EDHEC GLOBAL MBA ALUMNI PROFILE - MARK BATTCOCK
How would you describe your experience before joining EDHEC Business School?
I pursued a double-major in both Commerce and French from Memorial University of Newfoundland and worked in London for an offshore oil engineering consulting firm through internship. With the international and multicultural exposure in the city of London, I gained a passion for the rich diversity of international business. I enjoyed the European lifestyle when I stayed in north of France, at ESC Rennes, during a University exchange program.
As my University years came to an end, I found an export development position with an e-commerce SME, AbbyShot Clothiers that does business in 50 countries. I helped them grow the business via online and social media marketing and also by establishing the company’s first wholesale distribution deals and merchandise licensing agreements with major film and television studios like the BBC and Universal. It was an excellent experience at AbbyShot but Europe still appealed to me and I felt the need to make a major life change.
Why EDHEC Business School?
I looked at MBA programs particularly in Europe with an international appeal. The Economist ranking of top 50 MBA schools came as a big help in my comparisons. EDHEC is also extremely highly-ranked in international diversity of the class. EDHEC Global MBA program also seemed to be a good value for investment, as budget was a factor in my criteria. The 10 month duration of the program ensures that one would not be away from the job market for too long. The guaranteed scholarship policies of the EDHEC MBA were also very clear and fair, with the GMAT score being the main factor.
The EDHEC Global MBA became my top choice for MBA and I was very happy to be accepted into the program for the September intake of 2011.
Can you tell us about your “Life changing experience” at EDHEC?
Hiking in the French Alps was just the beginning of a fantastic life experience based around the EDHEC Business School Nice campus. I say “life experience” because it went way beyond a learning experience. The courses we studied were top-notch, presented by experienced professors from many different parts of the world, but I learned just as much through the incredible diversity of the class, with over 20 nationalities represented. The MBA also expanded my own personal network to cover so much more of the world than I could have hoped.
How was your experience with internship and job-search?
The CareerSmart program at EDHEC was a big help in achieving my goal. EDHEC also has an active alumni network with members that are very willing to help and also post internship and job opportunities on an internal job board website. It was through these websites that an EDHEC alumnus posted a marketing internship at Calderys Refractory Solutions and it eventually became my full-time job after internship.
My advice to those in the MBA who are actively job searching is to keep an open mind and use every avenue EDHEC Business School provides, like the career website, alumni network, and career development workshops.
What would you like to say about staying and studying in Nice?
Running next to the beach along the Promenade des Anglais, wandering through the narrow streets of Old Town, and hiking the beautiful coastline of nearby St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat are just some of the fond memories I’ll keep from my 1 year in Nice. On a lighter note, be sure to take advantage of your excellent location in France. I would definitely recommend a few weekend trips between the studies.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our present MBA Participants and the ones aspiring to be?
Just two quick tips: 1) Be sure to keep something that you are passionate about as a part of your career path. 2) It’s a big world out there but we have never been more connected and it’s never been easier to travel so now is the time to take advantage and see the world!
