Interview with Mowei Li, 1st year MSc in Management student from China, currently undertaking an internship at Sanofi.
Why did you
choose ESSEC ?
During my Bachelor’s degree, I
had the plan to come to France with my best friend. We went to l’Alliance
Francaise to study French. But after one year we realized that we needed more
resources than we initially planned. I decided to postpone the plan. In my
fourth year of college, I had the chance to continue my Master’s studies in my
college without examination. Still I chose to work first. I wanted to involve
myself into professional domain where I get to analyze my own strengths and
interests.
After three years’ of working,
I decided to pursue the Master’s degree. In my previous job, I have worked with
French interns coming from Grande Ecole and I found them intelligent and
competent. Combined with my previous plan during my Bachelor’s studies, I
decided to apply for the Grande Ecole program in France.
In addition to ESSEC’s high
reputation, the Chair of Therapeutic Innovation really caught my attention and
was one of the most important reasons why I chose ESSEC. The other
consideration I had when I decided to go to ESSEC was the flexibility of the
curriculum. As a student who had worked for some time before, I think it
is really essential to be in charge of planning the work-study balance. We already
know what we are lacking, what we want and how we prioritize tasks. Flexibility
and freedom, on some level, shows the confidence ESSEC has in itself and in its
students. I like this concept and I like taking control of my own life.
On top of those, the strong
network of ESSEC alumni, the positive image enterprises hold towards ESSEC
students and the excellent scholarship offered by ESSEC, finally made me
determined in my decision.
What did ESSEC
provide to you?
As I said, flexibility and
freedom, I think they are the most appreciated elements during my stay at
ESSEC. Coming along with this flexibility, I decided my own path and planned my
courses to take for the next one year. I enrolled in the Chair of Therapeutic
Innovation as planned and started my career in the health care industry.
I got to choose my own tutor
who I am really grateful for – we discussed my plans for the future, my
considerations of my own strengths and preferences, his recommendations not only
on my plans but also on materials / events I could benefit from.
Apart from the serious part of
student life, ESSEC also offers great entertainment events – our BDA, BDS and
other clubs offer countless events you can take part in, where you get to relax
and meet interesting people.
What’s your plan
for the future?
I’m now doing my internship at
Sanofi, until now I enjoyed it very much. As I have worked in several positions
before and enjoyed most, it’s still early to decide where I would like to end
up, which position or which company, but I am 100% sure that I’ll stay in the health
care industry. I want to know more about this industry, as well as my own
positioning in this area.
How has your
life changed?
Well I started to travel a
lot. I moved to Paris the second week I started my internship. I
guess the biggest change is that I stopped cooking a lot. I have lunch in the
company canteen and fruits or salad for dinner. At the weekend, instead of
working on case studies or preparing for presentations, I get to go out with
friends. But what I like the most is that, I feel more motivated and more sure
of my future. To be more specific, I like being appreciated and accountable at
work, which makes me motivated and confident, gives me strengths to pursue more
knowledge and courage to plan an ambitious future.
