#WelcomeToBocconi: top tips from 20 alumni
ALUMNI |

#WelcomeToBocconi: top tips from 20 alumni

TO START YOUR ADVENTURE HERE AT UNIVERSITY WITH AN EXTRA GEAR, LISTEN TO THE SUGGESTIONS OF THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY FINISHED THEIRS. AND REMEMBER THAT THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO KNOW HOW TO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED, BUT ALSO LEARN TO BUILD THEM WITH THE HELP OF YOUR BUDDIES AND PROFESSORS


From the left to the right and from the top to the bottom: Giorgio Starace, Francesca Gargaglia, Gionata De Stefanis, Giovanni Ciullo, Eleonora Giorgi, Marco Quattrone, Carlo Valentini, Cesare De Giorgi, Virginia Stagni, Silvia Candiani, Benedetta Arese Lucini, Marco Palladino, Francesco Filippucci, Tommaso Arenare, Giovanni Cova, Selene Biffi, Ruben Gaetani, Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli, Federica Colli Vignarelli, Tia Taylor.

Giorgio Starace, 1982 graduate, Italian Ambassador to Japan
“Here’s some targeted advice: take full advantage of the fact that at Bocconi you are in close contact with the faculty and take the opportunities offered by the University to learn to work in groups. They are excellent times for networking and they encourage you to deliberate and study together. In today’s world, knowing how to work on a team is a fundamental skill to have. Also, take advantage of the summers to gain work experience abroad. Using the summer for an internship at a company can be a great help in understanding what business is like and how the job market works. The more Bocconi students travel abroad and expand their borders, the more Bocconian they are: Bocconi is creating future leaders who are open to the world.”
 
Francesca Gargaglia, 2015 Law graduate, Italian Desk Leader at PWC Africa
“Take advantage of the opportunities Bocconi offers, and don’t limit yourself to lectures. There are also student associations, exchange programs and other kinds of experiences. Take the language courses offered at the University. I took a Chinese course and it was influential in my decision to do a Campus Abroad in Beijing, one of my first experiences on the other side of the world. That was where I realized I wanted to learn the ropes outside Italy and live as an expat, at least for a few years. And during that first experience, I also discovered the Bocconi Alumni network around the world. There’s one more thing I’d like to share: it’s not true that you can only work in Italy if you study law. With the background in corporate and international law provided by Bocconi, you can work anywhere around the world.”
 
Gionata De Stefanis, 2015 CLEACC graduate, Strategic Planner @Grey - WPP Group
“It may seem counterintuitive, but the best opportunities are offered outside the classroom. Bocconi&Jobs allows you to get in touch with the best international employers, evenings with the director PIF, art lectures with Philippe Daverio, the chance to meet Milena Gabanelli, and the B-wine and B-food student associations. The menu is truly varied, you just need to be hungry – for knowledge. This is why you really do feel privileged: having a world of opportunities to choose from at your fingertips. At Bocconi, knowledge knows no limits. You learn from the different people you meet and the experiences you have. On campus, in Milan and around the world. Speaking of: ALWAYS do an exchange! And don’t trust anyone who tells you that some universities are inaccessible, it changes every year. Mamma Bocconi can always surprise you. You just need to be curious.”
 
Giovanni Ciullo, 1997 Business Economics graduate, journalist for D magazine, published by Repubblica
“Stay open: this is what I would tell every student. The most important thing about your time at university, and particularly at an international university like Bocconi, is to always be open to the world, to others and especially to anyone who is different from us. Friendships are created that last a lifetime and might even turn into romances, networks or job opportunities. This is why I also suggest taking advantage of exchange opportunities with other universities, study abroad programs, internships, etc. And try to play team sports: soccer, volleyball, basketball. It gets you ready for team building and managing competition. And it also helps in academics. One last tip: knowing how to manage your time is the true added value that Bocconi gives you. Time for studying or exams, time for networking or free time.”
 
Eleonora Giorgi, 2014 Business Economics graduate, race walker for the Italian national team
The first thing that athletics and academics taught me was you can never give up. For instance, if your first exam doesn’t go well, which is what happened to me (it was mathematics!). You can’t give up at the first sign of trouble and you have to hang in there even in the face of disappointment. You should learn to manage your time well, like I learned to do in order to be able to play sports. Bocconi helped me a lot with this, because the class timetable is posted at the beginning of the year. Therefore, don’t abandon your passions because you can also focus on your academic commitments. Actually, I think they can be complementary: playing sports allowed me to take a break from studying and studying allowed me to think about more than just sports. Last thing: don’t procrastinate!
 
Marco Quattrone, 2008 Marketing Management graduate, Director of Marketing at Corriere della Sera
Bocconi has a very wide range of courses: get inspired by them all, but select a few things you can truly focus on. Internships are opportunities to test if what you’re studying coincides with what you’d like to do. In my case, an experience in New York in art and media really made a difference. When I came back, I looked for a marketing internship at Corriere della Sera, where I stayed. Nurture your talents and your passions, your study program can help you understand if they can become a profession. When I was studying marketing, I realized that I could combine it with my passion for journalism: starting at Corriere was the difference between being employed and doing a job I was passionate about. Lastly: spending time with your classmates is vital, it helps you experience the University better, but make sure you also make time to do things by yourself.
 
Carlo Valentini, 2009 EMIT graduate, Co-Founder and Marketing Manager, CrowdFundMe
The path you imagine before you begin is not always the right one: choose courses and experiences in the workplace and abroad based on what you are truly passionate about. I did CLEACC for my undergraduate with the goal of becoming a sports manager and taking advantage of every opportunity the University provided to learn more about that industry. Then I realized that that field wasn’t for me and I actually wanted to focus on studying innovation. Regarding professional experiences, this is my advice: work in large companies because that’s where there is truly a work method and they can teach it to you. And don’t expect that company to be interested in you only for the position you had in mind. Turning down a sales internship is my biggest regret.
 
Cesare De Giorgi, 1992 Business Economics graduate, CEO and shareholder, H4U
"I experienced Bocconi between the ‘80s and the ‘90s, when it was already a cutting-edge environment compared to other universities: there were already international experiences and especially opportunities to build relations with the Bocconi community during the program and stay in touch afterwards. So my advice is, on the one hand to take all the unique opportunities that the University provides to expand your knowledge; on the other hand, to associate with those Alumni who share your values and who have taken a path that you want to follow in the future. Initiatives promoted by the University and Alumni are great opportunities to grow and make new contacts. In short: focus on extensive learning and networking.”
 
Virginia Stagni, 2015 CLEACC graduate, Business Development Manager for the Financial Times
University is the first big step in the world of adults. This experience will give you lots of life lessons, but more importantly it will allow you to get to know yourself better. Of course focus on your studies, but don’t be afraid of taking part in extracurricular activities: these will often be fundamental for your career and your education. Try to find a common thread in your studies: look for something that you’re truly passionate about, a specific area where you would like to apply the skills you will gradually acquire. This can be an important incentive that will motivate you during the most complex and difficult times. Get passionate: this is my last tip. Get as involved and engaged as possible in this unique adventure that you will remember for the rest of your life.
 
Silvia Candiani, 1993 Business Economics graduate, Managing Director at Microsoft Italia
Have a great first year. It’s an important year, during which I met classmates who went on to become friends, colleagues or professionals who I often see in my work. I accepted ambitious challenges from faculty who could help us understand the meaning of what we were learning. Today, in a world that is evolving at a speed unimaginable when I started University, skills are changing at the same pace and the challenges ahead of us are even more ambitious. Take on this first year with the understanding that it will be the beginning of a continuous and enriching learning process. Be curious, with the desire to learn from all situations, even when you may make mistakes. Nowadays, this is what is needed to find the right path in an organization or create your own company. I also encourage you to make lots of friends and learn to work with others, because I often think of the proverb, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.”
 
Benedetta Arese Lucini, 2004 Degree in International Economics and Management degree, Co-Founder of Oval Money
You are about to start a program that will not only make you professionals but will also give you the tools to grow as people. Take advantage of this great opportunity: study, stay hungry and curious. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know. Three tips. One: for your résumé always start from the end, if you climbed a mountain, swam the circumference of an island or love Japanese thrillers, include it. Life off campus will shape you and says a lot more about you than a grade. Two: not everything can be learned in the classroom. Challenge yourself, travel the world, visit companies, do internships. Studying marketing is interesting, putting it into practice is wonderful and difficult, and very different. Three: technology and data analysis are and will be at the core of transformations. There is no need to be afraid of using and understanding them. If you start today, you’ll have an advantage that will help you throughout your career.

Marco Palladino, 2018 Economic and Social Sciences graduate, Research Associate at INSEAD
My time at University taught me one thing in particular: how important it is to get involved in student associations. I joined the think tank Tortuga. This is the advice I’d give to anyone starting now: associations allow you to do something that complements your studies. They not only provide personal enrichment and allow you to enhance your skills but they also help you learn proper time management. This skill is perhaps one of the most important things that Bocconi allows you to do. The programs at the University have becoming increasingly multidisciplinary: this is a strategic approach, take advantage of it. And lastly, always be proactive.
 
Francesco Filippucci, 2017 Economic and Social Sciences graduate, PhD at the Paris School of Economics
Get involved in or start an association as soon as you start University, in your first semester. Tortuga, the association I created as an economic policy think tank, allowed me to meet and work with people that share my interest in these topics and develop important relationships and international collaborations. It teaches you how to make plans in a setting that’s very international and full of ideas like Bocconi. Also: be ready to learn to organize your time and, don’t worry, you’ll be in an environment where you can find time for yourself. Bocconi is made up of lots of different people with different experiences, it’s an incredibly varied environment.

Tommaso Arenare, 1993 Business Economics graduate, consultant at Egon Zehnder
Our university helps us plan a clear path towards the future, right from the start. For me, Bocconi was a unique opportunity to learn and be open to a world without borders, that began with an exchange program in the United States. Now even more, Bocconi allows you to be international, digital, to innovate, debate and, most importantly, choose and meet students and faculty who are exemplary. As a student, Bocconi offers the chance to share opinions and challenge yourself with diverse and amazing people. To anyone starting out today, I would say: along with your academics, find the time to build a network of people you can trust who will be with you for decades. And have a great year!
 
Giovanni Cova, 1998 Economics graduate, President of QMI Stardust
If I could go back and give myself some advice, I would tell myself to take advantage of those years at University to look around, since that’s the time to make the most important choice for your future. Dedicate lots of time to talking to people, listen to speakers from different areas: this is the only way you can find out what you would like to do. I used to work in finance, then, thanks to a guest speaker who worked in film-related marketing, I realized what I really wanted to do. And don’t forget what I think is one of the most important skills today: knowing how to communicate, in all kinds of ways. Learn to be eloquent and take advantage of opportunities to work in groups, which are underrated, but very important.
 
Selene Biffi, 2005 Degree in International Economics and Management graduate, social entrepreneur, United Nations
Build a professional profile right away that is appropriate to the area you’d like to work in when you finish your degree: this is what I’d recommend to students who are starting university now. It is essential to create a résumé that, even at a young age and while still studying, shows a potential employer that you have skills, enthusiasm and a proactive attitude. So do an internship, go to conferences, get involved in volunteering and individual projects, learn a language, found a startup, create an association or maybe publish something. Being one step ahead always make a difference and there’s no better opportunity than during your time on campus to try something new.
 
Ruben Gaetani, 2010 Economic and Social Sciences graduate, Assistant Professor of Strategy at the University of Toronto
My dream was to become a journalist like my father. Almost right away, I started at the student newspaper Tra i Leoni, and I stayed there as director until my last day at Bocconi. I remember long nights discussing politics with the editorial staff, waking up at dawn to load hundreds of freshly printed copies, tons of paperwork to get funds and workspaces. In the end, to my father’s relief, I abandoned my dream. But my years at Tra i Leoni taught me so much that has been useful to me to become an academic. Seek out classmates that inspire you to understand the world, who have opinions that are different from yours. People who encourage you to have ideas, but are ready to criticize them when they turn out to be inconsistent. Don’t be afraid to use all of your energy on your passions.
 
Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli, 2010 Law graduate, journalist at Politico
Three things: go on an international experience, even a short one, have a well-rounded university experience and develop your network. During my program I flew to the US, but if I could go back I would go to Asia. Also, don’t focus on your academics alone, but spend time with professors, debate with your classmates during group projects, argue if necessary. In short, stay in touch with other people. Working in London, I see the difference in Bocconi graduates: they are a step ahead, which comes from the fact that they didn’t attend University just to pass their exams, but to be immersed in an active community. And this is the third point, your network. One last tip: do an internship as soon as you can.
 
Federica Colli Vignarelli, 2016 Accounting, Financial Management and Control graduate, Junior Fund Manager at Anthilia Capital Partners SGR
Take what you think about university and forget it: Bocconi is a wonderful jungle of opportunities, governed by the Gaussian law. It is a plethora of stimuli, debates, conflicts. It’s a ring in which matches are common occurrences and the most difficult challenges will be with yourself. You will be put to the test: stress, pressure, pace, deadlines, performance anxiety. Coffee, cigarettes, Redbull, sleepless nights. You will be thin at Christmastime and pale in the middle of July. And all of this for what? To get ready for what is to come. In the real world, the professional world. This is where Bocconi will push you, helping you understand what you want, but especially what you don’t want to become. Measuring talent and ambition. Bocconi is an endless source of opportunities, take advantage of them. Use every chance, give yourself every possibility. Talk with the faculty, become representatives, write for the newspaper, talk on the radio, go abroad, participate in dinners, concerts, exhibits, sit in the front row at the most boring conferences. Be above average, and not only in terms of grades.

Tia Taylor, 2017 International Economics and Management graduate, Content Creator and Influencer


 

by Andrea Celauro

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