Lucia made use of her dual Costa Rican and Italian nationality to study an MBA in Italy. When considering business schools, MIP’s technology-focused program stood out.
The MIP MBA was designed in collaboration with over 30 official partners including tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and IBM, integrating online learning alongside its core MBA curriculum.
MIP’s International Flex EMBA (i-Flex) – a 90% online Executive MBA program – was also developed in partnership with Microsoft.
At MIP, Lucia did project work with Microsoft, took classes on hot tech topics like big data and the IoT (Internet of Things), and visited tech giants like Google in Silicon Valley.
Just 30% of the 7 million people working in technology in Europe are women – according to the EU Commission. Globally, only 25% of Microsoft’s employees are women.
MIP is looking to address the balance. Over 95% of MIP MBAs land new jobs within ten months of graduation. 57% of job opportunities are found by the school.
Lucia started working as an account technology strategist for Microsoft in Madrid in May this year, joining Microsoft’s MACH program – a two-year development program for graduate hires. She advises customers on how to use Microsoft tools to drive their digital transformations.
How did the job at Microsoft come about?
As soon as I started at MIP, Microsoft caught my attention. In my second week, I watched Microsoft’s company presentation on Skype from Costa Rica. Once the presentation ended, Microsoft HR representatives invited us to send our resumes over by email. I sent my resume immediately and got an answer a couple of days later. MIP sent our resume books too, but I wanted to be sure from my side.
A couple of days later, I got invited for a first HR interview for the MACH MBA Program. After a long process of following up and having four interviews, I ended up with an offer for a full-time position in the Madrid subsidiary. Throughout the process, MIP’s careers service helped me follow up with Microsoft and organized my project work, which I thankfully ended up doing at Microsoft too.
How are you applying your MBA learnings in your current role?
I am a technological advisor for Microsoft’s customers, recommending the best tools and solutions, and partnering with experts to drive their digital transformations. After a lot of classes in digital transformation, the IoT, big data, and also on sales strategy and change management, I’m applying a lot of concepts and industry cases in my current role.
MIP made us understand that there are a lot of opportunities and new great things to apply, but we first need to understand the industry and company’s needs, and then know how to create real customer success by executing a coordinated change management process.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at MIP?
I decided to do an MBA to open my mind not only professionally but personally. I was working for a great logistics and ecommerce company in Costa Rica, but it felt like the perfect time to stop for a while and search for bigger challenges.
When researching business schools, I knew Italy was my destination because of my dual nationality, but the weight of the ‘Made in Italy’ brand and the potential of engineering schools in the country caught my attention.
MIP’s program combines theory with practice working for real companies in Italy’s industrial center. When I saw the school’s partners, its weight in the Italian and international market, as well as the Silicon Valley experience on offer, I knew choosing MIP was a no-brainer.
Would you be where you are today without the MIP MBA?
I wouldn’t have been considered for the same position at Microsoft without an MBA. MIP’s partnership with Microsoft and closeness to the tech industry was a winning combination.
It’s no secret that women have it more difficult in this type of industry, and MIP’s MBA gave me the confidence to apply for and credibility to be accepted for a great position. It taught me how the world is evolving and reassured me that, while there will always be challenges, with a strong character and a positive attitude you can achieve great things. I’m really enjoying the ride!
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