23 year old Camille is currently working as an intern at Domyos. After obtaining her Science Baccalaureat, she firstly considered going to an engineering school, before deciding to join the Académie Internationale de Coupe de Paris (AICP) to study pattern making. 

Camille, how did you come to join Decathlon?

I applied to work for Decathlon after attending a Domyos brand presentation where I was studying. I was initially interviewed there and then at the event. A bit later on I was invited to a second, more in-depth interview. I received a call the next day telling me that I’d been accepted for an internship.

What is your job?

I’m a pattern designer for the Domyos brand. My job involves producing a block pattern that can be used to make the item in 3D. I work together with a product manager, a stylist and a product engineer. I’m then sent the prototypes so that I can check with my team that they comply with all our requirements prior to embarking on production.

How easy did you find it to settle in?

As I lived in Paris, my manager came to meet me at the station, and I went straight into training on my first day so that I could familiarise myself with my work tools.  I then ate with my team at lunchtime. Over the next few days, everyone told me about their particular role and also gave me the lowdown on the culture at Decathlon and Domyos. I quickly found my feet and was able to start working on a range of projects.

What is your relationship with your manager like?

It’s going really well. I now operate fairly autonomously within my role; working relations here are pretty flexible. We can talk to each other openly and honestly. We also have regular performance reviews where we discuss my goals and how I’m doing.

What struck you as strange when you joined Decathlon?

It’s quite weird that everyone addresses each other informally (using “tu”), but you soon get used to it. I was also amazed by the number of different roles at Decathlon; I wasn’t expecting to work alongside people from such wide-ranging backgrounds.  The business’ innovation strategy is also really interesting: products are devised and designed with the aim of making it easier for people to enjoy sport, which is something that really comes across in my day-to-day work.

What are your plans for the future?

After my internship year, I’m looking to continue my studies so that I can take on more responsibilities and I’d like to become textile product manager.