STEN SONTS
Associate at Baltcap, Tallinn
It is always easy to approach your fellow alumni, providing a set of valuable contacts for life
Having completed my on-campus studies, I joined Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking division in London for an offcycle 6-month internship, whereby I was extended an offer to join as a full-time analyst the following summer. Subsequently, I was offered an associate role in the leading private equity house in the Baltic states.
The MSc Economics & Finance is terrific in amalgamating a wide range of topics from finance and macroeconomics to corporate strategy and management. The program structure is flexible and one can tailor the set of courses to make the most out of the MSc Economics & Finance experience.
Impressive in more ways than one
I was impressed by HEC due to its high ranking in university assessments (e.g. Financial Times ranking), its combination of strong academic performance while maintaining a business acumen, and its strong international faculty and class profile. Finally, I had travelled in France before and knew that I would enjoy spending my time there.
I personally enjoyed the excellent courses on macroeconomics and finance related topics, for example Globalization and Financial Markets. The courses were really practical, combining theory with empirical case studies. The list of elective courses included topics that are highly relevant in today’s business practices, such as Data and Decision: Applied Analytics.
Multiple sources to draw from
It was also extremely helpful that the course director was very hands-on in helping the students choose programs and in every other way necessary. Student feedback was really appreciated with the course held to a high standard. Moreover, the support from Careers service is exceptional, with hands-on workshops and networking events.
A strong sense of community
HEC Paris is lucky to have a beautiful campus surrounded by nature. Most of the students live on campus, which creates a social and easy-going atmosphere. Students in my class all lived in buildings next to each other on campus, which helped in making the class tight-knit and very social.
Before leaving campus, we organized a class trip to Barcelona, which was a memorable way to end the academic year. I’ve stayed in touch with my classmates and intend to do so in the future.
The wider HEC Community
I was impressed by how well recognized HEC is all over Europe. Moving to London, I found that in finance, HEC Paris is a household name and a stamp of quality in terms of hiring people. It is also always easy to approach your fellow alumni, providing a set of valuable contacts for life.