Letter to my tutors in China Netcom

Dear Mis Jiang and Mis Huang,

I have been in France for more than a year by now. And during one year I have engaged myself to the endless classes at school, to be a good student.

Forgive me for this late hello that I now bring you. Being a student in France who is suffering from extremely advanced mathematics and automatics studies, I feel almost separated from the telecom industry. This is the reason why I hesitate to write a letter to you to discuss with you, as well as any other experts in our industry.

However, my strong feeling of identity as a telecom person has never diminished. That’s why I always think of you, my dear teachers, and the wonderful time we spent together in China Netcom.

To tell the truth, it was in China Netcom that I began to focus my real career interest to the industry. It is the telecom industry. And working in a telecom operator gave me the broadest vision to look at this industry, even to manipulate it!

The meetings and conferences that I participated in were, in particular, a fruitful experience. This is the best part of my internship in China Netcom because I am a conference person and I did speak a lot for China Netcom during the conferences in “Friendship Hotel” (especially with Doctor ZHANG Zhen). :-)

To tell more truth, I did not completely focus myself in the work in China Netcom because I was busy preparing for my application for France. That is why you could notice I had so many days if absence for doing many affaires out of work. For this, I now sincerely apologize to you, hoping you can understand me.

I always ask ZHANG Xi about the current situation of you two teachers and I heard that he is becoming such a busy expert. I am so proud of him. I think you are also willing to be informed about my studies and life a little bit. What’s more, I promised you, Mis. Huang, to tell you more about France to prepare a better future for your son!

I am now studying in a top engineering school. There are two types of engineering school in France. The one that is specialized in a certain industry, and the one that is training very well-rounded people, which means you have to learn everything in the engineering world. The second type is better than the first type in France and students are trained to be the future directors and managers. My school is the second type. So I have to learn automatics, information system, telecom, energy…

Because my school is one of the best engineering schools, every subject here is much more difficult than other schools and every subject is more deeply studied even than the schools which are specialized in one domain.

Every student in my school is very well-educated and they study very hard (much more hard-working than BUPT students).

Life here is busy and peaceful. I have no time to travel around but I can always enjoy the beautiful sunshine at the place where I live. We can learn a lot in such a quiet environment.

Now I am working in the second largest mobile operator in France called “SFR”, which is the member of “Vodafone” in France. It owns the largest 3G network and the biggest number of subscribers in France. This is an internship during one year (from this month to August 2008). And after this internship I still have half a year’s study at school.

Everyday I discuss with all the manufacturers of mobile phones (Nokia, Huawei, Alcatel, Samsung, ZTE, Sony-Ericsson, LG…) in the conferences to decide the technical characteristics of new mobile phones coming to the market and I develop information solutions for marketing and strategy.

Working in the best CBD in Europe, I can enjoy the beautiful city of Paris by looking out of my window. I feel content of life.

Sometimes I take a walk by the river Seine, while my heart is totally peaceful. This feels great. But I am not a person who can stop fighting and enjoy the tranquil life. I still need some passion to prove that I can change a grand network; I can change billions of people’s life, like in China Netcom.

I really miss you, my dear teachers. My passion for telecom has started again in my new internship in Paris, and never ends.

I wish you all the best. May happiness always accompany with you, your family, and every friend of yours.


Your student ever,

Yan ZHANG



DSP - Marketing/Stratégie Terminaux
SFR

1 Place Carpeaux - Tour Séquoia

92915 Paris La Défense Cedex

http://www.sfr.fr/