Liviu Nedef
Liviu Nedef, a student in the April 2011 intake of the International MBA, shares his experiences so far at IE Business School in Madrid.
Why did you decide to do an MBA at this stage of your career?
I decided to do an MBA because I wanted to get a better understanding of business. A good MBA should be designed in such a way to allow you to develop your career to its fullest potential and at an accelerated pace, that’s what I signed up for. Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying my job prior to the MBA, but my tasks and knowledge were very focused and I knew that an MBA would give me a broader view of business.
How do you think your MBA will contribute to your success?
I think first of all it will diversify my skills set and allow me to position myself better in the tough job market we face nowadays. An MBA helps you see the big picture and at the same time understand the details of the day-to-day challenges one has to deal with in the real business world. I am also confident it will help me open new doors for more responsibility.
How would you describe IE culture?
One of the things IE is best known for is the incredible cultural diversity of its students and I really wanted to be a part of this type of international learning experience: in my class of 50 students there are more than 30 nationalities and you can benefit from each of your colleagues’background and experience. You can also get really cool advice for places to visit or new food to try!
How easy was it to adjust to living in Madrid?
It wasn’t hard at all. Of course, coming from a Latin country helped a lot since I knew what to expect. Madrid is a lovely city and I enjoy it as much as I can, the locals are very friendly and I have grown quite fond of the siesta time which was totally new for me when coming here .
Why did you choose IE?
I was looking for a school with an international perspective but my research was focused mainly on top European business schools that promoted a competitive environment. Advice from IE alumni also proved to be quite helpful and made me realize IE was the right choice for me.
What do you think of the program so far?
The program is quite intense and demanding and I personally had to get used to a lot less sleep per night. Seriously speaking, the program exposes you to all aspects of business, from marketing and strategy to finance, operations and organizational behavior. This is a good thing though because it allows me to grow outside of my comfort zone and pushes my limits on a daily basis, making the learning experience much more rewarding.
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