EduEvo: Welcome Srdjan to the EduEvolution world. We are glad to have you here. Can you please make an introduction about yourself to us?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: I was born in Belgrade, grew up in the Middle East, and then moved back to Serbia before starting with the elementary school. After graduating from high school, I’ve finished my undergrad studies in Belgrade and then decided to continue my higher education abroad. I’ve pursued a career in an investment banking / finance, have been working all over the Europe and have been living as an expat ever since.

EduEvo: You are a Manager in Unicredit in Vienna, so tell us more about the mission of your company and its employees? What are the company goals?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: UniCredit is a globally significant financial institution (G-SIFI), and one of the largest financial institutions in the Europe. As one of the leading European banks, the company is devoted to development of communities which we live and operate in, and also dedicated to being a great place to work in. In order to satisfy its growing customer base, the company expects excellence to be the standard in all the daily operations, as well as when designing both innovative products and services. We strive to ensure flawless execution – how we deliver is as important as what we deliver.

EduEvo: How did you start a career in this company in particular? Can you remember some experience from the very beginning of your starting working for them? Did you have stage freight, nervousness, any fear from failure? Do you remember any turning point/a game changer which was the most significant for your work and success? How did you cope with stress and how do you handle stressful situations nowadays?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: I got recruited by the UniCredit straight out of university and started working shortly before graduating from the master program I was attending. I was not actively looking for the positions in Italy at the time, but things somehow aligned – UC had a great HR Business Partner who worked closely with the career service team at Bocconi University. The interview process was rather smooth; I didn’t have much of a stage freight and I have turned the interview into a nice and relaxed two-way discussion with two department heads I was interviewing with. The year was 2009 (the peak of the financial crisis) and I was truly interested to understand in depth how banking works and how complex financial instruments work in particular. Looking back, I’m quite sure that it was my curiosity and eagerness to learn that got me hired, and became the stepping stone for all the further advancements within the organization. Investment banking can certainly be quite stressful at times, but it’s that curiosity to learn and innovate that always made me push the boundaries and keep on going.

EduEvo: What can you tell us about the life in Austria? Is it difficult for a foreigner to start a working career there?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: Austria, and Vienna in particular, is without doubt one of the best places in the world for living. Vienna is constantly ranked as the number one place in terms of quality of life, and there are many reasons why so many people share that standpoint. I often say that Vienna has so many layers that everyone can find one that fits his or her lifestyle. The city is full of expats and international organizations, and it is not uncommon to meet someone who lives in Vienna and doesn’t speak German at all. But on the flip side, it can be a bit difficult for the foreigners to fully integrate and make a career within the local companies unless they speak the language.

EduEvo: In what way did this company help you achieve the success you have now?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Firstly, company’s international footprint allowed me to understand the complexity of doing business across so many different jurisdictions, to see that such a complexity can be managed and to see the possibility to influence the ways in which that is done. By fostering the culture of knowledge transfer, I was also able to move within the company – anything from the short-term international assignments to the longer-term professional moves between different entities of the group itself.

EduEvo: What are your future goals?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: Being even more curious and agile than before, as this is the only way to grow in such a rapidly changing world. 

EduEvo: What do you consider the biggest challenge in the business-running, but also in the educational system of the times we live in?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Not being able to interact with clients, coworkers and friends in person was probably one of the biggest challenges of 2020, potentially with the long-lasting implications in many industries and the way we interact and do business overall. Educational systems across the globe have also been under an extreme pressure lately, and it is probably more than ever important for the young people to put an extra effort into education and to choose wisely.

EduEvo: On the basis of your experience, how do you assess the current education quality?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic We live in the times where abundance of information and availability of options are the new normal, and this is as true for education as for any other industry out there. But as we all know – quantity does not necessarily mean quality, and way too many educational programs nowadays focus on purely technical skills. I strongly believe that the goal of higher education is to teach the young how to think about certain topics – and this is what makes the difference between good and great schools.

EduEvo: What do you think about online business-running?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic This way of working and running businesses is probably here to stay. Maybe not in the current proportions and to this extent, but it will stay. The fact that even traditional businesses have transitioned to online/remote work and business management, presents probably one of the rare positive social effects of the pandemics.

EduEvo: What do you consider the biggest flaw/issue of an educational system of the 21st century, and what might be its main quality/advantage?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic I’d say that access to education is probably the biggest flaw and the main advantage at the same time. Those who don’t have access often argue (in my opinion, mostly wrongly) that higher education is an “expensive ticket” that is reserved for the selected few ones, while those who have access to quality education benefit from networking with fellow students and access to professors who can actually show them how to think about specific topics. 

EduEvo: In what way have you organized a vocational praxis in your company?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Vocational praxis is offered to the working students, and interested candidates can apply all year round.

EduEvo: Is it mandatory that a candidate has graduated from the university or is it possible that he/she has studies and a vocational praxis in your company in parallel?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Both are possible, and it is not mandatory that the candidate has graduated before starting the praxis with the UniCredit. Studying and working is something very typical in Austria, and many companies encourage this type of vocational praxis.

EduEvo: What do you expect from a perfect candidate and vice versa?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: Responsibility, integrity, transparency, ambition and a very open mind.

EduEvo: What do you find the most important with the candidate, what is that makes the final judgment with the selection? What is the joint quality you think they all have? Is it important how do you reach out to them and where do they come from, in what manner?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Many candidates often try to oversell themselves at the interviews. Don’t get me wrong – there is no need to downplay your qualities – however any excessive overselling, especially with a young professional or a fresh graduate is something that negatively influences the view I form about any candidate. My advice would be to just keep it real and show a genuine motivation and willingness to learn.

EduEvo: In which way the companies and our educational system could achieve a better cooperation and build a joint future for the young together?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic: Companies could be more involved in the higher education by having their prominent experts run guest lectures, and vice versa – the hosting university professors could hold guest lectures in a “food for thought” style for the company employees. Lifelong learning is something that companies often overlook.

EduEvo: What kind of advice would you give the youngsters being at the very beginning of their professional career? Did you have a role model which you looked up to for the certain aims you have set to achieve?

Mr. Srdjan Kosutic Everyone has its own path – don’t compare yourself with a friend or a fellow student who might be doing better on paper. The first part of your career is also pretty much about who you work with, not only what you’re working on. Find a good mentor, as many things in the professional career go beyond just your technical abilities. A good mentor can help you understand how to think about the business you’re in, and all the steps to come afterwards will be easier to tackle on.