What motivated you to pursue a degree in International Tourism Management, and how did your university experience shape your future career?
Back in High School, I was very unsure of what I should do after graduation. I knew I wanted to study, and I knew I liked languages, but there are many options you can pursue with these interests. I decided to take a gap year first and travel through Australia. I fell in love with travelling so much, that I wanted to pursue it more: so I decided to study tourism.
I am originally from Germany, but studied in the Netherlands which was an amazing experience to go out of my comfort zone, get to know new people and customs, and become independent. The study had a very practical approach, which improved my interpersonal skills, language skills, presentation skills and communication skills, which all shaped my career path.
How did you develop your leadership skills, and what advice would you give to students who want to become leaders in their respective fields?
I didn’t chose to become a leader, leadership sort of chose me. I believe it really depends on your character, if you are meant to be a leader or not. I love working with people, empowering/helping them, being a mentor and thinking about future strategies. During my studies, we often worked in groups, which helped me too. In addition, I read books about leadership, did certain (online) courses for it and reflected about what leadership means to me.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during your student life, and how did you overcome them?
Probably one oft he biggest challenges were living on my own and being completely responsible for myself. It was scary at first, but I got used to it. Plus, there were so many other students in the same situation, and we kind of became our new family abroad. You just have to take the first step, the rest will follow automatically.
You have worked in multiple countries, including Ecuador and Austria. How did these international experiences shape your perspective on business and leadership?
Ecuador and Austria have very different cultures to begin with, both have benefits and challenges. Although I loved living and working in Ecuador for a couple of years, it taught me many things I don’t want to be as a leader. I prefer flat hierarchies, direct communication and a certain amount of work efficiency, which did not represent the status quo in Ecuador. Austria does not have it all either, but I noticed that I adopt a lot quicker here. Austrian work culture and I have more values in common.
In the end, everything is a learning, and I love to take the best experience of both sides into my work ethic for the best possible outcome.
Can you walk us through a project you managed that you’re particularly proud of, and what skills did you use to ensure its success?
The project I am most proud of is of course my own blog. The skills I used therefore were dedication, organization, discipline, creativity, networking, and besides, I just had a lot of fun 😊
How did you develop your content creation skills, and what tips would you give to students who want to start their own blog or create content online?
Reading and journaling are great catalysts to improve your writing skills. Language classes in school were always a good practice for me, so creative writing classes would also be a good advice. Creating content is very personal, and there are many guidelines which suggest certain ways, however, I believe you should just follow your heart. If it feels right, write about it.
As an active member of Sorority, how do you think diversity management and equality can be promoted in the workplace?
DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) should be promoted in all areas of the workspace. The best way is to hire a dedicated Diversity Manager (preferably as part of the HR team) who scans the company constantly for improvements. Very important areas hereby are the recruiting process, work culture and leadership.
What inspired you to transition from the tourism industry to project management, and what skills did you need to acquire to make this transition successful?
That was rather a coincidence. The Covid crisis made tourism jobs less attractive to me, and I also wanted a change of workplace as I felt I learned everything I can in the job I was doing. I found the job coincidently and just applied. They took a chance on me and a few months later, I started as a project manager. The skills I needed for the transition were dedication, showing up, being organised and communication skills. And it also took a little courage.
How has your Google Analytics certification helped you in your career, and what advice would you give to students who want to pursue a similar certification?
Since I never worked in marketing after pursuing this certificate, I cannot say that it really helped me. Except once in a job interview when they asked me questions about it.
Can you tell us more about your experience as a Travelife Sustainability Co-ordinator, and how this role has influenced your approach to business and leadership?
Back when I worked at Colourful Ecuador Travels, my colleague and I received the task to obtain the Travelife Sustainability Certificate for the business (I received the individual certificate when I was still at university). It was a lot of work to document the current situation at the office, and prove that it is eligible for this certificate. I realized that it takes work to be a sustainable office, but that it’s worth it. Once the change is done, the outcome is wonderful.
What skills do you think are essential for successful key account management, and how did you develop these skills in your previous roles?
The essential skills definitely include people skills/communication skills, organizational skills and negotiating skills. I developed these skills through experience (learning by doing) and at university. Communication courses always help as well.
How do you approach team management, and what strategies do you use to motivate and inspire your team members?
When working in teams, it is helpful to gather 1-on-1 contact to every team member in order to get to know them better and build a relationship with them. Reading people is an important skill that always helps in these kind of jobs.
Motivating and inspiring your team varies from person to person, I like to approach the team authentically and honestly with every topic. That means, being vulnerable with them and share your own thoughts and feelings. Actively listening to your team and making them feel seen/heard is crucial as well. If problems occur, always address them directly to prevent further damage or miscommunication. Quick reactions are always key.
How did you come up with the idea for your blog, Femtales, and what do you hope to achieve with your platform?
I always loved writing. During lockdown, I had the opportunity to write a guest article for a feminist club here in Vienna. I received a lot of positive feedback from my friends and family. My business coach back then suggested I start my own blog. First, I was very hesitant about it, but then I just did it. And I am very glad about that.
I hope to achieve a little change: in society, social networks or just in a person. I want to shape people’s mindsets and inspire them with topics that they usually do not think about. I want to open their eyes to the injustice that is happening on the planet. And if I only reach one person, that is worth it all.
How do you think we can promote empowerment and equality in the workplace, and what initiatives have you been involved in to support these causes?
As I mentioned before, Human Resource together with Management are the departments which should undertake measures and introduce initiatives for these changes. I personally addressed these issues in terms of improving job descriptions for new hires, introducing menstrual leave and suggesting diverse measures for our product when we developed it.
What do you think are the benefits of working in multicultural teams, and how do you foster a culture of inclusivity and diversity in your teams?
The benefits of working in multicultural teams are getting better solutions to problems (since you have diverse point of views), various impulses to shape the work itself and different learnings from each other. There are only benefits actually.
Fostering an inclusive and diverse culture is always difficult. I would suggest that it is important to regularly check in with people individually about how they are feeling, offering Intercultural Sensitivity classes (or anti-discrimination classes) and draw attention to unconscious bias. The work culture must be warm and inviting, so people feel safe within the team and trusted when they have complaints. They must be taken seriously.
How do you approach creative tasks, and what strategies do you use to stay innovative and inspired?
I always try to approach creative tasks with an open mind and leave rational thoughts behind, in order to let the creativity flow (meditation can help for instance). If I am not 100% satisfied with the task, I leave it for a day and come back to it later with a fresh mind. That mostly does the trick.
Staying inspired is easy if everything serves as an inspiration to you, you just need to keep your mind open. Examples of inspirational sources are other people, networking events, books/movies/theatre/art, your old works or travelling to new places.
What do you look for in a challenging project, and how do you approach projects that push you out of your comfort zone?
I always look for learning effects in challenging projects. What can I learn here? What can I take out of this experience? What can I do better? You can learn from literally anything and use it as advice to do better or different next time.
Approaching projects or situations that push you out of your comfort zone can be scary, but you can take so much from them. If you struggle, take a step back to reconsider your next move. Perhaps do some relaxation and come back to it later with a fresh mind. It is no shame to ask for help either. Getting a mentor or coach can be helpful too. Just remember that you overcame every obstacle in your life so far, you will handle this as well.
What advice would you give to students who want to pursue a career in project management, leadership, or content creation, and what skills do you think are essential for success in these fields?
Be courageous and believe in yourself ridiculously. Everyone was a beginner once, no one starts out perfect and everyone‘s learning curve looks differently. Success is subjective, however, what always helped me to proceed in something was dedication, active listening to the people around you, communicate your opinions and feelings directly and honestly, being organized, reflect yourself regularly, seek advice (coach/mentor) and just try things out. No matter if you fail, it is always a lesson and life always goes on. Enjoy the process.
