"Excellence, innovation, passion and integrity are Loewe's values and they define me personally"
05 de April de 2018
05 de April de 2018
With the help of the Professional Careers Service of EAE Business School, MarÃa Trujillo was chosen for the selection process run by Loewe. As far as she was concerned, it was an easy decision because, in her opinion, Loewe is "an extremely attractive company" to build her professional career in the Human Resources department.
The student on the Master in Human Resources Management feels that she is in the ideal setting to continue developing academically. She chose the School because of its position in the rankings and based on the good recommendation of some former students, and she has no regrets. Now, in the class that she shares with students from 18 different countries, she tells us that what may be considered the "weekly grind" by some people, for her is a "fun, motivating and enjoyable" experience.
First of all, what is your position at Loewe and what are your duties?
I work in the Human Resources department and, more specifically, in the Talent Acquisition and Training and Development teams. My duties include providing support for the department and on the various selection processes, assisting with employee on-boarding, and helping out on the different Employer Branding activities.
How did the opportunity to join Loewe come up?Â
The Professional Careers Service of EAE Business School sent my CV to the company, which was looking to take on a person for an internship. The Human Resources team at Loewe contacted me by telephone and we scheduled a personal interview. Â
Why were you interested in applying for this offer?Â
I find Loewe in itself as a company, as well as the LVMH Group that it belongs to, extremely attractive places to start my professional career in the Human Resources area. Moreover, the departments in which I did my internship (Talent Acquisition and Training and Development) were two specializations that I really enjoyed when I studied them on the Master. Having the opportunity to apply this in Loewe seemed like an opportunity too good to turn down.Â
What was the selection process like and how did you prepare?Â
Firstly, there was a telephone interview. Then, there was a personal interview with the Director of Talent Acquisition, which was followed by a personal interview with the managers of the departments in which I provide support.
In terms of preparation, most importantly, I was very calm when I went to the interviews and I found out about Loewe's history/culture.Â
Why do you think they chose you above the other candidates?Â
In fact, I haven't asked my colleagues in Human Resources, but I expect that various factors came into play! Right from the first telephone contact with the company, I conveyed my enthusiasm and passion for forming part of the Loewe team.
My academic qualifications would have been a factor but, above all, I think that my previous professional experience influenced their decision. Although I had worked in the legal world, in an area with as little to do with the world of Human Resources as Commercial Law, I had worked in very multidisciplinary and international teams that required a great deal of dedication and passion for the task at hand. This has enabled me to develop a great capacity for hard work, become a fast learner and enhance both personal and professional skills, all strengths required for any job.
To what extent do you share the company's values?Â
Loewe's values are excellence, innovation, passion and integrity. I share all four of these and, in fact, they are words that define me personally.
I share excellence insofar as I am on a quest for perfection. I am a thorough person who strives patiently to get it right.
In terms of innovation, I have learned to manage changes and new developments, seeing them as opportunities rather than threats. Innovations facilitate personal and professional evolution and, if it doesn't work, you can always make a rectification and learn from your errors.
In terms of passion, I relate it to the motivation, enthusiasm and drive with which you do things. As I mentioned earlier, right from my first contact with Loewe I conveyed my enthusiasm for the company. In my opinion, it is essential that somebody is passionate about their profession in order to perform as well as they possibly can.
Last but not least, for both Loewe and myself, integrity is respect for all people, based on our similarities and the differences that enrich us. I have always loved diverse teams in which the variety of nationalities is a source of value.Â
What experience are you gaining from your position at Loewe?Â
An extremely rewarding first contact with Human Resources. The team gave me a spectacularly warm welcome right from the first day. Ever since, I have been involved in many of the processes, issues, courses initiatives, etc., that take place in Talent Acquisition and Training and Development. Â
Is the experience fulfilling your expectations?Â
100% or perhaps even more! I never imagined I would have the opportunity to take part in so many things.
Now with your perspective from the inside, what aspects of Loewe would you highlight?Â
Its respect for tradition and craftsmanship, which underpin Loewe's hallmark. Another remarkable feature is the change that the company is undergoing with con Jonathan W. Anderson. Without losing sight of the tradition and craftsmanship, the graphic designer is injecting a good dose of modernity and cultural awareness. In addition, I find his connection to the world of art (painting, pottery, poetry, floral design, etc.) sublime.   Â
Is the company committed to young talent? How?Â
Very much so, the team at Loewe is full of young people! To demonstrate, I could mention that the graphic designer, Jonathan W. Anderson, was born in 1984, which gives you an idea of how much the company values young talent.
Besides your current position at Loewe, you have also worked for the law firms Garrigues and Allen & Overy. What type of experience did you gain at those firms?Â
Both companies are very powerful law firms that are highly respected at a national and international level. At both firms, I learned to work and collaborate in extremely diverse teams, prioritize at times of high-pressure multitasking, communicate individual and group objectives, and plan out projects to achieve them. As I mentioned earlier, this all enabled me to develop a great capacity for hard work, become a fast learner and enhance both personal and professional skills. Â
What are your professional objectives in the short and long term?Â
In the short run, I want to finish the Master in Human Resources Management and continue my internship at Loewe, taking full advantage of the experience. In the long term, I would like to become a good Human Resources professional. I also like the areas of psychology, coaching and NLP, so I wouldn't rule our working in one of those areas in the future.Â
Tell us about your academic background. You have a Bachelor Degree in Law and Business Administration and Management. Why did you choose that Degree?Â
The truth is that I did the Technological Sciences strand of the High School Baccalaureate with the idea of studying some type of engineering or architecture. However, after taking a beginner's course in engineering in the second year of the High School Baccalaureate, it became clear that it wasn't my thing.
Therefore, with the idea of opening up the greatest number of professional opportunities, I decided to take the joint honours Bachelor Degree. I thought it was a good combination and it has proven to be so. The business world is really broad and Business Administration and Management enables you to have a 360º overview of companies.
Meanwhile, although it may seem an outlandish claim, everything is law! In other words, everything is regulated in one way or another, so it seemed like a very useful idea to know about the legislative world, how it affects is and where we are heading in this increasingly globalized world.
During your Bachelor Degree, you took part in an Erasmus exchange program in Paris? What did you gain, academically, personally and professionally from this international experience? Do you think everybody would benefit from a similar experience and why?Â
Paris Dauphine is a very demanding university and very strict in terms of studies. From an academic/professional perspective, it enabled me to study courses in English and French. Some classes formed part of Masters programs, as the structure of university studies is different in France. As such, the equivalence accreditations for Bachelor Degree courses in Spain were at Master level in France. The level was extremely high, so I learned lots.
Personally, living in Paris is one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. It is an iconic city, full of life, spectacle, history, etc.
I think that studying/living in another country opens your mind a great deal. You live in a different culture and learn a lot. Despite how much they piled on the pressure at the French university, as time goes by, I value the experience even more and have fantastic memories of my time there.
Do you think that companies value this exchange program?Â
Yes, because of the institution where I did the exchange and the confidence it gave me. Moreover, languages are a MUST these days.
At what point did you decide to make the change from the world of law and companies to Human Resources?Â
During my undergraduate studies, I really liked the courses related to Human Resources. I began my professional career in the world of law because I also liked it quite a lot. However, right from the start, I was curious to try this sector as well. After nearly three years working as a lawyer, I realised that I either had to make the change now or the level of specialization I was reaching in Commercial Law would make it harder to decide to leave later on. That summer, I decided to make the change.
In terms of competences or skills, what did you gain from the Bachelor Degree in Law and Business Administration and Management that you can now complement with your knowledge and experience in Human Resources?Â
Competences such as adaptability, tenacity, sociability, teamwork, planning and organization, analytical and critical capacity, communication, decisiveness, energy, etc.Â
Why did you choose EAE Business School when you decided to specialize with the Master in Human Resources Management?Â
I chose the School because of its position in the rankings and based on the good recommendations I got from former students.
Why did you decide to take the Master in English?Â
Because it offered a really international and diverse environment. I love this type of setting!
Beyond the academic training, what other experiences have you had in your year at EAE Business School?Â
I feel very lucky for and proud of the class that I form part of. The atmosphere is exceptional and the way in which the group is so united means that what could be considered the "weekly grind" by some people, for us is fun, motivating and very enjoyable. The academic training is important but the personal enrichment that I am experiencing is even more valuable, in my opinion. In my class, there can easily be more than 18 nationalities and we all get along really well, which enables us to share experiences away from the academic sphere, have great fun together, learn from each other and discover cultures in the healthiest and loveliest way – by building friendships.  Â
To finish off, do you feel better equipped to tackle the employment market?Â
Yes, particularly the employment market for Human Resources, where I am just starting out.Â
Would you recommend EAE Business School? Why?
Absolutely. As you can conclude from this interview, I have benefited from forming part of EAE Business School in multiple ways. I would ask the School to keep working to improve the internal and content organization, but the experience has been very positive, and I recommend it.