How can an MBA in Europe prepare you for a global business career?

Europe is growing in popularity as a study destination where business school students can seek out international careers.

According to our Prospective Students Survey, learners now increasingly prefer to study in Western Europe over the United States—particularly those from Central and South Asia and Latin America.

Completing an MBA at a European business school can open possibilities to study, travel, and work in multiple countries, with the continent’s interconnected nature meaning many business schools offer exchange programs and partnerships abroad.

We spoke to EU Business School graduate Guillaume Le Bonhomme about how studying in Europe helped him launch an international career in finance.

Discover different cultures in Europe

For Guillaume, the global nature of EU Business School made it a standout choice for his MBA, which he hoped to use to transition his career from aerospace engineering to finance.

EU Business School has campuses across Europe: in Munich, Germany; Geneva, Switzerland; and Barcelona, Spain, where Guillaume chose to study his MBA.

The school boasts a diverse student body of more than 130 nationalities, with each individual speaking an average of three languages. Students bring their own expertise as entrepreneurs, business leaders, and consultants, meaning that they can learn from each other as well as from the international faculty.

No stranger to international study, Guillaume, originally from France, had previously studied in Finland, the Czech Republic, and Sweden.

“Each European country has different cultures and offers different opportunities. As an international student, if you study at EU Business School, you kind of get access to the whole of Europe,” he says.

Students have the opportunity to gain experience abroad through inter-campus exchanges, or by spending time at one of the various sister schools in Europe.

Network with industry experts

Guillaume knew that studying an MBA in a globally connected European business school would help him build the professional network he would need to be successful in his career transition.

Studying at EU Business School’s campus in Barcelona, where many of the international faculty have real-world industry experience, connected him with professors who had worked in leading banks such as Santander and Caixa Bank.

The school frequently hosts career days, where companies are invited to meet students and present them with job and internship opportunities. MBA students can also attend regular conferences and alumni events to help them build connections while studying.

“You are exposed to such a great network that it just gives you opportunities,” he says. “Any industry you can think of, you can say, ‘Oh, someone I did my MBA with is in that market—let me just reach out to them’.”

Relationships within his cohort not only benefited Guillaume professionally, but personally, too. He will be getting married soon, and some members of his MBA cohort will be attending the wedding, he shares.

“I’ve made close friends from Zimbabwe, India, and the US. You can create good friendships while studying for your MBA”.

Gain practical experience while studying

Guillaume knew that to successfully move from aerospace engineering to the competitive finance sector, he would have to first gain relevant professional experience.

Being based in Barcelona meant Guillaume was able to access the city’s thriving startup ecosystem and EU Business School’s partnerships with companies such as SAP. “There are lots of opportunities to get internships at these types of companies,” he says.

Just three months into the program, Guillaume secured a business analyst internship at Seven Roots, a small venture capital firm. He eventually used this role to transition into a full-time position as a financial analyst, and was even able to continue working there while studying.

“I got the internship thanks to EU Business School, and then within the same company, that internship ended up being an actual job, so that helped me too,” he says. “The hardest part of moving industries is getting that first year of experience, so having this experience opened up many different doors for me.”

What can an MBA in Europe do for your career?

Guillaume credits his experience at EU Business School with helping kick off his career in finance. The combination of the broad business foundation that an MBA provided him, along with the practical experience from his internship, helped him pivot to finance, and transition from Barcelona to Amsterdam once he graduated in 2023.

In Amsterdam, he began working as a financial analyst at mapping technology company TomTom. Leaving the firm earlier this year, he moved into a business controller role at Fastned, a company creating a network of fast charging stations for electric vehicles.

Guillaume’s advice for those looking to get the most from their experience in an internationally focused European school is to travel as much as possible, explore different campuses, and take part in exchange programs if they’re offered.

“You’ll be exposed to different companies, people, and cultures,” he concludes. “People say Europe is small, but there are very different cultures depending on where you go.”