COVID-19 literally changed the way we live and work overnight, and while we still do not know how the economic crises will evolve and how mindsets will need to change post-pandemic, we know that being adaptable and resilient are key if we are to secure a job post-graduation. Employers will be looking for employees with a specific set of skills to adapt to the new normal – they may not be “new” skills, but they are more relevant now than ever.
According to LinkedIn’s 2020 Workplace Learning Report, 57% of talent developers will focus on leadership and management skills, 42% on creative problem-solving and design thinking skills, and 40% on communication skills. All of these skills are part and parcel of a solid business education – such as ESSEC’s Global BBA programme.
The BBA for success
Ranked the #1 BBA in France by L’Etudiant (2019/20) and Le Point (2020), ESSEC was also awarded The Triple Crown accreditation which is held by less than 1% of business schools in the world. That said, while accreditation plays a big part in choosing a business school, graduate employment statistics is also a big factor.
It is worth noting that 96% of ESSEC graduates find jobs within 6 months, with a whopping 45% of students already securing job offers before graduation. Top recruiters include McKinsey, KPMG, Microsoft, and Ubisoft, with fresh graduates enjoying a very competitive average starting salary of SG$67,000 a year!
Part of the reason for that is because, in tune with the “new normal”, career counsellors are spending substantial time with students to fine-tune how they network, interview, and interact online. It perhaps comes as no surprise that 28% of employment comes from personal relationships, and 80% of students say they are very satisfied with their employment.
Where do ESSEC graduates go?
Unsurprisingly, graduates from Europe’s #7 business school (according to Financial Times Worldwide Ranking, 2019) have a world of options, with the latest batch of fresh graduates having found a wide range of opportunities at startups, SMEs, and MNCs, with roles varying from Project Manager to Consultant and Analyst.
Many found their way into multinational companies in various industries, including finance and insurance (15%) with companies like BNP Paribas and AXA, consultancy (13%) at companies like Deloitte and Accenture, as well as consumer goods conglomerates like Nestlé and LVMH (10%).
Governments around the world are encouraging students to get into digital technology in order to stay ahead in the coming years. The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry is worth trillions of dollars globally, and it is only getting bigger. To put it in perspective, digital transformation has already lifted one billion people out of extreme poverty over the past 30 years – including 730 million in China alone where the industry is worth over $8 trillion per year to the economy. Hence, anyone in the ICT industry will have a position for the future.
About 28% of ESSEC graduates worldwide pursue a career in ICT, and companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Ubisoft are just a few of the places ESSEC business graduates are working at, proving that you do not need to be an IT specialist to take advantage of the huge surge in digital transformation.
Going global
With campuses in 3 countries (Singapore, France, and Morocco), and at least 10 months of professional internships anywhere in the world, it is no surprise that the multicultural environment has a profound effect on where ESSEC graduates work. The 62,000 strong ESSEC alumni network is a global one, extending across Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific.
In addition, Global BBA students have access to ESSEC’s network of over 170 partner universities worldwide, including Tsinghua University (China), Waseda University (Japan), IE Business School (Spain), University College London (UK), Stellenbosch University (South Africa), The University of Queensland (Australia), University of Michigan (USA), and many more.
While the Global BBA is taught in English at the Singapore and France campuses, students will be proficient in three languages upon graduation as part of their curriculum. In addition to Business English, all non-native French speakers learn French, and all students have the option to select another language, such as Chinese, German, Spanish, Japanese or Italian.
Why it’s good to plan now
No one would argue with the fact that COVID-19 has hit the global economy hard. Now is an ideal time to be enrolling in an education that analyses the current economic situation and encourages students to find solutions to stay ahead of the competition upon graduation. The good news is that recessions and pandemics do not last long – resilient people who are open-minded, passionate, and innovative do.
Find out what it’s like to be part of a global business school and precisely what makes ESSEC graduates so highly sought-after. Check out the Virtual Info Session on 5 Dec by registering here.
Application for ESSEC Global BBA September 2021 entry is open, and you can find out more details here.
