Charlotte Degoulet (STU LSE, class of 2012) Urbanist at Couleurs d'Architecture, Guadeloupe

During her year in London, Charlotte chose the RUPS master's 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 d'Architecture", 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.

Charlotte's advice

Every opportunity must be taken to clarify one's professional project and identify one's 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.