Ilaria, MIM, HEC, March 2020, Student of the Month

An Italian citizen Ilaria, born and brought up in Italy, with a strong sense of European Citizenship, wanted to study abroad to widen her worldview and develop her network. She has a degree in bachelor of science in economics and finance. As she thought it was still not enough to get what she wanted for the longer term, she started applying for a master’s to broaden her network and have international exposure. After working with her in her preparation journey, she got acceptance by the two elite European schools, LBS and HEC. And she ended up choosing HEC Paris and will soon be starting her program in March 2020. So what made her feel HEC was her best fit? Continue reading her interview below to learn more about her preparation journey!

Can you tell us a bit more about yourself?

I am an Italian citizen, with a strong international focus since I grew up in Luxembourg and studied in the Lycée St Emilion in Milan, Italy. This has given me a strong sense of European citizenship; more global than just Italian. I completed my Master’s Degree at Boconiuniversity, in Milan, Italy. After this, I completed a four month-long internship with Deloitte, from September 2019 to present, in order to gain work experience in a valuable sector.

 

What prompted you to apply for a Master’s degree?

Even though a BSc in economics and finance has a high standard, and it was an appropriately challenging degree, it is not close enough to have the career that I want. As I feel so international, it made sense to study abroad and widen my worldview, this came with the added advantage of developing my network and attending an elite business school outside Italy.

 

Why did you choose HEC, at the end of your application process?

I got accepted to two elite European business schools, HEC and LBS, which are the only ones I applied to. I chose HEC because:

 

Format

The HEC MIM is a two-year program; it gives more time to learn and specialize…

 

The French advantage

My mother tongue is French, not Italian, and I want to live in France. This means that HEC was the obvious choice for me.

 

Courses offered

It’s worth mentioning that HEC offers many electives in the arts business, the sector in which I want to specialise. This is important for me as the world of Art dealing is notorious for not following a conventional economic trajectory, with both supply and demand being drastically different to a more conventional market.

 

What are your eventual career goals?

As I mentioned in my previous answer, I am interested in the art market, and it is my dream to find a job working in it. The ultimate goal, for me, would be to become a museum director, or direct an international art gallery, such as Sotheby’s. This will surely evolve due to technological advances, so I consider it essential to gain experience in the techniques of digital transformation. As it supplies all the training to develop these skills, HEC will allow me to fulfil my competitive potential, and to chase my dream.

 

What was difficult in the admission process?

The most difficult part of the application process was definitely the GMAT, by a long margin. While I was attending GMAT classes in Milan, I encountered Dr Hubert Silly. He gave me the trust and confidence to apply to my dream school, and encouraged me not to compromise on my dream. Overall I appreciated the time, dedication and expertise, shown by teachers. All the professors were kind and made an effort to always be available for me. I highly recommend the MBA Center services to anyone who wants to push themselves and explore their potential.