Maria Salas (2018 Graduate)

Tell us about yourself! What did you study during your time with us, and what are you currently doing?

I studied MSc Economics and Philosophy, focusing on Decision Theory and the Philosophy of Choice. I wrote my final dissertation on psychological costs of having information and acting upon it, and how it goes against economic theory. After stations in strategy consulting and a healthcare startup, I now work in Strategy and Finance at a major music label.

In what ways has studying Philosophy influenced your professional life or shaped your career path?

While what I studied is completely something different to what I work on now, Philosophy continues to be a private interest of mine, and I have been able to connect and network with many different people on the basis of having shared interests in this topic.

How has your Philosophy background set you apart in your field or helped you approach challenges differently?

It has been definitely useful to "learn how to think" and approach challenges in an analytical way. The courses have been really useful to bring structure into my work and the way I communicate, based on how I learned to build an argumentation for philosophy essays. Additionally, in my experience, many employers appreciate having a broader, more interesting background, especially in Finance and Consulting.

What advice would you give to current or prospective students who are passionate about Philosophy but unsure how it might support their future career?

If you are really passionate about Philosophy, just do it! In the future, there will be very limited times where you can devote yourself to work on such essential "life" questions full-time. Enjoy the time where learning Philosophy "is your job". If you are unsure about career paths or want generally to work in another field after studying, seek internships that will help you gain experience outside of Philosophy. Also, many of the people I studied with came from or ended up working in Finance, like me.

What’s one of your fondest memories from your time studying with us?

Sitting in the Philosophy, Morals and Politics course discussing with coursemates about the meaning of love. It is something very special to be sitting in a room full of incredibly talented, smart people from all walks of life talking about something so central, and having the luxury of doing this to get a top-class masters' degree!