Aleth Vennin, class of 2020

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?

>After a year of preparatory B/L (Humanities and Social Sciences), I joined the Cycle Pluridisciplinaire d'Études Supérieures of PSL University. I did a double degree in economics and sociology, first at Mines Paristech, then at Paris Dauphine University. 

Following that, I joined the School of Public Affairs at Sciences Po, within the Master in Public Policy, specialising in Social Policy and Social Innovation. Between my M1 and M2, I took a gap year, during which I discovered the public sector, first at the French Embassy in the United Kingdom, then at the Inspection Générale des Finances. I completed this year with a field and associative vision, by engaging in an international voluntary service in Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia. During my second semester of M2, I joined the consulting firm YCE Partners as a consultant.

WHAT WERE THE MAIN STAGES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL PROJECT?

As a research-oriented student, I was initially attracted to the world of academia. I had several experiences as a research assistant in economics, notably at J-Pal, the Poverty Action Lab, on experimental programmes on social diversity in schools. 

Over the years, I realised that I was very interested in the evaluation of public policies, and I wanted to train in public management, which is why I joined the Master in Public Policy at Sciences Po. 

During my gap year, my time at the General Inspectorate of Finance allowed me to develop a real desire to work in the service of the general interest, combining methodological rigour and diversity of missions. 

At the end of my master's degree, as I wanted to work in the social and health sector, I hesitated between taking the EN3S or EHESP entrance exams, and joining the private sector. The encounter with YCE Partners and the discussions I had with its various collaborators convinced me of the interest of the positioning of this consulting firm within the French social protection ecosystem. It is indeed present on the entire value chain of social protection in the public and private sectors: regulatory framework, basic protection (public), complementary protection (private) and risk prevention. YCE allows me to work on general interest missions, while having the opportunity to discover different sectors, in a stimulating and benevolent environment.

WHAT WAS THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AT YCE PARTNERS, AND WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR POSITION TODAY?  

I had first met YCE Partners at a Sciences Po forum for consulting jobs and had made a mental note to contact them again when I entered professional life.

When I was looking for my internship  for the second semester of the M2, I found an offer and applied through the Sciences Po Carrières website. I was contacted to have my first interview with two consultants. This exchange of about an hour took the form of a free discussion and allowed me to have an understanding of the values of the firm: benevolence, horizontality, high standards. After explaining my background and my motivations, the consultants explained the workings and  the missions of the firm, and answered all my questions. I then met the two founding partners of the firm, who shared with me their strategic vision for the development of YCE Partners in the coming years: I knew then that I could fully project myself in this organisation. 

As a consultant, I work on management and strategy consulting missions for public and private players in the social protection sector. YCE is an expert in the key sectors of health, employment/training, and retirement/autonomy.

For the past year, I have been working on a wide variety of subjects: assistance with the simplification of social declarations for companies, support for the deployment of a system to combat the loss of autonomy of senior citizens in the Ile-de-France region, analysis of applications for funding for professional integration, evaluation of the death benefits of a mutual insurance company, etc. The compartmentalisation of the public and private sectors at YCE allows me to have a complete vision of the social protection sector by observing the interactions between the different players, as well as juggling between different organisational cultures, which I think is very instructive.

The firm's operations are also based on the commitment of employees to the various internal projects: I am involved in the recruitment process and in strengthening the company's social and environmental impact. 

WHAT CONTRIBUTIONS DID YOUR TRAINING AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS MAKE TO THE POSITION YOU HOLD TODAY?  

My training at Sciences Po gave me a solid knowledge of the social and health policy sector. The combination of theoretical courses (Comparative Welfare States, for example) and more operational modules, such as the public policy incubator, helped me to develop a good vision of the social protection ecosystem in France. 

Beyond this theoretical knowledge, my job allows me to apply the 'behavioural skills' valued at Sciences Po on a daily basis: intellectual curiosity, oral fluency, rigour, team spirit, sense of service, ability to work to tight deadlines and under pressure, etc. 

Finally, what I took away from my years at Sciences Po was the ability to dare to trust each other enough to listen to each other and commit to what we really care about. 

WOULD YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT WHO WANTS TO GO INTO THE CONSULTING SECTOR?

I am convinced that Sciences Po trains its students very well for the consulting profession, and that the skills acquired at the School of Public Affairs are very much appreciated in the sector. The proof is in the pudding, as several of my colleagues are also Sciences Po graduates!

If you like intellectual challenges, regularly changing subjects, working in a dynamic team, and having the promise of rapidly gaining skills on complex subjects, have no doubt! We are actively recruiting to support the transformation of YCE Partners into a social protection consulting group and the building or strengthening of its various brands.

LEARN MORE

• The Social Policy and Social Innovation policy stream at the School of Public Affairs
• The Master in Public Policy at the School of Public Affairs

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