Internship in Re-pie – portfolio Management Company (Turkey)

What is the feeling to be an intern in Mega city – Istanbul? If you ask, I can tell you, it is amazing. There I have my life paradox, I told my dad many times that Vilnius is too big for me, I do not like traffic there, and I do not like that everyone is in a hurry. And he is laughing at me now, than I am here in Istanbul with more than 15 mln people in population (unofficially it has 20 mln.) and you know, Lithuania sounds like a joke with 2.8 mln every time I say it. This chaos is my home for a second time. I do not have a lot of free time since my travel (one way) to work takes ~1 hour 30 min. First I walk, than I use metro bus, than I use metro and finally shuttle or I walk again. Every working day I cross the bridge which separates Europe and Asia. Therefore, I live in Asia but I work in Europe, how cool is that?

Istanbul invites you to move and go out. I can stop the bus in the middle of the road and ask driver to let me in, driver is going to open the door and it is not a big deal. Istanbul is a wild city, where you need to follow the flow of the crowd and you have many means of public transportation. I can use ferry which looks like a good quality short cruise, Tram, mini bus called Dolmuş, I think it goes 24/7 like metrobus. Sometimes, if you are lucky street musicians will play in the ferry, or underground metro, where you always have a choice to buy water, even if it is 2am, coffee or a tea, some snacks like Simit (Turkish circular bread). Istanbul is made for travelling while enjoying it and it is affordable for low income people. You never miss to hydrate yourself because of sellers everywhere. Wild and free Istanbul is a fun place to live.

Most of the people are religious here. Divine beauty mosques are part of this cultural cradle. I live near one of them. First nights I was awakened by prayers because speakers are somewhere close to my window but over the time, I got used to it. Prayer is meditation and no matter what are you praying for God, Allah, or Buddha. Here, religion has formed many traditions, architecture, and also human behavior. Mosques are extraordinary, people are friendly, communicative, always trying to help, and they care about you.

The city is full of cats, and dogs, “these animals are not homeless, Istanbul is their home” – once my colleague said. They are free, they walk in the shopping malls, and jump on the tables. The Boğaziçi University campus has more than hundred cats. I haven’t seen homeless animals being so happy, these pets are loved.

And how is the job? Since I came here for an internship. I realize that this experience is very valuable. I got knowledge about Real Estate Investment Funds (REIF) and Venture Capital Investment Funds (VCIF), Qualified Investors (QI), Turkish laws and business development projects. In example, QIs can acquire Turkish citizenship while investing in REIF or VCIF, I got a chance to prepare executive reports regarding Mergers & Acquisitions in solar panels and cells manufacturing business, one of the companies which I was asked to examine was company based in Lithuania – SoliTek. I needed to learn how to structure data and prepare concentrated and quality reports which are used by Re-pie managers. Here challenge is a time pressure and a lot of information at once. Other topics where I enriched my knowledge: ESCO model, SAP sales and purchase agreement (SPA), data centers – white spaces and Internet of Things (IoT) business, global trends of it. Re-pie chairman is Dr. M. Emre Çamlıbel, who is one of the best lecturers whom I ever flood prone areas in Istanbul. I have a chance to go to No. 1 University in Turkey. I am feeling lucky to hear more about projects and real estate valuation, sustainability, energy efficiency, get practical examples and etc. although I finish my lectures at 9PM. It is a wonderful opportunity, right? Sometimes if they need something, they need it fast and top quality prepared.

Here job culture is different. Managers have their own personal drivers, who prepare them coffee or open the door if there is a need for it. We also have a caring server (Rehan). In my work place I feel like in a café. Rehan brings us coffee or tea, helps to prepare food. I appreciate her a lot, she makes our work with no chore troubles. The office is modern and inspiring, it is located in Maslak business district in Uniq Istanbul. In building you can find cafes, supermarkets, places to eat and spaces to chill. The walkway to the office is through art gallery, so I can enjoy art pieces every day. Isn’t it amazing? It is a common practice in Turkey, employer gives you pocket money for lunch. So, I can enjoy and feel like meals are on the house.