Before joining IÉSEG, I studied Economics at the Universidad de Los Andes, in Colombia, where I acquired advanced skills in programming, statistics and problem solving. I then worked as a Research Assistant at my university before joining Rappi, one of the largest start-ups in Latin America, as a Financial Reporting Analyst.

At Rappi, I realized that I needed to develop my “soft skills” to be able to solve problems even more intelligently and quickly. I decided to look for a School in Europe that offered a program based on the understanding of business needs. The education in France is one of the best in the world, that’s why I wanted to study in this country in particular.

While looking for a School, I realized that IÉSEG was the one that offered the best program, not to mention that it is one of the Grandes Écoles de commerce de France and has the triple accreditation, which sets it apart from the others. Moreover, IÉSEG offers to teach both technical and theoretical knowledge, especially through practical cases, and offers the possibility to develop your network, which is essential for a future career.

I chose the Master in Banking, Capital Markets & Financial Technology because it allowed me to develop my technical skills in programming and my understanding of the financial and commercial markets. The entire teaching and administrative team is aware that the new wave of technology is profoundly challenging the role of the auditor, the financial analyst, the risk analyst and the asset manager. Thanks to the courses that are taught, IÉSEG trains people capable of meeting these new challenges thanks to the new technological tools at their disposal.

At IÉSEG, I really appreciated the international dimension of the program since we share our courses with people from all over the world, which greatly enhances the educational experience. Secondly, the course offerings develop our skills in financial analysis and programming, in line with the needs of the current market. And finally, as a foreigner living in France, the courses on how to prepare a CV and LinkedIn profile have greatly helped me to better understand how to look for a job in France.

My best experience in the program was the international job fair, because that in itself is a personal challenge. Preparing your CV, your cover letter and especially your pitch is a great challenge because you have to be clear about what you have learned at School and what it will bring to the company you are applying to. The most remarkable thing is that all the professionals I met recognize this program as well as IÉSEG as very formative to prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow’s world.

I have always been convinced that the efforts invested in this program will pay off some day. So, I simply took advantage of this opportunity by living it 100%: I attended all the classes, discussed with the professors and colleagues as much as possible, and of course, discovered the French culture!

Thanks to IÉSEG, I was able to find my first professional experience in Europe at Bolt, one of the biggest start-ups on the continent, which is growing rapidly and will surely be talked about a lot in the years to come.

My advice to future students is to take full advantage of this experience to get out of their comfort zone and face the needs of today’s companies. Not to mention that IÉSEG is a great way to develop not only technical skills, but also the soft skills that are so necessary to be able to integrate into the market. It is important for new students to understand that by paying attention to the small details, they will become ready to integrate the company of their dreams.

Published on: May 24, 2022