Julien Rouvreau, class of 2018

Can you describe your academic and professional background?

First of all, I did a Bachelor of Literature at the University of Poitiers - a multidisciplinary program rich in social sciences, literature, and foreign languages - that allowed me to prepare for Sciences Po in the best conditions. Within this framework, I had the chance to study for a semester at King's College London and to do two internships in the field of European affairs in Brussels. I then chose to join the dual degree in European affairs offered by Sciences Po and the London School of Economics and political science (LSE): this allowed me to graduate from the Sciences Po School of Public Affairs as well as with the Msc in Political Economy of Europe from the LSE. It was important for me to develop my knowledge of national and European public affairs, while developing my knowledge of economic policies at the same time, in which I had a growing interest.

After graduating in 2018, I returned to the European Parliament in Brussels as an accredited parliamentary assistant. This allowed me to put into practice the two facets that I had been keen to develop during my studies: public and European affairs as well as economic policy issues, following the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

At the end of the previous mandate, I returned to Paris to discover a sector that attracted my curiosity, which I knew little about until then – the field of consulting. I naturally turned to YCE Partners, a consulting firm specialized in social protection that had already caught my attention at a consulting event during my studies at Sciences Po. 

As a consultant at YCE Partners since September 2019, I continue to work in this dual perspective that I have been interested in for several years now: that of public affairs, by working as closely as possible to the development and implementation of public policies, and that of economic policy issues, particularly those related to employment and social affairs.

What were the main stages in the development of your professional project?

I would say that it was every experience that allowed me to confront myself concretely with the professional world; by this I mean internships, associative or professional experiences. As a student, I had a strong interest in certain issues, but it was difficult for me to know if these skills could also be established in the professional world. It is really the application of my skills and knowledge in a given environment that allowed me to build my professional project in a sustainable way.

How was the recruitment process at YCE Partners?

At YCE Partners, the recruitment process takes place in several stages: an initial HR interview, a second interview with one of our consultants or managers, then two interviews with the partners. The recruitment process is therefore friendly but demanding, since each step can disqualify candidates.

I particularly appreciated the opportunity to talk directly with a consultant, as this allowed me to ask very concrete questions about the daily life of the business and to feel a real genuineness in the values carried by the firm!

What are the main characteristics of your job today?

Being a consultant at YCE Partners, in my opinion, means being in a demanding, committed and friendly environment!

I am currently working with the General Management of Pôle emploi, which we are supporting in the development of new managerial practices. It's a particularly interesting job, in line with the current changes in working methods. Of course, we are very mobilized and available for our clients!

We also have a real field of expression in terms of the internal life of the firm. Various centers of competence (CC) related to the various fields of expertise of YCE Partners are accessible to us. For example, I am a member of the Employment and Professional Training CC, which works to increase the skills of the whole firm on these crucial subjects. I also participate with several colleagues in the development of our relationships with various schools. These different internal activities allow us to have a strong team spirit and to share great moments together!

We operate in a sector that is crucial to our company: social protection. And this, both in the private and public sectors: regulatory framework, basic protection (public), complementary protection (private) and prevention. This work motivates me deeply, because it is truly useful – even more so now!

I must also emphasize that the benefits of the training I received at the School of Public Affairs were considerably reinforced by the Licence de Lettres (Bachelor of Arts) course that exists in partnership with Sciences Po! It's a very nice program.

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• Dual degree with the London School of Economics

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