Go France! Be patient with the administration and the paperwork

We are delighted to bring you “Go France”, the guide for international students looking to work in France!

Devised and compiled by Audencia’s Career Centre and Alumni team, with the support of the School's student reporters, “Go France” is a valuable resource for internationals considering a career in France after their studies. Starting with HR professionals’ top tips and debunking the myths and realities of the workplace, Go France also showcases the experiences of more than 20 international alumni who have aced the challenge of finding a job in France.
 

In the meantime, discover what Javier Mendoza Giménez, MBA 15, has to say.

About Javier

• Graduated from the MBA 15 programme
• Originally from Colombia
• Working as Senior Project Manager at Orange Business Systems in Paris
• Daily working language ▶ French, English
• Native language (s) ▶ Spanish
• Level of French ▶ Upper intermediate /Advanced
• Other languages spoken ▶ French, English
• Other degrees ▶ Telecom Engineer

Javier's key advice 

Be patient with the administration and paperwork!

How it all started

I had 6 years of professional experience before coming to France. After my MBA, I struggled to find a job in France; it took me 4 months. I finally found an opportunity through a friend who worked at the time in a technology consultancy company. After 3 interviews I was recruited to manage a project entirely in English.

Myths & realities

Realities: There are jobs in English in France especially in the technology sector. However, it is almost mandatory to speak French at the moment of getting scanning calls from recruiters. They prefer and feel more comfortable to interview you in their native tongue instead of English. Additionally, in the daily office life it is important to speak the language to quickly integrate with your colleagues. In case you don't speak French at the time of doing interviews, I recommend preparing a basic 5 minute presentation speech in French. This will allow you to show the recruiter that you're making the effort and later on in the interview she/he will feel more comfortable to switch to English.

Myths: The 35 hour work week is normally for the non-specialised jobs. For the better paid management positions, the working week could be up to 45 hours.

My biggest challenge

Mastering the French language.

Speaking French

I was forced to improve my French in order to speak with my colleagues and better integrate with the work team.

Advice and top tips

Things that could take a day to do in your home country, can take up to weeks here. i.e open a bank account or get a problem in your apartment fixed.

 

Get your copy of "Go France" here