DECEMBER 16 2024
6 questions to Alexandra Detillieu
Alexandra has been our trainee for the last 3 months. We took advantage of a coffee break on her last day of work to ask her a few questions.
Can you tell us about your internship and why you chose Apollo Strategists?
I had to find an internship as part of my university studies. Finding an internship can be quite difficult, especially in such a short space of time as three months. I found out about Apollo through word of mouth and decided to take a chance and send in my CV. Pascale Kauffman quickly got back to me for an interview and I was taken on straight away.
Were you able to learn anything?
Yes, I learnt a lot. In fact, I'd like to thank the Apollo team for their open-minded approach to teaching. They shared their experience with me and that enabled me to learn a lot in a short space of time.
For example?
I was able to accompany the Apollo team to some meetings with clients. This involves overcoming your shyness, but also developing your observation and comprehension skills. You need to know how to behave, and how to analyse the reactions of the client. It also means knowing
what to say and
how to say it.
That's one of the practical skills I've been able to learn, or at least develop, just like writing documents for clients or writing press releases. These are tasks that look easy on the surface but require a lot of time and thought.
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive - there's a lot more to mention.
Have you been able to apply the concepts you learned at university?
Yes, and above all they have been refined. I arrived with a very good level of English, but I had to adapt it quickly to the professional world. This implies a specific writing style and vocabulary that I've had to adapt to. But I always got the best advice and constructive comments, which helped me to improve quickly.
I also really developed my ability to summarise: reading a document and extracting the most relevant information, then summarising it concisely and precisely, but always in the most comprehensible way possible.
I've also been able to combine the theoretical concepts I've learned in class with practical realities in the professional world of communications. It also made me realise that some of the things I learnt at university are really useful in the field.
In the end, I think that university enabled me to develop a work discipline that I also applied during my placement. Working in a structured way, with deadlines and above all always doing your best, not just resting on your laurels and handing in the minimum.
What did you like most about Apollo?
Apart from the interesting work and the fact that I was able to put my knowledge and skills into practice, there was also the working atmosphere. The Apollo team is very dynamic and open-minded, and collaboration is always encouraged. It's a small team, so they know each other pretty well. There's a lot of laughter, we talk about lots of different subjects and everyone is always encouraged to share their ideas and opinions. I'm convinced that this also plays a part in the quality of the work.
Any final words?
Once again I'd like to thank the Apollo team for their warm welcome, for the time they took to accompany me and for the confidence they showed in me. I'm leaving with a lot of good memories and a lot of new skills.
Thank you Alexandra for your commitment over the last 3 months! We wish you all the best for the future!
Picture: Cyrille Horper
