Solomon Akakiya, a recent graduate of the EMLV Business School’s MBA, comes from Ghana. He shares his journey from student to a digital marketing professional and tries to inspire more international students to choose Paris and EMLV for their Master’s degree and future career.
Integrated professional development and empirical and practical teaching methods combine into the MBA experience. The full-time MBA programme is designed to offer high-quality training to professionals who wish to gain in-depth technical knowledge in the digital sector. Solomon, an EMLV MBA graduate, speaks about his recent studying journey for an MBA in Paris, France.
Meet Solomon, EMLV MBA graduate
A lot has changed. I’ve grown so much in terms of knowledge. It’s been an exciting journey for me. I’ve always heard about Paris and all the things about Paris in movies and documentaries, and I still can’t believe that I’m living the dream that I live in Paris. That people ask me: Where do you live? And I say I live in Paris. They’re like: Which Paris? I said that Paris, you know.
Choosing EMLV Paris La Defense for your business degree in France
So I studied for a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Digital Marketing Strategy.
Right from the time when I found EMLV’s site, and I showed interest, and I started getting in touch, it was so smooth.
My first email got a reply that they would get back to me, and they went back to me. Throughout the process, they were with me from admission to the documents required and everything. Where they had one or two questions, they went back to me.
From day one, they were in touch with me until I’ve got my visa, and that I think even made me come here.
I was in contact with other schools, but I wasn’t getting this feedback. You send an email; it takes like three weeks before they reply. That’s not discussion, and probably they even change people, so like today’s this person I’m talking to, the next day there is somebody else. I wasn’t so comfortable with that, but the EMLV was on point.
I was motivated when I saw all this big stuff. I’ve had read that it’s located in the business hat of Paris. I came here knowing that these significant buildings contain 15 head offices of the first 50 companies in the world.
That speaks volumes, so when I first got at the entrance, I saw my school – Oh, my God! – I was more than motivated!
EMLV MBA curriculum: connecting with the world of management
What was also very interesting about the year was that the teachers backed up every lecture we had with a presentation. There was a lecturing part of every course that we did we had: just listening to theories and hearing about case studies. Then every team will have to come out with what is happening out there, against the cause, to come out with slices (examples). It was very exciting because it gave us direct contact with the world. So we don’t just learn stuff and keep it, but we are also relating to it quickly. That was very memorable for me.
Nail a career in Paris
For me, sitting here right now, I wouldn’t discourage anybody. It’s tough as a one-language person, somebody who speaks English, finding yourself in a French environment. One thing I’ve learned in the process is that it’s possible.
A thousand and one companies are looking for English speakers because they contact companies whose entire content is English.
You go in there, and you realize that French is just day-to-day conversation, dialogue, meetings, but the real content is English. Those companies want people who have an excellent English level, which can help them with content.
It was a big challenge, but I could go through it, and I think that everyone should have that mindset.
Just understand that it’s difficult, so you need to put in more effort than a French person will, especially as an international student.
It starts with making a good CV, so you should be able to get this good CV out there before you even begin applying.
Ensure that you align with the standards because there are standards in which the CVs need to be put in, so get read on that, get a good CV and put it out there looking for the media.
One thing that also sells is there are so many platforms, but you need to find the one that works. For me, I recommend Indeed. LinkedIn was part of it, but I’ve got all my internships through Indeed. So I will stick with Indeed, but try your hands around all the available platforms.
Please don’t give up; that’s the little message I’ll say. Apply as much as you can, and when you have the opportunity for an interview, kill it, nail it, don’t go in there and be around the bush.
Prepare, rehearse, practice in front of the mirror, kill it, and you should be able to go through it.
My French journey in digital marketing
I’m here with Novocomedy International. It’s a content-centred company. They are into funny family-oriented entertainment. They have a catalogue of thousands of content pieces that they distribute to close to 145 countries globally. They have partners all across the world, and it’s just so fun. So what I do, I’m working as a community manager.
I take care of their social media platforms and their day-to-day email marketing, and now we’re trying to launch a YouTube channel.
We had one, the project didn’t go so well, and we’ve been going around the bush, but now we’re trying to launch it so quick. So now, as I speak, there’s a project I’m on with the team. We’re working around, you know, checking some of our content: what should go there first, what should be the impression, how we should get it out there. It’s exciting.
