Simone Schanitz was already very interested in science and mathematics when she was at school. That's why it wasn't difficult for her to choose a field of study and she decided to study for a degree in Medical Information Technology, followed by a Master's degree in Health Care IT at University of Applied Sciences Carinthia. "And I would still do exactly the same today, it was exactly the right course for me," says Ms. Schanitz.
She made her first contacts in the world of work during her studies and completed various internships. It was therefore inevitable that she would be able to gain a foothold in the job market immediately after graduating and gain valuable experience in many different IT projects in the healthcare sector as well as in numerous project assignments throughout Austria. Born in Carinthia, however, she returned to her home country and switched to production management and the tourism industry. She also taught part-time at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences for three years. As the person responsible for the interfaces of a “Feratel booking system”, Simone was in contact with hundreds of IT companies and web agencies. She says: "I also discovered for myself that organizational and communication skills are often lacking in IT and that my involvement in these areas often led to success."
After her maternity leave, Ms. Schanitz sought new professional challenges. She joined a start-up that operates software specifically for self-employed therapists.
Today, Simone is employed by the largest web agency in the south of Austria, where she took over as head of the project management and customer service department in 2022."My greatest successes are winning large website projects in Germany and Switzerland, which I was able to personally accompany from the tendering phase to the golives," says Ms. Schanitz.
When asked why she would recommend the course to others, she replies: "The curriculum is very balanced, from anatomy to electrical engineering to digital data processing, you get a comprehensive basic understanding and can pave your career path in all areas."
For Simone, the practical and project-oriented curriculum was particularly important in preparing her for the world of work. Due to the small number of students per year group, everyone was very close-knit and supported each other.
She would advise future students: "Enjoy and make the most of all aspects of your time at university and get as much out of it as possible - be it knowledge, information or experience. Find a good balance between your duties and still have fun with your fellow students. Learn to deal with successes and failures in this protected environment, then nothing stands in the way of an exciting future."
Simone prefers to spend her free time with her family. She enjoys playing volleyball and often goes skiing in winter.
