From CAC40 giants to start-ups, individuals and even renowned consultancies, many companies call on Junior Achievement (JE). So why do these professionals put their trust in Junior Entrepreneurs? Why entrust a consulting mission to a group of young people at the head of a student association?
A rich and professional training
In reality, this group of young people is a team, trained over a long period of time by JE alumni and by training provided directly by consulting firms (Oliver Wyman, PWC, and Kearney). Before taking over, they are trained throughout the year by their predecessors. Juniors Entreprises student directors thus benefit from theaccumulated knowledge passed down from generation to generation within the Junior and from the expertise of leading strategy consulting firms.
In addition to this professional training, JE's young consultants are enriched by academic training. This is acquired through courses taken at prestigious schools. For example, the 18 directors of HEC Junior Conseil (HJC) are all taking the HEC Master in Management (ranked first in the world by the Financial Times), and some are concurrently completing a double degree in mathematics at ENSAE, others at Paris-Saclay, or in law at the Sorbonne... This group of young people is therefore an organized, well-trained and professional team, capable of firing on all cylinders with continuous learning, which is reflected in the high value-added consulting assignments.
A responsive, customized service offering
Trusting a JE is therefore a safe bet. It's also a guarantee of unique responsiveness and flexibility , because Juniors don't suffer from cumbersome bureaucratic structures: "Small is beautiful", as E. Schumacher would say! This small size is also an asset, as it does not prevent us from carrying out large-scale projects in terms of scope, duration and budget. At HJC, for example, we can start a project within three days of receiving your request for proposal.
Obviously, this timeframe varies according to the size of the proposed assignment: we adapt the pre-analysis timeframe according to the difficulty and specificity of the assignment.
Junior Achievement offers a wide range of services: market research, benchmarking, quantitative and qualitative studies, business plans, communication and marketing plans, article writing, translation... You could say that by trying to do everything, they don't know how to do anything! However, such a statement ignores the range of possibilities available to Junior Achievement. Indeed, in addition to the training provided by the Junior's administrators, these "admins" can count on the wealth of profiles present in the schools. At HEC Junior Conseil, we don't hesitate to call on students chosen for their expertise in a particular sector. They draw this knowledge not only from their academic background, but also from internships in top banks and consulting firms during their gap year...
For example, for an assignment in a specific sector, we give preference to a student who has completed his or her gap year in a Big Three consulting firm and who, having already had the opportunity to work in depth in this sector, promises us his or her expertise! This method of creating a team made up of directors and students has several virtues. Firstly, it allows you to share your Junior experience with the school's students, giving everyone a chance to develop their professional skills. Secondly, it ensures a perfectly executed and adapted assignment, since the profile of the students working for the company is carefully selected. When you turn to a Junior Entreprise, you can be sure of quality work from a fresh, outside perspective.
An educational contribution from companies, useful for you and for us
As you can see, working with a Junior Entreprise also contributes to students' personal development by giving them privileged access to the professional world. The contact with professionals, the tasks to be completed within a given timeframe and the requirements expected are powerful training vectors.
The Junior Entreprise experience is a springboard to the professional world, promoting employability and skills development. Working with school students gives you privileged access to talented profiles for recruitment purposes. In fact, it's not uncommon for some students to find their internship through a customer assignment.
Read also: "The rise of Junior-Enterprises: a long-term trend?"
A guarantee of quality
The term "Junior Entreprise" is a label awarded by the Confédération Nationale des Juniors Entreprises (CNJE) following an annual audit. After auditing these educational student associations governed by the French Law of 1901, the CNJE certifies that internal processes, quality of deliverables and official documents comply with requirements, and awards the label. Every year, some associations lose their label, while others gain it. If you have the slightest doubt, make sure that the Junior you wish to work with has this quality label.
In short, Junior Enterprises are educational entities that promote the professional development of students. The "Junior Entreprise" label guarantees affordable, efficient and high-quality customer service.
If you are now convinced that HEC Junior Conseil is the right Junior-Enterprise for you, we invite you to contact us directly!
