Meet a student: Unlocking my potential with EDHEC Master in Management
Lochan Appannah Kongera Uthappa will graduate from EDHEC Business School in 2022. We have asked Lochan to share how his education and his gap year impacted his career plans.
You joined EDHEC for the MiM in Business Management in 2019. What did you hope to achieve at that time?
Having done my Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and having minimal professional experience, the Grande Ecole program seemed like the perfect opportunity for me to build my foundations in Business Management, then gain experience in the gap year to further make a well-informed decision for my M2. Additionally, I wanted the international experience to help me grow on a personal level, with the independence and responsibility of living away from home adding to the experience. EDHEC stood out from the options I had considered and I’m very glad to have made the decision to become part of this community.
You are in your Master 2 year now. You have chosen the MSc in Strategy, Organisation & Consulting. Can you share the main highlights and takeaways of your MiM experience?
The start of the MiM program was definitely overwhelming with all the tasks I needed to do, whether academic or administrative. However, as international students, having EDHEC by our side from the start, even before reaching France made us feel so comfortable with moving to another country. From the pick-up service at the station, till it was time to do our taxes, the International Students Office has been helpful through all of it. The MiM helped me gain the needed knowledge in Business Management and the extra-curricular activities like joining an association, integration parties, on-campus sports, event photography, and many more, was more than I could ask for. It has really helped shape the person I am today.
Can you tell us at which companies you interned? What were your missions?
My first internship was at ‘appygas’ by GRTgaz Deutschland in Berlin, Germany, a start-up in the natural gas industry where I was a Marketing & Sales intern reporting to the head of the company, who was coincidentally EDHEC alumni, even having taken the same MSc. I was in charge of rolling out the marketing strategy for the new pricing model and daily marketing & communications. She and the team, really helped me learn a lot about agile work methodology and how a fast-moving start-up works for which I will always be grateful
Having finished 6 months in Berlin, I moved to Clermont-Ferrand to work for Michelin at their headquarters to work for the Pricing team as a Pricing Analyst under two wonderful managers in the Beyond Road department. This experience in the sectors of agriculture, construction, and military, helped me increase my knowledge of how the business works in the technical part of the Marketing team. This experience was the one that convinced me to make my decision of choosing my M2 having realized my affinity towards data, statistics, and strategy. Both of the internships taught me very different things as they were stark contrasts in terms of organizational size, going from start-up to MNC, and I will forever be grateful for them.
How has EDHEC Career Centre accompanied you so far to reach your career goals?
The Career Centre has always been held in high regard and it was one of the selling points that caught my eye when choosing EDHEC, and it has definitely lived up to my expectations. I have noticed the team getting better year by year. They have helped shape me better as a professional to better present myself not just to recruiters, but as an individual. Having received my interview opportunity for my first internship through a direct application through the alumni network and the second interview through the ‘Pass the relay’ program. I can only say good things about the Career Centre and the ISO team for accommodating the administrative requirements in order for me to go forward with them.
The various tools available like, the online career platform, assessment tools, advisory appointments, partnerships with companies, career events, and more, have always been an advantage that is always available for usage. Having been lucky enough to get my internships in international companies, I have worked in English but knowing French will let you make the most of these resources, especially with local hiring. If you need to develop your French further, however, EDHEC’s French classes have got you covered there!
What are your job aspirations?
Having the gap year helped me make a better decision for my personal career path! Having the two internships, helped me realise that I would like to merge both my academic backgrounds by working as a strategy consultant in Marketing or Operations in the sectors of aviation, aerospace, automobile, or energy. The gap year of the program did was it was designed to do, and EDHEC’s team made it possible, for which I will always be grateful as it let me unlock my potential and aim higher than before.
If you were to describe your EDHEC experience in three words, what would they be?
My unfair advantage.
