When Eloïse Grandin begins her higher education, she plans to pursue a career in medicine. A few years later, after changing direction and studying finance at Paris School of Business, she secures her first permanent position at Crédit Agricole CIB. Along the way, two work-study placements help her gradually shape her career plans through practical experience. A 2025 graduate, she looks back on the steps that helped her move forward, including when things did not go as planned.
Changing direction and rethinking her future
Eloïse does not pass her first year of medical school. She then has to reassess her goals and consider what comes next. At the time, questioning her plans is difficult, but she now sees it as an important step toward finding a path that better matches her aspirations.
“Although it wasn’t easy, this experience taught me to bounce back, reassess my goals and find a path that suited me better.”
She then joins the first year of the Master in Management program at Paris School of Business. She already has an interest in finance, without a specific career in mind. Through her courses and subsequent specialization in Financial Risk Management, her career plans gradually take shape.
“I was already interested in finance, but I didn’t necessarily have a clear idea of the role I wanted to pursue.”
Two work-study placements to explore different sides of finance
Practical experience helps Eloïse begin to narrow down her choices. In her first year of master’s studies, she joins Sonepar in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), discovering finance in a corporate setting. In her second year, she moves into a different environment at Crédit Agricole CIB, joining the derivatives confirmations team within the back office.
With each experience, she becomes more independent and gains a clearer understanding of the roles she might pursue. She also feels valued for her work. Conversations with colleagues and workplace supervisors help her clarify her aspirations.
“Their advice, support and shared experiences helped me refine my career direction and gain a clearer sense of my goals.”
These years also require her to maintain a demanding pace. She has to meet her employer’s expectations, attend classes and stay on top of academic deadlines. Exam preparation and writing her thesis make this balance particularly challenging.
“You have to balance academic demands with professional expectations, which takes a great deal of organization and commitment.”
Over the months, Eloïse learns to manage her priorities, even when demands overlap. Her experience at Crédit Agricole CIB also confirms her interest in investment banking. At the end of her second year of master’s studies, an opportunity arises to stay with the company in a permanent position.
From work-study student to permanent employee: finding her place in a new role
When she graduates in August 2025, Eloïse is already familiar with the company where she will continue her career. She can build on that familiarity while developing her skills. Yet moving from a work-study placement to a permanent position requires another adjustment.
“Managers’ expectations and requirements change, and you have to adapt to this new level of responsibility, become more independent and find your place within the team.”
This transition reminds her that learning continues after graduation. Her knowledge of finance and risk management proves useful, as do the organizational and teamwork skills she developed during her studies. In her daily work, she also learns to communicate effectively, take responsibility and navigate operational constraints.
In particular, she recognizes the importance of questioning existing practices and looking for ways to improve them.
“I’ve also learned the importance of being proactive: looking beyond existing practices to improve processes, suggest solutions and take initiative.”
And becoming more independent does not mean having all the answers:
“Finally, I’ve realized that being independent doesn’t mean knowing how to do everything on your own. It also means knowing when to ask for advice and learn from others.”
Moving forward without having all the answers
Looking back, Eloïse recognizes the importance of taking the next step, even when the way forward is not entirely clear. Her advice to students preparing to enter the workforce is to avoid waiting until they have mastered everything before getting started. She, too, has experienced moments of doubt and wondered whether she was up to the task.
Her journey has taught her not to let those doubts determine what comes next.
“You have to stay curious, ask questions, accept feedback and, above all, seize the opportunities that come your way.”
She also encourages students to use work-study placements to discover a role, experience a workplace and better understand what suits them. Exploring different environments is precisely what helped her clarify her own career plans.
Beyond professional learning, her years at Paris School of Business also allowed her to build friendships that continue today.
“Those years were just as rewarding on a personal level as they were professionally.”
If she could speak to herself on her very first day of classes, Eloïse would encourage her younger self to make the most of those connections and have greater confidence in her abilities:
“Some periods will be harder than others, sometimes when she least expects it, but she’ll discover that she has far more inner resources than she realizes to keep moving forward and see her plans through.”