|
|
|
 | Human Resources | |
| Read the testimonies of VIE interns and students |
 | | Interview with Etienne de Ricaud, VIE – Analyst, Calyon Chile |
|  | My working environment is extremely stimulating |  |
|
What is the VIE (Volontariat International en Entreprise) program? Why did you decide on that route?
The VIE program is the successor to the CSNE (Coopération du Service National à l'Etranger), a civilian form of national service. It is designed for 18-to-28-year-old Europeans, who may be students, recent graduates or job seekers. It is a real springboard for an international career, giving us the jump-start of a six-to-24-month foreign assignment.
The VIE is a contract that offers great flexibility, not only in terms of the rapid recruitment process but also in mobility. In two years, a Volontaire International (VI) can live and work in one or two foreign countries.
I have always wanted to work overseas. A VIE within Calyon offered an outstanding number of opportunities in the financing business all over the world.
Speaking for myself, the VIE program made it possible for me to have fantastic experiences in New York and Santiago, Chile.
Could you describe your career briefly?After three years of literary preparatory classes, I attended the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP-EAP), where I majored in finance and public administration.
My ESCP-EAP training included many positive experiences.
I completed a project for the French National Railway Company (SNCF) in Seoul, South Korea. Then I carried out feasibility studies on projects in two refugee camps for a non-governmental organization in Lebanon. Next I worked as an intern in the wines and spirits department of the French trade office in New York.
The turning point in my career came when I was an intern in the project finance department of a large international bank. I worked on the first French public-private partnerships financings.
Finally, I was involved in setting up recreational activities in an orphanage in Damascus, Syria for two months.
After completing my studies, I came to Calyon through the VIE program in 2006, in the Project Finance department in New York. I worked on transactions for projects concerning infrastructure in the U.S. and the energy sector in Latin America.
After a year there, I left to continue my VIE as an analyst in Calyon's sales office in Chile.
What are your typical day-to-day responsibilities?
My main responsibility is to prepare credit files for possible financings, and then present them at the regional head office based in New York and at headquarters in Paris.
I am also in charge of monitoring the files and products that we have implemented internally and with our clients.
Lastly, I help the Senior Bankers with client meetings, from product pitches to transaction lauches.
The great advantage of being in a "small" representative office such as Calyon Chile's is that I am exposed to practically all types of financial products and financings, from classic corporate financings to commodity hedging, including project and export financing products. I was quickly entrusted with important responsibilities. Every day has its own challenges.
I start the day with the local political, economic and financial news.
On a day when a Credit Committee presentation is scheduled, I usually devote the whole morning to briefing the New York and Paris Credit Risk Officers on the financing structures that we are trying to implement. It is my job to contact the clients to obtain additional information. These exchanges can be very stimulating.
The last updates being made, I present the file during the afternoon, by videoconference with management. This videoconference may last from five minutes to more than an hour, depending on the complexity of the transaction. Sometimes it gets very intense.
If we get the go-ahead, we can contact the client.
Other days are spent in reviewing financial models and presentations, analyzing term sheets, going to meetings with clients concerning specific projects and attending global seminaries.
What I like best about my profession is its concrete aspect. Calyon Chile finances companies from all sectors and helps to build and expand the nation's power stations. In a nutshell, Calyon contributes to the functioning of the Chilean economy.
How would you describe working in another country?
Working in a foreign country is a way to explore every aspect of a new culture, a new language and a different way of thinking. It teaches you to discard prejudices and adapt to the society where you find yourself, and to pay attention to it. It broadens the mind!
It is fascinating to observe cultural differences.
I find Chileans extremely patient and reachable. For instance, I had real conversations with the CEO and the CFO of some of the largest companies in Chile! In France, that would have been unthinkable. And it is not only because Chile is a smaller economy.
In the business world, it is exceptionally rare for a Chilean to get nervous. They are usually very kind and warm, and interested in working with foreign companies. They are also easy and natural in working relationships. It is common to start a business meeting by talking about personal or family matters.
Chile is a country that clings to its values and to the human dimension, which is not eclipsed by professional matters. It is extremely pleasant.
I work in an extremely stimulating environment, surrounded by persons whose intellectual and human qualities I admire.
What qualities and skills are indispensable to succeed in a VIE with a job like yours?
An appropriate sense of humility, responsibility and the ability to work as a member of a team!
For a VI, the concept of responsibility is essential. VIs are often afraid to approach a client directly, make an important decision and accept the consequences. I firmly believe that progress comes only by doing these things and living with the outcome, whether positive or negative.
What points would you most like to communicate about your VIE experience? How do you plan to make use of it in the future?
I have had the wonderful opportunity to work right from the start in Project Finance, one of Calyon's main activities, in that immense financial center, New York. Then I had all the advantages of total immersion in the Chilean market, which is smaller but where I was able to develop cross-disciplinary skills by working on a wide range of products. I also had the opportunity to speak English, French, and Spanish every day!
The VIE is a unique opportunity for recent graduates to explore places and working environments to which they would otherwise have difficulty gaining access.
It is also an incredible human experience! At Calyon I met certain people who impressed me greatly and who should remain, if not friends, at least models for me in the future.
The VIE gave me the opportunity to work in very different business lines and working environments. These experiences will open new doors to me in the job market. That is another reason why I chose Calyon.
What advice do you have for VIE candidates who visit our website?
"Impose your luck, hold on tight to your good fortune and move towards your risk," said the poet René Char. And this applies regardless of someone's university or professional background.
I would also advise candidates to find out all they can about the particular VIE for which they are applying and to learn as much as possible about the specific positions offered. They should not hesitate to get in touch directly with the managers concerned. There are tremendous differences from one assignment to another. Some experiences are extremely amazing, others less grateful.
The candidate also needs to have clear goals.
|
|
Starting work at Calyon's (Zoom - October 2007)
|  |