For international recruiters: STI2D means Sciences et Technologies de l’Industrie et du Développement Durable — a French technological high-school diploma (Baccalauréat), not a general academic bac.

It trains students interested in technological innovation and the energy transition. Teaching is interdisciplinary and linked to science, across three domains: energy, information, and matter. Students work on concrete projects: experimentation, simulation, product analysis, teamwork and problem-solving.

In première (year 11), specialties include Technological Innovation, Engineering & Sustainable Development (I2D), and Physics-Chemistry & Mathematics. In terminale (year 12), Physics-Chemistry & Mathematics continues, plus 2I2D (Engineering, Innovation & Sustainable Development) with a chosen focus — including Information Systems & Digital (SIN), Architecture & Construction, Energy & Environment, or Eco-design.

At the end of the final year, we had to deliver a full end-of-year project — that is when I built my first real connected system (see Experience).

For international recruiters: first, what a BTS is in France.

BTS means Brevet de Technicien Supérieur — an official French state diploma (diplôme national), issued by the French Ministry of Education. It sits between the Baccalauréat (high school) and the Licence (Bachelor’s): Bac +2, about 2 years after the bac. It is widely known and recognised by employers across France. Many graduates enter the job market directly; others continue to a Licence (Bachelor’s) — which is what I did.

My BTS: BTS SIO option B SLAM — Services Informatiques aux Organisations, option Solutions Logicielles et Applications Métiers (IT services for organisations — software development track).

• Duration: 2 years · Level: Bac +2 (≈ associate / higher technician level) · National state diploma. • Under school status: about 10 weeks of internships across the two years.

The program builds skills in three activity areas:

1) Support & delivery of IT services — keep services available for users, manage the IT estate, handle incidents (help desk), grow the company’s online presence, work in project mode.

2) Application design & development — design, develop, deploy and maintain software components (web, mobile, desktop); databases and digital data; version control (e.g. Git); testing and integration.

3) Cybersecurity of IT services — secure networks, systems and applications; analyse risks (technical, organisational, legal); protect personal data and digital identity; secure equipment and everyday usage.

General subjects include culture générale, English, maths for IT, and economic / legal / managerial culture — plus professional skill blocks.

After the BTS I continued to a Licence (Bachelor’s) in France — a very common and well-understood next step.

For international recruiters: Licence mention Informatique, parcours Conception et Développement d'Applications (CDA) — a French Bachelor’s in Computer Science (Bac +3 / EQF level 6) at Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO), Brest.

• Duration: 1 year after a Bac +2 · Aimed especially at BTS SIO / BTS SN graduates. • Teaching: lectures, tutorials, computer labs, and individual or small-group projects. • Ends with a disciplinary internship of at least 2 months (8 weeks).

After the hands-on BTS, this is where I went from “making things work” to understanding precisely how code behaves — memory, algorithms, data structures, systems, networks — and how to design software professionally: analysis, modelling, clean architecture, and the right tools.

Core curriculum covers CS foundations end to end: advanced C & algorithms, theoretical CS & automata, Java & application design, computer architecture & operating systems, IP networks, and information systems & web — plus a substantial applied project (~70h).

Skills: model a problem and ship a fitting solution; design UIs, web apps and information systems; work across languages and OS; deliver through projects and a real internship.