That Year I Became a Better Person: A Little Growth Journey

Hi, I'm Claire. I've been working at Ariane Systems, the leader in the hospitality self-check-in market, as a Marketing and Sales Assistant for the last year, and today, I'm going to tell you about the splendid year I spent at this company.

A special type of internship

Have you heard of "dual-training" programs? It's a type of learning that allows you to alternate between school and work at a certain rhythm (e.g., 1 week of school for 3 weeks of work) on the premise that your job is actually related to the class you are having at school.

This type of training is mainly widespread in Europe, especially in France. I chose to learn from that model because I thought that combining school and work would be the best way to gain knowledge and experience simultaneously. Rather than a student, you're considered an employee, so you, of course, have the benefits and disadvantages of one.

During this year, I studied digital marketing and had the chance to learn a myriad of things related to this field in school and at work, and apply the knowledge I acquired as a student and as a professional.

How it all started

I searched for months for a company that would welcome me for 2023-2024. After so long, I started to think that maybe I just wasn't good enough, as I barely got any interviews. This was probably because my CV wasn't attractive enough or I lacked experience in Marketing.

What helped somewhat was that our school forwarded us a few suggestions from time to time, and if we were interested, they would send our CVs to these companies for study. It was reassuring to know these companies knew our school and trusted them, so, by extension, they also trusted the suggestions made by our school, and we had a higher chance of getting an interview.

Then, one day, I got a suggestion for Ariane Systems. Although there was a prerequisite, this didn't scare me because they needed applicants proficient in English. I consider myself to have a level good enough to be considered almost bilingual (or rather byelingual…) as I spend most of my free time reading in English, so I chose to apply.

Then, around a week later, I got an invitation for an interview. You can't imagine how happy I was, knowing I could finally present myself beyond a piece of paper. I thought it was really my chance.

The first interview was in English with my current manager and mentor, Michael. At first, I was afraid my accent would be awkward and I wouldn't be really understood, but everything went superbly well. In the end, I even asked how my accent was, and Michael reassured me that it wasn't a problem at all and I could be understood, which boosted my confidence in my English skills quite a lot!

The second interview was in French with my colleague Sandra. Like everyone during an interview, I was stressed at first, but it felt so much more like a conversation than an interview. And I still remember the smile she had on her face when I told her that at the end!

Fast-forward a few weeks, and after a little test they had me do, I received a positive answer! But just the evening before that, I actually received an offer from another company following an interview I had with them the week before. I was really hesitant, so I sent an email asking for both of them to give me some time to make up my mind (which may have been a little reckless now that I think about it). They each had their advantages, but I was afraid of having a bad experience and regretting my choice for the rest of the year.

You can probably guess my choice since I'm writing this article today. And I am so happy that I never regretted this choice for a single second.

My first steps at Ariane

I was impatient to start, but I was also scared that I would not be good enough at doing the tasks given to me.

Training

 

The first few days of work were mainly filled with training for the tools I would use and tasks I would be in charge of soon after. It was well organized, and I didn't have any difficulties. It even allowed me to get ahead of my class as I went through the training; I saw many things I was supposed to study this year!

Daily Stand-Ups

 

Because of our team's composition, we work a lot from home, which was really helpful for me since I live pretty far from the company (around 1h30 on public transport!). At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to focus at home with all the distractions around me there was going to be, but it ended up going way more smoothly than I thought. We also have a daily stand-up that helps me a lot with starting the day, and although, at first, I felt like these daily meetings were a lot, I ended up growing attached to them. A day at Ariane would almost feel strange without it now.

Meeting Everyone

 

For my first few weeks, I also had many meetings, mainly to learn about the missions of my team's colleagues and to get to know the rest of the company and what every department was in charge of, which helped make the acquaintance of everyone, whether I was going to work with them or not.

Team Lunches

 

During our presence day, Sandra also played the part of an event organizer and always tried to have as many people present as possible to eat lunch together. These were so useful in getting to know everyone more personally. I think we are all really grateful to Sandra for all the efforts she put into little actions like that that bring us closer to each other.

Starting for Real

 

Thanks to all the training and meetings I had beforehand when I was given my first responsibilities, I knew I could take care of them. Sure, it wouldn't be easy, and there would be mistakes, but I knew there would always be someone behind to warn me if I were to go in the wrong direction and guide me to do better each and every time.

How it's going

School is finally done! I finished my exams, and now I am waiting for my results! But I feel confident. Now, I need to be entirely focused on work until my paid leaves and, eventually, the end of my contract, which will come at the end of August.

Several months earlier, I was scared I would not be good enough, and now, *I* am the one preparing the guidelines for the person who will succeed me! I am so thankful to the interns before me who had to go through this and prepared the terrain for me.

I have seen clear improvements in my skills, and now I feel confident enough to suggest changes that I find pertinent or make relevant suggestions to our team.

I was trusted to be in charge of some things that I would never have thought I was capable of before, such as social media management (although writing these posts is still one of my least favorite tasks…), changing some pages on the website or coming up with new ones, or even writing a blog post like this one! I even participated in an exhibition, which I did not think I would ever do.

Of course, like everyone else, I still make mistakes sometimes, but it's alright. It's all part of the process, and it's also what allows us to grow as we learn from our mistakes.

What this year brought me

This year has been really fulfilling and the perfect opportunity to grow professionally and as a person.

I became able to trust myself more, gain experience, and further develop my English (though I am still struggling with some byelingual issues…)

I also got the chance to have an experience that was actually relevant to what I was learning in class, as I know it may sometimes not be the case.

I also received endless emotional support during one of the most challenging moments of my life, and I am so thankful for my colleague's understanding during this time.

Thanks

Today, I am preparing for my next adventure in a new company. This will —hopefully— be my last two years of study, as this time, I will be following a dual-training program in UX Design.

I want all my colleagues at Ariane Systems, especially my team, to know that I am grateful to no end for the splendid year I spent in this company.

Please know that you set the bar really high for my next company. It will be tough to find a team with whom I feel so at ease now!

Sandra, Michael, Pierre, and Cédric, once again, thank you so much for this year I spent in your team at Ariane.