Field Day for Grand Duchy Job Drive

HEC Alumni Luxembourg chose Valentine’s Day to hold its fourth recruitment fair at Jouy-en-Josas. The event was designed to attract topnotch students to Luxembourg-based companies in what is dubbed the “Gateway to Europe”. It included the visit of Martine Schommer, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy.

It is hard not to draw a parallel between the population make-up of HEC Paris and Luxembourg. Both host a community drawn from over 100 nations, both are keen to invest in cross-border revenue, trade and innovation and both thrive on a multicultural working environment where English is widely spoken. These were some of the points brought home by the HEC Alumni Luxembourg President Nicolas Henckes (H00). “As one of Europe’s top business schools, it’s easy to tap into the dynamic and agile student force here. We are delighted with the outcome of this fourth recruitment drive for some of our country’s top companies.”

Representatives from Luxembourg’s flourishing startup community were also present next to some of the nation’s major players. These included EY, the RTL Group and Luxair who all set up shop in the North East Gallery for the best part of the day. Students, predominantly from the school’s MBA program and the M.Sc. in Strategy, thronged around tables vaunting the merits of working in a nation which boasts the planet’s third most globalized economy. Currently wrapping up his 16-month MBA at HEC, Robert Anderson was keen to explore the possibilities offered by Luxembourg and its emphasis on free mobility of capital, products, services and labor. “The country’s easy access to the European market and its perks for foreign nationals make it an exciting prospect for a management consultant like myself,” he said after exchanging with several company representatives onsite. A sentiment shared by Gaurry Sharma, a M.Sc. Management student from Singapore: “The fact that English is widely spoken and that Luxembourg hosts a cosmopolitan and skilled workforce makes it a great springboard for a career in international management. I’m hoping something positive will come out of today’s exchanges.”

Raffaele Muzzi is the Recruitment & Training Manager for the giant RTL Group. His media company returned with almost 100 résumés, rich pickings for an intense day of exchange. “We’ve been delighted with our day’s work. RTL was here two years ago for the third edition and we didn’t hesitate to sign up for this fair again, given the diversity and vibrancy of the students looking for internships and jobs.” Muzzi pointed to his right: “In 2017, my assistant was a last-minute applicant at this fair, looking for a six-month internship. Now he’s a fully-fledged member of our job force of over 10,000 employees. We also recruited Maxwell Lubkeman (H17) from the Master in Finance and he has become an excellent junior analyst for us.”

Lubkeman is just one of 430 HEC Alumni in Luxembourg, making it one of the largest chapters in the world. The country’s Ambassador, both for France and the OECD, Martine Schommer, spent over an hour in light-hearted banter with the students and Luxembourg business representatives as she gauged the enthusiasm of the former to join the latter. “Luxembourg has evolved a lot these past years before and since the LuxLeaks scandals came out, creating one of the most transparent financial services centers. It’s a vibrant financial center in which graduates from HEC can integrate a booming economy seamlessly. We are grateful to the school’s Alumni branch for organizing such recruitment drives, allying professionalism with good humor. It contributes to the development of the nation.”

HEC Executive Director of Corporate Partnerships & Careers, Raphaëlle Gautier, applauded the initiative and promised that the business school would do all it can to expand its commitment to Luxembourg-France business relationships. With 73% of jobs in the country held by non-Luxembourgers, notably in the highly skilled sector of the workforce, it seems likely that HEC will continue to build on these exchanges. The country’s investment in industries centered on “big data”, clean technologies, fintech and logistics make it an ideal breeding ground for HEC graduates kick-starting or expanding their careers.