Christiane Stranzinger

The first time I consciously encountered psychology in the workplace was during my aptitude assessment to become a military pilot. I thought to myself, “What a powerful tool for deciding applicants’ professional futures.” At the time, however, I didn’t yet realize just how enormously important psychology is in the business world in general, but I think my interest and curiosity in this subject were piqued then. I developed a genuine interest in it later on after experiencing how, with the help of appropriate psychological incentives, one can achieve goals that one wouldn’t have thought possible on one’s own. Later, during my professional career, I unfortunately also observed the reverse: how poor management and personnel decisions—and the resulting demotivation among those affected—led to resignations. This was disappointing for employees and costly for employers. I am convinced that this loss on both sides could have been prevented with the necessary expertise. My employment situation was also still uncertain at the time. This is what sparked my need for a second source of income. The Ferdinand Porsche FernFH offered me, through its “Business Administration & Business Psychology” program, the opportunity at the right time and in the right place (both virtually and in person) to deepen my interest in this incredibly exciting subject on a part-time basis. As a military pilot, with the associated work schedules and travel commitments, I was particularly drawn to Ferdinand Porsche FernFH’s offer of flexible study options at any time of day or night, regardless of the time zone. 

Being a military pilot involves a lot of travel and irregular work hours. This means you might be stationed abroad for several weeks at a time, work mostly at night for periods, or have to put in a significant amount of overtime. I wasn’t able to reduce my work hours while I was in school, so it was essential for me to be able to study flexibly. No matter where my professional journey took me, I always had my laptop and my course materials with me.
My friends and family knew that my studies would take up additional time. To be honest, it wasn’t always easy to give up the time I’d previously spent with them. So I had to find a good compromise and made a conscious effort to set aside “time for socializing.” I’m very grateful for the understanding my family and friends showed me back then.

When I started the distance learning program, my goal was to build a second source of income. However, I didn’t know exactly what this plan might look like for my professional future. As my studies progressed and I delved deeper into the subjects of business administration and business psychology, more and more career options seemed within reach. I also found more and more ways to combine my existing expertise as a pilot with the knowledge I’d gained in business administration and business psychology. That’s exactly what changed for me over the course of my studies. I began to feel a sense of reassurance knowing that I actually had a Plan B up my sleeve.

I found time management to be the biggest challenge during my distance learning program. All too often, my schedule was thrown off track by unforeseen changes in my work assignments. I had to remain flexible and forced myself to use every spare moment at work wisely for my studies.

I have very fond memories of my time at the Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH. I’ll probably always cherish the time I spent with my fellow students. At the beginning of my studies, I thought we students would have to go it alone. But that wasn’t the case. We got together in groups, worked on projects together, and over time, my fellow students and I became a really great team—and friends beyond that. Our shared “WhatsApp chat” is still going strong, and we still meet up regularly. Even the border between Austria and Germany doesn’t matter.

I also remember how well both the bachelor’s and master’s programs were organized and supervised. There were simply no unanswered questions. I am completely convinced of the professionalism of the staff at Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH.

I am a military helicopter pilot because I believe that psychological incentives tailored to the individual can enable us to achieve goals that we ourselves—and perhaps even those around us—do not consider possible or normal. 

I can draw connections between almost every aspect of the course material and my job. Although my profession requires very specific skills, I now view the field of human resources with a different perspective than I did before I began my studies and delved deeper into the subject. All too often, I see opportunities for improvement in the areas of HR services and talent management—especially given my knowledge of current trends in HR—as well as in the area of employee development in connection with leadership. In addition, my understanding of my organization has changed as a result of the coursework on organizational development and the course on “Organization and Management in Transition.”

In my industry, there is an increasing need to manage cross-functional issues, such as direct collaboration with the police, state emergency response centers, NGOs, or special operations units. These specific requirements for cross-functional and interdisciplinary thinking, communication and analytical skills, as well as leadership competence, must be increasingly incorporated into personnel development.
An open-minded attitude and flexibility are needed in the face of constant changes (in politics, the security situation, and technologies) as well as gradual changes, such as shifts in organizational culture. The challenge is to strike a balance between the needs of the public—that is, the civilian population—and industry developments. On the one hand, personnel must be trained and educated to ensure domestic security—key issues: the refugee situation, avalanches, floods, wildfires, etc. On the other hand, military capabilities must be maintained—key issues: national defense and counterterrorism.
Furthermore, I recognize the urgent need to create incentives for specialized and key personnel. A well-thought-out talent management strategy can prevent the costly loss of highly trained specialists.
However, budget cuts sometimes lead to stagnation in personnel development. Training programs must be canceled, and the risk of human error increases. Particular attention should also be paid to diversity management, especially regarding the dimensions of age, gender, and ethnic background. A looming aging of the workforce must be prevented promptly. Diversity can be effectively leveraged to generate benefits—not least in terms of positive employer branding to make the organization more attractive to potential applicants.

My uncertain contractual situation before I started my studies has worked out for the best, so I’ll likely continue working as a helicopter pilot for several more years. Nevertheless, my “Plan B” is invaluable to me. Especially as a military pilot, a sudden medical disqualification from flying could spell the end of my career.

After finishing my studies, I therefore went on to complete training as a psychological coach. I have some concrete ideas about going into business for myself, but I’m still curious to see where my professional future will take me.

• To me, the saying “The proof is in the pudding” has always meant: “Don’t dwell on self-doubt—just get started! The rest will fall into place.”
• Interest is the key to success.
• A good team and good time management are worth their weight in gold!

A heartfelt thank you to the entire staff at Ferdinand Porsche FERNFH and to my fellow students for five unforgettable and wonderful years of study!