13/07/2023
IE University students recently had the opportunity to attend Global Immersion Week in London; a career-focused international experience.
At IE University, our students’ next steps are just important as the progress they make during their time studying. The most recent Global Immersion Week, this time in London, was a chance for the participating students to prepare for the next stage of their career journeys, immersing themselves in an ecosystem of international opportunities and company experiences.
Students from our Master in Digital Marketing & Analytics, Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication, Master in Creative Direction, Content & Branding, Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior, Master in Customer Experience & Innovation and Master in Talent Development & Human Resources came together to get to know some of the big companies they had been learning about and dreaming of working at.
Stepping onto the corporate ladder
The Global Immersion Week in London provided an opportunity for students and companies to discover new companies and learn how they operate in different countries.
It also offered an eye-opening perspective on what it is like to work for some of the companies they visited on a day-to-day basis.
Hannen Valakivi, Peruvian Master in Talent & Human Resources student, summarized the experience as “inspiring”, having learned the importance of being true to yourself in the corporate world, being curious about your interests, and the positive side of rejection as a form of redirection.
Being part of the Global Immersion Week in London has been very inspiring to me. We visited companies from different industries and listened to professionals who brought learnings and lots of inspiration into our lives. Having the opportunity to listen and interact not only with professionals but also with other students made this experience even richer. After this experience, I went back home more confident of what I want to do, what companies I want to work for and what impact I want to have. —Hannen Valakivi, IE University student
With visits to companies including Netflix, LinkedIn, Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Financial Times, Deloitte, Korn Ferry, Convex Insurance and Robert Walters, the trip had something for every ambition, program or career path. Hannen was particularly impressed by the visits to Convex, Deloitte and Korn Ferry, and the advice given by staff at Korn Ferry:
“Always stay true to yourself and don’t build a professional mask”—is something she will bear in mind when job-hunting.
Fellow Master in Talent Development & Human Resources student María Ignacia Bianchi, from Chile, named Convex and the Financial Times as her “top two” companies, explaining that she was pleasantly surprised by the projects and initiatives being carried out by smaller companies that she had not previously been familiar with. Both, Maria felt, were doing “very interesting people management work.”
We had the opportunity to visit quite diverse companies, which was very interesting as it provided us with a clear and broad vision of different sectors, roles, and organizational cultures of each one. —María Ignacia Bianchi, IE University student
Learning for professional and personal growth
Maria told us how she learned the importance of self-awareness during Global Immersion Week in order to identify the types of culture, roles and challenges to look for during the job search. She also highlighted how she realized how adaptable her professional path could be:
“Our interests and passions may evolve over time, and that is perfectly acceptable, as it is never too late to explore different opportunities to grow and develop.”
The talks also took into account the different programs offered at IE University, so every attendee could get something out of the event to help them in their career journeys.
One of the biggest things I learned is that there is no one-size-fits-all strategy, even though all companies are seeking the same goal: attract and retain talent. Therefore, depending on the industry, business model and maturity of the company, we as HR professionals need to tailor and customize strategies and projects. —Hannen Valakivi, IE University student
Additionally, by enabling our students’ education beyond the classroom, they each learned what was important to them and their career goals: to identify their gaps and realize their ambitions.
Global Immersion Week has been inspiring because we left the classroom to get into companies. Learning in class is great because it helps us build the foundations we need; however, being able to step out to hear experiences from HR professionals and to get to know what companies are doing today has no point of comparison. It has definitely helped me to have a clearer scope of what I want to do next. —Hannen Valakivi, IE University student
An invaluable networking opportunity
Of course, the importance of networking at Global Immersion Week cannot be underestimated. María explained that networking has made her career journey a lot clearer.
Networking at Global Immersion Week provides a valuable platform for exploring possibilities, gathering valuable information and making meaningful connections that can benefit you in your professional journey. But having a wide network of contacts not only benefits you in your job search, but it also helps you gain greater clarity about what people do in different industries, roles and organizations, and therefore, identify whether it would be a good fit for you based on your purpose, values and strengths. —María Ignacia Bianchi, IE University student
