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Published: 28 August 2025

The new school year started and AFAM would like to invite Arts et Metiers students to join the Shasta program and get some help in a very rewarding (but sometimes challenging) internship search in the US.

If you are a student on Paris, Châlons-en-Champagne or Cluny campus, you'll have the opportunity to meet Albina, AFAM community manager, in person in October

Paris - October 20, 21 and 24

Châlons-en-Champagne - October 22

Cluny - Otober 23

Please contact Albina or your BREI to sign up for an October conference or a workshop in you center.

Here is what our Shasta candidates and interns are sharing about their experience in the Shasta program:

"When I joined the Shasta Program, I was just convinced that I wanted to experience living and working abroad, without a real project backing this up. I was about to throw myself into the recruitment process without knowing the differences with France, and I am pretty sure I would not have been able to communicate my ambitions clearly. My mentor helped me adapt my documents and speech, to match a project that we built together with strong foundations. I learned what to expect from recruiters in the US, how to communicate my ambition and the added value I could bring, and it really helped me build confident throughout my search."

Arthur, Shasta intern

“When I started looking for an internship in the United States, I knew the odds were not in my favor: short duration, no funding, and the constraints of the aerospace sector for foreign students. What made the difference for me was the guidance I received through the Shasta program—especially from my mentor. Thanks to his advice, I completely rethought my strategy. Instead of targeting aerospace companies—which rarely take international interns due to ITAR and visa restrictions—I focused on contacting research labs at top U.S. universities. My mentor also helped me understand the importance of sending highly personalized, concise, and well-targeted emails, not generic messages. This led to a one-month research internship at the Nonlinear Computational Aeroelasticity Lab (NCAE) at Georgia Tech—one of the top aerospace programs in the country. Beyond strategic advice, the Shasta Grant also provided vital financial support to make the experience possible. I'm deeply grateful to AFAM for this opportunity, and I highly recommend the program to anyone seeking internships in the U.S.—especially if you're unsure where to begin or how to approach the process.”

Ilan, Shasta intern

“My mentor, along with AFAM, helped me discover all the specific requirements for applying to internships in the United States. Indeed, the selection criteria are different, and you need a tailored profile to apply and hope to be accepted. Thanks to AFAM and my mentor, I was able to properly build a US-style resume, search for contacts among alumni in the US, and start creating a portfolio. My mentor was a tremendous help: whenever I faced difficulties, had doubts, or needed feedback on what I was working on, I would schedule a voice call with him about a week in advance, sending him the relevant documents beforehand. This allowed me to make steady and effective progress. Additionally, AFAM and my mentor provided me with sample applications, profile types, and resumes to draw inspiration from.”

Louis, Shasta candidate

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Published: 25 July 2025

AFAM: Hello Arthur and thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. You were a Business data analyst at Dassault Falcon Jet ( VIE). Please tell us a few words about your position.

Arthur: I was a Business Data Analyst in the Final Assembly Department at Dassault Falcon Jet. Amongst my missions, I had to use my knowledge in data mining to create reports and indicators, to show the performance of production lines in this department. I was also the main point of contact between developers of the company and my department, to communicate the requirements to the developers in the creation of new tools. I would phrase the need that we have, and the developers would create a beta version that I would test with my teams on the floor, to figure out if we would implement the tool.

This position gave me the opportunity to work on various projects, from pure data mining to software development.

AFAM: Before you found a VIE at Dassault, you participated in the Shasta program. Could you please tell us a few words about how the program impacted your internship search. 

Arthur: Before I knew about Shasta, I had just no idea how to find a job in a foreign country. I had some knowledge about my research in France, but I didn’t know anything about common practices from recruiters overseas.

Shasta allowed me to have unique conversations with a French recruiter set up in the US. He knew the main differences between the two systems and helped me comprehend how to look for a job, how to approach foreign US recruiters for a job (what documents to have, how to introduce myself properly, …) and generally how to convince foreign companies that I was worth recruiting, even if it meant paying for my visa.

It really helped me build confidence throughout my research.

AFAM: You have been living in the US since July 2024. How did you find Arkansas and what did you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Arthur: My luck with Arkansas was to be able to experience a living area so different from what I knew in Paris. It completely changed the way I lived, my daily habits and my preferred activities.

The great advantage of being in a centered state is to be able to fly to any great city in a few hours. I visited more American cities than I could do in any vacation, from Miami to Chicago to San Francisco. 

AFAM: Could you tell us a few words about your future plans?

Arthur: Such an experience had two effects on my future plans. First, it opened my mind on the idea of working abroad, and cleared the path for an eventual long term position abroad. I realized the benefits of working with people with a different culture.

AFAM: Thank you, Arthur!

To join the Shasta program or to know more about it, please contact us!

picture: courtesy of Arthur

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Published: 24 July 2025

AFAM: Hello Nicolas, and thank you for agreeing to answer our questions. You are a Senior Principal Data Science Business Leader at Genentech. Could you please tell us a few words about your current company and your role and responsibilities in it?

Nicolas: At Genentech, a biotechnology leader in drug development, I am part of the data science function in the late-stage drug development business unit. Our function handles all data analysis for clinical studies to ensure the efficacy and safety of drugs before they can be approved for market release. My role involves leading operational AI initiatives, particularly around leveraging cutting-edge technologies like large language models (LLMs). My primary focus is on "no-code analytics," which aims to democratize AI and analytics by leveraging advanced data science platforms and enabling business domain experts to independently prepare and analyze data without deep coding expertise. This empowers them to generate valuable insights more quickly and effectively. Other projects involve accelerating information access and utilizing AI to automate workflows throughout the organization.

AFAM: You began your career as a management consultant at Unilog Management, which later became part of CGI, then you were a Software Consultant for Planisware, a software vendor in the project portfolio management space. Can we say that in your career you switched from a Consulting role to an Internal role? Or was it a switch from an External Consultant position to an Internal Consultant one? Why did you choose to make this career path change?

Nicolas: Starting my career in consulting provided me with rich and diverse experiences, exposing me to multiple business environments, cultures, and priorities. This experience significantly improved my productivity, adaptability, and capacity to swiftly understand client needs and efficiently solve problems across various contexts by identifying general patterns. Consulting's structured approach, particularly when guided by a clearly negotiated statement of work, often made project execution straightforward and enjoyable. However, consulting engagements often end abruptly once the initial problem is solved, leaving potential for further improvements unexplored. Transitioning to an internal role allowed me to focus more consistently on long-term solutions rather than short-term projects, ensuring ongoing progress and deeper impact. Today, my role can indeed be described as an internal consultant, leveraging my extensive business analysis and consulting experience to deliver ongoing value within the organization.

AFAM: What do you enjoy the most in your work? What is the most challenging part of your job?

Nicolas: What I enjoy most is the opportunity to engage with experts across various domains within the organization, continuously learning from their knowledge and experience. My role also keeps me closely connected to emerging technologies, providing constant opportunities for growth and skill development. The challenging part would be effective communication especially in a large organization. Understand the need of your stakeholders and always formulate your answer according to their need to maximize the impact. So in a way be consistent in the variation of your messaging depending on your audience. This is even more challenging as the content of the message evolves as you make progress.

AFAM: You also worked as a Research Assistant at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory just after your graduation from Arts et Métiers. Was this your internship experience in the US?

Nicolas: This research position at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory was actually my final-year project for my degree at Arts et Métiers. I was fortunate enough to extend my research work after, allowing me to further experience life in the Bay Area. This time made a lasting impression on me and ultimately influenced my decision to return to the United States, specifically to San Francisco.

AFAM: How does being a Gadzarts help you in your career and professional life?

Nicolas: The Gadzarts network is indeed extensive, and although it hasn't directly influenced my professional advancement, it provides a valuable sense of community. It's always great to connect with fellow Gadzarts around the world. Professionally, the key skill I developed as a Gadzarts was effectively bridging communication between technical experts and executive leadership—understanding complex business challenges and clearly articulating the technical solutions needed to address them.

AFAM: It has been more than 15 years since you arrived in the US. You live in California (San Francisco bay area). How do you like your life in California? How do you spend your free time?

Nicolas: I genuinely enjoy living in San Francisco. Over the years, I’ve built a great community here, including many friends and connections within the Gadzarts network. My lifestyle has definitely evolved over time; when I first moved back to San Francisco, I spent a lot of time sailing around the bay sharing a sailboat with a friend. Now, my activities are more family-oriented—we enjoy camping by rivers, lakes, or the ocean. I enjoy water sports like open-water swimming, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. Additionally, I get the chance of getting involved in my kids’ lives by coaching their school soccer teams, which has been incredibly rewarding.

AFAM: Thank you, Nicolas!

Nicolas: My pleasure. Thank you for the opportunity to share my experiences!

On the picture: Nicolas with his family on the hike, Rubicon trail at Lake Tahoe (picture - courtesy of Nicolas)

Other interviews in "Why Consulting?" series:

Interview with Cyprien Bastide ( Bo 214)

Interview with Maxime Crépin ( Bo 210)

Interview with Claude Leglise ( An 174)

Interview with Adrien Monvoisin ( Cl 204)

Interview with François Théry ( Li 96)

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Published: 30 June 2025

On June 29th Gadz'Arts of the SF bay area gathered in Saratoga to celebrate summer together. Gadz'Arts were playing pickleball, relaxing by the pool and enjoying the food. Thank you Yarith and Aude Phay and Nicolas Horde for organizing! Next Gadz event is coming up in September and we will be happy to meet new addition to Gadz'Arts US family - our parcours US students!

See you soon and enjoy your summer!