Meet Arnaud, a KEDGE Alumnus, who is now living in Italy

Hello, Arnaud, can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Hello, my name is Arnaud Bel, I am 28 years old and I graduated from the ESC programme at Kedge Bordeaux in 2012. I have been living in Milan for four years. I work as an Export Manager for Italian company in all of Europe, but primarily for the French and Swiss markets.

In parallel, I manage the Kedge Alumni branch in Milan, but also in Italy, since it is the only branch.

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After graduating from Kedge, what did you do? (Internships, first job...), and in parallel, what made you want to move abroad?

Right after graduating, I moved to Paris to work in sales, in SS2I. Afterwards, thanks to a personal project, I have the opportunity to move to Spain for a few months, where I also worked in sales. After Spain, then came Milan. Since graduating, I have lived in three countries: France for training, Spain for a brief professional experience, and now Italy for the past four years.

My choice to move to Italy for work happened for several reasons: 
First of all, as a student, I was a member of the association "Melting pote", and already had several contacts from that period in Italy, from international students. 
And secondly, before Kedge, during my schooling, I had the opportunity to go to Italy several times, and I really fell in love with the country.

I also chose Milan because I feel like it is the easiest place to have a career, after following a cursus like the one at Kedge, because all the major companies are there, and so that is where there are the most opportunities.

Can you tell us about your job? Is it related to what you studied at Kedge?

At Kedge, I focused primarily on marketing, and on sales. I had the opportunity several times throughout the year to participate in two-week classes specialised in sales, luxury, and purchasing, with different lecturers. And I think that is when I really started to take an interest in sales. 

Today, I work in sales daily, since I work as a "Sales Manager" in international sales.
I work with a printer, "Grafiche Erredue", which is well-known in Italy but less abroad. And that is where it gets interesting, because it is a small company that wants to develop internationally. 
In my market, so, Switzerland for example, it's very international because within the same country three different languages are spoken. 

So, today, I have a good mix between sales and an international component, which is what I like about my job, and that I already liked when I was a part of "Melting Pote".

What are, in your opinion, the main qualities a person needs in your job?

"Enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and willpower". For me, these are the main qualities you need in the professional world today.
A lot of people today are "frustrated" at work. We complain about our boss, our suppliers, our clients... but in the end we end up complaining so much that we stop working in a sense... 
So for me, the goal is really be enthusiastic and full of good will.
If we involve the people we work with, if we make sure that everything is going well in the company, we move forward much better, and we work better. 
A few other things I find very important are a capacity to adapt, empathy and most of all with other cultures. A lot of people have to work with other countries, and have to adapt all the time. If we don't make an effort, relations will be more tense, and it will be harder to work together.  

Is work culture different when we are an expat?

The two cultures are similar, but remain very different at the same time. It is often said that Italy and France are similar in terms of culture, but in Italy its "la Dolce Vita". The quality of life in Milan is higher than in major French cities, especially in Paris.
The way you consider people is different, when you make an appointment or something, its more of an approximation, both the private and professional spheres. But it isn't really shocking, and in fact, you could say it works like that. 

Of course, I prefer Italian culture because it is more "cool". However, when you need something to be more reliable and serious, it can be complicated... You have to keep your fingers crossed that it will work!

Is your company hiring any interns?

Only under exceptional circumstances. Due to the size of the company, it isn't a favorable environment for interns. However, it may be possible in the future as the company grows. I can use my network to connect students looking for opportunities. For example, I met a student from Kedge Bordeaux that I recently connected with Royal Canin, for an internship. I always try to connect people because it is easy for me, and it is something I am really committed to.

Interview conducted by the student pro-act KEDGER TROTTER team

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PGE

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Arnaud BEL (BEM Programme Grande Ecole / ESC, 2013) 14 March 2018 à 16h13 Merci pour votre visite ;) Bonne continuation a vous :)