The Apprenticeship: fusing work and study (p.2)

Laetitia Hemery

In the Apprenticeship-series on this blog, we follow our students who have successfully pursued an apprenticeship*. In this episode, Arkema's Recruitment Officer Laetitia explains how she experienced the challenges of the apprenticeship.

I've been working as an apprentice for Arkema for now almost one year. Arkema is a designer of materials and innovative solutions. It shapes materials and creates new uses that accelerate customer performance in lightweight and design materials, bio-sourced materials, new energies, water management, solutions for electronics, and the performance and home insulation. Arkema is also a company that pays a lot of attention to its employees well-being and professional development. 

As an apprentice I really feel part of the company like every collaborator. Even on a very pragmatic (though highly symbolical) way I have the same compensation and benefits package than every other employee.

My job consists in hiring all interns and apprentices who are conducting a Master degree in France and abroad. It represents roughly 150 positions/year. I've also recruited 6 VIE since August. I was involved in several HR development projects and the projects on relationships with our targeted schools.

'As an apprentice I really feel part of the company like every collaborator'

One of the best things in my job is the autonomy. I am the only recruitment officer on this perimeter and I do all the HR part: from shortlisting CVs to conducting interviews. I really enjoy having so much responsibilities: I was sometimes in direct contact with CFOs of sister companies or some of our greatest researchers in the world!

I am grateful to my managers who have shown a lot of flexibility to adapt to the ESSEC requirements. They let me chose the courses I wanted and to join the ESSEC Leadership and Diversity Chair even though it was not always convenient.

They also offered me the great opportunity to change my missions for the second year of my contract: after an exchange semester at Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa I'll be working in Lyon, on our biggest plant in France, to discover an industrial environment and the daily life of an HR manager in this very particular context. I am thrilled to begin my new job!

Even though it was sometimes difficult to conciliate my student and professional life because of the weekly rhythm (2d at Essec / 3d at Arkema), I really enjoyed my first year and recommend choosing the apprenticeship.

*An apprenticeship constitues a fusing of work and studying: the apprentice (the student) studies part time and works the rest of the time for a company. The company in return pays the tuition fees of the student and a salary. In the past, quite a few students have financed their studies this way. Read more on apprenticeships here.

The Apprenticeship: fusing work and study (p.1)

Lois d'Iribarne

In the Apprenticeship-series on this blog, we follow our students who have successfully pursued an apprenticeship*. In this episode, Canal Plus' Recruitment and Talent Management apprentice Lois explains how she sealed the deal.

I found my apprenticeship thanks to the ESSEC annual forum in February. I gave my CVs to five companies, two of them called me back, and I was successfully hired by Canal Plus. It was a bit of a challenge because there were 5 rounds of interviews, some of them extremely close to one another, and I was doing the same with other companies at the same time. 

I think that the reason I was hired was because I really captured the vibe of the company. Canal Plus has a very dynamic environment, and the company`s culture is based on boldness and entrepreneurial spirit, so I tried to bring out the more natural and energetic aspects of my personality. It’s important to find a place that is compatible with your spirit. I, for example, refused a mission in another company, not only because I was not that interested in the task, but also because I felt uncomfortable during my interviews, didn’t bond with the people I met and talked to, and the spirit around seemed extremely uptight.

If I had one suggestion for other students going through interview rounds, it would be to be honest with your hypothetical employers. Most of the time, they can tell when people are being too fake. Secondly, if you change your personality completely, say whatever you believe the employer wants to hear, and pretend to love everything they talk about, even if they do make you an offer, it will not be an offer you like because it won’t match what you truly want, and you will end-up half-heartedly accepting, or refusing it all in all. It’s risky to be yourself because you take the risk of being rejected, but when you do get a job, you get a cooler job.

*An apprenticeship constitues a fusing of work and studying: the apprentice (the student) studies part time and works the rest of the time for a company. The company in return pays the tuition fees of the student and a salary. In the past, quite a few students have financed their studies this way. Read more on apprenticeships here.