When Ryan Howard relocated from Canada for an MBA at HEC Paris in 2014, he only had one goal in mind.For almost a decade, he’d worked as an oil and gas engineer for industry leaders like Shell. With an MBA, he’d gain the business knowledge and international exposure to accelerate his career in the field he knew so well.
But during his MBA, the price of oil plummeted. The industry was in disarray. And Ryan started looking for an alternative path. Now, he’s operations manager for Amazon Prime Now in the UK. Based in London, he’s at the center of one of the world’s most innovative firms, experiencing the expansion of its supersonic, one-day delivery service, nationwide.
The MBA gave Ryan the tools to change role, industry and location, and make the fabled MBA triple jump into tech. Ryan chose HEC Paris over INSEAD, London Business School and IMD. He interviewed for the Amazon job on-campus and secured an internship followed by a full-time role.
How did the HEC Paris MBA help land you a job at Amazon?
I never thought I’d end up in London working for Amazon. HEC Paris organized the recruiting and I was interviewed on-campus. I wanted to experience working internationally, and here I am.
The MBA gives you the preparation, the exposure and the flexibility you need. I did a three-month internship in the UK which was a fantastic chance to try out the job mid-degree. I was able to pivot completely during the program; to change role, industry and location.
For me to have done this sitting in my office in Canada would have been immensely more difficult. It’s 2016. Business changes fast. With the MBA, I’ve put myself in in a position to be able to react to that.
What does Amazon look for in its MBA job applicants?
Creativity, initiative and honesty about the type of work you want to do.
The interviews were completely honest. I’ve never been told what people don’t like about the company before in an interview! Amazon is open about its 14 leadership principles and about being customer-obsessed. If that’s something that appeals to you, you can do really well here.
Can you tell me something about working at Amazon that most people wouldn’t know?
Whether it be drones or the next technology, Amazon is a company that will do whatever it can to please its customers. When I was based in Newcastle in the UK, our site did a deliver order in five minutes and 19 seconds, from click to delivery.
Amazon Prime Now covers the vast majority of London. We have sites all through the UK and are looking to expand. It’s pretty cool to be a part of that.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
It was a bit of an adventure to be honest. My career was great, the work was interesting and I loved Canada. But I got to the point where I could either be more technical or focus on business.
My dad is an engineer with an MBA. He always spoke of the MBA as a finishing school for engineers. For people with a technical background, it really is a degree that rounds you out for the future.
What should applicants think about when deciding to do an MBA?
Each school is unique. There is a school that fits your profile and what you want to achieve, you just have to find it.
The biggest thing is your future career plan. What industry do you want to end up in? What area do you want to end up in? What sort of network do you want to have when you graduate?
If you’re looking at changing everything, the amount of effort you need to put in scales up. You have to think about what sort of skills you need to do it. The MBA signals that you are capable, and employers recognize that.
How did you prepare for the GMAT?
I remember spending a lot of hours sitting at my kitchen table! I was very structured. I set a goal for the score I wanted. I sat, studied and did practice tests until I was confident that I could get it.
The GMAT is a test of how much work you can put into something. It’s not fun, it’s tough and it takes work. But it proves you’re willing to put in the groundwork.
Why did you choose to study at HEC Paris in particular?
I’d always wanted to work internationally. And I targeted schools outside North America to get the diversity and the international exposure.
I applied to INSEAD, LBS, IMD. But HEC Paris fit me the best. I liked the diversity and where the school was going. It really struck me as a school that was focused on the program and the students.
I was also really impressed with the alumni network at HEC Paris. You can reach out to them about jobs and internships. You get a lot of good information and a lot of support. These are people who I’m still in touch with today.
Student Reviews
Cultural experience
I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.
Internationality and diversity of opportunities
About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.
Great selection of people
While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.
Best in France for Grande ecole
A prestigious business school. Languages are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments.
The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.
Diversity and quality of fellow students
Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.
The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs
The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.
HEC Paris awaits you
HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.
A dream institute
Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions.
The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!
Good choice for a career boost
The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.
Cultural experience
I have met the most competent and diverse batch in this school. These people not only thrive on their own but also makes sure that you are doing it with them. The professors will take your had and walk you through all milestones and make sure you are not left behind. I have found their extracurriculars extremely engaging. There was always a room to have social life after academic life. The only hindrance is the location of the school, it is slightly outside city and living in city is expensive.
Internationality and diversity of opportunities
About my programme I would say it is very international and flexible: we have the opportunity to choose exactly the courses we want. But at the same time, the frame of the campus is crucial in students' life and enable us to create friendships.
Great selection of people
While HEC's MBA is highly selective, I really enjoy the type of people HEC's selects to make sure everybody gets the best out of their MBA experience and networking opportunities. Not only it's an incredibly diverse pool of people (~60 nationalities) but most importantly they make sure to let in friendly empathic and curious people.
Best in France for Grande ecole
A prestigious business school. Languages are important. It is better to have a scientific baccalaureate with excellent grades in high school and good assessments.
The courses are well designed as per the latest trends and practicality of learning in stressed upon. Overall, a very good experience.
Diversity and quality of fellow students
Very international and interesting place to be and opens a lot of opportunities, however the administration is very french and facilities are subpar (gym, classrooms) meaning the academic affairs is pretty much useless and lastly we are graded on a curve which can create a toxic environment because of the competition. With that being said the pros outweighs the cons by far.
The quality of the teachers, the campus, the clubs
The school is very international indeed, we have courses with international students and share things with them within the extra academic life (in the social clubs especially). We have great career prospects if we prepare ourselves well - however, the global curriculum is still very finance-oriented, which is a pity for other interesting domains of the company world, which does not rely on finance only. The social clubs are good practice for the management and for now, are quite independent.
HEC Paris awaits you
HEC Paris is really a nice place to do a master's in business. Many classes are useful and interesting (corporate finance, financial accounting, contract law…), some are less - but the curriculum is to be reviewed in the year to come. Regarding the student life, it is incredible, with about 130 clubs, lots of great parties with even greater people. The Jouy campus offers a lot of opportunities to do sports, and you can breathe fresh air every day. HEC also helps a great deal to find an internship or a job.
A dream institute
Enrolling in the HEC MBA was by far the best decision I made for myself. The people and faculty are great, with lots of opportunities to meet people and expand your horizons. Very nice campus where I have had some good running sessions.
The alumni network is superb and very helpful. It also has a good support system for entrepreneurs. Would definitely recommend it!
Good choice for a career boost
The classes were extremely practical and relevant to the current challenges that businesses are facing. You have access to a wide range of professionals and good career prospects once you leave the university.
