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“Empowering changemakers for a better society“: this has been IÉSEG’s Vision for many years. To train the inspiring, multicultural and ethical managers of tomorrow, the School gets companies involved at every stage of students’ learning journeys. For Laure QUÉDILLAC, Director of Corporate Relations at IÉSEG, this is one of the School’s key assets.

Right from the selection stage and integration of candidates into the School, companies are involved. Why is this so?

L.Q. – Regardless of the program (Bachelor’s at Bac+3 level, Grande École Program at Bac+5, Specialized Masters, etc.), our future students choose IÉSEG first and foremost for the quality of its professional integration. Last year, over 94% of our young graduates found a job in less than 4 months. In an uncertain economic climate and a job market under pressure, an IÉSEG degree opens many doors in the corporate world.

And who better than the companies that will be recruiting them tomorrow to identify the potential of these young people, to perceive their desire to undertake, to succeed, to make a commitment and to have an impact on society? Every year, nearly 100 graduates and 450 managers from companies of all sizes and in all sectors take part in the IÉSEG oral exams, recruiting tomorrow’s talents. This is an essential step, as it is often the students’ first contact with the business world.

Recruiting talent is essential, but training them to meet corporate expectations is even more so…

L.Q. – One figure sums it all up: it’s estimated that 85% of the jobs of 2030 don’t even exist yet! Artificial intelligence, robotics, virtual reality, data and even CSR are transforming today’s professions and creating new ones. Companies are the sentinels of these changes, expressing their needs to us on a daily basis.
At IÉSEG, we have to be agile and responsive in developing the content of our programs, without compromising our commitment to excellence.

Every year, we welcome more than 700 experts to share their experiences and daily lives with our students. Our partner companies also submit over 39 real-life problems to us each year, during challenges, hackathons, etc. These events are much appreciated by students, as they are immersed in their future day-to-day lives, and have to come up with concrete solutions to the challenges they will face later on.

What’s more, we have set up a ‘Professional Advisory Board’ for each program, made up of experts from the business world, to ensure that our teaching is always in line with their expectations. For programs with fast-changing environments (digital marketing, big data, finance, auditing, etc.), these discussions are invaluable. Together, we develop our content and imagine how best to train our students for tomorrow’s professions.

Finally, IÉSEG’s objective is not just for students to find a job, but for them to find their place in society…

L.Q. – Ultimately, our mission is twofold: not only do we prepare our students to enter the job market in the best possible way as soon as they graduate, but above all we provide them with the skills they need to build their professional careers over the long term. Our aim is to help them find their place in society, so that they can become successful and fulfilled managers, at the service of their institution, and so that their professional life is in line with their values and deepest aspirations. And this is ultimately what companies are asking for: to be able to recruit managers who are experts in their field, but above all who know how to adapt, who know how to solve problems in innovative ways, who know how to work as part of a team, who can face change without fearing it…

At IÉSEG, we have built a Career Path that is perfectly integrated with the students’ academic career. It provides them with the personal skills (those famous soft skills) that enrich the expertise and business knowledge they learn in class. In the Bachelor’s cycle, this program helps students to get to know themselves better, to reflect on themselves and their values. In the Master’s cycle, the program prepares them in practical terms to enter the job market, thanks to individual and group coaching sessions conducted by business experts. The program gives them the keys to a successful career on the short and long term.

In the end, what makes IÉSEG so unique is its business-oriented approach to teaching…

L.Q. – IÉSEG doesn’t just provide its future graduates with cutting-edge knowledge: the School also trains its students in the know-how and interpersonal skills that are essential for success in the corporate world, and for being agile and effective changemakers. This balance is essential: it’s what sets our graduates apart in the workplace, it’s what companies look for when they recruit IÉSEG graduates, and it’s something we’re very proud of.

This article was written for “MEDEF en Seine”, the bi-annual magazine of the ‘MEDEF Hauts-de-Seine’, the leading network of entrepreneurs in France