João Tapioca wants to use his MBA at ESSEC Business School to drive development in his native Brazil
Ever since he can remember, João Tapioca has been fascinated by economics.
After pursuing a degree in the subject, he set out on a career with the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro, carrying out budget analyses, and making recommendations.
“I’ve always wanted to use my professional abilities to give back to my country,” he explains.
Working with the Brazilian government has helped João to meet this goal, but now, six years on, he’s ready to expand his career horizons.
Hoping to supplement his public sector experience with business insights, he decided that business school was the next logical step.
While researching his options, João discovered the on offer at ESSEC Business School.
Filling the gaps
ESSEC stood out to João for a number of reasons, first and foremost for the culture of innovation that he saw there, and in France as a whole.
The country is home to a strong startup ecosystem, with incubators like Station F supporting new business ventures.
The fact that ESSEC has a second campus in Singapore, a global hub for tech innovation, also added to the appeal.
Of the three MBA specializations on offer at ESSEC, João opted for the Strategy and Management option. Covering marketing, operations, strategy, and entrepreneurship, it will give him a broad view of business and management.
“It was a major that would fill my gaps,” he notes. “After this, I can transition between the public and private sectors, and work in collaboration with these two sides.”
Classes on Strategy and Decision Making will be especially useful once he graduates, João observes.
Career support
Other areas of the MBA experience are also helping João to develop his career.
Career coaching sessions, particularly ESSEC’s Personal Branding workshops, have allowed him to better understand his career goals on a personal level.
“I’ve learned that we have to anchor our careers in ourselves,” he reflects.
Alongside these workshops, participants on the Global MBA are also matched with an experienced mentor in their field of interest, to help them make connections and understand the career options available to them.
Through these services, João has uncovered another potential career step: consulting. Prior to the MBA, he didn’t realize that consulting was an option.
At ESSEC, though, he has learned that the logical thinking and soft skills he is developing are key to consulting success.
Through events such as ESSEC’s yearly Digital Week Competition, MBA participants with an interest in consulting can hone their skills by working in teams on real world case studies. This year, participating companies included Coty Luxury, and Moët Hennessy.
A strong network
When setting out on a new career, having a strong network is almost as important as developing these practical skills.
For João, the regular networking events on offer at ESSEC are helping him to work out his next career move.
Throughout the Global MBA program, participants have the chance to attend at least seven different networking sessions, allowing them to make connections in Europe.
To ensure they get the most out of these events, the Career Services and Program Management teams at ESSEC bring in business leaders from companies or industries that participants have expressed an interest in working with.
“At the networking events, we talk to them, and understand a little more about their career trajectories, which prepares us for the job market in Europe,” João explains.
Networking isn’t limited to these events, though—João has also developed strong ties with his peers on the program.
With the intensity that comes with studying an MBA in a brand new city, the cohort has been an important support network.
This atmosphere of mutual understanding meant that friendships blossomed quickly. “The support that we give to one another really shows that this is a collaborative environment,” João reflects.
Because about 98% of João’s peers are international students like himself, he is also learning how to work alongside people with very different backgrounds.
Despite the different points of view in the classroom, the group bonded easily— a powerful experience for João.
Post graduation plans
Working closely with peers from different cultures will be a vital skill for João’s future career, whether in consulting, or elsewhere.
João’s ultimate goal is to work with the World Economic Forum to drive Brazil's economic development, though, and he’s already taking steps towards this future.
“On the Global MBA, we’re learning how to effectively network, and start meeting people in these organizations,” he says.
As he broadens his public sector experience with insights from the world of business at ESSEC, João feels well-placed to meet his career goals when he graduates in 2020.
Student Reviews
The best intercultural university
There are more than 50 nationality in the grade, so there are opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. In terms of academics, the BBA course offers diverse courses for the 1st
Creativity, adaptability and entrepreneurship
The Master in Management program at the ESSEC Business School allows the students to choose their courses accordingly to their preferences and their professional targets. We can also go through international exchange and take part in internships with companies that are also partners with the school. The school is also next to the city of Paris.
Top business school in France
Doing PhD in essec took some time, to be precise about five years. But the experience was very good and cost effective too. There are opportunities for the student for teaching assistantship and that helps both financially and in career. In the final year I could manage to teach marketing to M1 students and this helped shape my career
Great college
The program is well suited for early professionals with an engineering degree preferably or a degree in economics. I would suggest taking the ceasure irrespective of the experience level as it helps you take your time to adjust to the job market.
Good school in France
I am currently enrolled in M2 in Essec business school. I am specialising in marketing management. The Grande Ecole programme is valued in France and my school ranks very high up. There are a lot of opportunities for internships and CDD.
The program curriculum
BBA program. The program is really practical and useful, provide us many international opportunities. Like internship and humanitarian experience, and the flexibility is also really cool, we can choose different campus and tracks as we want.
International Course
This school is very international and business oriented. Highly recognized by the companies The campus has been renovated and is very functional and modern from now on. Excellent atmosphere. Reputation of essec is a plus
Friends, Career opportunities.
The program I did gave me the opportunity to start in Singapore. I got the chance to know all the students that started there and we bonded and made some friends for life. The career opportunities that ESSEC also gave me were unbelievable.
Practical and useful
I think the best thing about Essec is that it's not focusing on academics rather it emphasizes on future job mindset and professional experiences..
The classes are interesting and we have plenty of workshops attributing to different sectors..
The campus is very nice with a good cafe and wonderful library.
The only problem is the location of the campus. It's quite far from Paris.
Amazing experience! Must try
I think its a very amazing school with great and experienced faculty. Also the alumni network is very solid and useful. The school has a great balance of studies and work experience which is really essential for a student.
GBBA: Diverse, Enriching, and Career-Boosting
My experience at ESSEC Business School has been outstanding. The Global BBA program offers a rich academic curriculum and diverse learning opportunities. I appreciated the chance to study on different campuses, including an international exchange, which broadened my perspective. The social environment is culturally diverse and vibrant, enhancing both my personal and professional growth. The administration is attentive, constantly offering new academic and student life opportunities. The campus facilities and classrooms are excellent. I highly recommend ESSEC for its excellence, global exposure, and career opportunities.
ESSEC BS BBA REVIEW
The English track BBA program at ESSEC is simply exceptional. Courses are taught by internationally renowned professors who are experts in their field. The subjects taught cover a wide range of disciplines from marketing to finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. The English track is a major asset because it allows you to develop perfect mastery of professional English, essential in today's globalized business world. Some students love student life at Essec, which is one of the best in France, but it all depends on taste.
Great program, incredible school
I love almost everything about this school, from the student life to the academic program and the opportunities it provides.
I'm currently at the Paris campus, in Cergy, and I'm really enjoying it.
The BBA program is very rich and diversified, you can start with geopolitics and then finance, what I mean is that there's a great balance between the subjects in this program.
I was also lucky enough to spend a semester at the Singapore campus, and I loved that experience on the other side of the world.
ESSEC is also known for its dynamic and rich student life, with access to several parties a week and the various associations within the school.
If I could recommend just one school, it would be this one - I'm 100% satisfied.
Great experience
First of all, what I appreciate the most is the academic environment. The courses are extremely stimulating and are taught by high-level professors, often experts in their field. The diversity of subjects offered, ranging from marketing to finance, including entrepreneurship, allows you to acquire a complete and versatile education. The group projects, although sometimes stressful, are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, which is essential in the professional world. One area that I feel could be improved is the management of student events. Although many activities are organized, I have noticed that some events can lack organization or communication, which can frustrate those who want to get involved. Better coordination between the different student associations and the administration could really improve the overall experience.
