Why did you choose IÉSEG?

After my baccalaureate, I didn’t really know what I wanted to study or what career I wanted to pursue. Having skipped a grade, I needed more time to figure out what I liked and where I wanted to go. A friend of mine had gone to business school, which inspired me to go to various school fairs and open days to learn more. After taking several entrance exams, I chose IÉSEG for its academic excellence and international outlook. I liked the idea of being able to follow a fairly generalist path for the first two years and specialize afterwards. Studying in Lille also meant I could go off and live on my own for the first time in my life.

What did you study at IÉSEG?  Why did you make this choice?

When I entered IÉSEG, I didn’t really know what to expect, or even what kind of job I’d want to apply for at the end of the program. So, I made the most of the first three years to discover different disciplines and see what I liked, but also to find out what I really didn’t want to do. I completed the first two years in Lille, then went on a university exchange to Brazil in my third year. Following this, I followed the funnel technique by removing the subjects I had least enjoyed over the last three years and chose to specialize in marketing.

Following this Master’s degree, I quickly realized that if I wanted to stand out in the job market, I would need expertise in a specific field. So, took the opportunity to combine my master’s degree in marketing with a specialized Master in Big Data Analytics for Business.

This highly technical curriculum enabled me to learn different code languages and create a profile halfway between technical expertise and business and marketing knowledge. Following this double degree, I went on an end-of-studies internship at Nike’s European headquarters in the Netherlands, in an Analytics for business team.

What did you enjoy most about studying at IÉSEG?

What I liked most about my studies was the open-mindedness of people at the School, the opportunity to try out different disciplines and to forge a unique career path. Looking back, I could never have predicted that I would end up working in Data. In fact, that’s what I particularly enjoyed about my studies: having the opportunity to create my own convictions and find the path that suits me.

What courses did you like best or find most interesting during your studies?

I particularly appreciated the Talent courses in the Master’s program, because that’s when I really realized what was important to me in my professional life, and how to give myself the means to apply for those positions/companies that would enable me to find the right balance.

On the more technical side, the statistics and data analysis courses gave me a good understanding of the analytical issues involved in business, which proved to be particularly important for my future career. Finally, shout-out to the neuromarketing course, which was one of my best classes at IÉSEG.

Were you involved in any associations? If so, which ones?

I had the opportunity to be part of the “IÉSEG Ambassador” association for almost two years, which enabled me to learn how to manage a small team for different projects. It also allowed me to improve my public speaking skills in front of a large audience (student fairs, open days, interviews…), which now helps me in my professional life when giving presentations.

This work experience also helped me to learn how to manage a budget, draw up quotes and calls for tender, as well as developing privileged and regular contacts with members of the school’s administration.

I was also a member of the rugby team throughout my time at IÉSEG, which enabled me to practice my passion with fellow students and build up a network.

What is your current job? How do you see yourself in a few years’ time?

I currently work for Decathlon Technology as a Product Manager – Data & Customer Intelligence. My role is to build, with a team of Data Scientists and developers, customer knowledge algorithms to enable us to better segment Decathlon customers and communicate with them in a personalized way. If I look ahead a few years, I’d like to keep this dual technical and business role and move up to a managerial position in an analytical team at Decathlon.

What advice would you give to potential candidates for this program?

I would recommend future students to be curious and not close any doors. Try to build a curriculum that suits you and trust yourself to choose the courses that interest you. Participate as much as possible in student life and associations, so that you feel comfortable and confident about entering the workplace and choosing a path that suits you.

Published on: October 20, 2023