From Apprenticeship to International Business Consultant

Michael Weichsler, Business Consultant at Sofico

I would recommend this degree program because it provides the necessary tools to succeed in your professional life. The curriculum is very practice-oriented while also covering essential economic theories.

The blend of theory and practice in an academic setting won Michael Weichsler over right away. Before pursuing his bachelor’s degree at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, he completed an apprenticeship as a retail salesperson, during which he gained extensive sales experience. But his curiosity and enthusiasm for learning new things led him to various internships, for example, at Magna Steyr, Hasslacher Drauland, and even abroad at Bosch Siemens Home Appliances in Berlin and in the United States in the transportation industry.
Although Weichsler did not spend a semester abroad during his bachelor’s degree in “Business Management,” he did decide in his sixth semester to undertake an Erasmus+ internship in Berlin at Bosch Siemens Home Appliances. In retrospect, this was a key building block in his career. “In strategic procurement, I was in contact with the company’s international suppliers. I came into contact with Chinese and Turkish executives for the first time and learned about the cultural differences and similarities.”

Although he did not leave the German-speaking region during his internship, he was able to learn a great deal about other cultures and, at the same time, about his own culture. A special trip was on the horizon one week after his bachelor’s exam: he flew to the U.S. to complete an international internship in New Hampshire. Weichsler successfully completed his master’s degree in Vienna, where his master’s thesis involved a life-cycle analysis of two mid-range sedans: the electric Tesla Model 3 and the gasoline-powered BMW 3 Series. His thesis was awarded the List Prize.

Today, the Lienz native works at Sofico as a business consultant and is responsible for implementing vehicle leasing software. He always looks back fondly on his time in Villach.