Current affairs

EAE celebrates the end of the course for the students on the Executive MBA in Madrid

Thursday, 28 de January, 2016

EAE celebrates the end of the course for the students on the Executive MBA in Madrid

Thursday, 28 de January, 2016

On Friday 22nd January, the students on EAE’s Executive MBA came together at the Madrid Casino to celebrate the success achieved over the course of these months of study.

The event was held at 20:30, starting with drinks being served and attendees having the opportunity to enjoy good wine and share their academic achievements. The celebration was the icing on the cake for the programme, as it enabled students to consolidate the network of contacts that they had made over the course of their specialization process. The mood was characterized by the satisfaction of the graduates, all of whom were dressed for the occasion and smiling throughout the celebration. Taking advantage of the event, we asked some of the attendees a few questions to find out about their motivations.

In terms of the reasons behind their choice to take an Executive MBA as a further qualification, many of the participants agreed that it represents a significant boost to their careers. The majority of the students had come from a technical background and, in their opinion, this qualification was the natural next step when it came to acquiring skills in the field of business management. Growing professionally and opening up new paths forward were shared unanimously as reasons, if we analyse the individual projects undertaken by the people enrolled on the programme.

There was also a general consensus in terms of the competitive advantages. Specialization, the practical approach, enhanced employability and, of course, active networking, were some of the key strengths highlighted by the participants.

We also wanted to find out the reasons that led them to pick EAE Business School as the centre to undertake their studies. In this respect, the students underwent a prior selection process in which they highlighted the School’s prestigious reputation, category and fees. One of the interviewees underlined this last reason as the deciding factor when making a final choice, as the School was “the most reasonable alternative. The price is very affordable and the quality of programme is extremely high”. Other participants mentioned other personal reasons: “I was considering various business schools and did several interviews. The fact that EAE is a Catalan school with over 50 years of history in Barcelona really inspired confidence” explained Maribel Forcada, who has extensive experience in operations.

With regard to the value in terms of networking opportunities, we wanted to know whether this Executive MBA has enabled the students to generate contacts with added value that may be useful in the performance of their professional activity. In general, the responses were positive, as in the students’ opinion, throughout the period of tuition, the atmosphere between the classmates has been optimal, enabling fluid communication and generating opportunities. As such, the Executive MBA taken at EAE has been fundamental in terms of expanding the graduates’ professional contacts.

With respect to the attitude required to create a network of contacts, above all, the graduates highlighted an active presence on social media. “Having a LinkedIn profile and knowing how to promote it is crucial”, stated one of the graduates. Other virtues highlight by participants included commitment, curiosity and communication skills, insofar as knowing how to ask and listen was the foundation of success.

Lastly, we wanted to know the opinion of the participants with respect to introducing networking techniques as part of study programmes. On this point, there were conflicting view. Some felt that specific training in this area is not necessary as “it depends on the individual’s attitude in terms of their professional career. We are well-integrated in the world of social media and tuition in this respect makes no sense in a Master programme”. In contrast, others believed that training students in this area is crucial. “I belong to a generation for which these advances represent a revolution. We need to know suitable communication techniques, as well as the right events and circles to be involved in”.

The event was brought to a close in the dining room of the Madrid Casino, where participants enjoyed a great meal and listened to the closing speech given by Óscar Izquierdo, General Director of Ray Human Capital Spain, and the delegate of the graduating class, Ruben Delestal Frade, Technical Manager at Indra.