What did you do before this Master?

After I graduated from high school, I took a gap year to travel. I went to Vancouver in Canada and then to Mexico, to Guadalajara, before travelling the country. I didn't know at the time how useful it would be for the entry concourses for the master, and for my career, too. It gave me a vision of the world and a level in languages that are just precious. After that, I did a bachelor in International Business in a public university.

Why did you decide to do this Master?

I had the ambition to get a career at a larger scale than what the bachelor was offering me. At the time, my sister-in-law had done a similar master and advised me. When I looked into it, the program, the people, the professors, it just seemed the right thing to do. It also had a much better reputation than the public programs with similar curriculums in terms of outcomes.

Why did you choose this school?

In France, you go on a tour to interview in schools from all over the country and get to know the place and the people that may become part of your life the next 3-4 years. This one, apart from being one of the best ranked, was presenting the mindset I was looking for and knew right away I was going to have fun while learning and growing. While the ranking of the schools will fluctuate from a year to another, the people you hang out and bound with will remain the same and shape your personality and opportunities. This is at least as important in my opinion.

What did you experience during the program?

This is a quite vague question, and a hard one to answer as the experience lasted 4 years... More than the content of the program itself, I think this is a mix of the ambition it gives you and the people you meet. I created a network of great professionals (and actually learned what networking meant) that I'm still in touch with, who gave me a preview of what kind of career I could go for. Managers, Directors, VPs... I had no clue, and little visibility on what I could achieve before I applied. Seeing those guys, hardly 10 years older than me, in those amazing positions after getting the same diploma I was studying for just gave me wings. I've been working for 8 years now, and it's my turn to try and inspire the new generations. And it's fun ;)

How did you benefit from the program?

In so many ways. I earned the network I was mentioning above, and I earned the credibility the master gives you. Not so much in what you know, but more in how much self-drive you have and how much you are capable to work with a team, learn from it, and build great stuff together. As the master is somewhat general as well, you learn the language of many areas of the company, much more than you get into the details of each function, meaning you're capable of understanding every part of a company. You'll then dive into the one that are relevant to your function.

Why would you recommend this program to others?

I wouldn't be where I am if not for this Master. Many a company have an education minimum requirement, for instance, even if they won't say it publicly. Some won't consider your application if you haven't proven high academic standards. For this, and for the many other benefits I already covered. Oh and, did I mentioned I had the best time of my life in business school? Partying like there's no tomorrow, hanging out with some of the smartest and most entertaining people I know, and making friendships that will never end.

Julien Condamines
Product Marketing Manager YouTube at Google
Master in Management at Toulouse Business School