François-Xavier Salmon - STU 2007 / INET 2010 - Technical Advisor to the Director General of Services of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Regional Council

I did my internship at the Paris City Hall, on their Agenda 21 project. My collective project was already for the Paris City Hall: a study on the economic and commercial impact of the southern Maréchaux tramway.

After graduating from STU, I took the Sciences Po administrative exams. After having passed and integrated the INET (Institut National des Etudes Territoriales) at the level of territorial administrator, I went 18 months in training, with some courses in common with the ENA. In our class, there were about as many externs as interns. The difference between an administrator and a territorial attaché is both in the difficulty of the exam (more tests, fewer places for the administrator exam) and in the position you get afterwards: the position of territorial attaché is also a position with a high level of responsibility, but generally on a more specific subject. But it is possible to evolve internally afterwards...

Are we well trained in "economic development" in STU? I would say yes, but perhaps more in the sense of "territorial strategy". Because when we talk about development of territories, or even when we make a diagnosis, we obviously take into account this aspect too.

Today, my mission with the DGS implies following a very large number of themes and requires a lot of investment. I work very closely with him, and must therefore take advantage of his availability, early in the morning or late at night. But it is very interesting. For my next missions, I would like to move more towards cities or inter-municipalities, in order to reconnect with my more "urban" background, and certain interests, such as the policies that some cities may have in terms of education...