We were excited to take part in the CEMS Career Forum in Barcelona, engaging with a vibrant community of top international students, presenting internship and job opportunities. We also shared our vision for growth through the keynote lecture delivered by the MET Group Chairman and CEO Benjamin Lakatos.
Meeting Top European Talents with CEMS
Founded in 1988, CEMS is a global alliance of 33 leading business schools across six continents. With 70 Corporate Partners, 7 Social Partners and a network of over 21,000 alumni, CEMS annually delivers the prestigious Master in International Management to 1,200 students.
The Career Forum is a two-day recruitment event that brings together top employers and exceptional talent, creating unique opportunities for students to explore career paths and for companies to meet the leaders of tomorrow. Held at ESADE’s Sant Cugat Campus in Barcelona on November 7-8, this year’s edition connected motivated students and graduates with companies, matching outstanding opportunities with talents eager to embark on new career paths.
From Start-up to International Success: Benjamin Lakatos’ Keynote
Our participation began with a keynote lecture by MET Group CEO Benjamin Lakatos: “From Start-up to International Success.”
During the session, Benjamin shared MET Group’s growth story and offered practical insights into leadership, career development and strategic thinking to an audience of around 100 registered attendees.
“Always know why you enter a room”—this was not only the opening line of Benjamin’s talk, but also the first of many valuable lessons he shared. He encouraged students to reflect on whether they had a clear goal for themselves to achieve in 10 years’ time — a key element of self-awareness that paves the way to success. Such clarity of vision, he explained, also makes it easier to extract relevant take-aways from the lecture for both personal and professional development.
Benjamin Lakatos emphasized the importance of choosing the right battles. Weaknesses should be managed: it is essential to understand and manage them above a minimum threshold, yet it is unlikely that we will win on those fronts. Conversely, he invited everyone to identify the area where they could outperform others—their unique strength. This is an ability to be nurtured every day, until it becomes a true individual competitive advantage.
This insight stems from 18 years of experience as the CEO of an international company — a journey shaped by effective stress management within the organization. Different people handle pressure differently, which is a challenge for any leader. Keeping this in mind, leaders must find the right balance.
The enthusiasm generated during the lecture led to a lively Q&A session, which continued informally during a networking apéro. Students had the chance to connect with Benjamin and other MET experts in a relaxed setting.
The Career Forum Experience
On the second day, our HR team and business experts welcomed students at the MET booth, presenting internship and junior opportunities across our international activities and in many of the 21 countries where we operate. Attendees had the chance to meet senior recruiters and young professionals, including MET Group employees who recently joined the company and who were part of the CEMS network.
MET also conducted several interviews with CEMS students and graduates, creating an opportunity to begin exploring potential career paths and assessing a mutual fit within our organization.