IE Talent and Careers Holds Careers Forum 2024 with Top Recruiters

IE Talent and Careers hosted its annual Careers Forum, a two-day flagship event that connects graduate and undergraduate students with companies looking to fill concrete positions for real jobs.

This year’s record-breaking edition, held at the peak of recruitment season, drew more than 100 companies in the finance, consulting, diversified industries, and tech sectors, featuring over 200 specific job postings for master and bachelor junior profiles.

“Today and yesterday as a combination are such an incredible achievement for us as a university,” said Zayne Imam, Executive Director at Talent and Careers, “Recruiters have flown in from different parts of Europe and even from the Middle East to be at our Careers Forum.”

One of the highlights for students this year was that some companies held on-campus interviews for students who had already applied to some positions.

“It is crucial that students have opportunities to talk to employers and learn where they can be well-matched with them,” said Imam, “Hence it is a huge achievement for us to be able to carry that value proposition to them.”

Recruiters applauded the organization and access to a market-ready talent pool.

The Careers Forum, packed with enthusiastic students lined up at the company’s booths at the IE Tower, takes place in the spring and fall, facilitating internship and interview opportunities across multiple regions for its students.

In this week’s edition, dozens of IE alumni returned to campus representing their companies as recruiters, strengthening the multi-layered web of the IE Community.

The first day was dedicated to the consulting and technology industries, where 54 companies, and over 140 company representatives, including 30 IE alumni currently leading top positions, attended.

“IE’s Careers Forum is a golden mine for us recruiters,” said Denis Aldighieri, Chief People Officer at Exceltic. “We appreciate the international student body and the experience they bring already.”

The technology sector was represented by many leading firms, including Fever, Celonis, and Nova, as well as a plethora of smaller yet rapidly expanding companies.  

Students had the opportunity to navigate this diverse landscape and broaden their knowledge of the sector, hence amplifying their range of employment prospects. 

“What I hope that every student present here takes to heart is that there is a higher likelihood that smaller companies will recruit more young graduates because they are looking for new mindsets, ideas, and leadership,” said Felisa Del Viejo, Talent Acquisition Manager EMEA at ServiceNow. “Students will also have a higher chance of growing with smaller companies and getting higher positions at a faster pace.”

The second day hosted 52 top finance and diversified industries companies, of which 12 were Alumni.

Companies in the diversified industry sector offered the highest number of graduate programs to students. These are high-potential leadership programs seeking the best talent from business schools and offering rapid career growth.

The finance sector also brought graduate program opportunities as well as off-cycle and summer internships and featured the top finance recruiters for IE profiles, including Banco Santander, Citibank, and BNP Paribas.

“By bringing together over 120 companies and our top talent, we create a unique platform that accelerates career opportunities for students while providing companies with access to the innovative and diverse profiles they seek,” said Raquel Rolo, Director of Recruiter Relations and Partnerships, “It's an exciting opportunity for both sides to connect, collaborate, and grow.”

Carolina Du Chene, a graduate of the Master in Management, attained her current job position as Human Resources Intern for The Edition Hotel at last year’s Careers Forum.

“I came very prepared [to the Forum], with my printed CV and LinkedIn QR, and there was an instant personality match with the HR recruiters here,” said Du Chene.

As students navigate the complexities of career planning, the Careers Forum brings an opportunity to create valuable connections and allow proactive students to follow up on applications.

“I’m looking to connect with recruiters to have a reference person in the companies and get my questions answered,” said Felipe Cosmen, 3^rd year Law and Business Administration student.