29/05/2024
At IE University, your future is our passion. With our practical approach to learning, pursuing a master’s is all about the journey. Our Global Immersion Week gives you the opportunity to see the ins and outs of the world of work firsthand.
Our programs offer hands-on experiences to help you gain the confidence to dive into the world of work. One such experience is the Global Immersion Week, an intense, immersive, one-week opportunity for our master’s students. This edition brought our students to the buzzing city of Amsterdam, where they visited top companies, heard lectures from leaders in the field and networked with liked-minded go-getters.
We caught up with students from some of our marketing, communication and sales programs who participated in the most recent edition of the Global Immersion Week. Clara v. Schönberg from the Master in Digital Marketing; Mei (Tahne) I Iao from the Master in Creative Direction, Content & Branding; and Samuel Alvarez and Francesca Cantelli from the Master in Market Research & Consumer Behavior shared their thoughts on the experience.
Studying abroad, again
Clara, Tahne, Samuel and Francesca are from different parts of the world—but they all had the same drive to study a master’s at IE University. Studying abroad is already a big step, and they took it even further by spending a week in another country during their program. The students chose to participate in the Global Immersion Week, which would take them to Amsterdam. For Clara, it was an easy decision: “I want to work in the Netherlands. So this was a perfect opportunity to step into companies in the field of marketing that I have been looking at for my possible future role.”
Tahne described the experience as “better than I had even imagined.”
She went on to explain that “Almost 99% of the time, the company representatives were IE Alumni. It was really nice to hear their stories of how they transitioned from studying at IE University—which is where I am right now—to relocating to Amsterdam to work. It helped me focus on my future.”
Samuel is used to life abroad. He was born and raised in Colombia and moved to Canada in his late teens. After spending nearly 18 years there, he was ready for the next step—Spain and the Netherlands with IE University: “I can’t get enough of these international experiences. The main reason is that I understand the value that such experiences have; the impact they can have in terms of your own learnings, exposing you to new people, and discovering new ways of working and solving problems. It’s really enriching as both an individual and a professional.”
For Francesca, Global Immersion Week was one of many motivating factors of her studies. “You have to get accepted, which pushed me to work harder in class because I knew I wanted to have this experience. I was able to meet industry leaders, listen to insightful presentations, learn about the recruitment process, ask questions and even tour companies like ING Bank, Uber, Nike and L’Oréal.”
Key takeaways from the experience
Each of the students experienced Global Immersion Week in their own way. Clara, for example, really got a feel for the company culture and the work-life balance: “I learned that finding a company whose culture fits me is really important. More than just the company’s name and my initial bias, it’s about its values. One that stood out was ING Bank—I think if they offered a contract on the spot, 90% of us would have signed it.”
Tahne noted that the companies she visited didn’t always relate back to her specific program, but she loved that: “There were alumni that graduated from my program and I loved hearing about how they applied their learnings to roles that weren’t exactly what they studied. It was very relatable, especially because before going into the week, I was dead set on a few specific job titles.”
“The week opened my eyes to new opportunities.”
When summarizing the experience as a whole, she says, “It gave me even more than I was expecting.”
Using the program itself as a way to backfill his knowledge and level up, Samuel saw an opportunity to explore what it’s like to live and work in the Netherlands: “There were so many networking opportunities and my conversations with different representatives from leading companies really reinforced how important building a network is. It was an intense experience and I needed to bring my A-game every day.” Samuel Alvarez, Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication”
The opportunity to hear from a marketing manager at Nike was one that stood out to Samuel. “She told us the challenges she faces daily and then went on to talk about what hiring managers are looking for in a profile, which was very valuable.”
Francesca would recommend the experience to anyone looking to enrich themselves: It was incredible to speak with people who actually work in the companies I’m hoping to apply to. These connections are really important and I know I need to maintain them throughout my career. This was a unique opportunity to see the theory in class come to life in real-world scenarios.” Francesca Cantelli, Master in Strategic Marketing & Communication
The future awaits
The participants walked away from the Global Immersion Week feeling confident about their futures. “It really opens a lot of doors,” said Clara.
“Before the week I would have never applied for the roles I’m looking at now. The week isn’t about the short term, it’s more about understanding what you’re looking for in the long term.”
The eye-opening experience changed Tahne’s mind about the roles she was interested in, helped Samuel hone in on the type of position and company he’s looking for, and gave Francesca the opportunity to expand her professional network.
Looking toward the future, these students are ready for whatever comes their way. With Global Immersion Week under their belts, they can confidently walk into an interview with firsthand insights.
