France Alumni Day: succeed in your professional career after studying in the engineering schools of the ParisTech network

The schools in the ParisTech network welcome dozens of international students in their classes every year. In particular, they recruit together Chinese, Brazilian, Colombian, Argentinian students, and of course from the rest of the world. More than a thousand students have been recruited by the seven schools in the network since 2000.

International students come to schools seeking an original experience combining a high scientific level, proximity to businesses, an international environment, preparation for the job market, in short a combination of theory and practice which makes their stay in France unique. And they provide school students with an opening to the world that is undeniable, other ways of approaching problems, of seeing the world, which is necessary for future engineers.

65% of international students enter the job market upon graduation, while around 12% continue their studies, particularly with a master's degree in France, which provides them with additional specialization, and 9% continue on to a PhD. Those who pursue a PhD do so mainly in France, but 20% do so abroad, whether in Europe (Germany, Belgium, Italy, United Kingdom, Switzerland) or in the United States or New Zealand for instance.

Around 30% of those who enter the job market (excluding PhD) continue the experience in France by staying a few years in our country before continuing their career in their home country, for some in the same company as in France, or to embark on an international career in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, etc. 45% return to their home country upon graduation and many of them work in a French company. They invest in all sectors of the economy, from agriculture to services and industry.

The few months, even years, spent in France constitute a pivotal moment in the lives, and even more so in the careers, of these students. Ivy, manager in an American hospital, and Bruna, researcher at John Deere, both formerly at AgroParisTech, as well as Jiang (Mines Paris – PSL) and Zijiao (AgroParisTech), respectively data scientist at BNP Paribas Asset Management in France and at Asos in London, testify to the importance of their stay in France in their student and professional career. They show how the education as it is delivered by our graduate schools (lots of practice, development of soft skills, close contact with companies, etc.) has enabled them to be well prepared for the job market, given them the keys to adapt to different professional environments, different cultures and a more complex world. All four summarize what characterizes engineers who graduate from ParisTech schools: “excellence, curiosity, network”; “flexible, resourceful, prepared”; “generalist, flexible and pragmatic”; “excellence, pragmatic, innovative”.

Discover their testimonials:

Ivy	Kaizhong	Bruna	ZIjiao