Ziyang Wang has always dreamed of studying at a top European business school.

With an interest in marketing, she chose the MSc in Marketing Management and Digital (MMD) program at ESSEC Asia-Pacific for its Asian focus, reputation in the luxury market, and emphasis on real-world experience.

This decision has served her well, and today, Ziyang is an intern at Dior—well on track to her eventual goal of securing full-time work doing marketing and public relations in the luxury sector.

How did being part of the ESSEC network assist you in your internship applications?

When I applied for internships on public platforms, I had to compete with hundreds of applicants and only received a few responses.

In contrast, I was browsing the ESSEC Jobteaser portal when I came across the job posting for my current internship—and I had never seen it on any other public platforms.

The HR and my current manager recognized my experience at ESSEC, and I got an interview the day after I applied.

In fact, thanks to ESSEC career sessions and alumni, I also received several interviews with luxury brands. I’m really grateful for the exclusive opportunities that ESSEC provides!

Can you describe the level of support you received from the Asia-Pacific community at ESSEC?

Our career services office held monthly training sessions, which taught us how to set up our LinkedIn profiles, connect with companies, revise our CVs, and improve our interviewing skills.

My Luxury Brand Marketing module professor, Sonja Prokopec, also wrote a letter of recommendation when I applied for a full-time position at luxury brands.

Because of their help, I improved my skills and showcased my abilities, which contributed to my success in finding an internship at Christian Dior.

In what ways did the hands-on projects at ESSEC help you identify your passions?

I worked on various projects relating to luxury goods, from an e-transformation project to optimize customer experience for Vacheron Constantin during the MMD Digital Marketing Challenge (DMC) to designing a Southeast Asian marketing campaign for Tiffany & Co. for my luxury brand management course.

During my retail management luxury industry class, I even designed a pop-up store for Macallan. I used these experiences to help me understand more about different marketing strategies and eventually developed an interest in luxury couture.

How does the MMD curriculum provide students with an edge in the workplace?

For example, my courses allowed me to share unique insights about the luxury industry and luxury brands during my interviews.

When interviewing for my current internship, the interviewer was particularly interested in the Google advertising certificate I obtained in the Social Media & Mobile Marketing course.

After starting my internship, I learned that these skills gained in the MMD program benefit my daily work.

How would you describe successful MMD students in terms of their personal qualities?

For those who have clear goals, want to apply their skills to digital and luxury marketing, and are excited to learn by doing, welcome to the MMD program.

Take the courses seriously, not just to lengthen your CV but also because you will grow tremendously from the experiences offered.

Take full advantage of what the school provides, be open to networking, and be ready to build strong relationships with ESSEC alumni.