Valeriia Todorova
Valeriia Todorova, an Ukrainian national, moved to Madrid a year ago to study the Masters in Management program at IE with a specialisation in International Business. She did her Bachelors in International Relations and Masters in Economic Relations from Institute of International Relations of Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University.
"Regular sessions with my Career Advisor helped me to elaborate a consistent strategy."
LEARN MORE ABOUT VALERIIA'S STORY
Background
Job title
Functional roles
"The Master in Economic Relations gave her a broad outlook and a wide choice of possible specialisations. During this master, she did an internship at the National Energy Regulatory Authority. She considers this opportunity a great starting point and, to some extent, a life-changing decision. She became fascinated by the energy sector, and as she explains “I saw an overwhelming importance of the energy sector and got an understanding of how much more things could be seen and developed within it. It’s incredibly challenging, dynamic and complex. No matter how big or small is the share of energy in the GDP, its impact on the economy can hardly be overestimated.” Still pursuing the energy sector, after IE Valeriia started at Gas Natural Fenosa in March 2017. She is currently working in the regulation department of Gas Natural which, she believes, demands an analytical mindset and a cooperative attitude.
Valeriia’s consistent strategy, regular sessions with her Career Advisor and exposure to the company representatives through the IE Talent Forum, were all stepping stones to her success."
"I started at Gas Natural Fenosa (GNF) in March 2017 as a participant of a 2-year rotational program for recent graduates called Management Staff. In accordance with my previous experience and background, I was assigned to the Regulation department, namely the European Regulation team. I am currently located in the Madrid office, but the nature of the program supposes geographic mobility since GNF is present in more than 25 countries. The location of the second rotation is yet unknown."
"Being a part of such a huge machine imposes great responsibility. This means not only doing your part of work well, but developing a strategic view, piecing together a puzzle, understanding the circuit and finding interconnections. It is especially important for the Regulation department where I am during the first rotation. I am involved in a series of studies on energy issues that have or can have impact on the company’s businesses. What is crucially important here is the analytical mindset and cooperative attitude. A deep dive won’t make any sense if you do not share it with the others. So, a good slice of my work routine is dedicated to communication with the experts from other departments. Such a job setting is ideal for those who are eager to learn and grow."
TIPS FROM VALERIIA TO APPLY FOR GAS NATURAL
Sessions with my Career Advisor
Regular sessions with my Career Advisor helped me to elaborate a consistent strategy.
GET INSIGHTS
I also approached current participants of the program –IE Alumni– to get the insights and first hand experience.
Mock interviews
Mock interviews were very helpful.
VALERIIA'S RECRUITING JOURNEY
My first point of contact with the Company was at IE Talent Forum which took place in October 2016, two months before graduation date. I visited the Company’s presentation, had a chat with its representatives and left my CV. In a week or so I started the recruitment process from doing an online assessment and going through an interview with an external HR consulting firm. Having succeeded at this stage, I was invited for an interview with HR and then a business partner responsible for the business area I am now incorporated in. The whole process took around a month. An important note for international students and future applicants: all the interviews were in Spanish.
FIRST CONTACT AT IE TALENT FORUM
SHE LEFT HER CV AT A COMPANY’S PRESENTATION
ONLINE ASSESSMENT TO GET IN THE PROCCESS
ROUND OF INTERVIEWS
ABOUT GAS NATURAL FENOSA
**Gas Natural Fenosa** is a leading multinational gas and electricity company with close to 23 million customers worldwide and 15.5 GW of installed power in over 30 countries around the world. It is one of the principal operators of liquefied natural gas in the world and the benchmark operator in the Atlantic and Mediterranean basins, the first and largest integrated gas and electricity company in Spain and Latin America, the leading gas supplier on the Iberian Peninsula and the top gas distribution group in Latin America. The group has a diverse business portfolio with great growth potential. Gas Natural Fenosa has one and a half centuries of experience behind it. It began its business activity in 1843 with the mission to illuminate the city of Barcelona with gas street lights. Gas Natural Fenosa’s financial, environmental and social results have been acknowledged through the listing of the company on prestigious sustainability indices: FTSE4Good, since 2001, and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World since 2008 and its European Variant, DJSIEurope, which acknowledges Gas Natural Fenosa as the world leader in the utilities sector in sustainability. The new Strategic Vision of Gas Natural Fenosa aims to protect the current business model, which has shown itself to be capable of growth over recent years, and to lay the foundations for ongoing growth.
"Regular sessions with my Career Advisor helped me to elaborate a consistent strategy."