IQS recently held its 4th annual Talent Week with great success. The event is designed to enhance the professional readiness of students from the IQS School of Management and bring them closer to the business world. On 19 and 20 November, the campus hosted talks, workshops, and expert-led sessions aimed at supporting final-year undergraduate students in their transition to the labour market. The event concluded on 21 November with the 5th IQS Internship Forum, aimed at 3rd- and 4th-year undergraduate students and master’s degree students from the IQS School of Management and the IQS School of Engineering.
IQS Promotes Student Talent During the 4th Annual Talent Week
Organized by the IQS Career Services office, the programme offered valuable content, networking opportunities, and strategic guidance to help students tackle the challenges of today’s professional landscape. “We believe that this event not only complements their academic training, but also provides them with a broader perspective on the labour market and its trends,” the office highlighted.
Two days of talks, insight, and professional guidance
On Wednesday 19 November, Talent Week began with a welcome address from Dr Flavio Comim, Dean of the IQS School of Management, and Dr Gisela Domínguez, Director of IQS Career Services, followed by a session on Entrepreneurship led by Jordi Arbusà. In the afternoon, expert Esther Comin delivered a practical session on LinkedIn and the keys to building a strong professional brand. The programme also featured a corporate presentation by Skello and a talk by Claudia Cole, From Candidate to Confidence: Stand Out and Succeed, aimed at boosting students’ confidence and presence during selection processes.
Thursday 20 November focused on decision-making and career management. Dr Xavier Casanovas, IQS professor, opened the day with a lecture on Discernment, followed by a talk from alumnus Max Amat, who shared his professional journey and key findings. The afternoon included the presentation of Enterprise’s Business Case, designed to help students develop analytical and problem-solving skills in real-life contexts.
5th IQS Internship Forum
On Friday 21 November, the 4th Annual Talent Week concluded with the 5th IQS Internship Forum, which brought together 29 leading companies from the following sectors: consulting, services, and finance (Banc Sabadell, Accenture, EY, PwC, Grant Thornton); consumer goods (AC Marca, Danone); hospitality (Grupo Hotusa, W Barcelona Hotel, Hotel Arts); pharmaceuticals and cosmetics (Eurofragance, Fragrance Science, Galenicum, Grifols, Izzon Lab, Lluch Essence, Laboratorios Inibsa); healthcare (B Braun); and engineering, chemicals, and industry (AkzoNobel, BASF, Carburos Metálicos, Idiada Automotive Technology, Ingeniería Salas Limpias, Linde Gas, MacDermid, Molins, Naturgy, Quality Chemicals, Radar Process, Technip Energies).
Of these companies, 16 form part of the IQS Business Foundation: Banc Sabadell, BASF, Carburos Metálicos, Eurofragance, Fragance Science, Grifols, Grupo AC Marca, Ingeniería Salas Limpias, Laboratorios Inibsa, Linde Gas, Lluch Essence, Molins, Naturgy, PWC, Quality Chemicals, Technip Energies Iberia.
The forum offered final-year undergraduate and master’s degree students the chance to connect directly with recruiters, explore internship opportunities, and gain insight into how major companies operate.
The value of the forum was also reflected in the impressions shared by participants. For Ricardo Belinchón, a student in the Dual Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and International Business Management, the experience provided a genuine opportunity to explore possible career paths thanks to “the wide variety of companies present and the chance to identify options aligned with his future career.”
On the corporate side, Yessalin Campos, Talent Acquisition & Branding at Accenture, emphasised the importance of the event as a strategic platform for talent recruitment. She explained that the company reserves internship spots specifically for IQS students and stressed what Accenture looks for in new candidates: attitude, eagerness to learn, and the ability to apply acquired knowledge.
Likewise, Natalia Olarra, Head of People at Naturgy, highlighted the strong alignment between the company and the institution, stating that the collaboration continues because “both share a mission and a deep commitment to innovative talent, a key element of the IQS educational project.”
The IQS Internship Forum, together with the Employment Forum, is one of the main initiatives led by IQS Career Services to strengthen students’ employability and maintain regular connections with the business world.