Working at Google in Dublin, Ireland

Brice Dufour (GE 11)

“My job is to figure out how to best empower our clients to develop their success,” he says. When a client decides to expand to a new market, Brice helps them determine the strongest keywords and best practices for their ads and landing pages.

Brice enjoys the challenge of his position in Google’s online team. He works with clients who have digital-based businesses in areas such as online education and training and ed tech, rather than with more traditional companies. “My clients might not be as globally well-known as bigger ones, but they are often more dynamic, and the impact my work has on these organisations is more important.”

Brice also spends a lot of time training and coaching new hires at Google. “That’s a part of my everyday job,” he says.  This is part of Google’s recruitment strategy; the human resources department manages the hiring pipeline, but the working teams conduct the interviews, select the candidates and conduct ongoing training, coaching and shadowing. “We can make sure our people are trained in the best way possible.”

Brice says some of the other perks of working at Google include free meals and an on-site gym and swimming pool. “The atmosphere encourages a healthy work-life balance, which is extremely valuable.”

Brice caught the travel bug while studying at Audencia. “I first studied in the US and then in Finland. I’m now living in Dublin, a capital city with a great international airport – and the benefits of a small city!”

Brice explains: “Living in a large city, you don’t have as much time. It takes so long to just commute to work, for example. In Dublin, everything is close.” In his free time, he has run four half-marathons in the past four years, in rain, shine and even hail!

“I met my girlfriend at Audencia! We’ve been together six years now.” Brice notes that while the training and skills he gained at Audencia have helped him in his everyday work, the most important thing is the people he met. “I made friends for life at Audencia. You experience something strong with people from all over France and the world. That’s how you learn about yourself and other cultures for years to come.”

Brice emphasises that it’s important to get involved in student associations, to meet people and gain different experiences that will help you develop in both your personal and professional life. “Three years after you’ve graduated, what you studied in your classes doesn’t really matter anymore. It’s the stories you can tell about your time in school that matter.”

He notes that it’s also important to really consider location when making career decisions, and not just take a position because it’s for a well-known company. “Be sure you can picture yourself living in the city for reasons other than work.”

Brice developed strong friendships with some of his Audencia classmates and stays in touch with them through visits and social media. In September 2016, he attended a Paris gathering of alumni who had graduated five years before. “No less than 85 of my classmates came together from places such as Dublin, Geneva, Amsterdam and, of course, Paris, confirming the importance of the bonds that link us.”

Brice is also the ambassador for the Audencia Alumni Dublin Chapter. In this role, he plans social events and get-togethers for alumni. “In order to introduce people who share a common history through Audencia, I also organise regular after-works for the Dublin Chapter.” He even holds a regular online advertising solutions boot camp at Audencia for students specialising in digital marketing. “I’m happy to share my experiences with the younger generation.”