Home>Valentin Jedraszyk, Class of 2019
24.02.2023
Valentin Jedraszyk, Class of 2019
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACADEMIC BACKGROUND?
Originally from Lens, in the Hauts-de-France region, I passed my scientific baccalaureate there in 2013. I then joined the European campus of Sciences Po in Dijon in order to study a region that has always fascinated me: Central and Eastern Europe. These two years were among the richest of my life and allowed me to seriously learn Polish, to discover in detail the functioning of our European institutions as well as to meet students from all over Europe. To complete my bachelor's degree, I then did an international exchange at the Faculty of International Relations of one of the oldest universities in Central Europe: the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. Back in Paris, I joined the Master in Public Policy from which I graduated in 2019.
WHAT WERE THE MAJOR STEPS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL PROJECT?
>To perfect my knowledge of the professional world, I also benefited from one of the major strengths of Sciences Po in my opinion, namely the possibility of carrying out numerous internships during the curriculum. I did an internship in the office of the prefect of the Île-de-France region to deal with issues relating to the integration of refugees in the region, an internship in a public affairs firm and also had an experience in the public affairs department of the BNP Paribas group. However, the most enriching step for me was undoubtedly the few months I spent as an intern with the director of cabinet of Jean-Michel Blanquer, then Minister of French National Education. I was able to discover the functioning of the administration, the inner workings of a ministerial cabinet as well as French education policy. Finally, in 2019, I joined the Directorate General for Enterprise (DGE) within the French Ministry of Economy and Finance.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUR POSITION TODAY AS A PROJECT MANAGER AT THE DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ENTERPRISE?
My job was quickly disrupted, at the beginning of 2020, by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ministry quickly got into battle to support the French economic sector at a time when the country was at a standstill. For my part, I was responsible for designing and managing the solidarity fund for entrepreneurs in difficulty. During the few months that this crisis lasted, I participated in the drafting of more than 60 decrees in order to adjust the system as best I could to the changing health situation. More than 2 million companies were thus supported for an astronomical amount of nearly 41 billion euros.
In addition, another current event has punctuated my experience at the Ministry: the French Presidency of the European Union. In this context, I participated in the organisation of a ministerial conference on the place of small and medium-sized enterprises within the European single market. I am also involved in many other issues such as public support for the growth of French SMEs and SMIs, the management of an associative network to support entrepreneurs in difficulty (the Portail du Rebond)...
WHAT CONTRIBUTION DID YOUR TRAINING AT THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, AND MORE PARTICULARLY THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION stream, MAKE TO THE POSITION YOU HOLD TODAY?
The teachers at Sciences Po, and in particular at the EAP, were clearly a determining factor in my choice of direction. The fact that I was able to rub shoulders with many professionals during my studies was extremely enlightening in the construction of my career path. I remember in particular my lecturers in public finance or economics, who were in fact working at the French Ministry of Finance, and who gave me many very useful recommendations!
WOULD YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR A STUDENT OR FUTURE GRADUATE?
I've never appreciated advice given in a peremptory tone so I'll refrain from doing so. But I would perhaps just suggest to current students to multiply experiences in fields that do not necessarily appear to them as their own, especially in internships, in order to build a varied experience and become multi-skilled. And above all, not to limit themselves and censor themselves.
