Marc-Aurele Ferracci was a student in the MSc in Social Science of the Internet in 2016 -2017.  He joined Salesforce after the OII and now works for MuleSoft in a business development/sales role. 

What first attracted you to the OII?

I wanted to reconcile my focus on inequality within the fields of economics and sociology with my academic interest in the digital as an object of study, by conducting research on forms of capital in the Information Age. The OII is simply the most innovative and prominent research institution in this field. I was also fairly encouraged by the idea that despite being a rather research-focused degree, I would easily be able to market my MSc as a great professional education.

And what were you doing before?

I started my career as a strategy consultant working on a European Commission project and helping technology startups internationalize to East Asia.

And what have you been up to since leaving the OII? I joined Salesforce for their Leadership Development Program, splitting my time between two teams (a design thinking innovation team and a technology consulting team) and two countries (France and Belgium). I moved 6 months ago to London for a Business Development/Sales role within MuleSoft (Salesforce’s largest acquisition before Tableau this year).

How did your time at the OII prepare you for this?

Rather than pure content knowledge, the OII emphasizes methodologies and critical thinking, which is precisely what one needs not only when concentrating on the Internet as an object of study, but also when stumbling into a career in industries defined by paradigm shifts.

What job-seeking advice do you have for our students?

Start early, preferably during Michaelmas, by reaching out to as many OII alumni as possible. Aim for numerous candid conversations about different roles, industries, and companies to get a strong grasp of what paths would best fit both your life and professional goals.

What do you miss most about Oxford? Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of my fondest memories of Oxford: cerebrating with best-in-their-field professors, unwinding at my friends’ college bop, debating endlessly at the Turf, strolling past Rad Cam to grab the fluffiest scones in England at the Vaults, or even feeling like a true Ravenclaw whooshing to Formal Hall wearing subfusc.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Probably going back to school for a productive hiatus from work to learn more about disruptive innovation, entrepreneurship, and general management.