Go France! The way the French take their coffee (no sugar, no milk) has become a norm for me now

  • Career Center
  • Le 21 septembre 2022

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.
 


This week, discover what Ashish Kumar from India has to say.

About Ashish:

  • GRADUATED FROM THE MSC IM PROGRAMME IN 2017
  • FROM INDIA
  • CURRENT POSITION FINANCIAL PLANNING & ANALYSIS CONTROLLER AT IMERYS IN PARIS
  • NATIVE LANGUAGE HINDI
  • DAILY WORKING LANGUAGES ENGLISH AND FRENCH AT TIMES
  • FRENCH LEVEL BEGINNER (A1/A2)
  • LIVING IN FRANCE SINCE 2015

Ashish's key message: “The way the French take their coffee (no sugar, no milk) has become a norm for me now."


My biggest challenge
I work in the industrial sector and most of the plants and mines are based in remote France. To have a meaningful site visit you need to talk to the people in the operational facilities. And you can’t do that without speaking French. Even if it’s just to take part in and enjoy lunchtime gossip, you have to know the language at least at the conversational level.

Myths and realities

  • MYTH That the French are rude!
  • REALITY Touch wood, I haven’t come across even one native French person who has been rude to me! Inability to initiate or hold a conversation with a French speaker because of our own lack of proficiency in the local language is usually put down to rudeness on the part of the French, which actually is far from the reality. Don’t believe me? Speak the language and you will see how amazing the French can be.


My advice & top tips
You don’t necessarily need to be fluent in French before coming to France. However, ensuring that you have good comprehension and can have a basic conversation in French is going to be quite useful. Have a clear vision of the kind of career you want for yourself and which industry or sector you would like to work in and use this to and plan your academic and professional future.

Quirky & cultural
The French have high standards in all areas, be it food generally, cheese, wine, the environment or fashion. They treat everyone with ‘politesse française’, irrespective of education, work, or social status.

And finally
Make the most of living and working in France!




 
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