5 Reasons to Recruit an Intern from IIM, Digital School in Paris
There are many reasons why companies hire interns: getting support on a specific mission, bringing new ideas and methods within the organisation or adding diversity to a team. For language skills and market knowledge, recruiting a foreign trainee is even more profitable.
Working in the digital world and looking for an intern? Here are five reasons why a student from digital school IIM is the best choice.
1. Knowledge of the ever-growing French Tech ecosystem
Paris has grown to be the third most significant European tech hub. French government fosters the development of the startup ecosystem. Funds are not local anymore, as international investments are gradually flowing in. Moreover, private initiatives, such as Station F, “world’s biggest startup campus” also flourish. This background encourages a whole new generation of entrepreneurs to launch their startups.
IIM’s campus is located in the center of business district Paris-La Défense, close to the companies shaping France’s and the world’s economy. The school’s course material is constantly adapting to the evolutions led by the digital transformation.
As part of the 7 generation, students are aware of the major trends of the industries they specialise in. Moreover, they have a good knowledge of the French market, a precious asset for a company targeting France as a market.
Fifth-year students can follow the “startup programme” and get support in creating their own startups without having to leave campus. At IIM, student entrepreneurship is stimulated.
2. Expertise in 5 digital fields
IIM students graduate after a five-year course. The first is year is referred to as “preparatory”. Year 1 is one of IIM’s main differences when compared to other Web and design schools. Indeed, the latter expect high-school students to decide on a specific career path, at a time when making professional choices may be premature.
IIM’s first year introduces students to all fields of digital, teaching them fundamentals and creativity while letting them find out what specialty suits them best.
After this first year, students can choose between five professional sectors: Digital Communications and E-Business, Web Development, Creation and Design, Video Game and 3D Animation.
Years 2 and 3 guarantee students command technical, artistic and behavioural skills, while years 4 and 5 aim at training fully operational professionals. The course’s two last years offer a wide choice of 11 master’s degrees.
3. Hands-on experience
Throughout the course, students are required to put their knowledge into practice as interns in companies. Internships last from two to six months, in France or abroad. Fourth and fifth year students can choose to complete their master’s degree by choosing to alternate school and work experience.
Internships are not the only occasion for IIM students to get familiar with the corporate world. Multiple times during their course, they team up with fellow classmates to work as junior consultants for companies. These real-life business cases are an occasion to get a first glimpse of what to expect at work. Observing deadlines, collaborating with fellow students, organising one’s tasks accordingly to every team member’s strengths…are skills IIM students master.
4. Curiosity and a will to surpass oneself
Students who apply at IIM are passionate about the digital industry. As the saying goes, “do what you love and you won’t have to work for another day in your life”. IIM students are very often driven by their interests and are willing to keep discovering their future career field by exploring outside campus.
All year long, field trips are organised for students to visit trade shows, exhibitions and meet professionals. A group of students has made the trip to Las Vegas’ CES, while others have attended various video game conventions or 3D and design events, to name but a few examples.
Furthermore, IIM students are keen to participate in competitions and award ceremonies. Three Video Game major students have been awarded the “Best Student Video Game” Ping award at Paris Games Week. The success story went on when they were nominated for the Best Student Video Game at the Game Awards in Los Angeles.
Pôle de Vinci students won the Overwatch tournament at Gamers Assembly 2018.
Students also participate in game jams, creative jams, hackathons and e-sport meetings… and win them! Pôle Léonard de Vinci’s e-sport student association has won the Overwatch competition at the Gamers Assembly 2018.
5. Soft skills and cross-sector approach
Technical skills only do not make for a fully trained professional. Pôle Léonard de Vinci, which gathers IIM, Business School EMLV and Engineering School ESILV, has always put soft skills at the heart of their educational project. From year 1 to 5, behavioural and human skills are developed.
Team projects and conferences help foster emotional intelligence, conflict management, innovation, creativity, leadership, eloquence and other crucial interpersonal skills.
Besides, sharing a common campus also is an occasion to experiment multi-disciplinary work. Several “transverse weeks” are organised during the course’s five years, when IIM students work on specific themes with engineering and business school students. At the end of the week, each group produces a project and pitches it for a jury. This cross-sector approach is unique: collaborating with people from different professional cultures is a foretaste of life at work.
Learn more about IIM students’ professional training and recruit an intern.
