Making the Right Moves in My Career
By Jean-Paul, technical account manager
Back in 2018, I was looking for an internship to complete my master’s degree in system engineering at the French National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in Toulouse. I had only one requirement: a position where I could enjoy what I would be doing. There were numerous options in Toulouse (perhaps you have you heard of Airbus?), but I had the opportunity to attend a recruitment event for various companies. Following an interview at the event, I was offered an internship in Cambridge (UK) at a company that I did not really know about aside from their products: MATLAB and Simulink. I didn’t really know what to expect from MathWorks, but this was a unique opportunity to discover how best-in-class engineering software was written.
Starting a Career at MathWorks
When I first arrived in Cambridge, I didn’t know anyone and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Five years later, I can tell you that moving to the UK was the right decision. I met brilliant people, made some close friends, and most of all, spent two fantastic years in the Engineering Development Group (EDG).
EDG staff at the opening of the new Cambridge office.
The EDG program, which offers full-time roles for those coming out of school or starting a new career path, provided a perfect transition from student life to working life. It was a unique opportunity for me as an intern to work with customers and with development teams, discovering both how the products are used and how they are designed. EDG also provides a highly multicultural environment with plenty of opportunities for young graduates.
I was so enthusiastic about my internship that I decided to stay at MathWorks in EDG after it was completed. But I also knew that I wanted to move back to France at some point.
From Cambridge to Toulouse
The EDG program had offered me the opportunity to work with different groups within MathWorks. This experience made me realize that I was mostly interested in customer-facing positions, something new to me. My management team supported me in finding the right path to transfer from EDG in Cambridge to such a position in France.
This process gave me enough time to get to know my future colleagues and customers. I had several opportunities to visit the Paris office, meet future colleagues in Toulouse, and visit customers several times over this transition period.
Being able to spend several weeks with colleagues in Paris and Toulouse and with customers while working in EDG really helped me realize that this was the right decision before joining the French office.
When I eventually joined the French office, it didn’t feel like a completely new start but rather a continuation of what I had been doing so far: helping customers getting the best out of MATLAB and Simulink.
Being able to spend several weeks with colleagues in Paris and Toulouse and with customers while working in EDG really helped me realize that this was the right decision before joining the French office.
Staff from the Cambridge office together at the company’s 35th anniversary celebration in Orlando, Florida.
Working as an Application Engineer
Now based in Toulouse, I work closely with Airbus as a technical account manager, acting as a technical advisor to the organization.
This role goes way beyond presales. We want to make sure that our engineer customers have the best experience with MATLAB and Simulink products, whether they already have them or not. This requires a deep understanding of their workflow as well as our products. It is a unique chance for me to be at the crossroads of our internal teams and the users, acting as the Airbus spokesperson within MathWorks and the MathWorks voice within Airbus.
Focusing on one major account also enables me to build a long-term relationship with the users, not just provide short-term workarounds. This, to me, aligns very well with one of MathWorks core values, Credibility and Integrity. This long-term engagement is rewarding because I can follow projects from their initiation to the actual delivery.
Being at MathWorks is a unique chance to develop my engineering vision while also growing as an individual surrounded by sparkling, caring, and knowledgeable people.
I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work out of Cambridge while I explored different types of roles, and then had the ability to transfer back to France when I was ready. Getting the support from management at MathWorks made all the difference in helping me get to where I wanted to be.
