Rodrigo hopes to broaden his horizons with an MBA at IESE Business School in Barcelona. The biggest benefit of the degree so far has been learning from students from so many different natalities and industries.
What makes IESE Business School unique?
A combination of the international experience you get, and a focus on the individual.
From the beginning, you have the same team for the rest of the year. My team was a group of eight that came from the Philippines, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Japan and Mexico. Working with this level of worldwide exposure allows you to step aside from your personal preconceptions and, as a group, come up with real global solutions.
The other aspect is this sense of individual treatment. You have direct communication with any of your professors, and in a short space of time they really get to know you, and give you personal feedback. The same goes for career services.
Did your first impressions match your expectations?
There is this impression that once you get into a top MBA, you are through the tough times, and that it’s all fun and networking after that. This preconception is wrong. The academic level [of difficulty] in the first year [is high].
What impact do you expect the MBA to have on your career?
I believe that what is outstanding about an MBA is that it gives you the chance to explore a career path that otherwise would have been really difficult to follow. It really opens doors and enables you to find what you believe is your passion.
In my case IESE has given me the tools to explore areas and companies that I had always intended to work for, but could not with my previous experience.
What tips do you have for impressing the admissions committee?
They know you are good, they know you have the aptitudes, so just show that you are a likeable person, with soft skills, that is able to work in a scenario where participation and teamwork is key.
You hear so many cases where people had an impressive GMAT score, yet when they got to the interview they didn’t make the cut. They were trying to impress by bragging about how much they have done, and how good they are.
Be nice, be likeable, and show that you are a people person.
What would you do if you were dean for a day?
A day is not enough! But I would try to create a link between second and first-year MBA students. I would try to come up with an elective or a specific activity that brings alumni together with second-year MBA students, to improve networking between generations.
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