BE DETERMINED
Perrine is a sport management master student at AMOS Sport Business School in London.
Passionate about the sport industry, she started to build her path since very young utilizing internships to gain knowledge and experience. Perrine had the opportunity to be an intern at big organizations such as Decathlon and AS Monaco.
In this interview, she shares her experience and how AMOS Sport Business School is helping her to have a career in sports.
Thanks for joining us, Perrine!
Perrine, can you share with our community what is your professional and
academic background?
At 23 years old, I will soon be graduated with a Masters degree from AMOS Sport Business School.
I joined AMOS Lyon in autumn 2016. At the end of my second year, after one semester in AMOS London and two short internships that I did not enjoy so much, I picked the international path and flew to New York in August 2018. I spent four months at PACE University: it was the best time of my life.
Once I was back in France, I joined AG2R LA MONDIALE, in Paris, for an internship in cyclist communication sponsorship. They offered me to stay longer in the company, this is how I signed a professional training contract for one additional year.
For my last year of Master’s, I was thrilled to go abroad again. For that reason and because I appreciate the team there, I chose to go to AMOS London one more time.
Unfortunately for our school year, the trips originally planned in China, Scotland, and Chicago got cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite my disappointment, we all get back on our feet to find our final internship in the sports industry. I did interviews with PSG and AS MONACO to work in the sponsorship activations department and got the job in the club of the Principality.
What’s your relation with the sports industry and why did you choose to have a career in sports?
I have always liked sport as I practiced several of them during my childhood, but I fell into it during the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The French team reached the finale and lost by 1 point; I was devastated (I even went to the bathroom to cry).
My interest in the sport was on the rise during my 8th grade (USA — 4eme France), and it started with the following anecdote. I was playing football with a group of friends, and one of them told me: “You wouldn’t dare come at a training session?” I was on the pitch the Friday after. I fell in love with playing football and started to watch competitions on TV, my interest was constantly increasing.
But my career in sport was not a self-evident fact planned from a young age. I could have been discouraged for many reasons: people, “friends” telling me that I had nothing to do in a sports school because I knew nothing about it, or also because I come from a small village in the French countryside, my father being a farmer and my mother being a hairdresser, they didn’t have any contact or relationships with the sports industry. More than that, they didn’t have the money to finance a private school.
It is funny because I felt like everything was meant for me to abandon this choice, but it is probably for all those reasons that I wanted to do it even more. I have always wanted to prove that I am capable of doing great things in this industry, whether or not people believe in me by following my dream and have the same chances as anyone else so, I took a loan and worked during weekends in a supermarket.
Unless others in my classroom, I knew what I could lose. I was aware of the sacrifices made by my parents. Thus, I couldn’t make a mistake or fail my studies; it was not part of my options. That is why I always worked seriously and was involved in different projects, I had to do more, to be the best. Also because I had examples in my family of what it means to work hard. I have the feeling that I have always wanted more, more
than what my family had.
Pursuing academic experience is a great way to gain more knowledge about the industry. Why did you choose AMOS Sport Business School?
At first, when I was in 11th grade (USA — 1ère France) I wrote in a table what I liked and what I didn’t. It highlighted two main categories: sports and travel. I looked online to see what universities could offer me both; this is how I found AMOS. I became almost obsessed with this school, and I looked at so much information online. With my mom, we went the same year to the Student Show in Lyon. It allowed me to understand my alternatives and meet students from AMOS. I had the opportunity to talk with them and decided to go to an information meeting organized by the school. When I was there, I
had the feeling that I was where I belong, that it was my place to be. This is how everything began!
I joined a world that was not part of my options: private school, sports industry, traveling, studies in the US. It has always been my dream, and I chose to make it happen.
How was your experience at AMOS and what were your key learning points?
My experience at AMOS was amazing, from a personal and professional point of view.
I am proud to say that I was valedictorian twice and student of the year as I was very involved in campus life.
The school was full of men, and it was motivating to “prove” and demonstrate what girls are capable of in a sports environment. Sometimes I felt like it was my mission.
It was a pleasure to benefit from the knowledge of my classmates and the experience of our speakers. Our classes were interesting because they were given by professionals of the industry who shared with us concrete examples.
Moreover, I acknowledge the school administration who was close to the students and cared about our wellbeing.
During these 5 years at AMOS, I learned how to use my place as a woman as a strength to differentiate myself from other candidates in the working environment.
Secondly, I realized that nothing is more powerful than demonstrating what we know and can do in front of people who doubt our legitimacy.
Finally, I understood the importance of building truthful relationships with my classmates, speakers, professionals of the industry, or school members. And on the contrary, beware of self-interested people.
Since 2018 you are building a career in sports utilizing Internships to
gain experience. You had the opportunity to work with major organizations such as Decathlon and AS Monaco. Can you share more about your experience at those organizations?
My two experiences in Decathlon were short. The first one was a 2-months internship in the fitness Department in Lyon and the second one was a student contract in the hiking department in London. It was mainly sales. I was not very comfortable there because I did not feel I had the knowledge to advise customers, I did not feel legitimate, and I was quite annoyed by doing the same things every day.
Whereas when I was working with AG2R LA MONDIALE, I had responsibilities. I managed́ the content creation and the internal and external communications of the Group’s health prevention program (Vivons Vélo) while accompanying the eponymous professional cycling team (now AG2R CITROËN TEAM). I was on the sponsor side.
At AS MONACO, I discovered the other part of a Partnership: the sports club part. I was ensuring the implementation of partnership contracts and the daily relationship with partners as well as developing our department.
I, therefore, enhanced my diverse experiences because they demonstrate my capacity of adaptation in different places, sports, and missions.
How did your experience studying at AMOS help you to make the most of your internships?
AMOS allows students to learn various disciplines. This brings an overview of career possibilities.
It mostly helped me by having the opportunity to do several internships to make me understand what I liked the most and train me with job applications and interviews. We have the chance to know the job industry, and we are more used to it. It is also an essential advantage on our CV.
And more than internships, AMOS allowed every student to volunteer for plenty of sports events.
What tips (3) do you have for new students at AMOS to help them to have a career in sports?
Be true to yourself — authenticity is key to building lasting relationships and being surrounded by benevolent people in the work environment (don’t be naïve).
Be determined — list your objectives and put actions in place to reach them. Do not give credit to malicious people who try to discourage you: your life = your decision.
Be curious — it is advantageous to diversify and enrich yourself, don’t be afraid to get off the beaten track. Keep learning.
As you are about to graduate, what are your expectations for the future? In what sector of the industry do you want to work?
In the future, I want to gain experience in other major sports companies, and I have especially in mind the 2023 Rugby World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games, both organized in France.
I also really enjoyed my time in Monaco and being part of a club. For that reason, I am interested in working in a rugby or football club whether in France or abroad.
I have always liked to look at the way brands are using sportsmen or teams to showcase their attributes. But also, how it is reflected from a country perspective, and this is why my thesis was entitled: “how the sport is used to change the image of a country: a case study of the American sports culture.” Thus, I look forward to pursuing my career in the sponsoring/partnership sector.
A Final message to our audience?
“A winner is a dreamer who never gives up” Nelson Mandela
This quote, written on my CV, reflects perfectly my philosophy.
