Interview by Rafaela Echterdiek, 1st year MSc in Management student, Germany
Wenjing FENG is a second year MSc in Management
student from China. Before coming to ESSEC,
Wenjing studied International Political Economics in Beijing. This year she was
part of the student board (BDE)
being responsible for the international students. Wenjing is currently doing an
apprenticeship at Arkema as Business Analyst.
Why did
you join the student board (BDE) and what was your experience?
I joined the BDE because I wanted to really experience all parts of a
typical French student life. I thought it would be a great opportunity to get
to know French students. BDE organizes
a lot of different events and parties
for ESSEC students. Especially in the beginning, language was a challenge
for me. However, a relaxed atmosphere like student parties made it easier to
get to know people and to integrate. Special association songs and dances
helped as well to feel fully integrated in the community. This year has been a
great experience to understand and learn about the similarities and differences
of studying in France. It also helped me a lot to improve my French.
Why did
you come to ESSEC?
After my Bachelor in China I wanted to do a master's degree in business abroad. I searched for the best programs offered abroad and found that
ESSEC has one of the best Management Master Programs worldwide. When I read
more about the school I was intrigued by the opportunities ESSEC offers its
students and by the flexibility every student has to design his/her own
curriculum. I also felt that it was a good opportunity for me to learn another
language. Hence, when I came to France I started studying French and thanks to
my high involvement within the student association I am able to speak it now
quite well.
How did
you design your curriculum at ESSEC so far?
Well I am now doing an apprenticeship with Arkema, a
leading Speciality Chemicals and Advanced Materials company. I hold the position
of Business Analyst. So far I have enjoyed this experience very much. It is a good
way to gain experience in the working world. I have interesting projects and
get to work with low and high level managers. The company has a flat business
structure which allows me to learn valuable soft skills. Apart from that I
learned a lot of task specific skills which will help me in my professional
life. I like the mix between going to university and working in a company
because it gives me the possibility to apply concepts I learned in the classroom.
What are
your next steps at ESSEC and after graduation?
Next year I am going to do an exchange at Mannheim
University in Germany. The university has a very good reputation and I am
already excited about living in another European country to see what it is
like. I also chose Germany because I can imagine starting my career in Germany
and I want to use this exchange to discover more about the German culture and
its business practices.
After I graduate from ESSEC I will probably stay in
Europe for a couple of years to gain more work experiences. ESSEC has a good
professional network which will help me to find the right job for me. Although
my apprenticeship circles a lot around finance I am probably going to look for a
job in operations. I followed a lot of classes in this direction already at
ESSEC, so I believe that I will be well equipped to start my career upon
graduating from ESSEC.
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