With a scientific and technological background, Dr. Souleymane Diallo, Product Manager at Toptica PHOTONICS, is keen not only to produce knowledge but also to apply it for the benefit of companies. He chose emlyon business school’s International MBA to help him to accomplish this, and he discusses his transition from hardcore engineering to hands-on work in the industry as a result of his degree.

Find out from current students about all the ways leaving your home country to study an international MBA will enhance your MBA experience.

What’s your reason for studying an MBA? Along with securing a pay rise and becoming a CEO, being able to travel internationally during your career is one of the most popular reasons students give for considering applying to business school. Gaining international experience while you study can help you launch a global career. You’ll be introduced to diverse cultures, meet new people, and gain access to fresh opportunities. It can also provide the inspiration you need to pursue an international career in the future. We spoke with emlyon business school International MBA students to find out some of the key ways going global can enhance the MBA experience. 1 - Learn in a challenging environment Whether you study at home or abroad, business school is always a challenge. But learning in a new country does pose unique characteristics that can help you develop both inside and outside the classroom. For Colombian-born Kevin Calvi (pictured), moving to France to study his MBA at emlyon business school meant having to adapt to a new language. It wasn't the first time: Kevin spent much of his early career in the US working in technology. Throughout his year-long degree at emlyon, he was able to add an understanding of French to his already impressive language repertoire comprising both English and Spanish. “I wanted a general change, for me the main motivation was the challenge and learning something new. French was that challenge so that’s why I first decided to move to France,” he says. 2 - Broaden your cultural understanding Learning a new language is just one part of the wider study abroad experience. For many students going global means immersing yourself in an entirely new culture. At business schools across the globe, international students are plunged into a sea of new experiences—whether that’s through exploring the history of their new city or even just while buying new types of food at the supermarket. “I was very excited,” Kevin explains. “I’ve had those changes of location in the past and I think there’s always something new to learn.” Kevin’s IMBA courses were mainly taught on emlyon’s Ecully campus based in France’s historic city of Lyon. The city is renowned as the home of various cultural landmarks and is also regarded as a hub of gastronomy. It offers a unique experience when compared with larger cities like Paris, a city that’s often more popular with international students, but is more crowded and expensive. “I had a friend in Lyon and he recommended the city, he said it was really nice and better in his opinion than Paris for the quality of life,” Kevin says. He adds that the location played a huge part in the decision to study abroad. 3 - Make international connections Broadening your cultural understanding doesn’t have to stop when you enter the classroom. In fact, many business schools offer opportunities to interact with people from a range of diverse cultures while you study. At emlyon, the IMBA cohort is made up of more than 25 different nationalities. The curriculum is also designed to encourage students to interact with each other during team projects and group coursework. “It’s very enriching because we are all very different, coming from everywhere in the world,” says Ana Maria Perez Villegas (pictured), another student in the IMBA who also hails from Colombia. Alongside interacting with her fellow students in class, Ana has lived with classmates from Spain and India during the program. “Having experiences with different cultures and seeing life how they see it is enriching because it opens your mind. It’s interesting to see how you manage to adapt,” she adds. Your connections can also extend beyond your cohort. During your degree you’ll interact with professors as well as industry leaders, recruiters, and other prominent guest speakers during networking events. Many of whom come from a wide variety of other countries. 4 - Learn new approaches and ways of thinking With business schools available in countries around the world, it’s no surprise that studying in different global institutions can mean learning in a new environment. For Kevin, a former graduate of universities in both Colombia and the US, teaching in France provided a new perspective: “in the US there wasn’t much of a focus on sustainability, while here it’s the main emphasis," he says. “Almost all of the courses have some key sustainability component, it’s been very eye opening because in the US you’re not always engaging in those conversations." Ana has had a similar experience. Conversations with classmates revealed to her the significantly different approach emlyon had towards sustainability compared with both her and her classmates’ previous experiences abroad. “Talking with them I realized that emlyon gave us a lot of corporate social responsibility (CSR) content, and they really emphasize sustainability and these new trends that the world is taking on,” she says. 5 - Launch a global career Arguably the key benefit you’ll gain from an internationally focused MBA is the platform it provides to launch a global career . You’ll be provided with the awareness and understanding to interact with different cultures. You’ll also be prepared for making big life changes, says Ana. “You have to take care of a lot of things like housing insurance, administrative procedures in the country, and securing a visa,” she explains. “I already knew how the whole process worked so I knew what to expect.” “I wanted to have an international experience because I wanted to be able to work in an international company. Nowadays we are all wanting to travel so that’s why I came to France,” she adds. So far, Ana’s plan is working. As part of the final period of her degree, she’s secured an internship with Amazon in the UK, where she’ll be living for three months. She hopes it will provide a platform for a full-time role and the chance to travel among Amazon’s various global offices. It’s a similar story for Kevin, who will be leaving France to take on a role with a technology company in the Netherlands after graduation. “The program definitely enabled me,” he says, “not only with my skills but also by giving me the possibility to study in Europe and then stay here.” This article was written by Matt Kefford for Business Because.

Do you dream of traveling the world? Immersing yourself in other cultures, foods, languages, and customs? Those driven both by their career and by their love of new experiences are the perfect candidates for emlyon business school’s International MBA (IMBA) program !

We’ve heard from our three current International MBA students on what they enjoy about the city of Lyon itself, we thought we’d ask them a bit more about their living situations and their actual expenses during their 11-month program.
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Learn five tips and tricks on how to ace your MBA application and get into your dream school.

Pursuing an MBA is a significant step towards advancing your career and gaining a global perspective in business management. However, the MBA application process can be highly competitive, requiring careful preparation to build a compelling application.

BusinessBecause spoke to Cristian Giraldo, a current International MBA student at emlyon business school, to learn more about the application process and his tips for future candidates.

Before diving into the MBA application process, it’s best to research potential universities and their respective programs.

Cristian explains how thorough research will allow you to find the right school, and help you curate the best application possible.

"I looked at the Financial Times, Economist, and QS rankings, and used information, like [fees], the average salary of the post-MBA graduate, and the percentage of students employed three months after finishing the MBA," he says.

His research led him to the emlyon IMBA, ranked third for Global MBA in France—and a top 20-school globally for new career opportunities—according to The Economist, with 86% landing a job within three months of graduation.

When selecting a business school, it’s important to determine whether the university's programs, teaching methods, resources and values align with your academic and career goals. This research will help you identify the universities that resonate with your aspirations.

"I downloaded all the brochures; checked the criteria, the requirements, and the intakes. And once I had the index, and all the criteria, I planned my application."

Preparing for the MBA application requires a holistic approach to your personal goals, and allowing time to evaluate your strengths, weaknesses—and to work on improving them.

This involves prepping for the various aspects of the application, including the GMAT and the IELTS English-language test, which Cristian had to sit as a native Colombian.

Cristian studied for the GMAT using online resources, including the GMAT club.

"GMAT club is free for any student that wants to prepare for business school. You get the preparation, the books, and a huge database. It's about more than just the resources and quantities. It's about preparing effectively."

Once completed, Cristian supplied his scores to emlyon. 

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4 - Showcase substantial experience Just as with MBA programs, the MBA typically requires students to have a few years’ work experience. During an application, it’s important therefore to share your professional achievements, emphasizing leadership roles, projects, and—especially for the emlyon MBA—international exposure. As a part of the application process, emlyon requires that candidates take a business scenario-based digital test to showcase their managerial and leadership skills. "The digital test examines your managerial skills in stressful situations," Cristian explains. "You are receiving emails and calls, and you have to handle different stakeholders simultaneously." For Cristian, this exemplified how important it is to apply to an MBA with the relevant experience, and not before you have built up a strong professional skillset. "If you didn't have previous experience of managing people or working in stressful situations for a company in the corporate world, the test would be very tough," he says. 5 - Be specific about why you want to join the program One of an MBA application's most critical aspects is articulating why you want to join the program. For this, it’s best to avoid generic statements and focus on specific aspects of the program that appeal to you. During the digital test for emlyon, there are four questions that candidates have to answer within a set time that focus on these specifics. Cristian says: "The four questions in the test were: ‘Why me?’; ‘Why an MBA?’; ‘What are my long-term goals after the MBA?’; and, ‘How is this MBA going to help me to achieve them?’" The questions are designed to show how much thought you've given the program, and are your opportunity to demonstrate your interest in the specific course. Additionally, when answering, you can explain how the program will bridge any knowledge- or skill-gaps, and can contribute to your long-term career vision. "It's a well-designed screening process to check that the candidate has the right motivations to apply,” says Cristian. "Before applying, I questioned if the school was the right-fit for me, and if I was going to get the best out of the program. In my case, it was clear. So, my advice is: before you apply, take your time to reflect on why you want to not only study an MBA, but this specific MBA." This article was written by Laura Wise, working for Business Because

As well as acing the tests, to stand out in the MBA application process, it’s crucial to showcase how your personal and professional goals align with the university's values and the program.

This is particularly important in the application essays that allow candidates to illustrate their uniqueness to the school.

Cristian (pictured) was aided in these essays by emlyon's MBA program recruiter. He reached out to Cristian after he downloaded the brochure, and stayed in contact with him all through his application journey. "Throughout the process, the recruiter planned frequent meetings with me and replied to any question I had," Cristian says. Cristian completed three essays to explain why he wanted to do MBA, why at emlyon, and to describe his future professional pathway. He used these essays to show how the MBA program would complement his existing skills and experiences, and help him to achieve his long-term career aspirations. He conveyed his commitment and motivation to the program.