When Julia Gilman ’19 decided to study abroad in France through CC’s Semester in France Program her junior year, she had no idea that just three years later, she would be working in Paris as a creative product content project manager at Cartier, a French luxury watches and jewelry brand.
It all started at CC, where Gilman was a French and Francophone Studies major and Studio Art minor.
“As a French major, every class I took in the department helped me to prepare for this job, in terms of language skills as well as cultural nuances,” Gilman says. “This job requires a lot of speaking, writing, and presenting and team collaboration, most of which happens in French, and in a very international environment with many different types of personalities. All of the art classes I took at CC also help me in my day-to-day, especially with photography. Since part of my job is very creative and involves direct input on-set at photoshoots, photo retouching, and the general construction and aesthetics of advertising visuals, everything I learned technically and theoretically at CC comes into play.”
After graduating from CC, Gilman applied for a master’s program in Paris that was focused on the luxury industry.
“I wrote my thesis analyzing the advertisements of French luxury brands, so it was then that I thought this might be an interesting industry to pursue a career in,” says Gilman. “I found a program at Sciences Po with a master’s specifically in the marketing of the luxury industry, and I thought that this could be interesting to explore as a career given my background in French and art. I also knew that I was interested in living in Paris following visits during the CC semester abroad.”
Gilman was accepted and ended up spending two years at Sciences Po, beginning in Fall 2019. As part of the program, she completed a six-month internship at Cartier. Following a successful internship in Fall 2021, Gilman was offered a full-time job at Cartier and stayed on to become a project manager.
As part of her job, Gilman manages creative projects that are destined for Cartier’s 360° advertising campaigns. This work includes creating content for print touchpoints like newspapers, magazines, and billboards, as well as digital touchpoints like paid banners on websites and sponsored social media posts. One of Gilman’s latest projects was working on the photo and film content for the most recent High Jewelry Collection.
Gilman’s day-to-day schedule varies significantly, but as project manager, she oversees her assigned projects from the very beginning to the delivery of the completed visuals.
“In general, that would be working with the creative agencies to develop the idea for the ad campaign and presenting these ideas internally. Then, organizing the photoshoots and working on post-production and the delivery of the visuals,” Gilman says. “We develop the campaigns for worldwide usage, so our content is seen around the world in our various markets.”
“I had Julia in several of my courses and she was simply the kind of student we all want to have in our classes,” says Dr. Nene Diop, CC Associate Professor of French. “She displayed firm skills in self-discipline, rigor, and a level of critical thinking expected of an exceptionally skilled liberal arts student. I have no doubt she will achieve her goals and more.”
Gilman knows her CC liberal arts education gave her the best foundation possible her for her job. She also notes the significant support and encouragement of French Department faculty members Diop, Dr. Michael O’Riley, Dr. Ibrahima Wade, and Dr. Alistaire Tallent.
“I think having a liberal arts degree with an ability to think critically and be confident in both writing and presenting while defending a piece of work serves me every day,” Gilman says. “The entire French Department made my time at CC unforgettable and allowed me to even consider doing a master’s, then living and working abroad. I have such fond memories of our classes and adventures in the field together. Additionally, the Art Department gave me the technical tools to back up my creative feedback.”
“Julia wrote her senior thesis with me on the analysis of French haute couture advertising,” O’Riley says. “She examined ads by top French design houses like Cartier, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel with keen insight. Of course, all of this work, as well as our conversations, took place in French! Julia was clearly a very driven and keenly analytical student. Her success demonstrates the value of immersing oneself in another language and culture as a cornerstone of a rich liberal arts experience.”
Gilman has continued to stay in touch with many CC faculty members, as they were more than just professors to her.
“My memories of her passage through our department and CC are fresh and alive as she’s stayed in touch, detailing to me her academic and professional experience at the prestigious French Sciences Po. in Paris,” says Wade, who was Gilman’s professor while studying abroad. “Julia was also one of the advisees that were closest to me while at CC. She was simply an extraordinary student and ranks amongst the top five we have helped to graduate. Julia is the kind of student I relished having in my courses. Her contributions to and focus on the topics at hand were simply above my highest expectations. I am not surprised in the slightest that she has reached the summit of one of the hardest luxury industries in Western Europe…of the world even!”