In the 2021 Financial Times European Business School Ranking, Paris had four schools in the top 10. That makes it not only one of the best cities for an MBA in Europe but one of the best in the world. We spoke to a graduate of the ESSEC Global MBA to find out what it’s like to study one of the top MBAs in Paris.
One of the biggest benefits of an MBA is the chance it gives you to change direction in your career. Whether you want to move into a new industry, transition to a new sector, or find a different role within your current company, an MBA gives you the skills and confidence you need to make that change.
One of the common career switches you’ll see post-MBA is the move from a public sector role to one in the private sector. For Mireille Francis, her decision to do an MBA was made with this transition in mind. Originally from Lebanon, she was most recently working in communications for the French government – but had reached an impasse in her career.
“The problem in the public sector is that sometimes you arrive at a plateau in your career, and that’s what I felt like,“ she tells MBAGRADSCHOOLS. “I felt I wouldn’t be able to move forward with it. I felt like it was the right move to utilize the experience I already had, but to find a different path where I can really grow and excel.” (02:50)
Mireille’s path eventually led to ESSEC Business School in Paris. With 58% of their Global MBA graduates changing sectors after graduation, the program seemed like the perfect choice to move into a new sector. ESSEC Global MBA students can choose one of two specializations: Strategy & Digital Leadership or Luxury Brand Management. Mireille’s choice was based on her desire to gain a broader understanding of business.
“I chose the Strategy and Digital Leadership program because it was quite a holistic offering. You get a really 360 view of the business ecosystem that – as someone coming from the public sector – was very insightful,” she says. (01:53)
An MBA is about so much more than the things you learn in the program. It’s about the experience, the opportunity to meet new people, expand your network, gain practical skills you can use to advance your career, and meet people from all over the world. It’s that international exposure that gives you new perspectives not just on your career, but on life itself.
“I come from an international background, but when I came to ESSEC I discovered a whole new world,” Mireille explains. “I was super happy. In my MBA cohort, 40% came from 14 different countries, so it was quite enriching. You really have people from every corner of the world and you get to become lifelong friends with them.” (06:30)
The ESSEC Global MBA has an extensive curriculum which gave Mireille a rounded view of business as a whole. So, while the program is not lacking in these hard business skills, Mireille says there’s also a big focus on the so-called “soft skills” you need to succeed in business.
“The MBA was a great tool for me to make the switch to the private sector,” she shares. “Aside from the academic parts, they work a lot on your personality; your soft skills. We had a lot of courses on negotiation, how to present ourselves, the one-minute elevator pitch.” (08:42)
Once you’re armed with fundamental business knowledge, a wider network of contacts, and experience working with people from all over the world, you might think that’s all you need to succeed. However, one of the most important benefits of an MBA is actually what happens after you graduate. They say an MBA is for life, and nowhere is that more true than at ESSEC.
“Thanks to the ESSEC alumni network, I was able to speak to a lot of people in the luxury, motor, and defense industries, which were kind of my target industries. It was through talking to ESSEC alumni that I managed to figure out what I wanted to do next in my career,” Mireille says. (09:44)
While ESSEC alumni helped Mireille figure out the next move in her career, the ESSEC faculty led her directly to her new job. Since graduating, she has secured a role at the consulting firm Capgemini. She says that was largely down to a consulting project she did during the program.
“We had a management consulting course during the program with a professor who had more than 30 years’ experience in consultancy,” she tells us. “During the course, we had to do a presentation about the top five or six consulting firms in Europe. By chance, my company was Capgemini. That’s how I found out about them, and that’s why I applied for a job there.” (10:27)
An MBA can give you the skills you need to make a change in your career, but that’s only one piece of the puzzle. In the end, it was largely down to ESSEC’s access to the Paris business ecosystem that meant Mireille was able to break into a new sector. For her, an MBA in Paris meant a new career in a new industry – and one where she’s not worried about plateauing anytime soon.
If you want to learn more about what it’s like to study at a top MBA program in Paris, feel free to reach out to one of our ESSEC Global MBA ambassadors.
