Last week, after competing against over 500 other students from different universities, IEU 4th year Bachelor in Business Administration students Maria Luisa San Salvador and Ignacio de Miguel Carrasco won 1st and 3rd prize at EY 2017 Challenge, securing this way a direct professional experience offer at the firm. Congratulations!
Maria Luisa is graduating from the BBA this spring, was recently on exchange in Sydney, and has interned at Credit Suisse and Baring Brothers Sturdza, both in Switzerland.
Ignacio is also part of the BBA Class of 2017. He pursued his Exchange at Tsinghua University in China, and participated in a Summer Internship at Santander UK’s London HQ last summer.
Below please find Maria Luisa’s insight on this experience, which she thinks everyone should apply to!
How did you find out about this opportunity?
It was a friend of mine who introduced me to this opportunity. We were talking about the recruitment processes we were participating in for different consulting firms when he told me about his participation in the EY Challenge, and how it was a great and different way to enter a top consulting firm. So I went for it!
Can you tell us a little bit about the challenge itself?
The first phase was a business simulation where each person had to manage a virtual business online, during 8 virtual periods (1 real month).The participants with the best results during the business simulation reached the final (that is 30 out of more than 500 participants). The final was a two-day intensive competition were you were assigned to random teams in order to solve two different business cases.
The simulation required very technical skills and decision making. The final was technical, however more focused on interpersonal skills and team playing. As a whole, it was an incredible way to experience what being a consultant means, to practice for every type of interview, and in the end, a great chance to network.
How do you feel your IE experience helped you perform in this Challenge? Why do you think there were two IEU students among the finalists?
During my time at IE I have had to study, solve and present very different types of business cases. I also learned to work with very different people as a team (sometimes this is easy and others not so much). IE helped me develop my skills as a team player and case master in order to win the EY Challenge.
What was the prize?
The first price was international professional experience at EY Transactions, with a rotation program among different European countries.
Would you want to share any tips, advice with current student interested in participating in future editions of this Challenge?
My first advise is to try! Many times we think that we are never going to win but you never know. I thought I didn’t have a chance (I’m not the best student in my class!), but I already had the NO so I went for the WIN! It’s about much more than technical skills, so if you do your best you might have a chance.
I also think that independently of the result, the Challenge is the best way to practice for interviews in consulting firms, and for networking. I completely recommended it as a plus for your curriculum.
