Alongside providing industry insights to help students set out on their own professional journey, these fun events represent a fantastic opportunity for connection and networking.
The most recent edition of Grads Give Back was focused on the consulting industry. Alumni from some of the world’s biggest organizations joined current IE University students to tell the stories of their success. After the event came to a close, we sat down with two students—Josefina Pérez and Haolin Yang—to hear their thoughts on the webinar.
Tell us a little about yourself.
Josefina: My name is Josefina Pérez. I was born in Argentina and am currently in my second year of the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences.
Haolin: I am Haolin Yang, a first-year student from China in the Dual Degree in Business Administration and International Relations.
Josefina Peréz 
Haolin Yang
What led to you both attending the Grads Give Back: Consulting edition?
Josefina: I first heard about the Grads Give Back: Consulting Edition via the Talents & Careers newsletter, and I signed up through that. I decided to attend because I was interested in finding out more about consulting and hearing from other IE University students who went on to pursue this career. I know that, after finishing my bachelor’s program, I will have a lot of options. While I’m interested in consultancy, I haven’t met anyone with a similar educational background to mine in that area. I wanted to attend the event to see how people with different backgrounds were able to get into consulting and what their professional journeys were like.
Haolin: I am interested in both consulting and international organizations. I also received an email from IE Talent & Careers about this event, and I believed it would be a valuable opportunity to get to know more about the various industries. I thought it would also give me the chance to connect with alumni.
What did you like most about the event?
Josefina: What I liked most was the diversity of the event, in the sense that every alumni did something a bit different and did so in a different company. For instance, one of the alumni was a research analyst in a consulting company, which is a consulting role that I didn’t know existed prior to the event—I found that quite interesting. By going to these events we really can gain new knowledge and understanding of the sectors, and I think that is highly valuable.
Haolin: The event featured alumni who work at The Big Three and Word Bank. They shared their experience with us, both before getting hired and in their current roles. They also provided us with some interview and internship-related advice. The best part is that I can follow up with them after the event, and we can speak a bit more about their professional journeys. They are all willing to help and provide more information. I enjoyed learning more about the consulting industry and what their actual daily life is like, but connecting with alumni was one of the best parts of this event for me.
Would you recommend it to other students?
Josefina: I would definitely recommend that other students attend future editions of Grads Give Back. I think that it’s a great way to see how IE University alumni have carved their own career paths and for us to learn from their experiences. Even though everyone has a unique path, it is quite helpful to understand what other people have done.
Haolin: I would strongly suggest to other students that they should participate in the event, as I’m sure future editions will include more industries. It is a chance for you to learn and to connect with alumni, and to learn more about the industries you are interested in.
The Grads Give Back events are just one example of the fantastic community that makes up IE University. From the Talent & Careers department to the alumni to the current students, a substantial amount of work and commitment went into making this a success.
If you’d like to join the next Grads Give Back: Social Impact Edition , click here to register!
