Martin Beach graduated from the CERES program in fall 2018 and got a job at KPMG almost immediately. Beach attributes his success to “having the right set of a few skills at the right time” and networking. At the moment of his graduation, KPMG was searching for someone with an interdisciplinary background, paralegal skills and a good knowledge of French, all of which he possessed. The job posting came through his network. Martin applied and was successful. At Beach’s new job, which is a year-long contract, he works on international issues in Mongolia, Angola, and parts of Europe, as well as all the company’s French-language work from Quebec.
Martin attributes a lot of his success to his research assistantship with Professor Susan Solomon, which he did during his time in the program. He says that conducting research in French was beneficial to his language skills, and the experience honed his soft skills, such as processing large amounts of information. Beach says working with Professor Solomon was a “great resource” and a huge advantage. He also appreciated the opportunities available at the Centre for the Study of the Francophone World, and the expertise of the CERES faculty. “The calibre of the faculty is really excellent,” Martin said. He especially enjoyed the “boutique” courses offered by Professor Robert Austin, many of which included an opportunity to research abroad.
Although Beach is from the United States, he was drawn to the CERES program because he liked Toronto and the international aspect of the program, including the internship component and the opportunity to study abroad at Sciences Po. The program’s interdisciplinary nature also allows participants to explore classes in other departments and sharpen their knowledge and skills. Beach says that the program was small and he made friends with international students from Austria and Kazakhstan. It was an excellent opportunity to “forge meaningful relationships” and develop language skills, as well as travel and study internationally.
Martin advises that graduate students explore all the opportunities available to them and take the chance to meet new people and discover new interests. At CERES in particular, he recommends “throwing yourself” into the internship and exchange programs and enjoying them.