Jacqueline Zeiss

Before studying the Master in Finance at IE University, Jacqueline had already developed a strong foundation in business. It was actually an internship in the business sector that opened her eyes to the world of finance in a corporate setting. She discovered that finance was the career path she had been looking for, and she decided to pursue further education in this field.

A few of Jacqueline’s friends had studied at IE University, and she was drawn by the diverse, international, open-minded environment they described. She attended an open day at IE University, and it was immediately clear why her friends spoke so highly of their experiences there. Very soon, she was certain that IE University could offer her what she was looking for, providing the perfect environment to grow both professionally and personally.

Jacqueline describes the Master in Finance as a broad, holistic program that offers everyone—regardless of their career goals in finance—the necessary skills to become a well-rounded professional. She enjoyed the hands-on nature of the classes: it was intense but it meant she learned a lot of hard and soft skills for the workplace. Throwing herself into her studies, she quickly got to grips with financial statements, valuation, business models, modeling and accounting while developing the skills to work under pressure and stay organized.

Not all the subjects came easily to her, though. Jacqueline says she has never been very technologically minded, but she realized the importance of tech in terms of her long-term professional development. With the guidance and support of her professors, she was able to pick up the basics of programming, which she believes will play an important role in her future.

Having developed a particular interest in the area of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), Jacqueline thrived in courses based on understanding business models and markets and how both aspects are reflected in financials, valuation and processes. Jacqueline’s favorite class was financial statement analysis, as it allowed her to apply her understanding of business models to how they are reflected in financial statements—for example, a tech company would have a very different balance sheet from a manufacturing company.

Of course, during her time at IE University, Jacqueline took every opportunity to enrich her CV. She was elected president of the IE Finance and Capital Markets Club, which was a highlight of her experience at IE University. Jacqueline and her colleagues were able to organize workshops and speaker sessions, which everyone really enjoyed and learned from. With over 2000 members, the club provided her with a wide network of contacts that has proved invaluable to her professional advancement.

After graduating from her program, Jacqueline completed three different internships: two in M&A and a third in private debt, which allowed her to expand her skill set and explore different areas of finance. Looking back, she recalls the challenge of balancing her studies with internship applications, which she started working on well before the end of the master’s program. However, she felt well prepared thanks to the guidance, resources and interview workshops provided by the IE Talent & Careers team.

“I loved that the program was hands-on while also being intense.”

With the skills and knowledge she gained at IE University, Jacqueline’s career has been a non-stop success story. Having completed her internships, she achieved her goal of becoming an Investment Banking Analyst. After two years in the role, she decided she wanted to keep challenging herself to expand her skills in different areas. “In M&A you need a broader set of skills, and IE University encouraged me to look at areas that are connected to but not necessarily part of my day-to-day job. This helped me to understand my different client types better,” she says.

Looking back on her time at IE University, Jacqueline describes it as “absolutely amazing.” It was hard work but an unbeatable learning experience. She especially recommends the Master in Finance to anyone who wants to pursue a career in investment banking, thanks to the hands-on environment that provides students with the skills they need to succeed in the industry.