Klervi Kerneïs

Why did you choose ISIT?

I graduated high school with a baccalaureate in science, but I was also in the English European section. ISIT met my yearning for the international scene, my passion for the English and German languages, and my curiosity. In the field of translation it was the only university that could be joined directly after high school. 

Your journey at ISIT?

• The first three years enabled me to strengthen my English and German skills and develop my general knowledge. During my third year, I had the good fortune to participate in an exchange at the University of Hildesheim in Germany, after which I took a gap year and worked as a communications manager with Bosch.
• When I came back to ISIT, I joined the Intercultural Communication and Translation master’s degree, and did an apprenticeship for my fifth year, as I worked as technical translator with Geodis every other week.

This experience was most useful to me, as it taught me to increase my working abilities, to organize myself better, and to prioritize, but also to remain professional no matter what. Leading the double life of being both a student and working within a company for a year was a very heavy workload, but I was able to rely on the solidarity and mutual support of my peer group.

The benefits of ISIT?

• The courses really prepare you for professional life: we learn how to manage several projects at once, how to improve our organization skills, and how to stick to deadlines. At ISIT, I gained skills I now use everyday at work ! The mandatory yearly internships also introduced me to various environments and taught me how to adapt to them. 
• Diversity: I was in school with students whose profiles were widely different, and learned to think differently, on top of having classes dedicated to interculturality.
• The high-quality translation classes : the expectations are very high, and even when one does not decide to pursue translation in their career, the ISIT education still teaches valuable skills through its discpline, the quality of writing and spelling, the attention to detail, forward planning and the creation of high-quality deliverables. 
• The multidisciplinary approach : I feel like I have more than one string to my bow ! Of course, I can rely on my English and my German, but there is also the communication techniques I’ve been taught, and the ability to navigate website design, social networks, and translation softwares. 
• The professional guidance, especially during my master’s degree : I benefited from mock job interviews, advice on my resume and my LinkedIn profile, as well as personalized coaching. 

After ISIT?

• During my last year at ISIT, I felt like exploring the European scene more, which is why, once I graduated, I completed a civic service with the French branch of the European International Movement as a project officer. I then entered the College of Europe in Bruges and, there, I completed a second master’s degree, this time specializing in European affairs, at the end of which I obtained an internship with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion.
• I then joined the Jacques Delors Institute as a research assistant for European social affairs. As for my previous work experiences, my ISIT education made the difference : the ability to write clear messages based on complex information, to express myself orally in several languages, and to adapt to various partners (whether they are researchers, decision-makers, or journalists). 
• I am now a researcher at the Jacques Delors Institute, and specialize in European social affairs, and gender issues. I’m also a freelance translator on the side.

Do you have any advice for students and future students?

• Saisir toutes les opportunités qui s’offrent à vous pendant la formation : engagement associatif, conférences, stages, apprentissage. Tout peut être valorisé sur un CV et permet d’en apprendre beaucoup sur soi-même. Les nombreux projets de groupe réalisés à l’ISIT sont également une source incroyable d’enrichissement, même si l’on s’en rend compte souvent plus tard !
• Seize any and all opportunities during your education : associative commitment, conferences, internships, apprenticeships… Anything can make a resume more attractive, and these experiences will teach you a lot about yourself. The numerous group projects at ISIT are also a great source of enrichment, even though we often realize it much later !
• Take care of your network: the friends I made at ISIT are often lifelong friendships, which, to this day, are still a precious help to me.
• Stay humble : humility was very useful to me in the working world. There is no such thing as a subtask or an unimportant mission…

What does she do now?

Klervi Kerneïs still works at the Jacques Delors Institute, but she is now Research Fellow, EU Energy Policy. She is also a freelance translator from English and German into French.