location?

It’s simple: I wanted to know the country and its people and if you live and work in a country then it is of course better than just visiting it. The consistently positive and friendly image that the Thais leave among holidaymakers coincides with what you experience when you live there yourself. I get to know great new people here every day and live in a wonderful country where it’s fun for me to work and live a lot of invaluable experiences.
Another reason for choosing Thailand as a destination to live and work is that Navin and Armand (colleagues at Forex Watchers) had just picked this country, which made my decision easier. Also the current political situation in Germany and Europe pushed me to leave my beautiful home village Fischbach.

Do you plan to stay there a few more years?

In April I’ll go back to Germany for a month then I’ll return to Thailand for another six months. What follows then is written in the stars!

What do you typically do when you finish your working day?

Normally I go to sleep straight after work, because it is already 01:00 am! But recently I often go for another round of swimming to unwind. Sometimes I also work from our Forex Watchers office here in Bangkok and play a little Playstation with Navin after work  – Black Ops 😉

What are your vacation plans for 2016?

Currently I feel like I’m on a permanent holiday 😉 But in April I’ll go home to Germany to see my family and friends. And then back to Bangkok. In mid-May I’ll fly with my colleagues from Forex Watchers to Koh Samui for two weeks to relax for some time. For the rest of the year nothing is planned but around Bangkok there are many beautiful islands and places that you can visit over the weekend.

What are your favorite websites? Do not say FXStreet 😉

It’s not really a website. But Stremio is a super application. Anyone can download for free and stream movies for free and legally. But otherwise of course Google and Facebook!

Do you have a specific hobby?

A few years ago, I started surfing, like most others: during a holiday, at the beach in Miami. The day trips were too boring and I wondered why I wouldn’t give surfing a try. This was followed by a fun test. After that I was infected!

Do you have a pet? Share a picture of it!

Currently I have no pets. But I love cats and I wear my “Luna” still deep in my heart. She died around 1.5 years ago, which makes me very sad even today. She has accompanied me almost my entire life. If at some point I should go back to Germany again and settle there, I would definitely like to get a cat again. There is nothing better than cats.

What is the last movie you’ve watched. Would you recommend it?

The last movie I saw was “The Good Dinosaur” from Pixar and Walt Disney. Values such as friendship and kindness are at the top and although I have lately seen many movies with dinosaurs, this one is particularly cute and yes I would absolutely recommend the film to anyone. My top tips: The Cavemans Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) and Interstellar (Matthew McConaughey).