The future of business schools is Agile

A very old lecture (University of Bologna)

We have all experienced the hurdle of being in a huge class, with hundreds of fellow students, trying to capture the very top-down key learnings of a far-away professor speaking about entrepreneurship and new frontiers. We all know the sound of all the scratching pens copying some confused and over-loaded slides on a confused and overloaded paper notebook. This basic pedagogy did not substantially change for hundreds of years since the first modern universities popped out in the world around the 11th Century AD. 

ESSEC promotion of 1909

Then, at some point in the 20th Century, someone in the US came out with a revolutionary idea: the modern MBA. The idea behind every MBA is to offer a course strongly based on case studies and experiential learning. In order to do that, MBAs typically relies on small classes to foster participation and discussion and on much teamwork to « learn by doing ».

This MBA-approach was then adopted in all the modern business schools, like ESSEC, in many of their programs like, for example, the flagship Masters In Management. But how to further develop the 21st Century pedagogy to equip the leaders of tomorrow with the necessary skills to succeed?

Someone who spends a good amount of his free time to read literature and specialized press on managerial topics will surely come across, from time to time, with the word Agile. The Agile approach was originally developed to revolutionize project management for software development. The original idea behind Agile is that software development is often unpredictable and that therefore this unpredictability has to be tackled thanks to incremental, iterative work sequences and transversal problem-solving.

After some time from the invention of this revolutionary approach, it turned out that the modern macro-environment, including customer shifts, climate change and demographics trends are much more unpredictable than software.  


Therefore, the necessity to achieve Agility in real-life management situations started to arise. Some business schools took up the torch of this pedagogical revolution and started to propose Agile curriculums during their programs. How?

Take the flagship Masters in Management at ESSEC. Every trimester, you have to face a choice: exchange, professional experience or courses. Let’s say that you pick courses. What happens in almost every university in the world is that the university will choice the courses you have to follow and if you are lucky enough you will be able to choose a couple of extra classes during a 2-years program. This is not how Agile works. Let’s come back at ESSEC. One month before the trimester starts, you will be able to choose up to 7 courses from more than 200+ classes covering everything from finance, ethics, marketing to strategy. This unlimited freedom to shape your curriculum will allow you to develop your knowledge dynamically depending, for example, on which internship you want to do first or on which project you are working on (you can find the full list of courses here).

ESSEC Asia-Pacific classes

Let’s say you want to go in exchange. You have 10 double degrees all around the world. You have ESSEC Singapore and ESSEC Rabat with their exclusive paths and programs. You have hundreds of exchange destinations both at MBA and MSC level. Do you want to do all those things? It turns out that you can!

Finally, what if you chose professional experience? Being on the top business school in the world will allow you to find great internships both in Europe and outside. You will be able to do an apprenticeship if you prefer to have a more flexible schedule, studying 6 months and working for the rest of the year.



In conclusion, all this unprecedented freedom has been carefully designed to give to ESSEC students the capacity and the tools to face the big challenges of our modern world. In short, to make them Agile. 


Written by A. Carletta, Student Ambassador for the MiM program

How to find the best internship while studying at ESSEC

Finding an internship while being a student at ESSEC requires good strategy and a clear vision of your future, but with some good insider tricks you can really boost your chances!

 

1. Book an appointment with ESSEC Career Center

If you’re reading this article you are probably a student at ESSEC, and if you’re lucky enough to be enrolled in one of the top business school in the world why not using one of the greatest services ESSEC offers: career consulting.

"Never understimate the importance of talking to experts"

Here you will get unique insights regarding the industry and the top skills required. You can easily book on MyESSEC a 1h meeting with a career booster in consulting, finance or maybe luxury and dramatically increase your chances of getting the internship you want!

2. Networking

Now that you have the best insights on a company or on an industry, you still need to gather internal information from that company. This will help you say and do the things the HR expects from you. But how can you get this kind of exclusive insights? Luckily, being at ESSEC means being part of a family, and you can always search on LinkedIn some ESSEC alumni who worked for the company you like and send them a message. In addition to this, you will have access to an incredible database of alumni experiences that you can consult every time to gather useful information.

3. Career fairs

Being enrolled in the 4^th MiM worldwide (Financial Time ranking 2018) means that top employers are naturally attracted by you, and they will come multiple times a year to the Campus in order to present their company, their values and their working opportunities.

"Sometimes you will find 10 applicants for 1 single position"

Company presentations and fairs at ESSEC are happening every week. Dress elegantly, print some CVs and start networking!

4. CV and Cover Letter

Now that you gathered so much information, both internally and externally, it’s time to fine tune your CV. Technically, you should have a CV that highlights the specific top skills required for each job you’re applying for. For what concerns the cover letter, don’t forget that it is nothing more than your “selling pitch”, meaning that you need to use it to “sell yourself” and your skills and to show why you’re so unique between the other applicants. You can find very useful career suggestions on the MyESSEC Career Center.

5. Apply!

Very often, applying on LinkedIn means being 1 in 1'000 applicants, thus lowering your possibilities of getting noted by a large extent. Do you know that on average, an HR takes only 6.25 seconds to screen your CV (even though, it still takes 2 full hours to screen 1’000 applicants)? Much better to apply through Job Teaser, the ESSEC Career Service portal. Here you will find exclusive opportunities from partner companies that are carefully selected for ESSEC’s students.

"You're the perfect fit for our company...Welcome aboard!"

6. Prepare your Interview

Now that you have your interview you finally have the opportunity to show your skills and why you’re the best candidate. If you want exclusive insights on how to crack your job interview, write us a comment and we will prepare another article on this!

How to go from “Je m’appelle baguette” to acing a job interview in French

 It’s not a new trend that studying abroad provides plenty of cool opportunities to learn a new culture and language. Despite the fact that most universities offer lectures in English, it’s a good idea to step out of your comfort zone and get to know the basics of the local language. If you are planning to stay abroad for work, it is even more important to do so.

"...it’s a good idea to step out of your comfort zone and get to know the basics of the local language"

In some places, like the Netherlands or Germany, one can survive for longer periods with the aid of English only; in France this is not the case. Here, everyday activities such as grocery shopping or buying a transport card might become quite challenging, let alone finding an internship. In fact, one thing that is silently known but not openly admitted is the difficulty of finding a job in France without being fluent in French. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of companies that are willing to close an eye on this if the candidate’s profile is well fitting, but one should at least be able to interact with co-workers in their native language.

Therefore, for the sake of a smoother everyday life but also for the pursuit of one’s career, it is recommended to learn the basics of the French language before arriving to France. Although it might be hard to squeeze in French classes while preparing for the GMAT, applying to different master’s degrees, writing a bachelor thesis or completing an internship, it would be a small sacrifice that will yield results later on. Below are a few tips (that can be followed anywhere, at any time) to learn the language in an effective way.

"...it is recommended to learn the basics of the French language before arriving to France"

#1 Technology is your ally (apps, videos, etc.)

Today is probably the best era to learn new things, as we are surrounded by tools and techniques allowing a more personalized approach to acquiring new skills and knowledge. The good old flashcards can be useful but slightly unpractical, so apps providing quick exercises like Duolinguo, will boost one’s vocab in no time. Another precious tool is Easy French, a YouTube channel offering a plethora videos (with subtitles) for any type of user and interest.

#2 Know the Rules

Grammar is the bone structure of a language and although studying it intensely might not be the fastest way to master a language, having a rough knowledge of verb tenses and their uses might actually make the difference between making people giggle and being able to impress a recruiter. The Becherelle, a tiny (it fits in any medium-sized purse J) booklet on verbs’ conjugations and basic grammar rules, is definitely one’s best buddy on the journey to mastering the French language.

"...having a rough knowledge of verb tenses and their uses might actually make the difference between making people giggle and being able to impress a recruiter."

#3 Movies & series

It is true that one is a click away from changing the language settings on Netflix or from downloading a movie in another language, but one can use the study of a foreign language as an excuse to get acquainted with a completely new cinematographic tradition. Luckily, French cinema produced some masterpieces, ranging from the classic Amélie to the success of Intouchables. However, for those who enjoy the lightness of series, Plus Belle la Vie and Caméra Café should do the trick. Watching a movie in French with French subtitles can actually help the ear get used to the new words while training the eye to their spelling.

#4 Imagine a situation with Frenchies

Another extremely useful activity is to imagine an everyday situation, such as visiting a provider to get a forfeit and then translate the imaginary conversation on paper. This might sound weird to do, but it is actually very effective as it prepares to react to ordinary events without having the need to use the sign language.

#5 Wanted: French native speaker

Needless to say, feeling comfortable having a conversation in a foreign language is the hardest part of the whole process and yet probably the most crucial one, especially if the goal is to ace the interview and get the job. And here is where the greatness of social media comes in: believe it or not, people of any nationality living abroad will have a Facebook group in which they share experiences and tips. All one needs to do is to look for it (for example “Les françaises à Berlin/New York/Katmandu”) and share a post asking if anyone is willing to spend some time weekly over a coffee to chat in French. 

"...feeling comfortable having a conversation in a foreign language is the hardest part of the whole process and yet probably the most crucial one"

Most likely, those who come forward are glad to meet new people and to share their culture and in the best case scenario, they will be willing to check your homework or recommend you books and movies. This is not only much cheaper and more flexible than enrolling in a traditional language course, but also achievements will come more quickly and there’s the chance of making a new friend.

All these are just a few of the many ways in which one can learn a new language; however there are some key ingredients to a successful approach: commitment and motivation. They prevent from constantly postponing and from giving up once the first difficulties arise (rest assured, they will). One just needs to drop the excuses, the “I’m not a language person” idea and use downtimes fruitfully. By regularly practicing French when commuting on public transport, while waiting for the nail polish to dry or even during your workout routine, results will come sooner than expected.

"By regularly practicing French...results will come sooner than expected."

Written by Costanza Poser, 1st year MiM Grande Ecole Student 

How I found my first internship at ESSEC

by Sumesh Lund

I am a first year MSc in Management student at ESSEC. By way of background I am a Computer Science Engineer from India. After completing my Engineering degree I worked at BNP Paribas as a Software Developer for about two years. Currently, I am doing an internship as a Risk Data Analyst at Société Générale, Paris. I will continue to work with Société Générale as an apprentice from July 2016.

I came to France in August 2015, but even two months before that, I wasn’t even sure that I would be able to make it to France. Most students from middle-class background understand how hard it can get when you want to fund your entire studies yourself. Nevertheless, I came here with a plan. 

"Unlike most students I wasn't just looking for experience of a job fair: I was looking for a job!"

The plan was an ambitious and usual one which most students follow. I knew that with the flexibility ESSEC provides, I would succeed if I work hard. From my experience at BNP Paribas, I knew that I wanted to work in Finance Sector.

I was admitted at ESSEC in the very first round, which gave me a lot of time to research. I got in touch with some current students and alumni who helped me immensely during this period. During my research, I found that ESSEC has a finance fair in October a couple of months after we were scheduled to arrive. I knew this would be a great opportunity. Being the first job fair, unlike most students I wasn’t just looking for experience of a job fair: I was looking for a job!

"I learned from my mistakes each time I went up and spoke to someone"

After attending various talks by the Career Services at ESSEC, I came up with a strategy for the job fair. I decided to first approach the banks which I knew wouldn’t have roles that I was interested in. This would give me an experience of how to interact with them without any real harm at my chances. Once I had mastered the tactics, I approached the banks I was interested in. I started my day at about 9am, and by 11am I had spoken with more than 5 banks already. The first two talks didn’t even last for 30 seconds. But I learned from my mistakes each time I went up and spoke to someone. That was the advantage of having so many banks. In fact, I met with an alumnus of ESSEC who was there representing a bank and asked for some advice. And voila, I was ready to approach the banks I was interested to work for. Soon I got a couple of leads which I had to follow up. And even though this may sound like a fairy tale, Société Générale (where I am currently working) was the last bank I approached that day!

"...I had almost given up hope and started applying through online portals..."

I wasn’t sure that getting only two leads from more than 6 banks was good enough, but nonetheless I followed up on those leads on the same night. I didn’t get a reply for about a week. At this moment, I had almost given up hope and started applying through online portals and other channels. But after about 15 days, I got a call during a lecture from an unknown number. It could’ve been anyone, but my heart was racing like a Ferrari. If this was a football field, I would have crossed my classmates like Messi would pass across all the defenders! I couldn’t pick up that call, but I had a voicemail in French which I thought said that they’re calling from Société Générale and wanted to schedule an interview. I ran to one of my French friends and asked him to confirm the same. And there it was, my first interview call. The next month was occupied with interviews and online tests but I made through this opportunity to start my internship in January, just 4 months after coming to France!

From being the student ambassador to my first internship in France, it has been a joyride. My Return on Investment is more than 100% in less than one year. I was able to make some amazing friends, learn from the best professors around the world and travel to the most beautiful places in Europe all within this one year. To all the people who always ask me “Why France?” or “Why ESSEC”, I would like to ask “Well. Why not?!”

5 Tips to Secure That Internship at a Fair

by Dominik Weiss. 

     The Forum Campus is the major recruiting event at ESSEC. More than a hundred companies offer students the unique opportunity to receive first-hand information and to ask their questions.

The Forum Campus is my second recruitment fair at ESSEC and I would like to share with you what I have learned and changed after the first fair to be more successful!

1. Speak French, the effort counts: The chances of getting an internship are equally divided between French and international students at ESSEC. Nevertheless, making the effort as an international student to speak to companies in French shows extra motivation. This is an attitude companies in France value very highly and which might open many doors.

·  2. Speak to as many companies as you can: It is wise to strategically pick the companies you want to speak with to have sufficient time for each of them. Nevertheless, do not stop afterwards, or worse leave the fair. Continue speaking to companies, in many cases companies you did not have on your mind have very interesting and challenging opportunities.

·     3. Speak to the companies at the right time: To avoid waiting for ages to speak to companies, go at the right time. Especially right after the Fair starts is a very good moment. Most of the students do not go straight in the morning. Also, lunch time or late in the afternoon are good to avoid the rush-hours, however here you might take the risk that the company representatives are tired or hungry and will not take as much time for you as in the morning.

·       4. Get in the flow: Speaking to companies is all about selling and presenting yourself. To be at your best you need to be in “the flow”. Before you speak to the company you are interested in take the time and speak to 1-2 companies you are not that interested in just to practice and not to be nervous when it matters.

·   5. Host a company!: Hosting a company is the best and easiest way to convince a company that you are a perfect fit for them. Furthermore, the opportunity to spend the whole day with the representatives of a company is a great and interesting experience. It enables you to speak to more than one of them, so you can get insights in different departments of the company. 

Do not let this unique chance slip!