What’s the path of a career that starts at the FHWien der WKW and leads all the way to the Austrian Trade Commission in London? The guest speaker at the year’s final Alumni Talk on 9 December was Reate Schnutt, Head of Startup and Innovation Programmes at AUSSENWIRTSCHAFT AUSTRIA in London.
Renate explained how she ended up in London, and what made her seek career happiness abroad.
With introductions out of the way, we got straight to the point and asked Renate which are the most frequent questions and problems that cross her desk every day.
Over 30 participants got to hear Renate’s top tips and trips on the 5 most important things companies need to get on top of when expanding their business internationally:
- How not to put your foot in it when networking with international partners
- How to best present yourself and your company
- What does expanding abroad really mean, and what are the classic mistakes made by companies entering a new market?
To finish off, Renate offered the audience some inspirational thoughts to take with them: a growth mindset is a prerequisite for international success; mistakes and failures are no bad thing, but rather an opportunity to learn; and being truly honest with yourself is often a really useful trait.
The motivating takeaway from the evening? Get out of your comfort zone, don’t give up, and international success will follow.