In today’s ever-changing world, the best asset for a company is its talents. Choosing the right people is key to creating and maintaining a competitive advantage and critical to the success of any business: the right team embodies the greatest way for a company to keep growing.
Consequently, firms partner with top business schools to have the first choice for students and alumni.
ESCP Business School responds to corporate needs by training high-potential managers. “We approached ESCP because we know that it can supply the talents we need and offers its partners a wide range of initiatives to create profitable synergies between companies and the university,“ declared Federico Leproux, TeamSystem CEO, when he signed the partnership with ESCP Turin Campus.
The Business School offers its wide network of companies access to a highly motivated, dynamic, and culturally diverse student body of interns and graduates.
It looks like ESCP Business School has the recipe for success for the next generation of leaders: intense international training through an interdisciplinary approach, merging theory and practice.
But what makes ESCP students and alumni different from other candidates?
We asked top managers and alumni, and all seem to agree on three reasons to hire ESCP talent.
Simon Freakley, AlixPartners CEO, provides the summary. “The structure and content of ESCP’s curriculum ensures its graduates are ready to enter the workforce immediately following graduation and aligns closely with AlixPartners’ core values. Access to the school’s multiple campuses throughout Europe equips students with a cross-cultural understanding and experience which serves them well throughout their careers. This ability to work and communicate effectively across countries and cultures is a skill that is in high demand, especially in global consulting firms. And finally, the school’s heavy focus on teamwork and networking gives its students a solid grounding in teamwork, communication, and personal respect“.
#1 International and cross-cultural exposure
Studying in several countries makes young students more independent and capable of making conscious choices about their future. Thanks to the multicampus model at ESCP, students can experience incredible personal development stimulated by daily engagement with other cultures and languages that broaden their perspective.
Studying with international professors and peers from all over the world and from different backgrounds exposes students to new ideas, perspectives and learning approaches. It is a unique opportunity to experience and understand multiculturalism and diversity, by living immersed in an open and inclusive environment.
In that regard, Pietro Luigi Ghigo, Head of Commercial at YiBai (YUMChina & Lavazza Joint Venture), and Master in Management Alumnus, said: “ESCP has allowed me to acquire an international and multicultural dimension, giving me a broader perspective“.
#2 Job Readiness and pragmatic mindset
Theory is nothing without practice. ESCP Business School encourages and supports its students in developing work experience during their studies. It trains them with hands-on engagement thanks to the learning-by-doing approach and real-world experience gained by ESCP students in class, thanks to business cases and company projects, but also with extracurricular activities.
“ESCP played a key role in giving me the tools and the motivation to start my own business and become a better professional, thanks to what I learned inside and outside the classroom […]. The beauty of ESCP is that it offers plenty of opportunities to “learn by doing”, as we did in the context of Regatta ESCP“, said ESCP alumnus Romolo Ganzerli, cofounder of MammaPack and Global Digital Marketing Director at Wella Company.
“Looking back, I think that overall, the Master in Management programme, both in terms of the courses but also in terms of the structure and organisation, is really a perfect mix to prepare for consultancy. An added value is the pragmatic mindset used in the courses and the incredible opportunity to do several internships“, added Edoardo Persenda, ESCP alumnus and Vice President at AlixPartners.
Internships are a crucial component of ESCP programmes and are essential in developing the right set of soft skills to work in a corporate environment. The ESCP Careers Service guides students to define and refine their career plans, obtain valuable information, and learn about different job opportunities internationally. Work experience plays a key part in determining an individual’s work readiness, and potential employers highly value it.
“We were very impressed with the quick thinking, analytical skills and efficient approach to solving problems and finding alternative solutions that we saw in ESCP students“, stated Mauro Giacobbe, CEO of Facile.it.
#3 Teamwork and networking
Previous work experience is much appreciated but what makes the difference for a recruiter is a candidate with an excellent aptitude for teamwork.
Managers across business sectors increasingly prioritise the ability to work in a team.
ESCP prepares students for professional business environments with group work and projects to train them to thrive in teams, by instilling the benefits of collaborative work and learning.
Group projects help students develop skills faster than through independent study. Furthermore, team dynamics place them in constructive dialogue with their classmates, encouraging them to challenge assumptions and evaluate their ideas.
Teamwork enhances personal development and prepares management students for high-paced professional environments, from start-up offices to top company boardrooms.
Finally, team dynamics help students build crucial networks both during and after their studies.
“What you get from ESCP is not only a high-level education, but something more that is equally important in achieving your goals. My group of classmates represented a new family and a solid network base, a fundamental asset in achieving professional goals” said Pietro Luigi Ghigo.
Forging trust, respect and friendship, group work can be an ideal foundation for professional networks among similarly minded business professionals. These networking benefits are heightened in international schools like ESCP Business School, where students work closely with classmates from around the world.
So, if you want to be hired by top firms and succeed in the real world it is crucial to embrace a study path that combines theory and practice at the same time.
