Why I chose a Corporate Strategy internship at AXA

#GapYear #HECCareers #BuildYourPath #AXA

Last year around this time, I had to make a very important decision of choosing my first gap year internship. I was torn between Finance and Strategy and could not choose one. So, I decided to aim for both strategy and finance internships. Fortunately, I got a summer offer from HSBC Paris in Commercial Banking and after that started to work at the Corporate Strategy department in AXA GIE.

As a student in a French business school, I wanted to work at the biggest names in the French market and AXA is one such name. Happy with my decision to choose AXA, I am having an amazing time at this internship, which ends this December. If you are looking for a career in Corporate Strategy, this internship is a wonderful opportunity for you. Following are the reasons why I think you should choose this internship:

1. The Brand: AXA has been ranked as the #1 Insurance brand (Intrabrand: Top 50 – all brands) for last 9 years. The company has a huge reputation in France and across the world. It was ranked 25^th on Fortune 500 (2017) and 27^th by Forbes 2000 (2017). It really helps when you are writing your cover letters!
2. The People: People at AXA are warm and understanding. My supervisor had regular touchpoints with me to check my professional development. At AXA, you have a lot of creative freedom and you are encouraged at every step of the project or assignment you are working on.
3. The Interns’ Community: The interns’ community is very diverse and inclusive. We have an after-work every Wednesday and various events (laser game, etc) every now and then. There is a WhatsApp group where you can interact with other interns or call them for a coffee or lunch.
4. The Location: Located at 25^th Avenue Matignon, the office is a beautiful fusion of classic French architecture and the contemporary corporate design. There is a Hôtel Particulier inside the office which you can visit during a guided tour arranged by AXA.
5. The Work: As Corporate Strategy intern, you work on projects for the Group CEO and the Board. You will be surprised to see the impact of your research or analysis on the group’s policies and decisions.
6. The Innovation: AXA was declared as The Global Innovator in Insurance by Accenture for the year 2016. The insurance industry is going through a rapid transformation and digitalization and AXA is leading that change. It is an interesting time to be a part of AXA.

Every intern has his or her reasons to work at AXA but if you are still deciding on whether to apply for this internship or not, feel free to reach out to me. I would be happy to answer your questions or connect you with someone at the firm.