Go France! French people tend to say ‘no’ first to every new proposal

Audencia's Career Center and Alumni teams are delighted to to bring you “Go France!”, the guide to working in France.

Following the success of the first guide in 2019, this new updated edition revisits advice from HR professionals, input from intercultural experts and shares yet more experiences of working in France for internationals. Alumni say they choose France for its corporate culture and impact-driven working environment but also for its croissants!

“Go France!” is a valuable resource for students staying in France after their studies at Audencia.
 

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This week, discover what Daisy Weiming Wang from China has to say.

About Daisy:

• GRADUATED FROM THE MSC IM PROGRAMME IN 2012
• FROM CHINA
• CURRENT POSITION CRM &DIGITAL MANAGER AT VOLVO CAR FRANCE – HAVAS GROUP IN PARIS/ BIARRITZ
• NATIVE LANGUAGE MANDARIN
• DAILY WORKING LANGUAGES ENGLISH AND FRENCH
• FRENCH LEVEL ADVANCED (B2/C1)
• LIVING IN FRANCE SINCE 2011

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Daisy's key message: “French people tend to say ‘no’ first to every new proposal. The scepticism could be cautiousness but sometimes we need to act fast and adjust while doing it."

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My biggest challenge
Learning French language skills is the biggest challenge. In particular, writing correctly is not easy at all.

Myths & realities

• MYTH The famous myth of at least 5 weeks paid holidays and probably 12 days of extra time off in lieu or RTT if you have cadre status.
• REALITY The morning greeting and coffee break are part of working culture in France. You don’t need to get into too many details, but you need to talk a bit about your personal life. You are allowed to complain a little bit because the French like to complain but don’t expect your colleagues to solve your real problems.

My advice & top tips
Network, connect the dots of your past experience(s) and find your added value. You may not be able to compete with French graduates in French but the fact that you have left your home country to come to a new place and learn a new language and have managed to learn it in quite a limited time proves that you are able to jump out of your comfort zone and are very adaptable.

Quirky & cultural
The French are always on holiday but they are quite efficient. French people tend to have a thorough plan and do not compromise. I guess that’s why the luxury and excellence of crafts are the hallmark of France.

And finally
The French are quite organised. So, in your work environment, make sure you have clear plans and email communications.

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