Interview

Could you please introduce yourself briefly in 2-3 sentences, your function and how you came to it (short biography).

I am a trainee in Compliance and am a recent graduate of a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development & Energy Management. I started at Skyguide in September 2021 and have since been working to help implement the new Compliance Management System among other compliance related tasks. I am also working on Corporate Social Responsibility in the company which ties well into my Master’s degree and personal passions of sustainability.

You are a young graduate and starting your professional life. What made you choose Skyguide to do your internship?

I was attracted to work at Skyguide as I saw it as an opportunity to work in a very interesting field with people that are highly passionate about what they do. I had been looking for a company with strong core values which I saw immediately once I began my interviewing process. The position was also very interesting to me and I saw that at Skyguide every employee is integral to the functioning of the company and Swiss airspace which leads to a sense of importance and togetherness which I have already been able to experience in my short time here.

What is the greatest challenge of being a woman in today’s world?

I believe that diversity and inclusion are important for any employer I may have in the future. Employers have come a long way to motivate women in the workplace. In future employers I would look for equal opportunities for men and woman which could be demonstrated by enabling both men and women the opportunity for flexible work to provide them both the ability to manage child care and family responsibilities. I think that having women in visible upper management positions would be important for me to see that women’s voices are valued as much as men’s and having a diversity team working on visible and invisible diversity challenges would be a must for any future employer of mine.

What is the greatest challenge of being a woman in today’s world?

Women all over the world today face many different challenges. The challenges I may face as a young, white, educated woman are very different than a woman born without those privileges. The challenges that I, and women like me, may face I think are mostly unconscious. One example of this challenge is the language that is used in regards to women which can often be negative even if not intentionally so. Women who are seen as firm and unapologetically themselves may be seen as stubborn or difficult while men with the same disposition may be seen as strong and powerful.

If you could have dinner with an inspirational woman, dead or alive, who would she be and why?

I think my answer to this question would change every day as limiting my choice to just one inspirational woman to have dinner with seems impossible. If I were to choose one inspirational woman today I think it would be Marie Curie, a woman famous in her own right as an accomplished scientist whose research has saved millions of lives. While she was initially prevented from studying at university as a woman, she refused to take no for an answer and is the perfect image of a woman pushing boundaries to pursue her passions and make a difference. I think I, and many young women like me, could learn a lot from having a conversation with her.