Guillaume, former V.I.E. program, Asia, and now with a permanent contract
Can you introduce yourself in a few words?
My name is Guillaume, and I'm 31 years old.
I attended a general engineering school, Les Mines de Douai, majoring in Polymer and Composite Technology. I spent a semester at Shanghai Jiao Tong University studying materials engineering, and did my 6-month end-of-study internship at the Kyoto Technical Center in Japan, in the High-Performance Polymers Business Unit. I was in charge of technical support for the automotive and consumer goods markets.
Prior to this internship, all my professional experience had been abroad: UK, Portugal, Japan and China.
I'm currently in charge of the NPD (New Product Development) team for Asia, made up of six people based in Japan and China.
What did your job involve? What skills did you need?
From 2016 to 2018, during my VIE, I was on NPD missions: project management, coordination and interfacing with different functions, support for the industrialization of new product grades. But also a whole section on intellectual property: patents (filing, competitive intelligence), freedom to operate etc.
I'd say that for these missions, you need good organizational skills, empathy, good communication skills and, of course, curiosity!
How did your recruitment and integration go?
Simple and spontaneous, I'd say! At the time, the proposal was made by the Group's Research and Development Director in Asia, and then I took the necessary steps with Business France to finalize everything.
As for integration, it was very good with the local teams. I felt like I was in a cocoon. The support I received to set up my business was also really great.
What were your first impressions when you started your mission?
I was pleasantly surprised by the confidence of my managers: I immediately started my assignment with responsibilities, in particular in charge of several projects for the BU's key accounts.
Of course, there are cultural differences in the way we work, compared with my previous experiences abroad, but also with our own French culture.
How would you sum up your VIE at Arkema in 3 words?
Enriching, responsible and adaptable.
How did you turn your VIE into a permanent contract at Arkema?
I wanted to stay at Arkema to continue developing current projects (which can take several months or even years), to keep learning and progressing, because in Research and Development, even if the mechanics of project development are the same, each new request from customers brings new challenges. So you also need new ideas to meet their needs.
And beyond my own desire to stay at Arkema, my managers also wanted me to stay and continue the adventure together!
I would add that, from my point of view, the essential thing is to challenge oneself, to question existing precepts and to have a competitive spirit. I see our job as researchers as a sporting competition: we have to work in teams and face multiple competitors to deliver the most innovative solutions as quickly as possible to our customers.
How did your VIE help you in your career at Arkema?
It's a bit special for me, because I'm still on site where I did my VIE. It enabled me to get to know a lot of people already, and to get into the "mold" of the company.
It's an incredible experience for anyone interested in working and thinking differently from our French culture. We can then try to capitalize on and bring out the best in these ways of doing things.
And of course, such an experience opens you up to others, opens your mind. In my opinion, this is key in today's world, and even more so in our innovation-related professions.
What advice would you give to those who would like to do a V.I.E at Arkema?
You have to take the plunge, get out of your comfort zone, and accept being a bit "lost" at first.
The VIE enabled me to meet some wonderful people. I even met my wife, who is Chinese, and we now have a little girl!
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