Meet an Alumna: gaining skills employers look for

What was your undergraduate major before joining EDHEC?

I studied at Beijing Foreign Studies University as an undergraduate, majoring in Swahili, which is the official language of Tanzania, Kenya, and other countries, it is one of the most spoken languages in Africa. At the same time, I also took English, Communication Studies, and Accounting as electives.

Why did you choose to join EDHEC and your current master's programme?

There are many reasons for choosing EDHEC and this programme.

First of all, when I was an undergraduate, the school implemented a compound talent training model, because a single language skill may not be able to meet the changes in market demand. Therefore, in addition to professional courses, I took business-oriented courses. These courses strengthened my desire to apply for EDHEC.

In addition, I like French culture and art very much, and I also learned French during my undergraduate studies. These are the motivations for me to come to France and choose EDHEC.

Finally, in the second year of my master’s degree, I chose the major of marketing analysis because I really enjoy the process of implementing ideas in marketing, and I also like the logic of using data and facts to drive the decision-making process. In this programme, I found a balance between the two, and at the same time, it gave me an academic background to pursue career opportunities in multiple fields.

What kind of academic experience did you have in your programme?

For me, the most helpful thing may not be a specific class, but the thinking and problem-solving methods gradually formed under all these training systems and teaching methods, as well as communicating and cooperating with others, and working together to complete a project. All courses not only examine our academic ability, but also require us to cooperate with the team, raise research questions, collect information, coordinate tasks, advance the progress together, and present the results. Through countless times of training, we have all acquired the ability to work as a team and learned to listen, communicate, and respect, and this is the most important workplace ability in my opinion.

What was your experience at EDHEC?

Although I have experienced many fluctuations and changes during the epidemic situation, looking back, EDHEC still brought me many unforgettable memories.

During the gap year, I applied for an exchange at Seoul National University. I received very different academic training at a top Korean university. At the same time, I had a very happy time in Seoul, stepped into a new cultural environment, and met people from all over the world. friend.

In the second year of my master’s degree, I was selected to participate in the London Trek activity organised by the school’s Career Centre. I went to London to visit several companies including Amazon and Capgemini and exchanged and learned with their employees. The trip to London gave me an opportunity to broaden my horizons and understand the employment environment in the UK, and it also made me clear about the infinite possibilities in the future.

For me, EDHEC provides a good platform and many valuable opportunities for us to get in touch with and understand the wider world, and all these journeys are helping us build a more inclusive and self-consistent personality.

Where will you intern for end-of-studies?

I joined the Estée Lauder Group to complete my graduation internship as an e-commerce assistant. This team is responsible for the brand e-commerce business in more than a dozen countries in EMEA. My responsibilities will cover e-commerce data analysis, digital marketing, CRM, project management, and communication. My previous internship experience focused on the Chinese market. I hope that this internship will bring me more insight into the European market and the opportunity to apply the data analysis skills learned in the classroom to the actual working environment.

How has EDHEC helped you get your current job?

First of all, the internship requirement of the career gap year of the master’s in management programme allowed me to accumulate experience in the marketing department of Unilever and the Kuaishou e-commerce department before entering the second year of the master's degree, which is very helpful for my job hunting in France this year.

In addition, the curriculum of the marketing analysis major and some project experiences in school have enabled us to have the ability to ask questions, analyse problems, and solve problems. This ability enables us not to be limited to a certain job search direction, but to embrace more opportunities and possibilities.

For students who are interested in your major, do you have any suggestions to share?

First of all, I highly recommend that students who are interested in marketing, but at the same time want to get in touch with more data-related work, choose the major of marketing analysis. Here you can achieve the combination of the two.

Secondly, this is a world of rapid technological iteration, and we must remain sensitive to changes and continue to learn.

Finally, be open and tolerant to people, things, nature, and all things in the universe, and accept all opportunities, all challenges, and all successes and failures, so that we can have the courage and freedom to explore a wider world.