Can you tell us more about yourself?
My name is Laure and I am a graduate from the Universite Paris-Sorbonne where I completed my Masters in History. I completed my second Masters in Innovation, Design, and Luxury from the Universite Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallee. I started my career as a freelance journalist working for fashion magazines and after a year joined the LVMH group starting off as an Event Manager. As an expert in content, LVMH identified me as a Content Manager. Now I am in charge of the Louis Vuitton website of which I manage the content and strategy.
What prompted you to apply for an MBA?
I have a liberal arts education and I think that I went as far as I could with the background that I had. In France we have two systems, one is the elite system with schools like HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, Sciences Po Paris, etc., and the other is the university system. As a graduate from the university system, it is not enough to reach key management positions with the education that you have received. Therefore I am completing this MBA as I want to use my experience at LVMH to become an expert in Digital Transformation/ E-commerce before becoming the communications director of a brand. In order to do so, I know that I will need to gain further knowledge in business as my competitors are graduates from top business schools.
What did you find the most difficult in the application process?
As a liberal arts graduate, I had difficulty with the GMAT. Added to this was the fact that I had stopped studying mathematics over 13 years ago. Going back into something that I thought I would never have to do again was an issue. Fortunately, IE MBA did not require a huge score and the 620 I managed to get was enough at that time. Still, it took me nine months of hard work and dedication to receive that score. Without the help of the MBA Center, I would have been stuck at 350. Thanks to Dr. Hubert Silly and MBA Center I managed to raise that score significantly to help me get into IE.
What is life like at IE?
Attending the classes at IE was a great experience and living in Barcelona was an even greater one. The fascinating culture of the Spanish people and the multicultural campus life were a great new world for me. I thoroughly enjoyed my study period at IE and believe that I have managed to create a great network of friends from my peers during my time at IE.
What would be your advice to someone applying for an MBA program?
Many people believe that an MBA is a degree that allows personal development. I do not share this approach. I consider it an investment: both in time and money. It is one year without income and a lot of expenses. You have to consider the MBA like an investment and see whether the investment is worth it. For instance, the time spent in the MBA is essential and I really advise people to get into a one year program as I believe that it is enough for career advancement and I do not see the benefit of a two-year program.
Again, check the career services of the school. One of the reasons I chose IE was that IE has outstanding career services, lots of contacts with business schools, etc. and they organize a lot of career fairs, coaching, and have a huge network which professional interested me.
Finally, every manager should find the right partner to work with and I can only recommend the MBA Center for this purpose. I enjoyed my time there and received great support during the worst period of the preparation that was the GMAT. Still, I received the patient dedication of Dr. Hubert Silly and his team which was very helpful for me in reaching my goals.