If you’re an early-career professional, a Master in Management can offer a structured starting point that can build the foundations for a long-term career in business.
Studying the fundamentals of management alongside a diverse, international cohort, you’ll develop through practical experiences and gain a clearer sense of where you would like to go next.
For Silvio Rocca, a graduate of emlyon business school now working as a team manager at French luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton, studying the school’s Master in Management – Grande École program opened the door to a new industry. Without any previous experience in fashion, he used the program to gain key exposure through internships at Hermès, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton before launching his full-time career.
Here, Silvio shares five key lessons that helped launch his career with one of the world’s most renowned luxury brands.
1. Use your master’s strategically to meet your career goals
Prior to his master’s, Silvio (pictured) grew up in France and studied internationally—first spending six months in Finland, then completing the final year of his bachelor’s degree in international business in Australia.
After several years of moving between countries and cultures, he decided he wanted to grow his understanding of global business and explore options where he could build a career.
“I wanted to gain as much professional experience as possible, so I built my master’s around internships and an apprenticeship,” he says.
For Silvio, the flexibility of his master’s meant he could alternate between study and full-time experience to build his resume and prepare for life after graduation.
“At emlyon, you can shape your program as you want. Some people finish in one year; others take three or four. I chose to make it longer so I could do an apprenticeship,” he explains.
2. Gain real-world experience early
A strong academic foundation is important, but experience is what helps you demonstrate that you can apply that knowledge.
Silvio chose to make work experience a priority throughout his master’s at emlyon. He completed internships at Hermès and Givenchy, followed by a final-year apprenticeship at Louis Vuitton, which is only available to final year students with strong French language skills. Each role grew his knowledge of the inner workings of the luxury fashion industry, and helped him build the skills and relationships that would shape his career.
His first internship was at Hermès, where he worked in the brand’s French market division for six months. He then joined Givenchy’s head office for the EMEA region, analyzing market performance for couture and ready-to-wear.
In his final year at emlyon, Silvio completed his apprenticeship at Louis Vuitton’s head office working as a business analyst, which opened the door to the company’s graduate program, and eventually, his current team manager role in Paris. His success makes him one of 93% of emlyon MiM graduates that find a job within three months of finishing their studies.
3. Leverage your alumni network
Breaking into a new industry often depends as much on the relationships you build as on the credentials you acquire. Alumni networks can be one of most effective ways to advance your career, offering access to not only career advice and industry insight, but also to internship and job opportunities.
Early in his master’s, Silvio reached out to an emlyon alumnus working at Hermès as a commercial director, who helped him land his first internship in the industry.
“emlyon gave me these opportunities—I got the opportunity at Hermès thanks to an alumnus. I emailed him and he personally forwarded my application to HR, which started the whole process of me securing my internship,” he says.
The alumni community now numbers more than 48,000 graduates across 130 countries, offering everything from mentorship programs and business clubs to global networking events.
“I would say that emlyon has quite a strong community and the school invests in it a lot. It’s a very good school, and students know they need to be as united,” says Silvio.
4. Develop cross-cultural and leadership skills
Business school is often a hotspot for global interaction, with students coming from dozens of countries—mirroring the international workplaces graduates often go on to enter.
Within the Master in Management program, courses such as Organizational Behavior and Leadership and Dive Into Cultures help students build empathy, adaptability, and cross-cultural communication skills. They’re bolstered by exchange opportunities and group-based projects.
“Adaptability is one of the main soft skills I developed,” Silvio says. “Working with people from so many backgrounds taught me patience and how to adjust my communication. You need to understand how others work if you want to build a team that works well together.”
Today, leading a team of 12 at Louis Vuitton, Silvio draws on those lessons daily.
“This idea of adapting to other cultures is something I’ll always carry with me. Today I manage a team of 12 people plus an assistant manager. Everyone is different, so you have to create a shared dynamic and an atmosphere that makes them want to work together.
“That skill of putting yourself in others’ shoes and not thinking only from your own perspective is something I learned at school and still apply today. For me, it’s the most important part of my job.”
5. Be proactive and make the most of every opportunity
Silvio’s experience showed him that what you get out of business school depends on what you put in. By actively seeking internships and networking opportunities, he leveraged the program to cultivate both his skills and his experience.
“Use every opportunity the school gives you—internships, projects, networking. Do not be afraid to make mistakes and put yourself out there,” Silvio advises.
He believes the key is to treat business school not as a credential but as a platform for discovery and professional growth, particularly for competitive industries.
“A degree from a top school such as emlyon is a great start, but what truly matters is how you use the opportunities it provides,” concludes Silvio.