Go France! The arrival time for work being at 9:30 (or even 10:00) really surprised me

  • Career Center
  • Le 5 octobre 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 Kendra Meserve from the USA has to say.

About Kendra:

  • GRADUATED FROM THE MSC IM PROGRAMME IN 2016
  • FROM THE USA
  • CURRENT POSITION INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT MANAGER FOR THE VIDEO GAME JUST DANCE AT UBISOFT IN PARIS
  • NATIVE LANGUAGE ENGLISH
  • DAILY WORKING LANGUAGES FRENCH AND ENGLISH
  • FRENCH LEVEL ADVANCED (B2/C1)
  • LIVING IN FRANCE SINCE 2012

Kendra's key message: “Maybe it’s just Paris, but the arrival time for work being at 9:30 (even 10 a.m. is acceptable in some companies) really surprised me! "


My biggest challenge
Definitely language-related – even though I speak French very well, sometimes in sensitive discussions I have difficulty using nuance in the French language with the same ease I would in English.

Myths & realities

  • MYTH Because of all the vacation time France has compared to many countries, sometimes people think the French are lazy – not true! I’ve found my co-workers and suppliers to be very hard-working.
  • REALITY Juggling vacation between May and August. In May there are a lot of bank holidays which translates to many people taking vacations here and there. Then June, July and the crown jewel August come around and you have four months of having to anticipate co-workers and suppliers’ availability – who will be on vacation when – and your project goals.


My advice & top tips
Connect and network! Use the Audencia network! Reach out to alumni on LinkedIn or by any means you can if they have a job or work for a company that you’re interested in. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice

Quirky & cultural
I love that it’s habitual in French work culture to take time having a coffee in the morning with your colleagues.

And finally
Getting a job can seem daunting, but don’t let it overwhelm you – it’s totally possible! Nothing is guaranteed but it’s totally possible.




 
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