A series of alumni testimonials about French colleges and universities. The alumni share their personal experiences about their courses, part-time jobs, internships, job search, etc. I have focused on alumni because it can help prospective and current students get a complete picture of the course and future opportunities.
In this particular article, an alumnus was kind enough to share his Master’s experiences from SKEMA Business School.
Alumni & Course Information
| Name | Mr. John (name changed) |
| LinkedIn Profile | NA |
| Degree | Master in Management (MiM) “RNCP/CGE certified” |
| Course Specialization | |
| Year of Graduation | 2022 |
| College | |
| City | Lille, Sophia Antipolis in France, and finally Brazil |
| Course Intake | September |
| Course Duration | 18 months |
| Course Fees | 28,000€ |
| Funding for the course | Bank Education Loan + Partial Scholarship from the School |
| Monthly Expenses (Rent, utilities, etc) | 500€ |
| French level before the Course | A1 |
| French level after Graduation | B1 |
| Status after Graduation | Salaried Employee |
| Current Status | Graduate Program – UNIQLO Manager Candidate (UMC), Fashion Retail. Salary Range: 40k – €45k€ |
MSc & MiM Course Options at SKEMA
Personal Experiences during the Course
- Enrolling in this course truly broadened my global outlook.
- It served as a crucial pathway for my professional, academic, and personal development.
- Throughout the program, I immersed myself in French classes, actively participated in numerous events, and benefited from a diverse international cohort in the classroom.
- The abundance of exchange program options facilitated a transformative semester in Brazil.
- Additionally, forging friendships with people from around the world enabled me to delve into various cultures, while befriending locals enriched my understanding of France.
Part-time Job Experience
- The first semester at SKEMA, I was in Lille, and due to the lockdown, I was unable to find any part-time opportunities.
- For the second and third semesters, I studied in Sophia Antipolis in the South of France.
- Thanks to the connections I made, I was able to find an on-campus job as an IT assistant to the teachers helping them with the coursework preparations and carrying out the hybrid classes.
- For my final semester, I decided to go to the Brazilian campus. However, they did not have this kind of student job opportunities. So, I contacted as many people as I can in French and Brazilian campuses to create such an opportunity for me as I was financially not well-off.
- Finally, I was able to convince the Director of SKEMA Brazil who created an internship opportunity in the school’s IT and Marketing department just so I could gain some work experience and earn a stipend.
- Every day, I spent 6 hours in the classroom and 6 hours at my internship – it was difficult, but that was the best semester of my master’s, in terms of academics as well as fun.
- For other Indian students, not many of them searched for a part-time job. But for the ones who were searching, it wasn’t easy for them.
- Also, it is important to note that, you need a lot of discipline to juggle between part-time jobs and academics.
Internship Experience
- I spent months searching for internships for the summer of 2021.
- After failing to find one, I thought it was better to get a summer job in a restaurant or a supermarket.
- I printed a bunch of my CVs and went to all the businesses I could find around my apartment, spent days in the hot sun handing them out, and sold myself for a summer gig.
- Thankfully, I found a CDD in the finance department of a yacht management company – better than an internship.
- After my studies in 2022, instead of an end-of-study internship, I went back to the same company to resume my work on a CDD contract. So technically, I never had an internship.
- However, the school required ‘professional experience’ of 6 months, which I gained through CDDs.
- I must admit, it was very difficult to find an internship due to covid/lockdowns/economy.
- I wouldn’t say I got lucky, but after seeing others struggle and fail, I’m just grateful for the opportunity I found for myself.
Job Search Experience
- Found a Graduate Management Program at Uniqlo, France.
Advice for Juniors
- Before coming to France for my studies, I approached a lot of people asking about their experiences and opportunities in France.
- I made it clear to them that I come from a lower middle-class family and that, if I ended up not finding a job, I would be ruined.
- Most of the people I contacted, discouraged me, made fun of France, and told me that it is not worth it.
- However, there were just one or two people who contacted me after my post on the FB group and asked me to ignore the people who were discouraging me.
- They told me that, if I truly wanted to succeed, I had to hustle a lot during my masters, not going out to parties every night.
- Make connections, meet the right people, learn French, and enjoy the experience with an open mind.
- Have fun, explore, go out with people, but know your limits and never forget the purpose you came to France.
- I took a lead of faith and chose to come to France for my studies.
- This decision was the biggest risk I ever took in my life and I got the biggest reward ever.
Information about SKEMA Business School
- A Business school with 3 campuses in France – Lille, Paris and Sophia Antipolis.
- The Grande Ecole offers Bachelors, Masters including MBA and PhD degrees.
- Courses are taught in English.
- Seven campuses worldwide: Belo Horizonte, Lille, Paris, Raleigh, Sophia Antipolis, Stellenbosch, and Suzhou.
- More than 160 partner universities.
- Close to 100 specializations in France and abroad including 36 specializations delivering SKEMA double degree MiM/MSc and 20 double and triple degrees and diplomas with international partners.
- Multi accreditation: EQUIS, AACSB and EFMD EMBA Accredited.
- 99% of students have a job within six months of graduation (source:
SKEMA Talent & Careers)
SKEMA Global Ranking
| Course | QS World University Rankings |
| Global BBA – Bachelors in Business Administration (course website) | 2024 : 4th in France (Le Figaro) |
| Master in Management (Grande Ecole Programme) (course website) | 2024 : 23rd Worldwide |
| MSc Financial Markets and Investments(course website) | 2023 : 4th worldwide (“pre-experience masters”) |
| MSc International Business (course website) | |
| MSc International Marketing & Business Development (course website) | |
| MSc Business Consulting & Digital Transformation (course website) | |
| MSc Global Supply Chain Management & Procurement (course website) | |
| Executive Education & EMBA (course website) |
Disclaimer
- These are original testimonials collected from the alumni via Linkedin.
- Opinions expressed are from the alumni and so the author or the blog cannot be held responsible.
- These testimonials include both facts and opinions. Facts will not change but opinions might differ based on personal experiences, perspectives, etc.
