How An MBA Can Land You A Luxury Career At L'Oréal Luxe
Students on the ESSEC Global MBA can choose to specialize in a luxury brand management track
The ESSEC Business School Global MBA specializes in luxury brand management, helping students like Rosie Fang launch successful careers at top brands like L'Oréal Luxe
Aged 27, Rosie Fang decided it was time for a change. She’d spent half a decade in marketing and PR, but dropped it all to pursue her passion for luxury in one of the world’s luxury capitals: Paris.
Rosie enrolled in the ESSEC Business School Global MBA, home to a luxury brand management specialization. She was after a degree that would hone her understanding of the industry.
Fast forward to graduation and Rosie is now living her dream as an international communications project manager for L'Oréal Luxe. The MBA played a pivotal role in launching her new career.
Why MBA: ESSEC Business School
Pre-MBA, Rosie had success as a project coordinator for a consultancy and as a content manager for a startup in her native Shanghai. But she found herself wanting a change.
“Shanghai is amazing, but I was a little bit tired of it,” she says, “I wanted to find something new, something fresh.”
Choosing the luxury industry made Paris a great destination. Rosie decided an MBA would also give her a better opportunity to break into the competitive sector.
“After researching I saw ESSEC is one of the top schools,” she explains. “The key reason why I chose it was because of the luxury brand management track.”
The track is taught across three semesters. It begins with a pre-semester period where students are introduced to the cultural foundations of luxury.
The curriculum covers topics like luxury marketing, the global luxury economy, sustainability in the industry, and consumption and consumer behavior. It also breaks down the different sectors including jewelry, wine and spirits, perfume, and watches.
Alongside L’Oréal Luxe, partners of the program include some of luxury's biggest names. The full list includes the likes of Burberry, Chanel, LVMH, Kering, Richemont, Estée Lauder Group, Gucci, Hermès, and Cartier. Partners participate in case studies, company visits, and career fairs.
The program also packs as much immersive experience as possible into a 12-month period.
“During the year we had trips to places where luxury is booming,” Rosie says. “These trips were super appealing to me. We visited a lot of Maisons and interacted with many professionals in the industry.”
At the end of the program Rosie says she had a 360-view of what makes a luxury brand tick, as well as how luxury items are designed, distributed, marketed, and sold. She’d also had the chance to connect with key industry figures and got a behind the scenes look into the industry.
Acquiring core business skills
Rosie coupled her luxury skills with core business modules covering accounting, finance, HR, strategy, and organizational behavior—subjects she’d never studied before.
“I didn’t become an expert, but it was a great introduction,” she says, “I’m not scared of financial reports anymore, and it’s really great being able to look at a company from a top management level.”
Some projects require students to present their work to their cohort or a panel of faculty members and industry experts. The final capstone consulting field project is a three month-long immersion assignment requiring students to present a solution to a real-life business problem.
Rosie worked as a consultant for DFS Group, a leading luxury travel retailer, advising on the €500 million rebirth of the luxury La Samaritaine department store in Paris, which reopened in June 2021. She had to present her work after completing the project.
“I was scared to talk in front of a big group of people but because of all these presenting experiences I became really good at it,” Rosie recalls. “That really helped me with interviews and helps even now at work.”
The MBA uses group projects to develop your communication and teamwork skills. At ESSEC Business School, students are encouraged to work with as many members of their cohort as possible during a variety of group projects. The course is 94% international students, providing a diverse mixture of different cultures and personalities.
“The experience of dealing with all these problems and working in group projects has made me better in group situations and helped me know how to manage people,” Rosie says. “I would say that’s really amazing.”
Launching a dream career at L'Oréal Luxe
Finding a job in Paris as a Chinese graduate is no easy task, but Rosie achieved this In April 2021 after landing her dream job with L'Oréal Luxe. She acquired the role using connections she’d made on the program during one of the many networking events organized by the school.
“What is amazing is that the school opens doors for us and puts us in the same room with a lot of important people,” she says, “but what you are going to get out of that really depends on you.”
Her role sees her managing communication for top luxury brands like Maison Margiela in the China market. Day to day she works on introducing brands to consumers and making them more attractive by communicating the right message, using skills she learned on the MBA.
“The courses I took and experience I had at ESSEC Business School really gave me a deep understanding of the factors that make up a luxury brand, so it is super helpful for me to deliver the right information,” she says.
She also works closely within her team, brainstorming new ideas for upcoming campaigns and utilizing her improved soft skills.
Reflecting on the huge decision she made to leave her home and job in Shanghai, she says, “when I look back I have definitely achieved the goals that I set myself, and ESSEC definitely played an instrumental part in it.”
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
Student
Verified
6/04/2022
On Campus
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.
Prithwiraj
Verified
17/11/2021
On Campus
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
Student
Verified
30/10/2021
On Campus
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.
Student
Verified
30/10/2021
Blended
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.
Student
Verified
9/02/2020
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.
Véronique
Verified
11/12/2019
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
kevin
Verified
11/11/2019
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.
Student
Verified
25/09/2019
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.
Kartik
Verified
14/02/2024
On Campus
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.
Ali
Verified
28/05/2024
On Campus
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.
Maximilien
Verified
5/06/2024
On Campus
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.
Clément
Verified
14/06/2024
On Campus
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.
Rayane
Verified
21/10/2024
On Campus
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.
