Pivoting careers through Imperial

I initially moved to London for my undergraduate degree in Educational Psychology at 18. As I progressed through my studies, I realised that I wanted to pivot into the technology sector and take on some more tech-heavy business roles. This is what drew me to Imperial’s MSc in Management (MiM) programme for my Master’s studies. The cutting-edge ecosystem and strong reputation in STEM-related disciplines felt like the ideal environment to support this transition.

Supporting my career goals with global opportunities

From the very start of my Master’s, it became clear that there were numerous ways that I could tailor my learning to suit my career goals. During Induction Week, the Extended Term, and specifically the Extended Global Exchange, was highlighted during a conversation with the Global Student Life Manager. Having lived in Beijing, Singapore and London, this immersive experience presented a chance for me to expand my horizons further.

Practically, the Extended Term advanced my graduation timeline, enabling me to access a broader pool of internship opportunities for my Work Placement. I leveraged this opportunity to try out more technical business roles, allowing me to test and refine my career assumptions as someone seeking to pivot between fields.

Researching partner institutions

After expressing my interest in the Extended Global Exchange, the Business School provided a well-structured website with detailed information on each partner institution, including brochures and contact points. This gave me a comprehensive overview of the available opportunities and helped me shortlist potential destinations early on.

The exchange team also maintained an open-door policy. Booking calls was extremely straightforward and staff were consistently responsive and transparent. Any unanswered questions, such as exchange timing details, were clarified as soon as confirmed information became available. This allowed me to evaluate my top choices thoroughly and with confidence.

Choosing IE Business School in Madrid

Specifically, I chose to undertake the exchange at Imperial’s partner institution, IE Business School. There were several reasons why I chose this institution, including its beautiful Madrid location, its growing reputation in digital innovation, finance and entrepreneurship, and its focus on highly applied pedagogy, which is a personal interest of mine after studying education. Having also studied Spanish since middle school, it’s long been a wish of mine to live in Spain, so I had to go for it.

The most decisive step was a call organised with the Global Exchange staff at IE Business School. The session provided clarity on academic structure, course delivery and student life. The insights shared during that conversation ultimately confirmed that it was the right fit for me.

Applying MSc in Management (MiM) learnings to a new academic environment

From the outset, my studies on the MSc in Management (MiM) programme set me up for success on the exchange. As a highly international cohort, I worked in diverse teams at Imperial, which trained me to communicate effectively across cultures and different working styles. Being able to navigate multicultural environments was invaluable at IE Business School, where classrooms were similarly global and collaborative.

Academically, the technical grounding and applied problem solving on my programme translated directly to the classroom environment at IE Business School. Concepts and approaches developed during Imperial’s Marketing Analytics elective gave me the confidence to contribute meaningfully to IE’s FinTech module, especially around applying machine learning algorithms to emerging financial technologies. Bringing this knowledge into group work at IE Business School sparked engaging in-class discussions and added depth to our projects.

Together with my Imperial classmate, Umang, who was also on the exchange at IE, we achieved the top score in the class.

Representing Imperial in a global competition

A personal highlight for me was attending the Tech Venture Bootcamp by the IE School of Science and Technology, a university-wide start-up competition. We formed teams on the spot, defined users and pain points, devised business strategies, developed a technical product and pitched in 10 days. I joined the team as the developer, as I wanted to try something new, and learnt how to build a full data engineering pipeline. This was the perfect learning opportunity to extend the skills I had developed at the Business School.

While we did not win the grand prize, we were a finalist for the Sustainability Award out of 20 teams. I made great friends that I keep in touch with, and with sharp contributions, I hope we represented Imperial in a positive manner.

Academic and cultural growth in Madrid

Beyond the curriculum, the exchange offered moments that challenged how I learn and engage. One standout moment was when a senior leader from McKinsey & Company came to deliver a guest lecture. Through clarity and presence, he demonstrated what elite communication at the highest level looks like during a live Q&A.

Living and studying in Madrid for an extended period also pushed me to adapt culturally. I joined a mixed martial arts gym in the local community with my course mate and regularly took the opportunity to develop my conversational Spanish skills.

The benefits of an Extended Global Exchange from my experience

For me, the defining feature of this initiative was its duration. Studying for a full academic term allows students to move beyond the novelty and tourist phase and genuinely experience daily life in another country. It creates the space to establish important routines, build deeper friendships and engage meaningfully in academics.

Whilst short-term exchanges compress the experience into a tight window, a full-term exchange offered me a chance to find a more balanced rhythm. I was able to focus on my learning, whilst also integrating into everyday life in Madrid. My experience wasn’t a rushed one, but a chance to intentionally live an international study experience.

As a result, it has significantly enhanced both the value and enjoyment of my Master’s experience. Not only was I able to fulfil my dream of living in Spain whilst continuing to develop specialised knowledge in finance and technology but also see how the knowledge built on the MSc in Management (MiM) programme can be applied to a global learning environment.

Enhancing my CV with the Extended Global Exchange

The exchange expanded both my technical exposure and project portfolio. The Imperial ecosystem is rife with opportunities, so by extending my studies with the Global Exchange, it meant that I had more time to dive deeper into my areas of interest.

As a result, I now have tangible technical projects that demonstrate my ability to operate at the intersection of technology and business. In addition, developing conversational Spanish strengthens my international profile and supports long-term global mobility.

Together, the Extended Global Exchange enhances both the depth and breadth of my CV, complementing the strong analytical foundation developed during my studies at the Business School.

Going forward, I plan on exploring tech-oriented business roles such as AI transformation or product management, utilising everything I’ve learnt across both Imperial and IE.