In this interview we met with Partho, a 2021 graduate of the MsC Digital Business & Data Analytics program. He has recently taken on new responsibilities in growth marketing in Paris.
I am Partho Choudhury. I am from Kolkata, India. I am a Graduate and a Post-Graduate in Computer Science and Engineering. I also have seven years of industry experience before joining EMLV. I have thrived in Data Analytics and Product Management. I have spent all my professional tenure in roles like Marketing Analyst, Business Analyst, Solution Strategist, Consultant, and Product Manager.
Choosing the right business school in the city of love
I applied to various colleges, universities, and business schools when I was planning for the next step in my career, where I was preparing to enrol in a Business School or Institution. In France, I was invited by 4 Business Schools, including EMLV.
Paris is considered the city of love, and it deserves its reputation. Indeed, Paris is full of romantic places: the banks of the Seine, the top of Montmartre, the parks.
Everything seems romantic with the Eiffel Tower lighting up the city! I was already in love with this city, so I chose EMLV.
The school is located in Paris’s business district, which makes it preferable and the excellent and highly skilled faculties and the unique curriculum they have makes it the best choice.
Learning Digital Business & Analytics in real-world situations
I liked the way the EMLV’s course is designed. The curriculum is so diverse, it touches every aspect of entrepreneurship or dealing with a digital business. In the past, I dealt with Big Data and different Simulations, which was not so much new to me. However, the course has much more to offer.
The most interesting for me was collaborating with extraordinary faculties specialized in their respective fields. The best part was the organizational or the live projects.
Out of many, I remember the one with L’Occitane en Provence (Groupe L’Occitane) based in Plan-les-Ouates, Switzerland (International retailer of body, face, fragrances, and home products).
My team and I helped them collaborate with their Global Group Manager with Strategies and Action Plan for their Agile Structure (Scrum and Kanban). Also, not to forget, the most exciting and challenging, Business Simulation contest, where, as a team, we competed in building demand, stock valuation, market analysis, market share, and financial modelization, and many more for a unique business.
Thanks to the campus and program structure, EMLV offers the ideal environment to grow as a person by spending time with curious people worldwide.
With a 90% international cohort, the shared global perspective is exceptional. Moreover, the experience is much more than an education in management.
Academic professors and real-world practitioners put you in a challenging learning environment and prepare you for an intense career from day one.
Gaining more experience with data-driven business strategies
Relative to my career so far, I had always been more interested in gaining detailed insights via data visualization. I always love to make more precise trends from visual data and predict better agile and faster decisions. Today, businesses, irrespective of size, focus on data, statistical analysis, and reporting to help investigate and analyze business performance, provide insights, and drive recommendations to improve performance.
Hence, I chose the MSc program in Digital Business Analytics. Without a vision, a business is like a ship without a rudder, constantly in danger of drifting aimlessly. Our vision pulls our business forward.
My vision is to create and support infrastructure with secure and authorized access to data held anywhere in the enterprise. The critical segment of the end-user community requires near real-time data access.
So, I have a clear view of the success that is measured, accountable, and defensible. From the perspective of end-users, the issues are more functionally oriented and business-related. They want to know how to use the tool. How easy is it to learn? How do they access their data, and how do they perform a specific task? What do they need on their workstation?
The corporate centred strategies aim to develop company strengths relative to its competitors in the functional aspects of the business that are critical to success.
This is how the business strategy has evolved. May that be selectivity and sequencing, the case of make or buy, corporate and company image, capitalizing on profit and cost-structure, tactics for flyweights, the right balance of resources, accurate segmentation, customer coverage, re-segmenting the market, and changes in the customer mix, etc.
I have always been passionate about Financial Technologies and Sustainability, so when I came to EMLV, I was looking to make a big pivot from my prior work experience.
I wanted to find a career where I could genuinely impact the world and see tangible results of my efforts. I want to launch my FinTech startup, presently which is being structured.
I want the product to be the trendsetter in the FinTech space. Driven by sound expertise and enthusiasm, it should respond faster to a landscape defined by the fast adoption of cutting-edge technologies.
Grow yourself – and your career – in business school
The first thing I understand about focusing on the present is that I would only be in college at EMLV with all my friends for a finite period, whereas I will be working forever. So, as vital as it is to network, participate in student organizations, and excel in the classroom in preparation for the future, I think it is even more important never to forget that we have today and strive to be someone who matters for the world of now.
For graduates, I advise you, consider this journey to learn about yourself. The purpose is to grow as a human being, discover what you are good at, what you love to do, and dislike.
Discover your why, and you will become happier and more passionate in Life! Do not get discouraged when a job you want does not pan out for you. It just opens doors to other opportunities.
For students planning to study in a Business School, here are my top ten things to look for in a business school:
- Location-Location-Location
- A curriculum with a practical approach
- Rotation options: Learn to see the world
- Professors with a factual business background
- Diversity of students
- Flexibility of your degree
- Student support with personalized attention
- Student goals: Become an entrepreneur
- Life after graduation: student success and the accreditation of your program.
To those thinking about applying to EMLV, I encourage you to go for it. But, do not let your self-doubt sabotage what could be one of the best experiences of your life.
