The start of the second semester is marked by an Open Lecture.

Alumni spoke about their professional experiences in Brazil and abroad to more than 200 participants.

On August 17th, at 7 PM, ESEG – Faculdade do Grupo Etapa held an Open Inaugural Lecture to officially mark the return of classes for the second semester. At the event, alumni from ESEG and Colégio Etapa discussed their international careers.

Thalita Marcondes, Leonardo Ferreira, Paulo Sinigaglia, Victor Venturi, and Evelyn Willis also shared how studying at Grupo Etapa provided them with development, technical knowledge, and behavioral skills (hard and soft skills).

“My advice to students is to make the most of it. Looking back, one of the most important things ESEG provided was the ability to combine theory with practice, so take full advantage of the events and activities that the Faculty offers,” says Thalita Marcondes, a production engineer who works in Brazil as a Project Manager for McKinsey & Company – an American consulting firm.

“Working in consulting provides diverse experiences to learn about everything. What helped me gain a broad perspective were internships in the plastics and steel industries, and at ESEG itself, where I acquired a wide range of knowledge. In consulting, you're never in your comfort zone because you're always changing projects and working in varied environments; you need to be constantly learning,” says Thalita. “Today I have a team spread across several countries with different career paths, including doctors and nurses, which is why good communication, leadership, and other soft skills are so important.”.

Leonardo Ferreira is a graduate of Colégio Etapa and studied at Seoul National University. He currently works at ENTEC Electric & Electronic in South Korea. “The idea of coming here is related to the culture of the Etapa Group, which is one of hard work and dedicated people. At 15, I saw a news story about education in South Korea and how it was used to overcome the post-war period, and this priority caught my attention. Etapa greatly helped my move here; I received a scholarship from the South Korean government to learn Korean for a year and then I entered Seoul National University.”.

A graduate in Production Engineering, Paulo Sinigaglia lived in Sweden and is now in Germany working on a project for Sandvik Coromant. “My time at ESEG was very demanding, but it was well worth it. The Faculty's approach of fostering synergy among students from each course is very helpful, as we exchange ideas and learn about other areas, which improves communication at work. For example, the team I work with is one of the most diverse in the company in many aspects; the same meeting for different countries needs to adapt to the culture. This requires hard and, especially, soft skills. If you don't have good interpersonal relationships, you risk the team not even listening to what you're saying. Therefore, if there are extracurricular activities at the Faculty, take advantage of them.”.

Victor Venturi, a graduate of Colégio Etapa, attended Caltech and pursued an academic career in the United States as a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. “The idea of going into academia stemmed from my constant enjoyment of learning, testing my knowledge, and helping my classmates. This was a source of satisfaction and sparked a desire to teach. My advice, regardless of the career path you choose, is to be curious and learn a little about everything. I studied Quantum Physics during my undergraduate studies, which had no relation to what I studied later, and today I'm in a research group that greatly helps me gain this knowledge.”.

Also in the United States, Evelyn Willis – a Production Engineering graduate – is the Supply Chain Development Coordinator at SPX Corporation. “During my traineeship at GE, I spent six months here on one of the biggest projects I've participated in over the past 10 years and learned a lot. I interacted with many areas and built a very good network with various levels of the company, from the factory floor to management. Soft skills are a key differentiator for knowing how to communicate effectively at all levels. I returned to Brazil after that, but I started applying for jobs in the US. Leaving GE was difficult because of what I learned in those six years, but it was necessary.”.

Professor Marcelo Dias, general coordinator of Undergraduate Studies at ESEG, concluded the Open Inaugural Lecture and presented the activities that ESEG has been developing, such as: research centers; Skills Factory; Endless Forest; I Do It in Practice; technical visits; career fair; Student Support; and ESEG Athletic Association.

Watch the lesson: