| 1978-1983 | University of Vienna, Law Faculty; 1983 Graduation as Doktor iuris - Doctor of Law |
| 1982-1983 | Assistant Lecturer and Researcher, Institute of Criminal Law, University of Vienna |
| 1983-1984 | Judge's Assistant at several Courts of Law in Vienna |
| 1984-1987 | Civil Servant for the Federal State Lower Austria; employed in the Headquarter as well as in the Country Councils of Gmünd and Baden |
| 1987-1990 | Member in the Cabinet of the Minister of Defence |
| 1989-1991 | Speaker on European Relations, ÖAAB, the Employees' Association of the Austrian People's Party - ÖVP |
| 1990-1993 | Trainee Programme, Federation of Austrian Industrialists, including Work Experience at Alcatel Austria, Siemens and the Austrian Power Industry, as well as a four-months internship in Germany |
| 1991 | Deputy Head, ÖAAB |
| 1992-1993 | Member, Federal Chamber in the Austrian Parliament |
| 1993-1994 | GiroCredit (Austrian bank), employed within the Secretary of the Board; Strategic Management |
| 1993-1995 | MP - Member of the National Assembly |
| 1995-1996 | MEP - Member of the European Parliament (ÖVP-EVP), Brussels, Member in the Parliamentary Committee on Economics, Currency Issues and Industrial Policy, Deputy Member in the Committee for Social Issues and Employment |
| since 1996 | MP - Member of the National Assembly in the Austrian Parliament |
| 1996-2006 | Party's Speaker on Foreign Affairs, Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs |
| since 1998 | Chairman, NÖAAB (ÖAAB of Lower Austria) |
| 2000-2007 | Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe |
| 2000-2006 | Deputy Parliamentary Group Leader, Austrian People´s Party |
| 2002-2006 | Head, Austrian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe |
| 2006-2008 | 2nd President, Austrian National Council |
| 2008-2013 | Federal Minister for European and International Affairs |
| since 2009 | Head, ÖAAB |
| since 2011 | Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria and Head of ÖVP |
| since 2013 | Federal Minister of Finance |
