Margarida Jerónimo

During her final year in high school, Margarida was still unsure as to which degree she wanted to take, as she had two areas of interest: healthcare and finance. After completing one year of medical school, she realized that this was not her true passion. So she changed course and took a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Católica Lisbon School of Business and Economics, followed by a summer internship in asset management.

Margarida wanted to continue her studies at a top university in Europe, and chose IE Business School for her master’s degree as she was impressed by its rankings. She was also attracted by the fact that the Master in Finance program offered additional activities such as the trips to London, New York and Frankfurt, as well as the choice of four different specializations and several options for the final exam.

Margarida describes herself as a very shy person, and emphasizes that coming to a new country where she knew nobody was a big step for her. However, she was pleasantly surprised that everyone at IE Business School was so welcoming, and found it much easier to settle in than she had expected. She also found the campus very well-designed, modern and technologically advanced.

One aspect of the Master in FInance which particularly appealed to Margarida was the option to pursue a specialization in alternative investments. This has allowed her to gain a deeper understanding of real estate, venture capital and commodities—areas in which she hopes to work after graduation. Ideally, she would like to join a real estate investments firm, a real estate department within a big company, or a venture capital firm. Her long-term goal is to be a project manager in real estate investments, and also to own some of her own real estate investments. While acknowledging that finding a job in the area of her choice will not be easy, she feels that her experience at IE Business School will help her to get “a foot in the door” in the industry.

Margarida’s advice to anyone considering pursuing the Master in Finance is to take the mandatory Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) assessment, as this provides excellent preparation for what’s to come. She advises anyone embarking on the program to go to every class, participate fully, engage and pay attention.

“You will learn and take a lot more from every subject,” she says, adding, “It will also save you a lot of time studying.”

Summing up her experience at IE Business School, Margarida states that she has found it very rewarding and fulfilling. As well as learning a lot about finance, she has enjoyed the experience of living in Madrid and meeting new people. She particularly appreciates the diversity of her cohort and feels that having multiple perspectives provides an interesting dynamic, which has allowed her to learn even more.