Millicent Gehrer
With a strong passion for humanitarian causes and sustainable solutions, Millicent chose to embark on her academic journey in the field of Politics and International Relations at Royal Holloway, University of London. Throughout her studies, living nearby a fashion capital, she acknowledged the impact of the fashion and luxury sector within politics, and understood that the way we present ourselves to the world is more political than one may assume.
With this newfound passion for the luxury sector and the undeniable significance that branding has in any sector, Millicent became increasingly interested in the world of marketing where theoretical aspects of diplomacy could be applied toward convincing, inspiring and encouraging individuals of a certain product or concept. Therefore, IE´s Corporate and Marketing Communications master was a suitable next step for her.
At the moment, she resides in Madrid, working as a PR Consultant for a company whose CEO is an IE alumni, and CX Director as well as Head of Digital Marketing is a lecturer at IE.
“My best piece of advice for incoming IE students is to be open to unfamiliar surroundings and partake in challenging conversations; to meet people beyond your class and to take the dozens of opportunities that IE offers you on and off campus. Your IE experience will be defined by the memories you make, learning from your peers and having experience both inside and outside of class. And take advantage of being in Madrid - this city is the place to be!”
DEFINE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN ONE WORD.
Versatile. As there are countless opportunities provided by the university, in different sectors, engaging different nationalities.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU THINK THE PROGRAM HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY?
IE has shaped me into an individual that thrives throughout and greatly enjoys team work. Having previously gone to university in the UK that was lecture based and rarely engaging, coming to IE was a complete shift in terms of working with others and relying on peers for quality work. This affected both my professional and personal outlook and has encouraged me to adjust to others' styles of working; understanding how others strengths and weaknesses are best implemented in a cooperative environment to produce stellar work.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY OF YOUR EXPERIENCE?
For me, the best part of my IE master´s experience was my third semester. Despite having an increased workload, we had the opportunity to create our own team, based on compatibility and working styles. We completed a consulting project that we were passionate about, put our learnings into practice and were satisfied with the outcome.
The pool of individuals with whom you interact with at IE is specifically and effectively elected to enhance student's cultural experience and immersion. One of my favorite memories at IE was connecting and collaborating with ambitious students in - and outside of class as well as turning peer relationships into long lasting friendships and connections.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO STUDY THIS PROGRAM AT IE?
I chose to study because of the university's progressive and forward thinking outlook as well as their attention to detail and professionalism. The power and importance of marketing and communications has become crucial in business on a local and international level. IE´s well - developed social media presence as well as their advertising resonated with my overall values in learning, as I was looking for universities to complete my masters.
Located in Madrid, a city that I hadn't visited prior to my master, I was intrigued and excited to live somewhere new and immerse myself in Spanish culture. Madrid has become a fast-paced, forward thinking city that enriches your life and encourages you to flourish.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES THAT YOU ENCOUNTERED ON YOUR WAY? HOW DID YOUR MASTER PROGRAM AND IE HELP YOU THROUGH THESE CHALLENGES?
One of the primary challenges that I faced throughout my master's was having no extensive experience in marketing prior to the course. Having completed my bachelor in Politics and International Relations, my background was rather focused on diplomacy and writing; marketing is a very different creative endeavor.
Being surrounded by peers that had both extensive experience, perhaps even professional experience, as well as others (like me) that had no experience, made me feel comfortable and allowed me to find parallels between my previous studies and this course. There are many similarities between marketing and politics: believe it or not!
WHAT IS NETWORKING LIKE IN the program?
IE´s networking for current and alumni students is extensive, keeps you on your feet and allows you to take part in opportunities that can be life changing when implemented correctly and taking advantage of their full potential.
Despite observing the Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication, my peers and myself were given the opportunity to attend events at the IE tower that allowed us to mingle and learn from experts in fields that we were interested in beyond our lectures.
Networking was effectively incorporated into our daily routine, through our lecturers and tutors as these were professionals with external jobs, teaching at IE merely to share their knowledge for limited periods of time. This meant that connecting with our teachers wasn´t only about receiving constructive feedback and acquiring knowledge to later put into practice, but also about making important connections to support us throughout our job search and future connections.
