My Ending

Hello,

For those loyal followers of this blog, I've started a new chapter in my life. So this one is closing. Thank you for joining me in my 1st 2 years abroad in business school. May you all have happy and prosperous lives.

Cheers
-MujerDivina

My Interview in Murcia

One July afternoon, I received a call from the Spanish branch of Hero, a Swiss condiment company. I would have an interview with them in Murcia via Alicante. That morning, I woke up and flew to my first completely Spanish interview. This was a lucid indicator of how far I had come from my stay in Spain. Not only with my Spanish, but with my life.

The interview would last all day, and consist with a few interviews with Marketing Directors, and HR personnel, and hours of IQ and Psychological tests. Everything was in Spanish, and I although I found the personality tests interesting, it took a while to fully understand each of the 80 mini situations written in colloquial Spanish. The timed IQ tests consisted of Spanish word jumbles and spatial puzzles which I found mostly ridiculous and sometimes infuriating.

At the end of the interview, the driver took me on a tour of the city, but I had already made my decision. I would not be taking the job. Although the people were nice, and the company was respectful, it was not what I wanted. I learned that I would spend 1 year in a small Spanish town for an internship before moving to a permanent position in Albany, New York. And to be honest, I didn’t want to put another year of my life on hold. As I said before, I want roots. Neither Murcia nor Albany fit the bill. And I didn’t complete an MBA for the prospect of a fulltime offer after a 1 year internship. I wanted a commitment to a full time offer; I wanted security. I might even want a job back in Securities.

Graduation

Whenever I think of graduation, that Journey song comes to mind....

"Just a small town girl. Livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going aaaany-wheeere!"

In a way, a lot of us are taking this train (going aaaany-wheere!), in probably the worst economic climate since the Great Depression. And me, graduating with a bilingual MBA from Spain. The next few months will be anyone's guess what will happen.

Graduation was strange. Emotional for some, unemotional for me. I guess it's because the future is so uncertain. I came to the MBA partly to "change the world" but right now it seems like I'm solely living in this world. I don't know if that makes much sense.

Anyways, the night before graduation, I went to probably the last Calatrava BBQ hosted by David P I might ever go to. It was a classic. Sun, beer, food, good IESE company. I spent the night before graduation salsa dancing with Prisque. It was a strange feeling, because I knew Prisque would be leaving to Paris soon.

I woke up April 30 feeling it was a regular day, but at the ceremony, it felt good to get the diploma in hand and hear the wonderful speeches. Alan's speech was hilarious. He made us all laugh (so hard!), which was exactly what we needed.

Some pictures of after the ceremony:

The Ultimate Financiers: Basti & I

We gathered in the atrium of the aula magna for cocktails. Ran into some Professors and chatted a bit. It was nice. After the schmoozing was the graduation dinner. And after that, was the party at club Elephant:

My 2 first year flatmates.

The actor that plays Ted Mosby says something on "How I Met Your Mother" that I truly believe in:

"I think for the most part, if you're really honest about what you want out of life, life gives it to you."

I now know what I really want out of life. So I'm going to go out there and get it. And it's going to be Legen... wait for it... dary.

Doll Face

A video about the illusions in life that try to change you and what happens when you take great risks to become a different person. A challenge for every trader. You have to be humble. You have to accept that you can't control the market. You can't take things personally. You have to make your decision and get out of it never looking back... it costs too much to worry. Trading is immensely psychological, not many realize.

"Pursue your life with integrity. Find what you're good at: that which so fits your values and interests that it expresses the depths of who you are. Out of that you'll find a career and a calling--whether it's trading or something else.

Everything else is illusion."

-Brett Steenbarger

Spring Fling

Spring Fling is an event IESE hosts every March which brings together neighboring European business schools to compete in sports and listen to presentations from well known business leaders.

My team (IESE Second Years) took 1st place in the salsa competition.

The team:




Although this was a rueda where we switch partners, my intial partner Daniel and me.

The video:

Multi Culti

It's been about a month since Multi Culti 2009, an IESE event where different cultures are put together in a closed Colosseum where they showcase their national food, customs & drink. Since I am too lazy to recall all the details of that delicious March 6 night, I'll post pictures and you can create your own story:

The Mexicans

The Japanese

Go Canada

The Italians

The Spaniards just have a certain something to them, don't they?

Those crazy Dutch (I'm jealous)

The Brazilians and a little Samba

The Portuguese table... oooo Super Bock!


Now some personal pics:
Balaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Best dance of the night had to be with a Colombian.

I forget what this is.

Me and my favorite Uruguayan ... Ricardo!

All the second years of last year... one year after IESE.

TOGOR Project, FISCAL Exam, Life in General

Today were the final presentations for TOGOR (Toma de Decisiones y Gobierno de las Organizaciones). Our presentation covered the executive decisions of UBS regarding a new compensation system to top executives after the Swiss bailout. We did it in English, and although we were allowed to, I was secretly worried that we should have done it in Spanish. The truth was, we could have done our presentation in Spanish, but we decided that the quality would be better in English. It was, but I secretly wondered what it would have been like to get up there and explain banking in Spanish. I knew I could do it...

The FISCAL (Fiscalidad) final came next. It was a written exam explaining what you had learned about the Spanish taxation system. When I walked into the room I felt like vomiting, because the truth was, I hardly understood anything that went on in there. It was too legalese and specific to Spain, which I knew nothing about. But I studied off some Spaniard's notes and reading some text was very helpful, so I was able to turn out a pretty good exam.

After the exam, I felt pleased with myself. Some things in my life are not going so well, which are not my problem, and not my fault, but it affects me. And as I was walking down the hill to the bus, I thought first "Man I would like to visit my friends in Colombia and dance and have some fun right now." And then secondly came my real thought: "Although I have been tired of Spain and continental Europe and speaking Spanish, sometimes it's kind of cool to interact in Spanish. I think I might like living in Madrid."

Why Madrid? Last week I had an interview with the Portuguese renewable energy company EDP Renovaveis, for a Corporate Finance position in Madrid. I started the interview in Spanish, then ended up switching to English to explain the Finance terms. I think they really liked me. I didn't much like the prospect of staying in Spain, but the company and the job seemed really nice, and after a few years, I'd like to relocate back to the States, since they have offices there. Notwithstanding, I hope I get the job.

I'm also looking at jobs in London. Why London? Because they speak English there. :) But it is still close to Europe, and I might not be ready to go home yet. And many good friends of mine will be there. After London in rank, I'd like to be in New York for the same reasons, then if all else fails, I'd pick up all my things where ever I am and move back to New Orleans. I'd probably envision myself working for Tulane, perhaps being a lecturer in Corporate Finance. Then everyday after work I'd have a drink on the porch of the infamous Column's Hotel and watch the passerby on St. Charles.

Nice life. Pero solo falta una cosa......

Head or Heart?

Sometimes I think I lived my life backwards. I used my head and logic more when I was a kid, and it took me down a path that was, albeit interesting, not one that made me happy. In this MBA I had to figure out how to use my heart for the first time. I admit, not a good place to begin to use one's heart.

Someone asked me today why I was involved with producing the school Yearbook. I said it was because I always wanted to that in high school, but ended up starting & running my own clubs instead. And it was in high school that I decided I wanted to be an Investment Banker. Nothing could stop me from this goal. I approached banks directly and asked for internships until I got one. I thought college was a waste of time. I wanted to be an Investment Banker now. And I knew I could do it. I majored in Finance & Economics and was engrossed in my subjects. I ignored that tiny part inside of me that loved Psychology and Sociology. And the fact that I had extraordinary empathy.

Well I finally became an Investment Banker. And then I realized I hated it. Well, I think it was more the stage of life I had reached by the time I became a banker. I had peaked too early and was already considering people and relationships as more important than power and money. I blame this on being a woman. After my whole life energy was dedicated to becoming a banker, I had to find something else to do. This is a significant blow to the self identity.

So up until now I had used logic to decide my career. Had I learned to listen to my heart as a kid, I would probably be in a completely different place right now, in a career more suitable for my talents. I would have been involved in yearbook and the school newspaper in high school instead of the Math Club. Maybe I'd have gone into journalism. In college I'd have majored in Psychology & Sociology instead of Finance & Economics. Maybe I'd be a Psychologist with a nice 8-6 job where I get to talk to people all day. I think the best part of the job would be seeing the same person over & over again and developing them enough to see results. But one has to be detached enough to not let that person's problems affect you. Even so, that sounds a lot more fun than excel modeling.

But despite the horrific economy, I think I'll find the right job for me soon. It will be something having to do with Client Advisory or Managing People. And it will be in a vibrant city. I just wonder what and where it will be...