• Nuestros estudiantes | Katla Sigurdardóttir

¿Cómo ha sido la experiencia de Katla?

Katla Sigurdardóttir

"My name is Katla Sigurðardóttir. I’m born and raised in Iceland but moved to Barcelona in 2018 and have been living here since. I participated in the program in October 2019 – January 2020 and after a few challenging months of searching for a job during early Covid lockdown, I was hired as a consultant for HiTT, a Market Access consultancy based in the city. Later I was hired at the HiTT Foundation, where I currently work as a Strategy and Market Access Specialist."

What would you highlight about the program?

The program was quite extensive, and although we did not have a whole lot of time, we managed to get familiar with the most important things to know when working in the industry (as I have now found out through work experience). But what I liked the most about the program was how many interesting people I got to meet; both my fellow students (many of us keep in touch to this day) and the teachers, who all currently work in the sector and can give you very practical knowledge of how and where to enter, should you wish to do so.

Why did you choose IQS?

Honestly, I found an advertisement on LinkedIn for this program and really liked the sound of it as it fit well with my career aspirations, so I applied. The fact that IQS is a great school was a bonus.

What skills do you think you have acquired thanks to the master's degree?

During the program, the leadership and personal branding classes helped me a lot, I loved working on how to present yourself professionally, how to effectively communicate with your coworkers, and other soft skills. There is a huge focus on soft skills in job interviews for example, which emphasizes the need to focus on them. We also covered how to do presentations, which I find very helpful now in my day-to-day work.

What has the master's degree given you personally and professionally?

After finishing the program, I was left with a good understanding of how the pharma industry works, and I learned what kind of positions I wanted to apply for. Before, I was wanting to enter the industry but unsure where to go or where to start.

What advice would you give to a future student who wants to study this master's degree?

Network! Talk with your fellow students and the teachers, ask them practical questions about the industry. That way you get the most out of the program and who knows what doors it might open for you going forward.

Tell us about your professional career: How has the master's degree helped you in your professional career?

As mentioned above, the program gave me the tools to position myself in the industry, which helped me know which jobs to focus on. This in the end landed me a job, and now I have gained 2 years of experience in a specialized field, which opens many future doors.