He is part of a new wave of MBAs from the west that stay in Asia after graduation. After leaving his home in Belgium, a career in China beckons.
For Julien, launching a career in Asia after graduation is the ultimate goal.
MBAs often use studying in Asia as a gateway to international careers. Of CEIB's MBA cohort of 2010, 50 per cent stayed in China to look for work after graduation. Coupled with a QS Top MBA report in 2011 that cited a 19 per cent increase in employer demand for MBA graduates in China, Julien can enjoy the benefits of a region hungry for international MBA graduates.
But it was only two years ago that he began developing a business career. Julien was a tax lawyer, part of the Brussels Bar, after studying at law school in Belgium for several years.
“I really enjoyed my role as a tax lawyer, but after a few years it was less and less interesting,” he told BusinessBecause. “I wanted something to challenge me on a more constant basis.”
After he was called to the Bar, Julien worked as a lawyer for almost three years. He assisted European companies that wanted to branch out into Asia; working with Cambodia, Thailand and Hong Kong. He caught the business bug.
“I could see the limit of my progression,” he said. “Very often I thought I could only help my clients on the legal side, but to be efficient you need to understand the business as well.
"Often I was proposing clients’ a solution, but they had to change it because there was a business or finance issue I couldn’t really understand. That frustrated me.”
Julien felt the need to study business to take his career to the next level. After working with companies to make acquisitions and investments in Asia, he developed a passion for emerging markets.
He secured a position at the European Commission, seeing off thousands of other applicants, to develop experience in finance by leveraging his law background. It was all preparation for an MBA.
“I have a real passion for emerging markets… so I decided to apply for an MBA in Asia,” he explained. “I applied for HKUST in Hong Kong, but I prefer CEIBS because I wanted to learn more about china and wanted to get a real taste of the country
“As a lawyer, switching to business is rather difficult. I transitioned to the European Commission to help me switch careers more easily.”
Julien is not alone in his Asian ambition. The number of foreign citizens who sent GMAT scores to Chinese universities has increased 126 per cent over four years. For him, China’s booming economy and gateway into the Asia-Pacific region made Chinese business schools the only option.
“When you work in Asia you speak about development, whereas some European companies think of cutting costs or small-scale projects,” he explained. “Working in such a dynamic in Asia is very stimulating.
“In the longer-term there are more opportunities to develop a career because the business environment in Asia is evolving. Starting now is a good way to evolve faster.”
CEIB’s MBA cohort has become increasingly international as European students seek to launch careers in some of the strongest global economies. Julien grew up in the French-speaking region of Belgium and almost 50 per cent of the class at CEIBS are also international.
China’s economy is experiencing over 9 per cent growth and after a free-trade zone was launched in Shanghai in September, Julien was attracted by the economic stability – in all regions of Asia.
“They generate a lot of new projects and working opportunities,” he said. “We know there will be many opportunities in finance in Shanghai, so all the students at CEIBS look closely at that function. But at this stage it’s very uncertain.”
To make such a drastic career transition, experience in real business projects is needed. After working in law, Julien snapped up a summer internship in Shanghai with Fiat-Chrysler, working on business development for the APAC region.
“Those business projects are the most interesting part of the MBA for me,” he said. “If you just stay in a classroom it’s difficult. But when you go and work with companies in China, you get a real sense of doing business in the region, and CEIBS is really great for getting a good taste of business here.”
Julien worked for Fiat-Chrysler in the automotive industry until October this year and thinks it was crucial to his career development. “I got my internship through the Career Development Center at CEIBS,” he added. “They provided me with the support to get this interview, but also to be ready to start this internship.
“Legal was a big part of the placement and I learned not just about the automotive sector in China, but also about the legal system.”
He hopes to leverage his legal expertise in a business development role and has no doubt that an MBA from CEIBS will help him make the transition. Staying in China is the most exciting option, but launching a career anywhere in Asia is the ultimate goal.
Julien is part of a growing trend of Western MBAs that seek to launch careers in the region. BusinessBecause is hosting an event in London on December 3 to promote the benefits of study and careers in Asia and welcomes all to attend for festive drinks.
Whether you study there or not, it is clear that China provides the experience to give you a competitive advantage in the MBA Jobs market - even if, in Julien’s case, you come from law school.
After leaving the Brussels Bar behind, his Asia-Pacific journey is only just beginning.
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