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Raoul Blondet is 24 and joined the European Triple Degree in September 2015. He decided to join the programme for many reasons. One of the main reasons being the fact that he would benefit from a very strong teaching, which now enables him to apply to the best jobs and internships. He also thinks that the main advantage of the Triple Degree is the multicultural environment in which students are immersed all along their academic and professional experience.

He admits that: “In a fast-moving global economy, it is crucial to be connected to all the changes that happen in the world, be very responsive and never miss an opportunity of any kind. The European Triple Degree provides the tools to be effective in this changing environment.”

Raoul recently joined SnapCar, a digital transportation company based in Lyon during his second year in the programme. He tells us all about his experience.

Could you give us a brief description of your experience with SnapCar?

“My mission is to implement SnapCar, a BtoB digital transportation company, in Lyon. This company was created in Paris in 2012, and is now in the crucial stage of extending its business to other cities. In this context, I am promoting and selling Snapcar to every company in Lyon, as a very qualitative, technological and economical solution for their employees’ transportation.
Along with the sales aspect of my job, it is also my responsibility to implement the marketing campaigns that we created with the Parisian team, and also to supervise operational activities.”

What attracted you to this experience?

The most attractive aspect of this job is the responsibility that comes with it. As I am, (for the moment) the only member of the team in Lyon, my goal is to represent the company in the field. I am having my own appointments and I decide on the sales strategy that could suit the company. Of course, I refer to my superiors in Paris, but they fully support me and this collaboration is very enjoyable so far.
I was also attracted by the technological aspect of Snapcar. Our product is using the concepts settled by the American giant “Uber”, but adapting it to our BtoB positioning. I am happy to be an actor of the structural changes that happen in the economy, rather than just being a spectator…

What are the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of this experience?

I think the most amazing feeling is the satisfaction that I get when I complete a sale. However it can get very difficult to stay motivated when I spend several days being ignored on the phone.
Along with this job, I still have courses to attend and homework to manage. I also have to deal with the fact that working from a remote place sometimes takes me away for my goals…
I have developed self-organizational skills and I stay focused to overcome these obstacles.

What quality is key for an intern? 

The internship is a perpetual assessment of a student by a company. It is key to understand that it is not just a 6-month period that they have to go through, it is a true professional experience that will help train and build the future career of a student.
To succeed, it is key to adopt the attitude of a true employee, and focus on the success of the mission as well as on the success of the company.
To sum up, I would say that the key to complete successfully an internship is to show the highest level of involvement in the company’s success.

Are you an “early maker”?

An “early maker” is someone who tries, get involved in projects, and take in charge their own destiny to become successful.
I think I am not far from being an early maker. Although, I have not started my own company yet but I still have a few more months before the end of the programme to do so right? (I’m kidding)

How will this experience impact the rest of your academic and professional career?

Before having this “business development” experience, I was only focusing on having a career in finance. I had already done an internship in Investment Banking and I thought it was just the most satisfying path that a business school student could follow…
Now everything has changed. First, I have realized that I am pretty good as a salesperson, and then, that I really like the startup environment…
I still don’t know how this will impact my career, but it will definitely play a role…

What advice would you give to a European Triple Degree student today?

Never say no. Everything is good to take in this programme. When students or professors offer you a drink, a project, a trip, to conduct a study, to have an interview for an internship you don’t even want… just say yes. Every time I have accepted an offer with no enthusiasm, I eventually did not regret it…

What’s your best memory of the programme so far?

Maybe the first students party… During the first days of school, I was impressed seeing all these foreign students and I thought “we are so different, we won’t be able to sympathize because of all our cultural barriers”.
During the first students party we did, I have realized how these differences were not an obstacle, but a real source of added value for the programme. I think other students understood it as well and the magic of this melting pot of students immediately operated within the cohort.

So what’s next for you?

My short-term goal is to finish my mission for Snapcar, and make the company become a key player in Lyon.
We are hiring other employees and interns here in Lyon, as the business is fast growing, so I could either decide to continue my mission for Snapcar or choose to immerse myself in a new adventure as a business developer or in another startup or financial company.
Finally, I’d also like to fully become an “early maker”… and pursue one of the entrepreneurial projects that I have in mind…