The Tokyo Talk
Alicia Rueb has always been an adventurer. Since the moment she stepped outside of her country’s borders for the first time, she knew that she wanted to see the world. Little did she know though, in seventh grade, that this very desire for discovery—for places, people, and culture—would eventually bring her across the world, and even guide her to her new home: Japan.
Alicia is not originally from the bustling metropolis of Tokyo—in fact, her hometown is quite the opposite. She was born and raised in a very small village in Germany, just outside the Swiss border. She describes her upbringing as rather ordinary, growing up with a sister and a brother, and a “very cozy, normal family.” Following her graduation from secondary school, Alicia left her cozy home and small village for the larger city of Tübingen, where she studied Economics and Business Administration at the University of Tübingen.
Although Alicia is from a very small town, she never let that confine her to a narrow world view. “I was always very interested in seeing the world and traveling,” she says, describing her early desire to go beyond her limits and broaden her horizons. Her deep curiosity and passion for traveling manifested as early as seventh grade, when she first took the opportunity to live beyond her country’s borders. She took on the role of an exchange student in France, which she enjoyed so much that just two years later, she decided to do another exchange in Spain. After two international exchange programs, Alicia’s desire to explore different countries only grew stronger. Eager to learn about new cultures and environments, she pursued yet another exchange two years later in London, where she studied English and worked as an au pair. But even that was not the end of her international journey. Alicia went on to complete a fourth exchange during her Bachelor’s program—this time venturing across continental borders to Michigan in the United States.
Since very early on in her life—and evident through her many international exchange programs—Alicia was very eager to explore unfamiliar cultures. “I was always the travel buddy,” she says, reflecting on her multicultural experiences. “People even started calling me ‘Travel Frog’ [a rough English translation for a Russian term]—which is much more beautiful in Russian,” she laughs. When asked about what exactly it was that sparked her interest in traveling, she explains that she essentially picked up that mindset on her own. “My family traveled a lot for vacation, so maybe that initiated my curiosity?” she ponders, recalling her early experiences. She does note, however, that her father’s own mindset was one likely factor of influence in her travel decisions. “My father never wanted to explore the same place for vacation twice,” she recalls, describing how his early actions might have inspired her own exploration. “[Traveling] definitely helps in every angle and broadens your mindset.”
Although Alicia is now a highly distinguished consultant, one of her earliest professional experiences was actually in finance. Upon her return to Germany after many opportunities abroad, she took on an internship at investment banking firm Deutsche Bank, describing herself as “very much into finance” at the time. Yet, even then, her career never took the shape of a straight line, and rather manifested as a journey of exploration. An exchange program shortly after her internship in Moscow, Russia—where she expanded both her professional skills and her international-mindedness—opened the door to a brand new and unexpected direction for her: consulting.
Alicia’s time at Deutsche Bank was a revolutionary learning experience, particularly beneficial in helping her learn specific internal processes with one company. However, upon her introduction to consulting, Alicia discovered a personal level of connection that she had never experienced before. Joining a consulting firm in her home country of Germany, where she worked in enterprise resource planning to help companies run their financial data, offered a completely different lens to finance that she found to be incredibly dynamic. “It interested me because it’s so open and you can see so many companies,” she said, reflecting on the consulting industry. “They’re not blind or confined to one company, and they can help you improve so many processes and help you in so many ways.” Consulting was a perfect fit for Alicia—even reminding her of her early travel days. “It was so similar to my curiosity with cultures and to see how much I can learn and grow fast,” she explains. “I love switching between companies to learn and grow.”
Not only was her job in consulting reminiscent of her international travel days, but it even opened the door to a new destination that she had never explored before: Japan. Whilst working in Germany, her international projects brought her into contact with various countries abroad—one of which being Japan. She never got the chance to visit while working in Germany, but she did have the opportunity to speak to and work with Japanese people, greatly sparking her interest in the culture and country.
As fate would have it, though, Alicia’s fiancé took a position in Hong Kong, just as she was becoming increasingly curious about Asian culture. This move gave her the chance to explore Asia more thoroughly, traveling to countries such as Thailand and Sri Lanka, and gaining new experiences and insight along the way. At the same time, alongside her travel discoveries, Alicia embarked on a journey of self-discovery in her own career. Alicia began reflecting on her professional path, developing a strong interest in cloud consulting, a sector of consulting that combined her seasoned consulting background with cutting-edge technology. So, when her fiancé had the opportunity to relocate to Japan, Alicia made the bold decision to follow, eager to chase both her professional and personal goals.
Without ever setting foot in Japan before, Alicia quit her job in Germany and traveled across oceans to move to what would become her new home. Although, naturally, her cross-continental move required much adjustment, Alicia was no stranger to unfamiliar environments. She had “set her life up from level zero” before, saying that she just “got more used to that part.” Moving to a brand new country, with no clear idea of the culture or the language was something she had done before. “I did that in Michigan, Moscow, so other challenges felt easier,” she says. In fact, more than anything, Alicia was excited to see what her new home had to offer. “I was very excited and curious to see how the countryside was,” she laughs, describing what she was most looking forward to. “I love the mountains.”
In many ways, Alicia thought of Japan as the Germany of Asia—a bustling hub for innovative solutions used all over the world. However, despite the similarities, Alicia explains that the differences she discovered between the two countries were shocking. Shortly after moving to Japan, Alicia began working in cloud consulting at Big Four consulting firm Deloitte, where she noticed stark differences between the familiar work culture of Germany and the completely unfamiliar style of Japan. “Germans are straightforward—very short emails,” she explains. “In Japan, you need to add another level of politeness and be less direct.” Working in a cloud and technology field, where artificial intelligence advances rapidly each day, Alicia understands the importance of being an early leading company at the forefront of innovation. “Decision making processes are a lot slower here,” she says. “There are so many more steps to the process.” However, Alicia notes that sometimes the slower pace has benefitted her at work. “It takes time to understand how they work, but I really appreciate it because they are very detailed and very accurate in everything that they do.”
Although Alicia works in Japan, her job encompasses all of Asia Pacific—a region with so many diverse and unique cultures. “I can talk with someone from Japan in one instant, then someone from India in another,” she describes. “You have to understand their cultures well.” Alicia finds cultural understanding everywhere—in her past, in her job, in her personal life. Navigating distinct cultures both professionally and personally has taught her about the importance of an open mind. “Consider it a cultural aspect when someone reacts differently,” she says, explaining the need to understand a diverse point of view. “Try to integrate and not be a disruptor in the culture.” Working as a consultant has definitely emphasized that point, with Alicia noting that consulting is a service company, in which she must find ways to best suit many different needs.
Alicia’s time in Japan has been so transformational that she has actually experienced reverse culture shocks when returning back to her home country of Germany. “After going back to Germany after 9 months, I got a dry tissue and not a wet tissue,” she laughs, surprised at how accustomed she had become to oshibori—Japanese wet tissues. Beyond these small everyday details, Alicia has also developed a deep love for Japanese traditions—especially onsen (Japanese hot springs), which she says that she can no longer live without. “Nature and onsens are such an important part of my life,” she says. Growing up at the German/Swiss border, where nature and scenery was plentiful, it was refreshing for Alicia to find equally rich nature in Japan. But what impresses Alicia most about Japan, though, is the nation’s ability to preserve traditions while also remaining at the forefront of innovation. “Japan keeps their culture so well but is still innovative,” she explains. “I am so impressed by that.”
Alicia has travelled countries across the globe, taken on five international exchanges, and even quit her job to move to Japan—without even stepping foot in the nation before. And the advice she offers for others wanting to do the same? Be bold. People have always asked her ‘How did you end up here if you don’t know the language?’ or ‘You didn’t transfer?’. To that she answers, “just try!”. “Send your application, just try, be bold, take the risks,” she says passionately. “It’s worth it.” Even if the path is not linear, Alicia says the journey is worth even more. “Just the experience is something money can’t buy.” Alicia concedes that it won’t be easy from the start. “You’re not fluent in Japanese, so you can’t do this project. You need to start from scratch. You don’t have friends or family close,” she describes, detailing some of the early hardships. Risk and resilience makes life abroad transformative. “Be bold,” she says—a philosophy that has guided her and continues to shape her career today.
#TheTokyoTalk #GlobalLife #GlobalCareer #WomenInBusiness #LifeInJapan
