According to Jérôme Carbonnelle, Partner at GOTOfreedom, when it comes to career management, Luxembourg has nothing to envy the major metropolises and financial centres - on the contrary, you can progress much faster.

Some people say that Luxembourg is too small. Would you agree?

No, on the contrary. In fact, it's an asset. Luxembourg is so small that everyone has contacts abroad. When you start your career in Luxembourg, you gain extraordinary maturity. 3 years' experience here is equivalent to 5 or 8 years in another European capital. That's a real asset for anyone who doesn't want to fit into a box or wait at the bottom of the ladder for a rung to become available so that they can climb it.

What do you say to people who think Luxembourg is too quiet?

I tell them that we're two hours from Paris, London, Frankfurt and Geneva. We have a younger population than the surrounding countries and a huge influx of people from outside the region. The combination of these two factors means that from Wednesday to Saturday, the city is alive and kicking, and this has an impact throughout the region. Luxembourg also has a wide range of cultural attractions, including the Pei-designed Philharmonie, where most international stars begin their European tours, etc.

Luxembourg has other assets. It has a well-developed infrastructure. Our Findel airport is not Heathrow, but it serves the same destinations. Here, all the communities mix together and that creates a buzz. Not to mention the incredible economic dynamism! We've had almost 20 years of growth at an annual rate of 5%. I wouldn't call that calm.

You often compare Luxembourg to a company. What do you mean by that?

The country's development strategy is working. Over the last 20 years, the population has grown from 440,000 to 653,000. I don't know of many countries in Europe that have done that. Over the same period, Luxembourg has changed its development strategy several times. An example from the world of investment: 15 years ago, Luxembourg had 5 management companies; today there are more than 250. Most of them are part of major international groups that have set up here, because Luxembourg has become a global brand in this industry. Their presence encourages innovation and the emergence of new sub-sectors. In short, this dynamic is leading to an accelerated trickle-down effect for the country as a whole, as well as for the companies and people who work here.

And yet, here the big international companies are the size of SMEs...

Many subsidiaries of major groups have sprung up over the last 15 years. It's the employees who have developed them and taken responsibility for operations. You'll understand that this kind of experience is unique in the world. That's why their careers are accelerated, whereas they would probably have been drowned out if they'd been elsewhere.

So the size of companies speeds up access to responsibility...

Yes, that's right. The limited size of our teams means that people can quickly rise to positions of responsibility at a local level. What's more, Luxembourg workers are constantly in contact with their international counterparts in much larger organisations. The only difference is that their foreign counterparts have taken much longer to reach this career level.

I understand that employability is acquired more quickly, but what about networking?

The size of the country makes networking easier. Firstly, it's easier to get in touch with influential and inspiring people. Secondly, we have access to an international network thanks to our local contacts and the interconnections we maintain with other countries. I'm thinking of one of my friends who went to Milan; it was easy for him to activate his network once he was there. Someone who worked in Luxembourg has quality connections

in different countries, both personally and professionally.

In Luxembourg, you don't wait at the bottom for a rung to open up before you can move up.

Jérôme Carbonnelle, Partner, GOTOfreedom

Despite all its advantages, why is Luxembourg affected by the labour shortage?

Because it's a global reality. It's true that Luxembourg is small, but everything that's been said about the career accelerator speaks in its favour. But we still need to be able to spread the word. Admittedly, we still have a long way to go, but we nevertheless have a series of champions. I'm thinking of

usual suspects, biotechs, fintechs, b-corp, audiovisual production companies, digital branding... and we are even the European epicentre for new payment tools.

What's more, it's relatively easy to integrate in Luxembourg. Our latest recruit is from Italy, she moved in 2 months ago and already knows all the parties, all the events and many of the young professionals.

Is the Luxembourg salary still an advantage when recruiting?

To be honest, the pay gap with neighbouring countries has narrowed, especially for more junior positions. But we clearly have the edge when it comes to middle management, which here can be reached quickly. When you talk to recruiters from international agencies based abroad, it's pretty rare for them to work on a mandate worth more than €100,000 a year. At GOTOfreedom, this is the norm.

Do these high salaries have an impact on the way you recruit?

Of course it does. A recruiter, whether internal or external, has to talk to and negotiate with people who have a certain background, expertise and high standards. They also have a duty to advise on career management. This requires, among other things, a thorough knowledge of the organisations, the professions and the ways in which these candidates can create real added value. That's why part of our team comes from the business world, and that's the case for me too. At GOTOfreedom we put our young consultants right into the heart of the action. We refuse to waste their time. We've chosen them and we're committed to their development. Starting your career with us is also a career accelerator. When you look at the career paths of former GOTOfreeders, you can't help but admire them.

GOTOfreedom

Jerome.carbonnelle@gotofreedom.eu

Phone +352 20 40 32 60