Camilla Geismar

How did you become aware of IE Business School? What made you choose the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources specifically?

I first heard about IE Business School through a friend who had applied for the Master in Management. I also did a one-year work placement as an HR Business Partner at Goldman Sachs and IE Business School was one of the most popular schools for Goldman Sachs employees. 

I love to work/live/discover countries, and I thought it was an amazing opportunity to study for a Master outside of Germany and have the opportunity to discover Spain. I also chose the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources because I felt it had everything I was looking for: strong theoretical and practical background across Human Resources to deepen my overall knowledge of the practice. I felt that the program had a nice balance of a wide range of different HR areas and didn’t just cover basic topics. Moreover, I loved the idea of having a lot of hands-on projects. So, the learning experience was not just the theoretical background but also allowed me to apply my learning to projects and collaborate with people from across the world

The program features unique initiatives like the Global Immersion Week. What was the experience like?

We had the opportunity to go to London with some of the students who were studying for various degrees in Marketing. The experience was great; we visited companies like LinkedIn and Convex Insurance and even met with representatives from Diageo, Dazn, Netflix, Robert Walters and many more. I think that the sessions tailored specifically for Talent Development & Human Resources were especially incredible. It was super interesting to hear how different companies have different approaches. 

Tell us about your current role at McKinsey—what does your typical workday look like?

As a Recruiter at McKinsey, I have a lot of candidate contact. Typically, my workday looks like screening CVs of candidates that have applied for my positions that I manage, processing and taking care of candidates that are already in the active process. Moreover, I am in close contact with the Hiring Managers and discuss with them candidates and other inquiries that occur. I am also involved in event planning, which is also part of my workday. It is hard to say what my day looks like, as every day is also a bit different!

What are the qualities you need to succeed as a recruiter? Can you explain how your time at IE Business School helped you develop those qualities?

You need communication skills, especially when talking to candidates, you need to sell them the position and be as convincing as possible. Good communication and storytelling skills are a great asset at this point.

Being organized can help you, as well. This is something I learned from my experience at IE Business School. Being structured in what you do and when you do is incredibly helpful. Also, the mindfulness and wellness classes have helped me to prioritize and structure my workday and ensure that I have a good work-life balance.

What advice would you offer anybody considering joining the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources? Or IE Business School generally?

Be open-minded and make the most out of it. Within the Master in Talent Development & Human Resources and at IE Business School in general, there are a lot of incredible people that are willing to go above and beyond for you whenever you need it.