Jingyi Zhang first heard of ESSEC Business School from a French professor while on an exchange program in the United States.
With a background in market research and product marketing and a goal of becoming a product manager at a tech company one day, she set her sights on joining the MSc in Marketing Management and Digital (MMD) program at ESSEC Asia-Pacific and hasn’t looked back since.
Now a product management intern at Grab, she utilizes her newly acquired knowledge and experiences and is one step closer to achieving her dreams.
What drew you to ESSEC Business School?
I was attracted to ESSEC Business School because of its emphasis on building strong marketing skills by applying knowledge to practical contexts.
ESSEC’s MMD program, in particular, cultivates students’ hands-on skills through projects that allow us to learn more about specific business cases in the luxury industry.
This helps us gain occupational skills and gives us an edge when looking for employment opportunities.
Reflecting on your time at ESSEC, how do you feel about the international exposure received?
Besides the hands-on project opportunities, being in Singapore was where East meets West—I was exposed to business cases from different countries in the region and worked with teammates worldwide.
I’ve learned valuable lessons about other cultures and how to operate with people from diverse backgrounds.
How did you land an internship with Grab?
I started looking for internships very early, and by December, I had already applied to Grab for its summer internship.
They made me an offer in February, so I didn’t need to look for anything else.
I’m grateful that ESSEC Career Services encouraged me to start examining for my internship early and that the team taught me how to set up my LinkedIn profile and network with professionals in the fields I’m interested in!
What did you fare during the interview process?
My internship interview with Grab was the first time I interviewed for a product management position in English.
I was scared of misunderstanding any questions or terms used in the interview.
To prepare, I spent the day looking up others’ experiences on Glassdoor, practicing answers to possible questions, and reviewing my resume.
What was the highlight of your MMD journey at ESSEC?
I got the opportunity to work with Tiffany & Co. to improve the attractiveness of their engagement rings in the Southeast Asian market.
As my previous experience was mainly concentrated in the technology industry, I didn’t know much about the luxury market before joining ESSEC.
However, Marketing Professor Sonja Prokopec trained us well to understand how each brand has a unique DNA and core values that we need to work with.
I appreciated the chance to test my knowledge and deepen my understanding of the luxury market.
What is your advice for current ESSEC students in their job hunt?
Plan your job hunt properly; some companies begin summer recruitment in December, so you may need to start researching even earlier than that to be ready to apply.
Also, utilize the ESSEC alumni network. Many are happy to share their experiences with you and may even be willing to put you in contact with new opportunities.
Most importantly, be patient: Don’t worry and don’t compare with your classmates. Have faith that the right opportunity is out there waiting for you.
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