Julia Guimaraes
Vice President - KSL Capital Partners
The education, CV clinics and interview practice you will receive at HEC will make you the perfect candidate for a wide range of jobs in finance.
HEC Paris was my first choice when it came to a Master’s program. The alumni network you gain access to, the friendships you build with your fellow classmates, and the career support you receive are all unparalleled. The education is largely practice-based and you will find use for the skills you gain as soon as you begin your new job, be they in excel modelling, accounting, etc.
Networks and skills that last a lifetime
In all honesty, you never really leave HEC, even after your program is over. I chose to move to London at the end of my stint in Jouy-en-Josas, as did the majority of my class. The people I met at HEC are still dear friends as well as business contacts and part of my broader international network.
The world is your oyster
What you choose to do after leaving HEC is entirely up to you. The education, CV clinics and interview practice you will receive at HEC will make you the perfect candidate for a wide range of jobs in finance, in sectors from the classic M&A and Investment Banking to Equity Research, Hedge Funds or Corporate Business Development. I joined a British Private Equity fund as an Analyst straight after graduation, which is slightly unusual as most PE professionals start by working either in Investment Banking or Consulting. However, the more unconventional path allowed me to gain a uniquely precious insight into the industry.
Where am I now?
After 2 years as a generalist PE professional, I chose to specialize, and moved to an American consumer-focused PE firm investing solely in Travel & Leisure. The work you do in a PE fund is relentlessly exciting and mentally stimulating. You get to interact with entrepreneurs and management teams on a daily basis, develop business plans and think about strategies and deal structures. No two days are the same, the learning curve is steep and the joy of watching your portfolio companies grow is immensely rewarding.