Calling all IESE MBA Applicants: 2024 Intake Class of 2026

How was/ is your experience overall been at IESE?
Barcelona as a city is great. It will help to fit in more if you learn Spanish but it’s pretty international so you don’t need to worry about it too much. They offer Business Spanish Classes in school too so you should be fine. The schedule is very hectic so the dropout rate from these classes are high though, so be prepared for that. Academics is of high calibre and you are expected to devote quite some time especially in year 1 to this. Recruitment for consulting is five-star, for finance is four-star and Diversified Industries (all other industries) is somewhere between three-star to four-star; if I were to rate it out of five.

Any unexpected surprises, both positive and negative?
The recruitment and sponsorship barrier is very high, and will render you ineligible for most European jobs. If you are a non-European or if you do not know any local language (Spanish/German/French) then things get very tricky. The negative.
The positive. The community is smaller in size, which creates much stronger bonds and your classmates are extremely collaborative. The class environment is extremely rich due to the truly international diversity, and this creates a formidable learning experience. So your cohort will play a large part in your enrichment of skills and ensuring of success both academically and professionally.

How has the recruitment scenario overall been? The latest 2023 employment numbers indicate a good number (49%) transitioning to consulting - any key drivers you see behind this?
I believe that the extremely high expansion in the Middle East and the diversification of industries push from Barcelona have both contributed to this extremely high figures of consulting. Moreover, the LATAM market is very hot right now and this provides a large number of opportunities for Tier-2 and Tier-3 boutique firms in consulting to have strong growth numbers and hire well.
Tier 1 - MBB
Tier 2 - think Strategy&, OliverWyman, FTI, Delta Partners, Kearney, etc
Tier 3 - local names
How has your job/ internship search been - any particular resources from IESE that stood out?
I come from a non-traditional background (niche industry+no big name brand) so personally it has been challenging. But the consulting club and the Career Development team of Consulting in IESE are world-class - you’ll have a great learning experience to push you over the line and with the strong emphasis on teamwork, we ensure that no man/woman is left behind!
Any insights on clubs (academic/ social), career treks (e.g. Consulting/ Finance trek) or fairs?

Any insights on clubs (academic/ social), career treks (e.g. Consulting/ Finance trek) or fairs?
Prepare well in advance. Target and be selective of your go-to companies. Networking matters alot. Be prepared to choose only one trek (consulting/finance) as the preparation is very intensive and demanding. It will be unfair to either Club to have you doing both. Very few rare breeds (think people who are already consultants/bankers and excellent at their job) can do both. Be welcoming of non-consulting and finance opportunities too, there are some excellent businesses out there and consulting is not the end game for all.

admitStreet, I have replied to your questions above. If @gmatclub can arrange a video interview or call, I can take many more queries.