Juan Pablo González
I’m originally from Mexico City, but relocated to Madrid three years ago with my parents and finished high school in a British school in Madrid. I am passionate and driven about my work, but above all, I am a philomath, fluent in three languages and with an agile and creative ethos. In addition, I’m a classically trained pianist, composer and music teacher.
I have a strong interest in the world of consulting, as well as in the application of behavioral science to improve customer experience in the luxury, travel, and consumer goods sectors. I found IE University to be the best choice for me, because of this unique degree and its international character.
"IE University as a whole, and the Talent and Careers department in particular, offer many helpful opportunities for job searching throughout the year."
A passion for practical psychology
Juan Pablo knew he wanted to study “something in business or marketing,” but with a focus on psychology. After undertaking research into behavioral economics, he was struck by how it contradicted the views of classical economists such as Adam Smith: humans are not rational machines and our decision-making processes are influenced by many other factors. Juan Pablo became intrigued by the question of how we can understand—and positively influence—human behavior.
For Juan Pablo, an organization’s success lies in how it manages the interconnection of human behavior and data analytics, a topic that he studied during the first year of his Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences. The course on data insights and visualization showed him how important it is to represent data in an interesting and meaningful way.
Now in his second year, Juan Pablo is particularly enjoying the courses on organizational behavior and the psychology of cognition and emotion. He praises the professors’ skill in teaching and motivating students, saying they have truly opened his eyes to the many applications of behavioral science. He also values the creativity and problem-solving skills of his fellow students.
In addition to his studies, Juan Pablo is on the managerial board of The Stork, IE University’s independent student newspaper. He joined as a lifestyle editor during his first year when he increased readership of the lifestyle section by applying observational research and selecting attractive topics for articles. Juan Pablo now oversees the production of articles across the Segovia campus in four sectors: lifestyle, news, opinion and Spanish.
Juan Pablo’s goal after graduation is to work either in consulting or in the area of market research and user experience. Later on, he says, he would like to study for a master’s degree in consumer behavior. He feels the Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences will help him achieve these aims by providing him with valuable academic and business resources and a profile that will place him in high demand in today’s marketplace.
Asked if there is one thing he wishes he’d known before starting the program, Juan Pablo replies, “just the sheer number of things you can apply behavioral science to, besides business.” He cites healthcare, social impact and law as examples. We’re sure that whatever he decides to turn his hand to, his future will be a bright one.
