I am talking to Karlo Lovrić from Switzerland, an executive student at The Language Academy.
Q: Executive students appear to me as serious people with serious jobs. What do you do for a living?
I have worked for rbc Solutions AG for the last eight years as a service center and account manager.
Q: What exactly is your job about?
I`m in charge of 150 employees. The company outsources customer services providing different businesses, in Switzerland and offshore, with, for example: office work, project consulting, management, customer relationship management, call center, data, IT and business intelligence services.
Q: Providing services internationally you have to speak other languages, what are they?
I speak Croatian, Italian, French, German and of course Swiss German. I know English business jargon but I have to work on the structure and vocabulary. This is why I am here. Apart from an Executive course I`m taking some private basic English lessons.
Q: Your last name doesn’t sound Swiss?
Yes, I originate from Croatia. I moved to Switzerland with my family when I was seven.
Q: What part of you is still Croatian, if any?
I have a Swiss mind, I am a perfectionist but my desire for social life and emotions are Croatian. I got two Master Degrees one in Business Administration and the second in Customer Relationship Management. I think theory and educational background is really important in your life, but to fulfill your life experience you really have to get into troubles sometimes and screw up. Trying to find my own way I messed up a lot of things when I was younger. I confess, I acted impulsively without thinking of the outcomes. But it turned out to be a great lesson for me. I`ve learned a lot experiencing my own mistakes. Now I know how to balance myself, be responsible and see things from different perspectives and other people`s perspectives.
Q: What besides your work is important in your life?
My family, my social network in Switzerland and especially my three sisters. They were there whenever I needed help. The other thing is my new hobby that I ve been practising for a year already.
Q: What is it?
I am facinated with skydiving. I’ve done 60 jumps so far.
Q: You must have nerves made of steal.
I do in the air but not on earth.
Q: Do you consider parachuting a dangerous sport?
Everyday life is more dangerous than jumping. As long as you stick to the rules and follow directions it is safe.
Q: Tell me how do you do it?
We jump out of the plane at the height of 4000 meters. Then we have 50 to 55 seconds of free fall and before we open the main parachute 1100 - 1200 meters above the earth.
If the main parachute doesn`t open properly you need to know how to use a reserve one. This is why you have to open the main parachute early to make sure you have enough time to land safely.
Q: How many jumps a day can you perform?
Before I came to Florida I spent two weeks in California practising my jumping.
Back then we used to do five jumps a day.
Q: What are your further plans in terms of jumping?
I need more jumps to get the Swiss license. In order to do so I have to perform a certain amount of figures up in the air and know how to operate a parachute.
I wonder if they would honor the parachuting accomplishment I`ve done so far and let me jump without an instructor here in Florida. The rules for skydiving are not as strict in the US as they are in Switzerland.
Q: It seems like you have learned how to curb your Croatian nature with jumping. Is parachuting an escape from an everyday life?
I work a lot up to 12 – 14 hours a day during the week. My job demands a lot of intelectual, detailed proccesing, structuring, taking responsibilities and important decisions. Parachuting is for unforgetable emotions, adrenalin and fun. I am doing it just for myself. I enjoy social network with other parachuters too. You need time to work and time to relax.
Thank you for your time and enjoy your staying in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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