Aminata Ciss – A Calculated Leap of Faith into the Luxury Industry
Recent student Aminata Ciss relates how her professional project came to full fruition via the MSc in Luxury Management & Marketing, driven by a preference for the strategic side to doing business, a passion for the luxury industry, and a determination to take full advantage of all the opportunities presented by the program.
What motivated your choice of the MSc in Luxury Management & Marketing at emlyon?
“My previous studies had been of a more generalist Business Administration nature, covering areas such as Finance, Mathematics, and Logistics. I was leaning towards Management and Marketing and then had a revelation that Luxury would be the right avenue. I love authenticity and excellence, married with tradition, so I felt that it was the industry in which I’d like to forge a career. In fact, luxury is more than just an industry – it’s also a lifestyle and one that you’ve got to be passionate about to work within.
“I did a series of deep searches to see who was working in the area, what their background was, where they’d studied and what kind of degrees. I soon homed in on emlyon, with the international mobility offered by the opportunity to spend some of the program abroad a major selling point for me.”
How did the diversity of the program manifest itself?
“For starters, the MSc provided global insight into the profession and industry, not just a Euro-centric one. This was reflected in the cohort, where all five continents were represented, plus the scope of the learning experience. You get to tap into the expert knowledge of leading academics and active professionals from the sector alike. In short, you learn about ‘luxury proper’. You get to apply your learnings via project work and case studies, with all due attention given to the strategy behind luxury brand management and marketing and hot topics such as sustainability, which we explored in depth in relation to the rise in organic leather goods, responsible diamond extraction methods and how to streamline the logistical and transportation facets to the industry.”
What in-the-field experience did you gain?
“From September to December we were based in Paris, during which we were given our first introduction to luxury, including the financial and legal dimension, as well as digital transformation, marketing and cross-cultural management. This helped those without a business background get up-to-speed quickly. For the Transforming Early Makers part of the curriculum, we were assigned randomly to different working groups comprising a host of nationalities and tasked to work together, above all how to work together.
“The aim was to devise our own luxury maison and bring it to life via a full business plan and then present before a panel of luxury sector professionals. So, whilst honing our groupwork and cross-cultural management skills, we were also gaining in-the-field experience in one of the luxury capitals of the world. I added to this knowledge by consciously choosing to go to New York for the second term, as I wanted to experience a totally different take on strategic business design. It was both fascinating and intense, as the American work ethic is very different to Europe. Luxury may have been born in Europe but that does not mean you can’t learn from other approaches to doing business in the same sector.”
How did your professional project take shape?
“Marketing has been on mind as a direction since the end of my high school studies and I knew that numbers and strategy were among my strengths, as well as grasping what people want and how to sell it to them. At first, I was hesitating between a future role as a Product Officer, Marketing Director or Developer, or Business Strategist. What was certain was that I had a clear inclination for the strategic side of things rather than the operational. The internship period helped firm up my ideas and now I find myself working as an EMEA Account Executive for Chanel (Fashion, Watches and Jewelry), so I can safely say the plan and overall direction I had in mind has come to fruition, in the industry I’d set my heart on. I took a leap of faith, in myself. But a calculated one.”
How did the MSc prepare you for the transition into working life?
“Via the courses and then especially the internship period of the program, you form a clearer picture of your strengths. I was determined to find an internship that would be attractive not just in the short term but also with a view to my broader professional aspirations. For this reason, I avoided openings working in a boutique, in customer management, retail or finance, as I didn’t see myself taking that future direction.
“I eventually plumped for a position working as a Digital Media Assistant in Chanel’s Fragrance and Beauty section, in order to add to my skillset as it was relatively unknown territory for me. I felt that the program had equipped me with the core knowledge and soft skills to take this leap and prove to my managers that I was up to the task. This bold decision paid off as upon completion of the internship they offered me the permanent position that I occupy today.”
What recommendations would you give to someone considering a similar path to yours?
“Luxury is a lifestyle that goes far beyond fancy bags, designer watches and big events. You have to understand the whole business landscape, be committed to it and strive to excel at all that you’re doing within. Immerse yourself in it by going to exhibitions, reading up on consumer trends and the like, searching on Linkedin for what active professionals are publishing about the sector etc. All of the above will inspire you and also keep you abreast of all the latest certifications that could help boost your professional project.
“On a technical level, don’t overlook the scientific dimension to the industry, be it deepening your grasp of sustainability issues or upskilling on the IT side of things, of which AI is inevitably an important part. By achieving this blend and breadth of skills, your CV has a greater chance of standing out against the competition.
“If you can then add to this a solid grounding in Finance, Trade and Marketing Management, you have the tools to succeed. But above all, take every opportunity that comes your way – in my case, my learning experiences while abroad for the MSc are a perfect example of this. You can’t buy good results, an internship or a permanent position so it’s up to you to take full advantage of the opportunities that a program such as the MSc in Luxury Management & Marketing offers.”