The EPITA Internship and Job Forum, through the eyes of students and company representatives
The EPITA Internship and Job Forum, through the eyes of students and company representatives
From October 7-11, 2019, the Parisian EPITA campus placed companies in the limelight! In addition to 30-some conferences for 5th year students, given by a wide range of innovative firms (Ubisoft, Google, Capgemini…), the school’s 40th week of technological conferences also welcomed a new edition of the Job Forum for engineering and IT professions (FEMII), on October 8 and 9. Bringing together 72 entities, this Internship and Job Forum allowed the school’s future engineers to discover different sectors and speak with professionals to better plan for their future. EPITA students and company representatives (including over 100 Alumni) spoke about this special event, in which barriers were removed and opportunities created.
Bastien Griffet (EPITA class of 2020), Multimedia and Information Technology (MIT) Major
“I attended the Forum to find the best possible internship for the end of my studies. I also took the opportunity to learn more about the different firms, as well as the missions and opportunities they offer. The professionals present really took our skills into account and not one of them told me that my profile didn’t correspond to what they were looking for. It is nice to speak with people who are familiar with the school and our program, especially when we ask so many questions. There are so many opportunities open to us after completing our studies at EPITA that we always wonder what the best path to choose could be. This forum is an opportunity to learn more about the different professions, the context of the companies, etc. It is also a good way to test the market. As for me, I really enjoy social engineering and Backend programming as well as algorithm issues and the companies I spoke with, such as Société Générale and IBM, seemed to be very interested in my profile.”
Frédéric de Nanteuil (EPITA class of 1994), project manager in banking at Sopra Banking Software (Sopra Steria)
“It is always important to know more about the young engineers who are joining the employment market. The dynamic aspect of Sopra Steria is also linked to these profiles: they are the ones who bring innovation, teach our clients about new technologies and propel us forward, so that we continue to progress and grow. Maintaining this contact is therefore very important to us. As we work in different sectors, we are looking for individuals with very diverse skills in the field of cyber security as well as banking.”
Rabeb Jaouadi (EPITA International class of 2020), Master of Computer Science, Software Engineering
“I must find an internship for the month of February. Thanks to this Forum, the school played the role of intermediary between the students and the companies on the market. We could speak with company representatives to see what they propose, and learn more about their business and expectations… There were both companies that are widely known and others that we had never heard of. This is what is interesting about this type of event. There are companies that would not necessarily have attracted our attention on the Internet, but which, after speaking to their representatives face to face, can give us ideas for the future or make us want to join their team. I work on development, C++, Backend,… and I came to meet with a variety of different companies. But I also visited other stands. I gave my four resumes to businesses that I had targeted, and I feel very confident about my future!”
Karim Djendoubi, CIO at Winamax
“We have been recruiting EPITA graduates for nearly 10 years now. They are known to be very competent, particularly in the technologies that are of interest to us. They are highly skilled in C++ development, share the DevOps culture and are very proficient in Internet services, such as the gaming services we offer. We are looking for individuals with the ability to learn and make progress, but who are also rigorous and open-minded. In our company, we like to be able to exchange ideas, communicate, as well as receive and give constructive feedback. We also hope that our future employee has a broad culture, which will enable her or him to understand different issues. As our teams are quite small and autonomous, we do not aim to compartmentalize our staff in specific tasks. EPITA engineers have these qualities, which is why we come back each year to meet with them. We are major EPITA fans!”
Marie-Anne Grand (EPITA class of 2020), MIT Major
“As I am looking for an internship abroad, I wanted to meet with the representatives from several companies at the Forum. In my mind, it is easier to find an internship when you speak with someone face to face rather than filling out a form on a website. Some companies pleasantly surprised me. I initially didn’t think I would leave my resume, but after speaking with the representative, I ended up giving it to them. For the moment, I ideally would like to become a full stack or iOS developer, two things that I particularly enjoyed during my studies.”
Richard Terrain (EPITA class of 1993), project manager at Société Générale
“Our objective is to meet people who can potentially join our teams through an internship or hiring. Like many others in Paris, we are looking for Java, C++ and C# developers, as well as data scientists and other profiles. Above all, we are looking for dynamic individuals. Of course, we are interested in those who are extremely specialized in a particular area, but most of all, we are looking for people who are motivated and wish to play an active role in growing our company. And at EPITA, there are precisely these types of very interesting individuals. They have a level of technical sophistication and an entrepreneurial spirit that we appreciate.”
Ines Bargach (EPITA class of 2020), Information Systems and Software Engineering (ISSE) Major
“Although I had already been proposed an internship, I wanted to see the different companies, their offers and learn more about their activities. I spoke with several companies, including some that were not part of my short list in the beginning. We had very interesting and constructive discussions. I received different offers and contact information, which will allow me to make my choice about which internship would be best for me. In any event, I don’t yet know what my ideal job would be: I think it is necessary to first work in a profession to see if it suits you.”
Sarah Onfray (EPITA class of 2021), Backend developer at Numberly (1000mercis Group)
“I heard about Numberly through a friend who was doing her internship there, in the UX/IU field. She told me about the company’s great atmosphere, employees helping out other employees, etc. Then, when the company came to EPITA for a job dating event last year, I wanted to know more and speak with the human resource representatives. The interview went really well, so I decided to apply for a job with them. I came to the EPITA Forum to share my experience with other students, explain how the business works in my own words and in a more informal manner, and also learn more about the different offers that Numberly proposes, for a possible future internship or position.”
Romain Labat (EPITA class of 2018), IT DevOps Engineer at KPMG Luxembourg
“We came to EPITA to boost visibility of our Luxembourg-based company, speak directly with the students and hopefully convince them to come work for us. KMPG is one of the Big Four in financial and IT auditing. We are looking for individuals skilled in DevOps, cyber security, IT advisory… As for me, I discovered KPMG at a previous edition of the EPITA Forum while I was still a student. I went there for my internship abroad and I have never regretted my choice. Luxembourg is an easy solution, given its proximity to France, and KPMG is a very large company, with exciting projects. It is also a multicultural firm, boasting forty-some different nationalities working on the premises. It has been a wonderful experience and a great reference on my resume.”
Fernando Borja (EPITA class of 2020), ISSE Major
“I came to the Forum to look for and hopefully find an internship. Although I did hand out my resume, I especially took advantage of the event to speak with the different companies. It gives you the possibility of really exchanging knowledge and experiences. It is always very enriching. On the first day, I only spoke with three companies because I spent a great deal of time with them: for example, I spent almost an hour and a half speaking with a CIO about the problems of his company’s architecture. I was able to give him ideas for solutions and in return, he gave me advice before scheduling an appointment for a job interview. I would like to work in DevOps, so I spoke about this with the company representatives and they explained what positions would best correspond to me in their firms. Some suggested that I become a consultant, while others said I would make a good developer. In short, there is a wide range of choices, which allow you to find the offer that best corresponds to you!”
Laurent Trébulle, Director of Corporate Relations at EPITA
“This year was the 20th edition of the EPITA Business Forum. The event gets bigger and bigger each year. Unfortunately, we have to refuse certain companies, due to lack of space! Nevertheless, as EPITA will have more and more students in the years to come, notably thanks to the recent openings of its regional campuses, we hope to be able to expand the event in the near future.
For the 2019 edition, we had our loyal partners, but also new firms, in particular in the field of industry 4.0, such as RTE and Vallourec. These companies come to EPITA to recruit highly skilled engineers and especially young people with high expectations in terms of proposed projects. Every year, we also welcome foreign companies, such as Deloitte and KPMG from Luxembourg, because our students have a particular desire to work in an International setting, with 20% of graduates who begin their careers outside France. Finally, this Forum was also a good way to delve into all areas of IT, with large Information Technology Consulting firms, such as Sopra Steria, sponsor of the class of 2020, software publishers like Murex and Dassault Systems as well as consultancy firms, major accounts…”