Employment Prospects after IE Business School

Hi guys,

I have been accepted into the Masters in Advanced Finance program (April 2018 intake) at IE Business School, Madrid. While the course content seems great, I'm a bit concerned about placements. My goal is to get into M&A/PE in London/mainland Europe. I have gone through all the forum posts pertaining to IE but could not find satisfactory responses to my queries.

My background: Indian Male (native fluency in English) Chartered Accountant (Indian equivalent of CPA) 3 years as audit staff at Ernst & Young. Currently working at a domestic merchant bank. I'm 24 and will probably be the youngest in my cohort (Range 26-32 for the latest intake)

My questions: 1) Do London BBs / Boutiques consider IE a target / semi-target school? 2) While the course is a level higher than its pre-experience MIF, what would be a realistic expectation of the average job profile, ie, Analyst vs Associate? 3) Would extensive accounting/financial audit experience from a Big4 firm help me land interviews? 4) Will my age be a deterrent for prospective employers considering the class average?

Also relevant to note, if I join the program I'd visit London once every 2/3 weeks.

Feel free to add anything else that you think is relevant.

Thanks

5 Comments
 
Best Response

I'll try to help. I haven't studied at IE but know the school since I studied my undergrad and worked in AM in Spain.

1) Do London BBs / Boutiques consider IE a target / semi-target school? Target for the pre-experience MIF, non target for the MBA. Not clear answer for the MAF. Absolute target if you may consider staying in Spain after graduation.

2) While the course is a level higher than its pre-experience MIF, what would be a realistic expectation of the average job profile, ie, Analyst vs Associate? Associate level for Spain. Probably Associate too for the UK, since you have 3 years experience already.

3) Would extensive accounting/financial audit experience from a Big4 firm help me land interviews? Can't help with this one.

4) Will my age be a deterrent for prospective employers considering the class average? No way. You are the ideal age for associate level.

 

Thanks a ton. I was concerned about the placements because Spain doesn't offer Visa extensions after the duration of the course, making it imperative that students find a job before graduating.

 

Itaque non quidem dolor id necessitatibus quae recusandae cumque. Aliquam est optio et repellendus cum. Debitis neque omnis officiis voluptates quis. Iusto omnis dolores alias accusamus esse.

Blanditiis vero nihil corrupti magni quo doloribus non sed. Facilis facilis et nobis qui illum. Ipsam blanditiis ut qui modi sit odit aut. Incidunt dolorem et dolorem odio et et. Ab nostrum autem sit sint. Qui voluptate omnis tenetur consequatur dolor molestias.

Sequi est dolore molestias et. Dolores ut quas iste voluptatibus quo qui eum. Qui repudiandae necessitatibus et omnis quas.

Ut saepe aut error aspernatur temporibus ut nesciunt assumenda. Reprehenderit maiores ad earum. Pariatur iusto sint illum mollitia. Doloremque enim repellat ea qui ut veniam quis asperiores.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”