Patrick Loner

Study program: Business & Management (Diploma)

When I look back at my time at MCI...

… I remember the many interesting lectures, admittedly also a couple of less interesting lectures, the good and lasting friendships, and a semester abroad which allowed me to gain my first international experiences.
... I am sure my fellow students and also other graduates still remember the countless red and blue arrows of the law lectures, or the nagging question we asked ourselves after every exam for which we had not studied enough: “How did you answer question x? My answer was … Do you think that was right?”, and, of course, our consequent despair.
... I can also remember the fear and uncertainty I felt before the final examination and my thesis defense. But I have equally vivid memories of what it felt like to be called into a room after my defense to be congratulated on my graduation; oh and what it felt like to wake up the morning after my defense!
… I almost forgot to mention the university’s roof deck, from where you can enjoy a perfect view on one of the most beautiful skylines of the world: the Innsbruck Nordkette – such wonderful memories!

How did your studies prepare you for your current job?

Though, as a student, I wondered why I should bother with stars, dogs, cash cows and question marks, the contents of the degree course were target-oriented and included the most essential concepts as well as relevant theories which are indeed regularly applied in practice. But what qualified me for my current job even more than these contents were topics which were not assessed as part of the regular curriculum. Maybe some former students remember how they were distracted from taking the time to set up a proper presentation – for Tyrol offers plenty opportunities for distraction – and were thus forced to learn how one can produce something valuable in a minimum of time: My current job constantly demands perfect time management as well as the ability to quickly come to grips with new topics and to present the newly acquired knowledge in a clear manner.
The group assignments, which were so popular with students, moreover prepared me for the cooperation with international and intercultural teams, which always consist of the most different personalities.
Through the perfect combination of directly communicated hard and soft skills as well as indirectly communicated competencies, the degree course at MCI indeed equipped me with a solid basis for my current activity as Account Manager at Google Inc. in Dublin.