Afonso Oliveira
I’m from Aveiro in Portugal, a city known for its canals and Art Nouveau architecture. I recommend everyone visit! I’m a friendly, hard-working and persistent person, easy to get along with, but I never give up on my long-term goals. I’m passionate about football, having played the game for 12 years, and padel.
"These experiences have awakened in me the aim of studying at a global university such as IE University."
Gaining real-world experience alongside a demanding program
Before joining IE University, Afonso completed a BSc in Economics at Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon. During his third year, he had the opportunity to do a five-month exchange program in the United Kingdom, specifically at the University of Essex—inspiring his passion for studying abroad in an international environment. He then paused his studies for a year to gain some work experience while studying for the IE University entrance examinations. In that year, he spent four months in the Capital Markets division of a Portuguese Investment Bank, and six months at a consulting firm.
Growing up in a small Portuguese town, pursuing an undergraduate degree in Lisbon, and later taking part in the exchange program in the UK exposed Afonso to different cultures and helped him adapt to new realities. These experiences awakened in him the aim of studying at a global institution such as IE University. Furthermore, the quality of the program, its excellent rankings and Madrid’s proximity to his home country played an important role in his decision to come to IE University and set his future on an ambitious course.
Directly after his Master in Finance, he joined a listed investment holding in Luxembourg, and he’s currently undertaking a Private Equity internship. It’s his third, having done those two previous internships in completely different areas as a way to gain insights into what it’s really like working in those industries. What the Master in Finance has done is help him find the opportunity and understand what a fulfilling professional career will hold for him in the future.
“One of IE University’s strongest assets is the quality of its professors and facilities.”
Afonso began his program without a deep knowledge of which industry would fit his needs and expertise the best. The program’s materials and input, and the knowledge the real industry practitioners—his professors—shared meant that he finished the program with a crystal-clear idea of what his future should look like.
To anyone considering the Master in Finance at IE University as a step for their career, Afonso offers three pieces of advice. The first: take the longest vacation possible beforehand! As the program lasts for around 10 months, it’s super intense. However, in his opinion, that intensity was one of the most positive aspects of the program itself, since it prepares students for what’s coming next in their professional careers. For some weeks, Afonso felt “underwater” in terms of workload, but considering that the majority of the projects are developed in groups, these were challenging and fun times as you learn not only from your teachers but also from your peers and colleagues.
The second one is to try to attend as many classes as possible while enjoying living in Madrid—it’s a wonderful city. One of the strongest assets IE University has is the quality of its professors and facilities, meaning that attending classes is the best way to learn and improve.
His final piece of advice is to take the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) assessment. In Afonso’s case, he decided to go for the GMAT, but if it were today, he would opt for the CFA since it provides excellent preparation for what’s coming during the program.
Without any doubt, Afonso had one of the best years of his life in Madrid. Even though they were challenging times, he made lifelong friends and enjoyed student life. There were three things that really impressed him about the Master in Finance: the quality of the teachers, who have experience in top-tier firms; the international student body; and the program’s practical approach, with a lot of case studies and real-life exercises. The experience grew his global perspective with people from all over the world, ranging from India to Lebanon, and he developed both personally and professionally. IE University was really a game-changer in his life!
