English 
Français Charlotte Degoulet (STU LSE, class of 2012) Urbanist at Couleurs dArchitecture, Guadeloupe
After an undergraduate degree at the decentralized campus of Poitiers, Charlotte Degoulet graduated in 2012 from the STU and RUPS (Regional and Urban Planning Studies, LSE) masters programs. Between these two years of training, she completed a summer internship at the French Development Agency (AFD), where she participated in the development of a regional intervention framework for the Caribbean. She was in charge of analyzing the dynamics of development in the region, a mission that is part of the AFDs project financing activities. This internship was an enriching first field experience that allowed her to mobilize the skills she had acquired at Sciences Po and to identify those, particularly technical ones, that she lacked.
During her year in London, Charlotte chose the RUPS masters program and wrote a thesis on smart cities while working as a research assistant. She then returned to AFD for a 5-month assignment on partnerships between the agency and various institutions. At the end of this period, she was hired by the strategy consulting firm CMI and worked on local economic development and innovation policies, a subject she knew well thanks to her research paper. Her ability to adapt and synthesize is valued, but Charlotte wishes to work closer to the field.
Also interested in architecture, and in order to reconnect with the Caribbean subject, she joined in July 2013 her sister who founded the firm Couleurs dArchitecture, in Guadeloupe. Before leaving, she follows a training course on Mapinfo software in order to master a technical tool often mobilized. Integrated into a small structure of four people, she participates in the diagnoses that the firm carries out and benefits from a complete overview of the different actors involved (municipality, SEM, control offices, etc.). In this new context, the qualitative work of observation is essential to understand the dynamics of the territory. When asked to describe a typical day, Charlotte answers that she alternates between several fields: architecture (monitoring of the project owner, particularly on the building sites), urban project (carrying out qualitative and quantitative studies) and administration (drafting contracts and financial monitoring). Working with a small team is a new professional experience because it allows her to diversify her activities and develop several fields of expertise.
Charlottes advice
Every opportunity must be taken to clarify ones professional project and identify ones interests (internship, research paper, first job, etc.). Training in technical tools (statistical data processing, geographic information systems, etc.) is also essential to complete your studies at Sciences Po.
Portrait of Karim Goessinger (GLM 2012), Programme Director of Cairo Institute for Liberal Arts and Science (CILAS)
