Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Cedric. I went to high school in Switzerland at the Institut Le Rosey. After that, I went to France where I got two Master’s, one in Business and Finance and the other in Business Intelligence. After his, I began my career in banking in Paris working for BNP Paribas Securities Services. My career moved to Kurt Salmon in Geneva where I work as a Senior Consultant, Global Financial Services. I am now sharing my time between Switzerland and Luxembourg where I work with BNP Paribas, a major client of ours.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I was not a very good student and studied at a second-tier school in France. Now I want to make a career switch into investment banking at investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Rothschild, etc. I expect that the MBA will help me to gain the network and the knowledge required to help me get into these programs.
I chose IESE as one of the few programs in France that offers a two-year program in an MBA. I know that a two-year program is what I need if I want to make a career switch into investment banking as I need the knowledge as well as the summer internship to gain the confidence and network required to make the switch.
What did you find the most difficult in the application process?
I am not a quant. I love liberal arts. So the GMAT was definitely challenging for me. It took me six months to work on the math section of the GMAT to get the score required by IESE. It was made possible through the group and private classes of Dr. Hubert Silly who helped me get the required score.
What is life like at IESE?
Life at IESE was very interesting. The classes were very helpful for someone like me looking to gain a foothold in inc=vestment banking and I was very interested in the teaching methodology applied. There were a lot of networking opportunities that we were provided by the school as well.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
First of all, don’t hesitate to take your time. Between meeting Dr. Hubert Silly in Paris and finally deciding to start my preparations, I took two years of time to figure out if this was what I really wanted to do. Be completely convinced that an MBA is a right thing for you. Don’t do it because your friends are doing it or your company is asking for it. Go for it only if you believe that it is necessary for your personal and professional development. Don’t follow trends. Follow your own plans and desires.
Secondly, go beyond the rankings to see what you expect from the MBA. For example, INSEAD and HEC are good names but they offer only one year programs which might not be the best thing if you want to make a career switch. LBS and IESE offer better programs in that regard.
Third, the location is also important. I decided to study in Barcelona as I loved the city I decided to use the two years to also develop myself and learn Spanish.
Finally, I am a good example of someone who at the beginning had very little hope of getting the 650 required by IESE. But with the steadfast support and help of Dr. Hubert Silly and the MBA Center, I managed to reach an acceptable math level that helped me get the passable scores to get into IESE. I cannot thank the team enough and would recommend their services to all students who would like to go for an MBA but have faced hurdles along the way.