Internships at ESCP: organising a search across campuses, languages and calendars

A European path that changes the way you search

ESCP's Master in Management is presented as running across six campuses: Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin and Warsaw. According to the programme's public page, a student can study on several of them, which means living in two to five countries during the course, with classes taught in English or French depending on the campus and specialisation.

For a student, this changes the starting questions. Where will you be when you apply? In which language will the interview take place? Will the internship be near the campus or in a country where you have never lived? These points should be settled before you send applications, not after you receive an offer.

Geographical and linguistic consistency reassures recruiters: they want to understand why you are contacting them and what your multi-campus background concretely brings them.

What the programme expects in terms of work experience

According to the Master in Management presentation, the course includes at least two work periods of a minimum of two months each, and a total of 36 weeks of experience is stated as required to validate the degree, with some of it possibly covered by earlier experience. The same document says that students on average accumulate far more weeks before graduating and that paid internships are possible from the end of the first year.

These benchmarks may change between cohorts and tracks. They nonetheless justify a method: at the start of the year, build a table showing your available periods, the weeks you have already earned and those still to cover. You will then see whether you need one long internship, two short assignments or a different arrangement.

Have the programme confirm your exact obligations, because a double degree or a particular track can change the requirements.

Work-study in Paris: an option reserved for certain profiles

The programme page mentions an apprenticeship route offered on the Paris campus, for French-speaking students under thirty, in the form of twelve-to-fourteen-month or twenty-four-month contracts, with a salary and tuition fees covered. It is a separate option from an internship, with an employment contract rather than an internship agreement.

Comparing the two formats helps you decide:

• an internship gives more flexibility on location, length and sector, but the stipend is generally lower;
• work-study provides a salary and long immersion, but ties you to a rhythm and an employer for the length of the contract;
• both require you to convince a company, which the school cannot guarantee.

If work-study appeals to you, find out early about the recruitment calendar and the eligibility conditions currently in force.

Forums and events: a calendar spread across cities

The school publishes a page devoted to its career fairs and recruitment events, held on its various campuses. The 2026-2027 calendar listed there shows events in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Turin, including a finance and consulting forum in Paris in October 2026, a general forum in Paris in January 2027 and a forum in Madrid in February 2027. Other dates are marked as to be confirmed, so check the page before you plan.

For each event, first identify which companies are taking part, read their offers, then prepare two questions about a specific team. A fair is there to create a contact, not to secure a promise of a job.

If you cannot travel, some formats are held online. In that case, tidy your background, test your connection and keep your CV open on screen.

Corporate relations: understanding the person across the table

ESCP also has a page aimed at partner companies, explaining how they can work with the school and reach its students. Reading this point of view is instructive: it tells you what employers expect, for example access to international profiles, several languages and the ability to work in multicultural teams.

Turn this information into an argument. Rather than saying “I am international”, show it: a semester in Turin, a project run with students of three nationalities, a language used every day. Then link it to the activity of the team you are targeting, for example a subsidiary that handles several European markets.

Your application must prove what you can contribute in an international setting, beyond simple geographical mobility.

Going abroad: agreement, status and local checks

An assignment in another country calls for extra checks. Depending on the destination, the intern's status, the stipend, the maximum length, health insurance and residence or work permits all vary. For a citizen of the European Union in another member state, formalities are generally lighter; for a student from a non-EU country, they can take longer.

Run a five-point check before accepting:

1. the type of document the school requires to validate the placement;
2. the right to stay and work in the country concerned;
3. health cover and civil liability insurance during the placement;
4. pay or stipend, set against the cost of living locally;
5. whether the dates fit with the course calendar.

Ask the school to confirm these points before any final acceptance, because saying yes too quickly to an employer can create a conflict with the programme's rules.

A worked example: comparing two offers

Suppose, with rounded and fictional figures, that Maya receives two offers for a six-month internship. The first is in Paris, with a stipend of 1,200 euros a month and estimated rent of 700 euros. The second is in Madrid, with a stipend of 900 euros and estimated rent of 450 euros.

In the first case, about 500 euros remain before other expenses; in the second, about 450 euros. The gap is small. What should then decide the matter are the duties, the working language, the hiring potential in the city and the fit with the specialisation planned for the second year of the master's.

This example does not give real salaries or rents; it simply shows that a serious comparison looks at what is left over, not only the gross amount advertised.

Applying with a file that speaks to a European recruiter

Customs vary from one country to another: photo or no photo, CV length, whether a cover letter is expected, level of formality. Find out about local conventions before sending an application, drawing on the profiles of alumni based in that country.

Adapt the language to the role: an English CV for an international team, French for a company based in Paris, the local language when the assignment requires it and your level allows. State your language levels honestly, because an interview quickly reveals any gap.

Finally, prepare your geographical justification: why this city, why this sector, and what you plan to do afterwards. Employers also look at your motivation to stay for a few months, not just at your CV.