Westminster Business School Blog Young Leaders Interview Series : Katharina Rhomberg

Young Leaders Interview Series : Katharina Rhomberg

June 7, 2013
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Can you please tell me a little bit about yourself? (briefly about what you are studying etc)

My name is Katharina Rhomberg and I am originally from Austria. My family lives in the very west of the country in a town closely surrounded by the Alpes. I am 22 years old and have just finished my second year at Westminster Business School studying Business Management with the International Business pathway. I have just returned from my semester abroad at the Paris School of Business in the heart of the city of love. Anyway, I love living in London, it is just one of the best things that I have experienced in my life so far. Being given the opportunity to study in such a multicultural city and sharing a classroom with people from all over the world has fulfilled one of my dreams. I am a very ambitious person, which is why I thought studying Business is a good idea for my future career. I have big dreams and I tend to set my goals quite high, which sometimes makes me struggle with myself but it also pushes me to become the best version of myself every day.

How did you decide to study at Westminster Business School ?

The story of how I ended up in London is actually quite funny because it wasn’t really in my plans at all. After finishing high school back home in Austria, I moved to the U.S. (first to Miami Beach and then to Chicago). I fell in love with the people there and the country and when it was time to go, I knew I would go back there to pursue my studies abroad. My parents decided that it was a good idea to see what field I want to pursue my studies back home in Europe before thinking about returning to the U.S., so I moved to Germany for a year and studied Media and Communication in a small town close to Munich. I really didn’t enjoy myself at all, I missed speaking English and I didn’t feel myself there, so I took the SATs and plenty of other tests in order to be able to move back overseas for my studies. However, it turned out that time was tight and I couldn’t get through with paper work and Visa, so I needed a plan B and decided “why not London?”. I had heard from a Norwegian friend from Miami that she studied in Kingston upon Thames and loved it, so I thought I would give it a shot. I planned on staying a year, but I just enjoyed myself so much at Westminster and in London that I decided to stay. Westminster is a good school that gives me the opportunity to study in the heart of one of the most amazing cities in the world and meet people from all over the planet every day. Combining this with a good course, and I was hooked. I really really like my life in London and I think studying at Westminster and therefore moving to London has changed my life 180 degrees and made me a happier person.

Can you please tell us a bit about your internship in Donna Karan ?

Although I enjoy myself a lot in London, my love and passion for the U.S. is still there and I still plan on moving there and pursuing my career over there after my studies. I had heard from a friend that she did an internship in New York City the summer before I moved to London and she just loved it. So she gave me all the information of the program she participated in and I decided to apply a couple of weeks later. I have a great passion for all things fashion and beauty and I would love to combine this passion with my interest for business in my future career. Soon after applying, I got accepted in the program and before I knew my coordinator had gotten me an interview with Donna Karan to intern for them over the summer. I moved to NYC for the summer of 2012, I guess I don’t need to say that I was the happiest girl alive. The internship was fun, I learned a lot about the fashion industry, met amazing people and got a great insight into the happenings behind closed doors in an internationally successful haute couture designer company. It was great and I loved it.

How was living and working in the NYC? What were the main challenges you have faced?

I think it is really important to mention that living in NYC is not for everyone. I know this sounds probably stupid to some, but I am telling you it is very very stressful. If you are someone who has hard time coping with stress and a “fast paced life” then NYC will not be the city for you. However, I am just a bit different. Where others take a weekend off to escape the city struggles and relax on the countryside, the fastness of the city and the hectic way of life calm me down. I have always preferred being busy over just relaxing, doing nothing is just not my thing and never has been. So there you go, New York City is just what I was looking for. I loved living there and I definitely consider moving there after graduation.

I think that the most important thing is to know what you want and to see things realistically. Working in NYC is not like working in London or any of the cities I have lived in before. It is definitely more stressful, extremely hectic, loud and it is a challenge to find a calm place in this town. Rush hour in the morning on the way to work is definitely something to get used to and London rush hour is nothing compared to it. Of course, there have been times when rush hour drives you insane and the missing AC in the subway stations plays with your nerves but New York has so much to offer, just like London it is such an entertaining city. No wonder people call it “the city that never sleeps”. Personally, I have definitely fallen in love with the concrete jungle though.

Can you please tell us about the process of securing an internship during your studies?

I am not going to lie, it was quite tough to juggle securing my internship during my studies and I was stressed out a lot in the first two months of the second semester, but at the end it was totally worth it. I just tried to make myself a schedule of when to do what. I know it sounds old school but I just wrote myself little to-do lists of what I needed to finish up and then ticked off all the things that had been done. I think schoolwork definitely comes first and then whenever I was done with my coursework/exam preparations/group projects I dedicated as much time as needed to what needed to be completed before my departure. Honestly though, having a coordinator that guided me through the whole process really helped me a lot.

Everyone is talking about employability skills what do you think is the best way to increase your employability skills during your academic studies?

I think it is really important to make yourself as attractive as possible to the employer. I have also taken an internship class at NYU (New York University) while I was working at Donna Karan and they always stressed how important it was to get as much experience and practice as possible before you enter the working world. I am not saying that an internship is what you need to do before graduation, but it definitely helps you get more confident and also leaves a good impression with the employer. However, there are other things you can do, for example being an active member in a school society is something many employers like to see on a CV. I have learned that it is just really important to be active, you know, just get involved because at the end of the day this is really what any employer wants to see. Every employer searches for the best people they can get, the harder and better you work, the better it is for them and in the end for you. So, extra-curricular activities are never a fail I would say.

As a fellow student what would you recommend other students in the Westminster Business School?

Really, what I just mentioned in the previous question is what I would suggest. Just be active and show them what you’ve got. Everyone has something they are especially good at and there is no harm in showing that. Also, if you are good at something or you think you are good at something, don’t be shy to try it out and never be afraid to show/tell others about it. Networking is how you get to what you want, that is my #1 rule. Meet as many people in your field as you possibly can and don’t be afraid to tell them about your strengths because in today’s world, nothing happens without networking, it is SO SO important.

We all know that student life is hard work! How do you manage to balance your studies with all the extra-curricular activities ?

I think it’s just really important to try and find a time for everything you enjoy doing besides school because it balances you out and makes you enjoy your studies more. We often fall into a routine where we just do what we have to do and we forget about the things we really enjoy doing. I would say put schoolwork first, but don’t forget about the things you enjoy doing and your social life because that’s what balances you out and keeps you motivated, focused and happy. If time gets tight, I personally try to make a schedule and stick to it as much as I can, but don’t get frustrated if it sometimes doesn’t work because we are all still humans. Just try to see that you get the most important things done before you take time off to relax and enjoy yourself, BUT don’t ever forget to do exactly that, RELAX AND ENJOY YOURSELF because as I said that’s what keeps you going.

What are the main lessons you have learnt by being so involved during your studies?

One of the most important things I have learnt is to stay focused on what I really want. Being involved during my studies helps me to concentrate on pursuing what I really want to do later on. I feel that a lot of people are lost during their studies when it comes to deciding about what they’d like to do after graduation. And I am not saying that I know 100% what awaits me but I have found my path/my field of interest or whatever you want to call it. I know what I enjoy doing and I want to combine it with something that challenges me. The fashion and beauty world is something that I have always been enjoying and that has always been in some way a big part of my life ever since I was a little girl. However, it was important to me that I find something that challenges me, studying business and looking to pursue a career in the fast pace business industry does exactly that for me. But believe me, it wasn’t always easy and I have definitely also hit rock bottom before, where I was super desperate and didn’t know what my goal in life was. I have learned so much from this experience. It has taught me that life just doesn’t always go our way and that we need exactly those experiences to test out our limits and find out what we really want to do with our lives. I would say, if you are desperate and lost at the moment, it is normal and it helps you to understand where you want your life to go. Sometimes, we just need to learn what we don’t like in order to find what we really want to do. Just don’t let a rough patch get the best of you and keep going no matter what. I am now more involved during my studies because after experiencing what I definitely don’t want to do, I have finally found a place where I am happier and where I can see a possible career in. However, you never know where life might lead you.

What does the future hold for you after graduation ? What are your plans?

After all I just mentioned about myself and about “knowing which direction I want my career to go into”, I still have moments of weakness, but I have learned that this is what happens in life. I don’t know for sure where my life will go and what exactly I will be doing after graduation. I do know though that as of now I will be moving back to the U.S., preferably working in fashion business, the beauty world or something similar along those lines… At the moment I am thinking about doing a Master’s degree – preferably a fast MBA – but I am not sure yet and I also wanted to give myself a couple of months to decide. As for now, I am probably going to spend another summer in the U.S. interning at Donna Karan and living in the concrete jungle. I am excited about what the future holds for me but I would lie if I said I am not a bit anxious as well. Anyway, I am a very positive person and I believe that if I work hard enough, I will hopefully be able to achieve my goals and live my dream.

I really hope that my answers will help some students out to stay focused and never let a rough period get the best of them. If you’re going through hell, keep going. If you can dream it, you can do it. 

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