Filipa de Matos Marques, Information Systems and Computer Engineering MSc student at Técnico – Taguspark campus (MEIC – Taguspark) won the 2019 Next Generation Women Leaders Award. She knows why she stood out from other applicants: She is a Técnico student, she is involved in specific extracurricular activities and she has great communication skills. McKinsey & Company designed the Next Generation Women Leaders Award to recognise talent and support women who are current students working towards a Bachelors, Masters or PhD, from any discipline or background.

“I discovered the award by chance on Instagram and, at the time, I didn’t apply because I thought it was nonsense. Time went by and close to application deadline I realised that I had nothing to lose. The worst thing that could happen was not being chosen”, she recalls. The application process was very simple. It has only involved the delivery of a resume and a letter of motivation. Less than a month later Filipa began to realise that her odds of winning the award were high. “I couldn’t believe it when I was called for an interview. We were only 6”, she recalls.

“During the interview, while I was talking about myself, it occurred to me that I am a perfectly normal person and that they were expecting amazing people doing amazing things. I knew that I was not at the same level as last year’s winner. The interview with the Head of Human Resources went so well at some point that it’s difficult for me to say how did the whole interview go”, says Filipa. “Studying at Técnico helped me a lot because McKinsey recognise the value of Técnico students and recruits many graduates”, she adds.

“I am sure that my involvement in extracurricular activities has been decisive. I had already participated in various summer internships but I believe that my experience at NAPE made a difference. Not only because it has helped me develop my skills, namely communication skills, but also because this award distinguishes women who are not only focused on academic life and want to maximize their own potential”, says the Técnico student.

In addition to the €2000 monetary prize that allowed her to invest in a German language course, the Técnico student had the opportunity to meet McKinsey consultants, visit McKinsey Lisbon office and get individual mentorship from McKinsey consultants. “I had an idea about consulting and I would like very much to follow a career in this area. This award helped me to understand that and now I have an exact idea”, she explains.

According to Filipa de Matos Marques “this award helps to empower future female leaders. It shows that there is female potential in all areas even in the most demanding ones, such as consulting”, said the Técnico student.