12/07/2023
Originally from Spain, Paloma Bau Arrechea split her four-year undergraduate program between Madrid and France. After spending two years in France, she didn’t feel ready to dive into the world of work and was looking to specialize a bit more. Paloma knew she wanted to be close to her friends and family in Madrid, and the Master in Strategic Marketing and Communication provided her with exactly what she was looking for.
After completing her bachelor’s degree in international business, Paloma Bau Arrechea wanted to spend more time studying marketing and communication to add focus to her academic path. As international business is a well-rounded degree, the door to marketing and communication was open, and she stepped through it with the Master in Strategic Marketing and Communication.
I chose this particular program because I wanted to move back to my home city, Madrid, but I also wanted to continue studying. IE University offered the perfect option for me to do both.
Coming from a global environment in her undergraduate studies, Paloma was looking for a program that offered the same international mindset, as well as a chance to keep improving her level of English to be successful in her specialization. Paloma also wanted something that would stand out from other programs, “I wanted a program that was the best—I didn’t want a regular program.”
“I was looking for a master’s that was highly ranked and would complement my resume.”
Paloma learned about IE University from a friend who had studied here, and the blend of business, marketing and communication offered in the Master in Strategic Marketing and Communication drew her to apply. Plus, after looking at ratings and reading success stories from IE University alumni, Paloma knew this would be the perfect next step toward her future.
Taking her learnings into her career
The program led her to a project management role at Accenture. Today she delegates tasks, moving team members to different areas, and she’s also in charge of developing a multinational digital communication strategy.
I focus on the two things I’m best at: organizing and communicating.
As for the communication side of her current role, she uses the skills gained in the program to create an end-to-end digital vision of the marketing activities her team carries out. “We work on enhancing the customer journey by looking at the pain points and finding ways to improve the experience through the website, with a focus on acquisition. We’re a consulting firm, so we need to sell, but we want to deliver the best user experience.”
Paloma certainly learned a lot in the program, both inside and outside the classroom. “I learned how to work, and more specifically, work with people from all over the world. I think that’s my biggest takeaway from the program—learning how to work.” The program also taught her to listen carefully and be open to the opportunity to learn from people with different perspectives. Plus, thanks to all the group projects and real-world cases, Paloma learned that as a project manager, she would be responsible for what her team was doing.
“Project managers are the last layer. They need to ensure that everything is organized and delivered on time. I learned that during the program—how to be the best me.”
Having enrolled at IE University with no professional background, Paloma says she got her MARCOM role at Accenture because of the program. Accenture was looking for someone who had a communication and marketing background, especially as they specialize in the digital market. As an international company, they also wanted someone comfortable working with people from other cultures—and IE University had provided Paloma with just that. “The program has a really strong international character; it’s one of the best things about it.”
An environment that pushes you to be better
As much as its international character, Paloma loved the focus the program, and the university as a whole, places on entrepreneurship and innovation. “I think IE University really pushed me to innovate—to take the things I like and go a bit further with them.” This entrepreneurial spirit was elevated by the professors, as well as her classmates. “IE University has some of the highest-ranked students and professors in the world, and that’s something you cannot take for granted.”
“Being with excellent people makes you want to be excellent.”
Paloma would recommend this program without hesitation, and while she would “do it again without a doubt,” she’d have preferred a little professional experience behind her before she enrolled. “I loved the program, but I would have been more mature and gained even more with a bit more work experience going into it.” She felt that with a couple of years in the world of work, she would have been able to offer more insight for group projects and class discussions. Even so, Paloma would recommend the program and all its highs and lows: “I remember they told us it would be like a rollercoaster. And it’s 100% that.”
Since graduation, Paloma has considered continuing her studies, “I thought of studying another master’s now that I’m a bit older, but I don’t think I’ll find a program that offers me as much as IE University did. I want to grow professionally, but I’ll have to find other ways to do that because I already studied the best program out there.”
