DA alumnus Erik Szedély on his career since graduating from MAIS 17 in 2014
DA: Following your studies at the DA, you became the Account Executive at Fipra Slovakia. What exactly are your responsibilities on the job and how did your career path look like so far?
Erik: FIPRA Slovakia is a leading public affairs and government relations consultancy in the country. We advise predominantly transnational companies active on the Slovak market how to manage their relationships with governmental institutions, politicians or NGOs. My daily job routine includes monitoring of new legislation, identification of suitable stakeholders for partnerships, creation of policy briefs and many other activities. No day is the same as the day before and one never knows what lands on their desk. Therefore, the job is very dynamic and an excellent choice if you want to deal with policy issues while being exposed to the business sector.
Have you always been interested in this specific career, or has this interest developed over time?
The interest came after I took a class on corporate diplomacy during my Erasmus exchange term. I was fascinated how businesses and governments can interact and search for common solutions to joint problems.
How has the DA helped you develop your career?
DA teaches you to be proactive, self-confident, take initiative and be interested in things happening around you. I started my career thanks to participation in a policy workshop where my company was present. Thanks to these traits as well as international contacts and exposure, I was able to fit into the team and deliver value.
Is there a specific skill set taught at the DA that is particularly useful for your current job?
In addition to being able to operate in an international environment with people from diverse cultures, the DA taught me how to look at problems from a bird's perspective and different angles. As many of my analytical outputs include a combination of legal, political and economic knowledge, I would barely be able to deliver high-quality results without the training at the DA. Last but not least, efficient search for information and delivering concise answers within tight deadlines is also one of many things the DA helped me to master.
Where do you think the future will take you?
That is a tricky question and impossible to answer. :) But I will try to make the most out of my studies at the DA and current job experience to ensure the future will be bright.
[April 2022]