Thanks to a woman I had worked with during my internship with the Ministry of Defence at the French Embassy in Tunisia, I met the Operations Director of my current company in January 2019. It turned out the company was looking for a new hire. I discovered that while I initially had many prejudices regarding private security companies, this sort of company had a lot to offer me. I also discovered myself as a qualified, highly adaptable and multi-skilled young employee. After 6 months, I have been offered a new job: Deputy Operations Director. It usually takes years for young workers to get such a position, but I did my best (and even more) during the first 6 months to make myself essential to the company and to prove how trustworthy I am.
As the Deputy Operations Director, I organize missions abroad from a logistics perspective as well as training courses, both in French and in English, for public administrations and companies. I provide security audits for hotels, schools and public administrations and take part in responses to bid solicitations. I frequently edit security situational reports (mostly related to African and Middle-Eastern countries). I also meet with former police officers, army officers or intelligence officers.
All the opportunities such a company could offer me. Since last August, I have been to Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Tunisia and Kuwait. During the two coming months, I will be in Italy, Morocco, Tanzania, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon. Being part of the Operations Direction means being on the ground. It means using your theoretical background to understand practice and to wisely combine both.
I come from a family who never left France, even for holidays. When I left France three years ago to join a German university, my mother acted like I was going to Australia. I was afraid of travelling, but I have been raised with fundamental values like a “no pain no gain” spirit and the desire to surpass myself. Then I met Sciences Po students. I became curious about places I had never heard about, I started to feel this tiny thing in my stomach that kept whispering “maybe you could do it too”. And here I am, travelling the world the same way I used to go from Paris to Lyon. This, is what PSIA gave me. It opened my eyes to the unknown world I had in front of me, made perceive things in brand new ways, and fostered my wanderlust.
Do not listen to others when they advise you one way or another – follow your instinct. Do not close doors because you think it is not worth it. You may be surprised by unexpected experiences. Do not settle for working conditions that do not satisfy you – prove yourself and your employers that you are worth more. Do not underestimate the PSIA experience. It makes us multi-skilled, highly adaptable, and it transforms us into curious and independent globetrotters.