The French Embassy Internship Program

2011 Recipient - Rana Misirlizade

The University of Sydney Business School and the French Embassy in Australia have collaborated to offer exclusive six and twelve month internship placements in French companies, for students enrolled in degree programs through the Business School. Competition for these placements is understandably fierce, as well as an application, applicants are required to sit up to three interviews.

Rana and other interns will spend the first half of the internship working in a selected French company's Sydney office followed by working in their French office for the remainder of the internship. To be selected, students must have an overall minimum of a credit average 65% or higher, as well as proficiency in French at an intermediate level which will be commensurate with the company's operational needs.

Sarah Fletcher from the Careers and Employer Relations Office said; "With so much competition these days, it's important that students take advantage of these kinds of opportunities. We are thrilled that Rana will have the opportunity to develop her knowledge and skills within a global company such as BNP Paribas."

For the past six months Rana has worked at the Sydney office of BNP Paribas, a European leader in global banking and financial services, and will travel to France in June for six months to carry out the remainder of the program. Designed to foster cross-cultural understanding and exchange between France and Australia, the internship gives the students a chance to enhance their international exposure by working in different cultures and business environments.

At BNP Paribas, Rana has spent her time as a Credit Analyst in the Corporate Coverage team working on clients from a diverse range of industries. She says of her experience so far; "I have already received a vast array of corporate experience. I am working on various types of projects from analysis of financial statements, industry and economic data, to writing proposals for new transactions and annual reviews of project finance files. I look forward to going to Paris and the challenge of learning more about the finance industry while improving my French."

Rana admits her studies at the University of Sydney have assisted greatly in preparing her for the internship, in particular a finance subject she studied last semester called Bank Financial Management. With over five years of French language study, Rana is almost fluent in the language, and has been receiving funding from the University of Sydney Business School for private French lessons at Alliance Francais prior to her departure.