From The Hague to Barcelona: Charlotte de Mooij, ESEI Alumni Building a Marketing Career at L’Oréal
Charlotte de Mooij, an ESEI Business School alumni from The Hague in the Netherlands, has always combined creativity and strategy in her academic and professional life. Growing up in a big city, she was “always being creative, always drawing everything.” That creative spark led her to study Art and Economics at an art academy in Utrecht, where she discovered her interest in how visual expression and communication can influence branding and social impact.
During her graduation project, Charlotte explored themes like self‑confidence and body positivity, creating a video featuring two women — one older and one younger — in a dialogue about self‑perception and support. “It was also a little bit of my personal story that I brought into it,” she explains. This focus on creativity with purpose set the stage for her future career in marketing communication and brand strategy.
After finishing her bachelor’s degree, Charlotte knew she wanted to pursue further education abroad. Barcelona had always appealed to her, and when she discovered the Master’s in Marketing and Communication at ESEI Business School, she instantly saw that it was “really suitable” for her goals because it was practical, collaborative, and project‑oriented rather than solely book‑based.
Why Charlotte de Mooij Chose ESEI in Barcelona
For Charlotte, the practical nature of ESEI’s Master’s programme in marketing communications was a key factor in her decision to study there. At ESEI, students work on real cases and collaborate with teams, giving them experience directly related to professional life. “It was not like learning from books. It was a lot of working in teams together, working on real cases … giving your own insight,” she explains.
One of her favourite aspects of the programme was the opportunity to create work that companies would actually consider implementing. “Some companies really wanted to do something with the things that we did,” she says. This was very different from her earlier experiences in school, where “you’re creating a whole plan for a company and then they won’t even look at it.”
A highlight of her time at ESEI was working on her thesis project in collaboration with Lacoste, where she and her German classmate researched how the brand could become more attractive to women. “We talked about it with the Lacoste marketing team and they were really interested in all the research we did,” she recalls. The project was demanding, but Charlotte says it was “worth the time and all the hours of working because in the end we created something we were both really proud of.”
Living and Learning in Barcelona
Charlotte describes her year in Barcelona as a balanced mix of study, social life, and personal growth. She lived with six other girls, making memories and building friendships she still maintains today. “It was one year of celebrating life,” she says. The friendships and networks she formed were part of the broader international student experience at ESEI, where working with people from diverse backgrounds enhances learning and personal development.
Beyond the academic challenges, Charlotte also became more confident in her communication and relationship‑building skills. “I lived in a city where I knew nobody, and then you need to network, you need to communicate. Those are all things I brought with me during my job searching,” she reflects.
Landing a Career at L’Oréal Through Networking
After graduating, Charlotte faced a challenge familiar to many new graduates: companies wanted candidates with work experience. Instead of giving up, she took a strategic approach and reached out to people in companies she admired, including L’Oréal.
Through networking, Charlotte connected with an employee who offered her advice on improving her CV and motivation letter. “It was a real open conversation,” she remembers. When that employee mentioned that an intern had just left, Charlotte took a risk and applied for the internship. “At first I thought, oh, an internship? But then I was like, how cool is it to work for this big company that I really love?” she says.
She secured the internship in Sales and E‑Commerce and immediately immersed herself in both creative and analytical aspects of the role.
Even though only a small percentage of interns at L’Oréal are offered traineeships, Charlotte was determined. She worked hard, took extra tasks, and earned the trust of her team. During the rigorous selection process with case studies and team assessments, she stayed true to herself and performed authentically. “In the end I just stayed myself and I did what I could.”
Her efforts paid off when she was offered a Management Traineeship in marketing at L’Oréal. She now works as a Retail Brand Coordinator for Maybelline — one of L’Oréal’s major brands — where she is responsible for offline marketing and in‑store campaigns in the Netherlands. “It’s so cool when you walk into a drugstore and see all the things that you did for this brand,” she says.
How ESEI Prepared Her for Success
Charlotte credits her time at ESEI with giving her both professional and personal confidence. The combination of real marketing projects, teamwork, presentations, brand collaborations, and living abroad helped her build resilience, communication skills, and a belief in her own abilities. These strengths have been critical in her journey from student to marketing professional at a global beauty company.
Advice for Current ESEI Students
Charlotte’s advice to current ESEI students focuses on confidence, networking, and risk‑taking. “Don’t be shy. Go out of your comfort zone, even if it feels scary,” she says. She encourages students to reach out to professionals, ask for coffee or calls, and show genuine interest in companies and roles they admire. “People love that. Not a lot of people are doing that, so you also stand out.”
She also emphasises the importance of enjoying the journey and embracing the possibilities ahead. “Just try,” she says simply, reflecting on her own decision to take a risk and pursue an internship that ultimately led to her dream traineeship.
Charlotte de Mooij: Turning Creative Passion Into a Marketing Career
Charlotte de Mooij’s journey from art and communication student to ESEI Business School alumni and marketing professional at L’Oréal Netherlands highlights how practical education, networking, resilience, and creativity can lead to real career opportunities. Her story reflects the value of combining academic preparation with real‑world experience, and how finding the right opportunities sometimes means taking bold steps and reaching out to people who can open doors.
Explore ESEI’s Programmes
👉 If you’re considering starting your own journey in Barcelona, explore ESEI’s Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes and see how we can support you on your study abroad journey.
You may also like
Guiding Future Communicators: An Interview with Professor Katya de Freedericksz
Building AI-First Marketing Skills: Insights from Professor Kate Busby
