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, Siva was kind enough to share his Master’s experiences from SKEMA Business School.
Alumni & Course Information
| Name | Mr. Siva Devavarapu |
| LinkedIn Profile | |
| Degree | Master of Science (MSc) “RNCP certified” |
| Course Specialization | |
| Year of Graduation | 2020 |
| College | |
| City | Paris |
| Course Intake | September (January is possible too) |
| Course Duration (including internship) | 16 months |
| Course Fees | 16, 900€ |
| Funding for the course | Bank Education Loan |
| Monthly Expenses (Rent, utilities, etc) | 650€ |
| French level before the Course | A1 |
| French level after Graduation | A1 |
| Status after Graduation | Salaried Employee |
| Current Status | Digital Marketing Manager at ZeeTim, Paris |
MSc Course Options at SKEMA
Personal Experiences during the Course
- My course was taught in English, and this involved a lot of teamwork. It was different from my experience in India.
- The class comprised more than 20 nationalities, making it enjoyable to meet people from around the world and learn how to collaborate effectively with them.
- Throughout the course, I had around 10 presentations, and the exams were relatively easy.
- The syllabus was less extensive when compared with my bachelor’s degree in India and had my first experience with an open-book exam.
- I didn’t take any French classes during my studies. I only learned it during my part-time work,
- Overall, it was a fun and enriching experience.
Return on Investment (ROI)
- My return on investment has been good.
- This was largely due to managing my monthly expenses through a part-time job until I secured a full-time position.
- Consequently, my only outstanding debt was my college fees, which I managed to pay off in approximately two and a half years.
Multi-cultural Aspects of the Course
- The class composition included approximately 35-40% Indian students, with the remaining being of various other nationalities.
- I observed that there was a slightly higher representation of Indian students at Skema, possibly due to the effective marketing efforts targeted toward Indian audiences.
Part-time Job Experience
- My part-time experience was also good. Initially, it was a bit difficult because I wasn’t able to understand French. But slowly I understood the words and sentences spoken during work.
- I worked in McDonald’s during evenings after my school and I worked around 18 hours per week. I also learnt managing time here because I have to go to school, cook for myself, do part-time and also work on my projects, apply for jobs, etc.
- Working part-time actually improved my French listening skills. I studied only till A1 in India and I came to France. However I understood nothing because the accent was so different and the native speakers speak very fast.
- Working part time helped me absorb the basics of the language as that is the only place where I was exposed to french. My Masters was completely taught in English and so no French there.
Internship Experience
- The overall experience was good.
- Unfortunately, I got my internship in the peak of COVID, so it was completely work from home. I had never worked in India, so I can’t compare the experience.
- I can only say that I loved working for a French company. They were patient in teaching me and welcoming me into the team.
- I am the only foreigner in the team.
Job search Experience
- Job search was pretty tough because we were the first batch graduated after COVID (May 2020).
- Also, I wasn’t good in speaking French speaker. So the opportunities were less.
- I applied for around 8 months and then I got my internship.
- Fortunately the internship got converted into a full time Contract.
Advice for Juniors
- If possible, Learn French till B1/B2 before coming to France.
- Believe in yourself and keep applying for jobs.
- You hear many people saying, it’s very hard to find a job if you don’t speak French, etc.
- If I was able to find a job without speaking french, so can you.
I always suggest to learn French because it increases the opportunities and also makes your everyday life a lot easier here.
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.
