From moving alone to Austria at 18 to shaping digital products across Europe: Our IMC Krems Informatics graduate Sara Grimaldi on stepping outside her comfort zone, learning to trust her own decisions, and building an international career in technology. In addition, she has volunteered to serve as the new Alumni Ambassador for Budapest, Hungary.
Story
International careers start with courage, not certainty
Every year, students from around 70 nations choose the IMC Krems University of Applied Sciences to pursue their studies. For many, this means leaving family, friends and familiar surroundings behind. For Sara Grimaldi, that experience began at just 18 years old.
Born to an Italian and Canadian family, she arrived in Krems directly after high school. It was her first major step into an international environment and one that would shape her future far beyond the classroom. Today, her professional journey spans Austria, Ireland and Hungary, moving across research, entrepreneurship, cloud technology and product management.
What stands out is not a carefully planned career path. Instead, it is a willingness to embrace opportunities before feeling completely ready.
“Moving abroad taught me much more than any textbook ever could”
Coming to Austria alone at such a young age was one of the defining moments of Sara's life. “When I arrived in Krems, everything was new. I had to build my own support network, adapt to a different culture and learn how to navigate challenges independently. Looking back, that experience gave me confidence much earlier than I expected.”
Studying Informatics at IMC Krems provided the technical foundation, but the international environment proved equally valuable. Working and learning alongside classmates from many different countries exposed her to perspectives, approaches and ways of thinking that she now encounters daily in global technology teams.
Outside the classroom, she deliberately explored different fields. As a student researcher in the internationally funded OER Codex project, she worked with Dr. Sarita Paudel on educational technologies. She gained business development experience at Erste Bank in Vienna and joined IMC's Creative Pre-Incubator programme, where she developed and presented her own start-up concept.
Rather than focusing on a single career direction, she used her studies to discover how technology connects people, businesses and ideas.
“My first full-time job was secured before graduation”
One lesson Sara learned early is that opportunities often appear when preparation meets initiative.
In February 2024, three months before completing her degree, she had already secured a full-time position with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Dublin. The role followed a successful internship as a Network Development Engineer, requiring yet another international move.
“Relocating again was exciting but also challenging. Every new country comes with uncertainties. At the same time, every move expands your perspective and teaches you something about yourself.”
At AWS, she worked on large-scale network infrastructure and cloud technologies that support millions of users worldwide. Beyond the technical responsibilities, she quickly learned how global organisations operate across cultures, time zones and disciplines.
Her contributions and commitment to diversity in technology were recognised when she became a finalist for the STEM Champion Award 2025 at the Diversity Inclusion Tech Awards.
The experience reinforced something she had already discovered at IMC Krems: technical excellence alone is not enough. Communication, collaboration and curiosity are equally important when working internationally.
“The most valuable skill is the ability to keep learning”
Today, Sara works as a Junior Product Owner at Sony Europe in Budapest, bringing together technical and business perspectives to support product delivery and collaboration across teams.
Looking back, she sees a common thread connecting each stage of her journey. “The roles may have changed from research to business development, cloud engineering and product ownership, but the most important skill has remained the same: being willing to learn continuously and adapt to new situations.”
For current students and recent graduates considering an international career, her advice is straightforward. “Don't wait until you feel completely ready. Some of the best opportunities come when you step into the unknown. Moving abroad, working with people from different backgrounds and challenging yourself in new environments helps you grow in ways you cannot predict.”
For Sara, an international career was never simply about changing countries. It was about developing the confidence to navigate change itself. That mindset, first tested when she arrived in Krems as an 18-year-old student, continues to guide her today.