What is your favourite spot at the Academy?

Well, during almost ten years at the DA I’ve shared five offices with great colleagues, enjoyed the premises both prior to and immediately after (the next morning!) events such as the Charity Ball or the Sommerfest and spent many hours here during the quietest time of the year (the first week of January) as well as during rather busy periods (the other about 50 weeks).
With all this in mind, my favourite room is the server room: no phone hence no calls and a cosy 18 degrees the whole year round. Slightly behind in second place come the archives in the basement: no phone hence no calls, nice temperatures – and the DA chocolate is stored there.

What was the worst error you ever had to correct in a student’s CV?

Some students provide way too much information and prepare CVs which are so long that they ensure a good read for an entire evening; others totally forget that it’s all about promoting themselves and stating their skills and experiences instead of just listing a few dates.
The worst and most embarrassing errors, however, are the ones when people get names of persons, institutions or study programmes wrong. That’s why I will now look for somebody to proof-read all the answers I’ve given here. Just to be on the safe (save?) side …

If you could change one thing about the DA what would you choose?

Not quite change, but amend: the DA’s public perception. The DA is very proud of its excellent reputation as the world’s oldest institution of its kind. However, when it comes to reaching out to corporate business, the DA is still often seen as a school that only educates the next generation of diplomats. What is often overlooked is the fact that more than 40 percent of our alumni choose careers in the private sector.

What was the best meal you ever had at the DA’s dining room?

That’s a close call between brownies from the DA’s kitchen and brownies which my colleague Katharina Dück treated us to once. “Mohr im Hemd” and mousse au chocolat are quite nice too. I think the chocolate-leaning tendency is obvious …

Do you think Professor Kornprobst will ever beat you in the DA Ski and Snowboard Championships?

Never say never. However, I like the fact that I’ve won the DA Faculty & Staff class for nine years running while Marcel Hirscher won the overall FIS Alpine Ski World Cup just eight times. And since this guy does not seem to slow down anytime soon, I guess I’ll have to keep competing too.

What advice would you give DA students after finishing their studies?

Keep connecting! And do so not only with your peers, other alumni and students as well as the DA via DA Wien Connect and ClubDA, but try to build a both large and tight personal network to support you and each other.
Plus: Don’t forget to keep an open mind when you are making your career choices. Your dream job might not always be the most obvious or most desired one. In any case, it is out there – and we are happy to help you finding it.