From the Andes to the Alps

Five years ago, Bianca Consoli moved to Vorarlberg without speaking a word of German. Speaking to the VN, she shares how courage, openness, and patience helped her become an indispensable online marketing expert and a dedicated master's student.

It was an acquaintance who inspired Bianca to head to the other side of the world after completing her bachelor's degree in communication studies in Argentina. “After graduating, I wanted to gain new experience, so in November 2020 I decided to work in Austria,” the young Argentine explains. However, her plan to work as a Spanish-speaking childminder at a winter sports hotel in Klösterle didn’t pan out due to the pandemic—Covid threw a spanner in the works.

“When it came to finding work, I had to think on my feet and come up with a plan B,” she explains during the interview. Without missing a beat, the ambitious Argentine applied to various companies and, via a slightly roundabout route, landed at Schirmmacher in Götzis. Impressed by her dedication, company founder Christian Ströhle pragmatically created a whole new role just for Bianca.

“It wasn’t easy at all to begin with,” Bianca recalls with a smile. It wasn’t just Covid that made things tough; her lack of German was a hurdle in itself. Having initially lived with a family during the pandemic who spoke mainly High German with her, the local dialect proved to be a real eye-opener after she moved to Götzis. “I have to say, it was quite a challenge. But over time, you pick it up.” Today, she is an indispensable part of the company as an international marketing expert, putting her multilingual skills to excellent use.

Since then, the young professional has built a life for herself here and now lives in Götzis with her boyfriend. “To start with, I actually planned to move back to Argentina at some point,” the marketing expert admits. But she took to life here so much that she has now been living in Vorarlberg for five years. Today, Bianca is not only a valued member of the Schirmmacher team, but is also completing a master’s degree in international marketing at FH Vorarlberg on the side. On top of that, the Götzis resident is an active leader with the Hohenems running club, where she has become a mainstay of the group.

Living on the other side of the world now, Bianca sees her family only rarely. “However, people in Vorarlberg are so open and welcoming, which made it really easy to find my feet and make friends,” the hardworking, warm-hearted Argentine shares with gratitude. Whenever she feels homesick, the active student loves to clear her head by hiking, climbing, or skiing. “I love the mountains, and my father and brother are ski instructors in Argentina. In a way, that keeps a piece of home close to my heart wherever I go.”

When asked what advice she would give to anyone looking to live and work abroad, Bianca shares two key tips: “First: be brave and stay strong. There will be tough moments when homesickness gets the better of you.” Secondly, she believes it is vital to stay positive and patient: “Things won’t always go exactly as planned right out of the gate, but sooner or later everything will fall into place.” Whether Bianca will stay in Vorarlberg forever remains to be seen, but she is keeping an open mind for whatever lies ahead.