DISCOVER SOME TESTIMONIALS OF OUR MEMBERS.
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Get a job, continue your studies, start a business, reinvent yourself ? Success abroad is not only a question of education or experience; perseverance and motivation are keys factors.
Jorgelina
Guandalini
from: Argentina
October, 2017
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Take life day by day, and appreciate the little things you achieve.
Hi! I am Jorgelina and Im originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I moved to Paris in September 2014 following my partner.
Before committing to this amazing experience, I worked for over 10 years in marketing and communications. Leaving my job was a really difficult decision but I never doubt that living abroad was going to be an enriching experience…and it is!.
Please find below the list of things that worked for me and that may help and inspire you!
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- Search for any opportunities to practice your French…and make the effort (even in international companies where the official language is English, a minimum level of French is still necessary)
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- Build a local network. Most of the interviews you will get will be generated through networking. In my opinion, networking is the best way to get interviews and to reach companies. Therefore, I would rather spent time building a network than replying to offers and preparing thousands of application letters.
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I have found a lot of interesting events to meet locals on the Internet. I met interesting people who provided useful tips and put me in contact with local professionals. Here are some websites I have found useful to meet locals: Meetup, Sortir a Paris, Language Exchange, Internations.
- Pay attention to the interim agencies, they manage temporary positions that may be an excellent option for expats.
- Become a volunteer to keep you active, meet people, learn new skills and fill the blank gap in your CV. I started volunteering in French associations that helped me improve my French a lot. Additionally, I volunteered with IDCN. It was a great experience which allowed me to work with a multicultural team and learn from others’ experiences.
In fact, several HR managers suggested me to place my IDCN volunteering at the beginning of my CV, as a really working experience and not just at the end.
- Think about reinventing yourself professionally. Not every career or professional background fits every country’s needs. Some areas of expertise are more international than others. For example, I started studying Exportation and I found it is an internationally oriented career. If you start some studies you could apply for an internship and is a good entry point into companies. IDCN events will be useful also to help you find your internship. I also created a group of Spanish conversation classes, that kept me busy and, again, it was another opportunity to meet great people. If I happen to face a new relocation process, I would use this strategy again; create a Spanish speaking group elsewhere.
- Participate in IDCN events and do networking. Take advantage of these events to have your CV proofread and get interviews.
- Use your LinkedIn account to look for open positions. I even sent some messages to French people whose jobs were related to Latin America and I happened to get some interesting answers and tips. Lots of companies only publish their offers on their websites, make a list of the ones you are interested in and keep them on track. Be aware of international associations in Paris where the working language may be English.
- You can register into the Pole Emploi, if you have a European Passport. It will send you job alerts of new openings that may match your background. In addition, they offer some trainings that will help you with your search.
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Finally, I started working thanks to a former colleague in Argentina. This person recommended me for a job opening to some of his/her contacts in Paris.
Here are some key takeaways for you:
1. Don’t stress too much, the right opportunity will come at the right moment. I was offered a position when I was not applying for positions nor sharing my CV; I was finishing my studies.
2. Don’t forget your home country’s network and keep in touch!
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Take life day by day, and appreciate the little things you achieve, enjoy the process….I know it is not easy, but if I made it, so can you. Wish you all good luck in your job research!!!
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Jenn
Berryman
United Kingdom
March, 2017
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Bonjour! My name is Jennifer Berryman, and I moved to Paris in April 2016, from London, following my partner’s move with L’Oreal. After graduating in Product Design with a Master’s degree, I only had 3 years experience in my field (Product/Graphic Design) before relocating.
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My first IDCN event was held at BNP Paribas, two days after I relocated! and it was here where I signed up to volunteer with IDCN, whilst continuing my job searching. As part of the communications team, I was given the tasks of proof reading (as the only native English speaker on the team), as well as creating a new template for the event brochures, updating our website, and creating the email campaigns that all IDCN members receive.
I was glad to be given such a great responsibility within IDCN as I was getting nowhere with my job searching – Parisian design agencies tend to specialize in Branding, which I don’t have experience in and there is such great competition in the design industry. My competitors also spoke French – which put me at a disadvantage. Aside from my job-hunting and IDCN volunteering, I kept busy, I joined a gym and, when the weather was nice, I would wander around the city!
After almost a year, I have finally found a job. The call to interview was a surprise as it was through word of mouth – a friend of mine found out about an opportunity and passed on my details. The skills I obtained through volunteering, although not necessarily pushing my CV forward in the design industry, did help me find this job. My employer needed a fluent English speaker who could help with proof reading documents, along with other administrative work. This was one of my responsibilities, which confirmed my suitability! The fact that I had been volunteering meant that I didn’t have a big gap in my CV, which would have reflected badly, especially with only a small amount of past work experience.
My advice to other following partners? I strongly recommend volunteering with IDCN – you can learn new skills, boost your CV, make new friends, and it could potentially help you find a job!
Lastly, don’t underestimate the power of networking!
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From Pune, India, Renesha moved to Paris in January 2016 following her husband’s move to Technip France from G.E. Norway.
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Marketing and advertising professional, having worked with brands in India over a career span of 5 years. She completed an MBA in communication management and currently interning with Technip Corporate Services as Group Communications Trainee,on a contract for 6 months.
Renesha
Ravichandran
India
January, 2017
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Challenges were many! I knew I had to learn the local language well – French however wasn’t agreeing with me. I am yet to make true friendship with it! I sincerely began searching for potential jobs around the beginning of April 2016 and scanned nearly every online job portal, LinkedIn profile of potential companies and mailed my resume to companies who were looking for recruiting individuals for their international clients. It was during this process that I came across the profile of Mrs. Dolly Vohra. I had absolutely no idea that she was a part of the IDCN network and was working in Paris. We shared mutual connections of LinkedIn and she was an alumnus from my MBA college. We connected over texts and emails and then I finally met her - she introduced me to IDCN Paris and the work they do for expats and their spouses. I immediately asked my husband to connect with his mobility manager in Technip and after few weeks, I attended my first IDCN event at Nestle in summer 2016.
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This was a great experience for me; Meeting new people, getting some good yet critical feedback on the French and English CV’s I had prepared and speaking to the panel of HR’s – it was a perfect start and boost for morale. I spoke and gathered information on how the job opportunities work here from one individual to another. I again did some background reading about the companies I had just met and sent them my CV, and then I waited! The wait was pretty disappointing as not one of them replied, even when there were ample job opportunities available on their websites – even a fair NO you’re not suitable would have sufficed, but I guess the challenge was to be patient. Meanwhile, I was also taking interviews for the calls I had received from my personal job search efforts on LinkedIn. I had 3 interviews and all of them were a great way to reduce my fear of being interviewed by French managers.
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In July 2016 my husband casually spoke to his communications manager at Technip explaining to her about how I was still struggling to get a job or even an internship in Paris. It was the next day that his manager sent us an email and by the end of that week I had 2 potential interview calls from Technip Corporate Services and Technip France. Both went well and I joined my internship on 4th October 2016 and from then until now, the experience has been very fruitful and intellectual. The people, my colleagues, the work life, everything is just great. With my experience I just have one thing to say – French people are very warm and welcoming if you take the time to know them.
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My advice for partners who are looking for a job in Paris:
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* Learn French – Even spoken French at the beginning would be a great start.
* Prepare a crisp yet attractive resume in French and English both.
* Update your LinkedIn profile – 100%
* Keep applying to potential companies 1:50 will definitely call you for an interview at least.
* Download the LinkedIn job search app and keep looking and applying for jobs.
* Participate in all IDCN events and keep your profile updated.
* Connect with your networks in Paris and get some one on one experience on how things are working out for them.
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Lastly don’t lose hope – I searched for jobs for 5 months, had 4 one on one interviews and finally got placed with a brilliant company -Technip.
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My top advice to job-seeking partners is to avoid sending your resumes to companies who have already specified that need are looking for only French speaking candidates. Also, be open to accepting offers as and when they present themselves. Don’t be too picky about profiles or designations. I was a Marketing Manager in India for 2 years but when I began my search here, I was open to do an internship. So get all the experience you can and build your resume and networks while you’re working or interning.
Ana Pantic
Serbia
23th Oct, 2016
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Facing changes, increasing chances...
We present the emotive testimony of Ana Pantic, one of our enthusiastic volonteers who recently has achieved a significative professional goal.
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My name is Ana Pantic and I am a 27 year old, law graduate from Serbia. After graduating from law school, where I had earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree, I decided to pursue my career at the law office with an aim to become a successful attorney. During my apprenticeship at the law office, where I spent two beautiful years working with amazing and experienced people, I had the opportunity to be involved in various tasks, including the everyday interaction with external clients, attendance to legal proceedin, court hearings and representing local and international clients before the court. These experiences thought me a lot and prepared me for the future challenges.
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Since my husband was relocated from Lafarge Serbia to the Group Audit team in Paris, reorganizing our daily life while settling down in Paris was not an easy task for both of us. Paris provides many interesting opportunities, both professional and cultural, however it requires significant changes in everything what we have been used to so far i.e: transportation, groceries, and the language barrier! In order to be able to integrate into the French community and increase my chances of finding a local job, I have started learning the French language. IDCN played a significant role in my job search by providing and extending my network within the HR community in France. Useful recommendations given by IDCN corporate partners, convinced me to enhance my HR competencies by enrolling into a HR masters program. Thankfully, this led to my new trainee job at Nissan Europe.
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Given the experience I have had so far, I would advise everyone to stay persistent, dedicated, always ready to learn new things and most importantly - to be open for changes.”
Yuriana Coss
Mexico
23th Sep, 2016
Understand how the new country works...
This time we have talked with Yuriana Coss. She has moved to Paris in 2015 and has been a volunteer with IDCN Paris during six months, now she happily has found a new job.
I am Mexican but have lived in Spain for many years – this was not my first expatriation experience In Mexico, I studied International Relations but only really developed my professional career in Spain – Firstly working in a Bank, and then at a Shipping company in the area of Digital Marketing. Thanks to a professional opportunity of my husband, I arrived in Paris, which created an opportunity for me despite the challenge of learning a new language! Personally, I think the labor market in France is very active and with the right searching and patience, there will certainly be something there to suit you!
As for the majority of expatriates, one of the first challenges is integration in a new country – especially if there is a new language barrier. Despite now living in a city with a huge foreign population, it is extremely difficult to find services who speak languages other than French – making everything difficult e.g. house searching, services, medical assistance, etc. which can causes stress and make your arrival a little unpleasant (it could even force yourself to ask if you’ve made the right decision)!
So my first advice is, if you don’t speak French, take a course! I think the most important thing is to have some basic knowledge of the local language, not only to communicate, but to also understand how the country works. France offers many opportunities for entrepreneurs, but if you want to take advantage of them, you should speak the language. Secondly, be open to change (I’m sure you already are, or you wouldn’t be here!) But what I mean here is that you might need to reinvent yourself, professionally. Finally, and linking to a previous point, perhaps look at taking up hobbies (group activities) or temporary work, which gives you opportunities to meet new, local people, get some work experience and pick up fluency in the language. All this together will put you a step closer to your dream job. Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in our situation; a new country, starting again, etc. which means that we are forced to be active and get out of our comfort zones. For me, the most important thing is go out, get to know people, find activities that keep you busy and also that allow you build your network. Don't be afraid to talk to people, make new friends, in my case French lessons helped a lot too.
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Let your feelings come out...
I have 17 years of experience in the fashion retail industry: I was a Product Manager who specialized in textile products, working in Buying Department teams. My job was to obtain the optimal product at correct time in the shops and assure the sales of these products.
I have worked for big retail companies such as Mango, group Cortefiel and luxury ones including Cadena. Most of time, I was travelling to Asian countries and Italy. I had a lot of exciting experiences, so much fun and good souvenirs from my job!
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However, 6 years ago my husband got a job offer from his company in Germany, and after a discussion, we accepted it. I found myself with 2 kids (of one and a half and 2 years old) in Germany, most of the time alone - as my husband travelled.
I needed an "adaptation period” to observe, and try to find our routine as a family - and also for me, a person that has left her job and has to face a new life. After a while, I realised that I needed to do something else but I do not speak German, and the kids’ school schedule was crazy so I started to use my networking contacts (friends, suppliers, colleagues etc.) and “reinvented“ myself. Finally, one of my old colleagues that was living in Hong Kong ,gave me the key and I started to work as freelance designer / product manager for Kids’ companies in Asia. I did this during the time I was in Germany; for 2 years.
Diana Orense
Spain
24th June, 2016
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When I arrived in Paris 3 years ago, I was already fluent French speaker (my problem was the writing part). My husband is French so I know the importance for French people to write and speak properly: their language is a passion.
I was insecure about my competences in the language so once again I took some time to feel it and to gain this confidence. I started to contact old suppliers who I used to work with and found and Indian company interested in opening the French market, it was mostly a sales position and being exposed to French customers, so I accepted the challenge for 2 years.
Last year, I attended an IDCN event where someone talked about the importance of French recognized qualifications, so I applied for one of the best École des Arts Decoratifs et dessign des objets (Interior architecture) in Paris and I was admitted for a one year cycle. I finished in May and I had to defend my project in both an oral part and also a writing one. It was a lot of work, I even sacrificed my weekends, but it has been a great experience and a salutary lesson for me.
Now, I feel completely prepared for searching for a position in a French company and that is my goal.
For partners who are job searching:
- Step 1: Take your time to ADAPT, especially if you have children. Observe the new country, let your emotions and feelings come out: sometimes sadness, sometimes excitement and happiness, others anger or fear. Let your feelings come out, otherwise you will be stuck - your mind has to accept the change and them your body will follow.
- Step 2: Think about all the people you might know: friends, colleagues or others. Let them know where you are and what your targets are (finding a job, meeting someone that could introduce you someone else, finding people to give you some tips).
- Step 3: Evaluate your competences in this new country. Do I need to learn the local language or not? Can I “reinvent“ myself in some other job? Should I re-study? Should I just enjoy this new experience and "learn other things”? Should I start my own business?
My advice for anyone who has moved to a new country is: Take your time, do not stress, feel the need of change inside your body, and flow!
Roohollah Haghpajooh
Iran
June, 2016
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Keep in touch with your previous friends, colleagues and use your homeland network also!...
We are very glad to share the inspiring testimony of ​Roohollah Haghpajooh, a proactive IDCN member who recently reached a new milestone in his professional career.
I am an Iranian chemist with more than 10 years experience in marketing and business development activities. I established my laboratory in 2003 to formulate new products for the Iranian cosmetic industry and to supply raw materials for its production. I also designed and set up the production line for my local perfume brand “VALENTINE”. Three years ago, I started working as Sales and Business Development Manager at ISTA Oil & Gas Engineering Co., which actively works as a representative office of a few International Companies in the Iranian Oil and Gas industry.
As my wife was relocated from the Sanofi office in Tehran to its headquarters in Paris, we have recently established our life in Paris. It was a really new challenge for me as it’s my first expatriation experience; I knew that it would be difficult but I think it’s going well.
When I arrived in Paris I didn’t know any French words except “Bonjour” and “Au revoir” so in first 2 months, it was little difficult for me to communicate and manage daily life. Then I attended intensive French lessons for 3 months and now I can understand a little about what is happening around me.
I joined IDCN and first attended the L’Oreal event, where I understood how to network and how to prepare my CV in French. During the last 4 or 5 months I have been networking and now I have many good friends all around France!
A fantastic opportunity started at the beginning of May when I started work as Business Development & Sales Engineer at PARIFEX. I found this job through my network but not by my new friends - I heard from my previous colleague that his company started to cooperate with some French companies for a project, and I asked him to send my CV to them. Then, I received an email from PARIFEX to invite me for a job interview.
My advice to everyone is first to enjoy life in PARIS and try to learn the French language and culture because it’s really unique opportunity. If you are looking for job, do network in Paris but don’t forget keep in touch with your previous friends, colleagues and use your homeland network also!
Anne
Karapetian
Russia
May, 2016
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Ready to face the inevitable ups and downs...
I’m 30 years old and I was born in Moscow where I have lived for most of my life. I have 9 years of experience in HR where I worked in several different industries including Oil & Gas, Media, Telecoms and Automotive. Since I have spent most of my professional career working in the emerging market of Russia, I have accumulated a strong portfolio of expertise in HR for someone of my age.
After my husband received an offer to move to France in 2014, we started a completely new life in Paris. I knew that it was not going to be easy, however I have always felt at home in Paris. I love challenges, so I was ready to face the inevitable ups and downs.
In April 2015 I started working at Sephora HQ as a Compensation and Benefits Project Manager on a 6 month CDD (contrat à durée déterminée - Temporary contract). I found this opportunity through my husband’s network, and at the end of my contract, I had the good fortune to welcome the arrival of my baby boy.
Today, I am networking heavily through LinkedIn, I’m still in contact with my former boss and constantly applying for positions through French recruitment agencies. Through these efforts I am happy to be able to report I currently have two potential offers!
So what is my advice to everyone? Networking is key! You know, there is a famous book by Keith Ferrazzi called "Never eat alone" In France this is very relevant! No matter how good you are, no matter what your skills and experiences are, if you don’t have the contacts to recommend you, it is very likely that you will fail to find a good job in France. However, it is also true that someone may be looking for someone like you, with your skills or experience, and although you don’t speak French you could still be hired by a French company.
What I have learned, and the advice I recommend that you give to yourself is: keep calm, be patient and enjoy life because now you live in PARIS!
Gabriel Perez
Panama
13th May, 2016
​This time, we wanted to say thanks to Gabriel Pérez for sharing his experience in Paris. Originally from Panama, Gabriel and his family have lived in the city for a year and half.
I hold an MBA from the Wharton School and a Masters in International Studies from The Lauder Institute, started my career in my home country working for Nestle where I spent 8 years in different financial roles around the world. After my MBA, I co-founded my own start up and worked as a consultant for SMEs. During this time, I became President of IDCN Lake Geneva, where I actively promoted the organisation both locally and internationally.
Through IDCN’s networking opportunities, I managed to become a Consultant for IMD. After that, here in Paris, I was also lucky enough to get my current job at Nissan through another IDCN event.
What I learned, is that besides the obvious language and cultural barriers, one of the main challenges is trying to understand how the job market works: Every country is different and you need to adapt. One constant though, is the need to re-create your network. The good news is that you don’t have to start from scratch. I used my alumni network, embassy events and volunteer opportunities to speed up the process - of course, IDCN was a good platform to quickly integrate and start the process. I met interesting people and I was also able to meet their partners - also helping me to extend my network!
To partners who are job searching or maybe thinking about setting up a new venture, the first thing you need to do is get realistic about the time you will spend in your new country. If you know you are staying less than two years, perhaps looking for a full time job or opening a business might not the best option. I know people with short deployment times that use this time to get a masters degree or invest in other kind of training that would be useful if they would like to continue their career elsewhere. Secondly, whether you decide to look for a job or start a company, you most network. If you think you will find a job or get the right contacts just by looking at a computer, you will be most likely disappointed. Also, meeting people will force to keep your pitch fresh and out of home. I have seen many people, including myself, getting depressed because things do not move as fast as they want. Do not underestimate networking. If you do not believe me, feel free to ask any HR advisor or look at the employment statistics.
Finally, do not leave any stone unturned, you need to develop many fronts in your job search - IDCN will be one of them. I have seen many partners being disappointed with IDCN because “they did not get them a job”. IDCN will provide the tools, the rest is up to us to go out and apply for the jobs. If you have IDCN as your only option, your chances to get a job will be slim.
Remember - This game is for the strong minded so you want to avoid people that will get you down. This does not mean you should be selfish and do not help or listen other partners but you need to put things into context. Set yourself to win by creating a plan and by adjusting it as you learn. In retrospect, I would have started the job searching process before leaving my country (as I did the second time around). This prep work could save you a lot of time and disappointment.
I am extremely grateful to the IDCN Paris team for providing me market insights and contacts before my move to France!
Cibele Cesca
Brasil
26th April 2016
​We have the opportunity to get the experience from Cibele Cesca, a smiley brasilian and former IDCN Member...
I moved to Paris in January 2014 and immediately joined IDCN as a volunteer.
I was not expecting to get a job directly via IDCN, as there were no member companies from my sector of work (international development). However, I was expecting this experience to contribute towards my job search and to expand my network.
For the first 6 months, I helped organise IDCN events, supporting one at Sanofi and leading the organisation of another at Lafarge. I also got involved in other IDCN activities such as communications, planning and human resources - all whilst actively looking for a job. In total, I applied for around 40 vacancies, was invited to 4 job interviews, and by summer 2014, I was offered a job at the OECD to start in September!
My experience as an IDCN volunteer definitely helped during this process. Firstly, it gave me self-confidence. The fact that I had regular meetings with member companies, had to speak in public and worked as part of a team, made me more comfortable during job interviews. Secondly, the people I met helped me prepare my CV and cover letters as well as practising for interviews. Finally and more generally, it forced me to create a routine, to get out of the house and to interact with different people. This seems obvious but it is quite difficult when you arrive in a new country, in the middle of winter and don’t know anyone.
I had been out of the market place for 2 years for family reasons, and so I felt a bit “rusty” when I started looking for a job in Paris. IDCN represented a safe place to put my professional skills into practice and to naturally get back into action.
As an IDCN volunteer, I also made great friends from Paris and from around the world, with whom I keep in contact - even after leaving the organisation.
Dolly Vora
India
18th March 2016
Today, we have a tale of joy and hard work from one of our former IDCN members, Dolly Vora...
My Name is Dolly and many of you would have seen me at the L’Oreal event in December 2015 wearing a green volunteer scarf. I am from India (Delhi) and moved to Paris six months ago following my husband’s move to Danone HQ.
I am a marketing professional, having worked with 6 multinational organizations over a career span of 13 years… so when we made the decision to move to Paris, I was confident that I would find something very quickly… but I was in for a rude shock! So let me start with the list of barriers I faced when I started my search….
1. You need to know French even to get into the first round of interviews!
2. Your previous experience in your home country is mostly irrelevant especially in a field like marketing which is all about consumers and local insights
3. Your education - who has even heard of the grand écoles of India?
4. Your competitive set: you are an outsider competing with locals who don’t have the above 3 barriers
5. You are lost!
So the first thing I did was to join IDCN…not just as a member but as a volunteer. What that did for me was at 2 levels :
1. Tangibles - Networking and feedback from HR’s, peers, IDCN team etc.
2. Intangibles - Emotional anchor - don’t give up… kept me going…
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After all that I learned from everywhere, there are 3 key things that helped me find a job:
1. Networking - without the end objective of finding a job... I would say to myself that this week I will connect with at least 5 new people in person and 50 online.
2. Create your own roadmap - very early I decided for myself 2 things :
- I need to get back to work (NOT JOB) ASAP… I am running out of time (so I took a pro-bono mission at Danone)
- I cannot learn French ASAP so I have to focus on international roles and corporates.
3. Create a deadline for yourself … don’t just leave it to God
So, you must be eager to know how I found the job… well through networking on LinkedIn. I wrote to relevant people left, right and center about myself asking for an opportunity to talk. One such message that I sent in June, became active in October and I started with my job in November.
I am currently an international account director at TBWA Paris managing expert marketing and communication for the Global skin care portfolio for GSK.
Markus Lucke
Germany
March, 2016
Markus Lucke from Germany is an active volunteer with France Benevolat. He is also an IDCN member who is volunteering within the communications team. Here, he shares with us how he is taking part in the French life...
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I like driving cars, especially the ones made for specific duties. So I was happy, when I was offered a volunteer job as a driver for handicapped people at the Association Point Carée Handicap (APCH) in Garches near Paris. I am in France because my wife's job required us to move here. She works as a Functional Architect on a project for AXA in France. We moved with our two children to Saint Cloud, outside Paris in August 2014.
AXA is a member of IDCN (fortunately), and I was contacted even before we moved to Paris. I was invited to the Johnson & Johnson event in November 2014. During the event, I participated in one the workshops hosted by France Benevolat. This is a french organization that encourages people from any backgrounds to become a volunteer with any charity in France. France Benevolat is also a company partner of IDCN Paris, like AXA and many others. Volunteering in France is quite popular, a bit more than 20 million people do something on a volunteer basis. This shows, they have something to offer. In order to recruit new volunteers, France Benevolat publishes all types of job opportunities via their website: francebenevolat.fr . These are located all around the french territory.
I have been doing volunteer work all my life, I thought it might be a good idea to give it a try in Paris. Through searching by the postal code of Saint Cloud, my current neighborhood, I got a list with nearly one hundred jobs.
I applied for the first one, which fit me well. The description required me to drive vehicles with an association called APCH and fortunately for me, their headquarters were reachable by bus from my place. APCH is a French association working for handicapped people. After I applied it took a bit of time to get an answer, but after we got in touch in June 2015, I got started with my volunteering job.
What do I do there? Since APCH works for handicapped people, most of the people I'm driving around are wheelchair users. Often these people are patients staying for long treatments or are in re-education at the “hôpital Raymond Poincare” at Garches. I drive also handicapped children to their horse riding events, or on other occasions, people requiring to complete official tasks with the government; or even transporting empty wheelchairs. Additionally, I am involved in organizing parties and larger events like the “fete de la musique”.
One of the most important outings for our users is what we call “sortie cinéma”. We take them to the local cinemas, to enjoy the films "à l'affiche". For many these are the moments when normal life re-starts: doing normal things as simple as watching a film.
What do I get from this? The volunteering is helping me to speak better french. I visit and see places, I wouldn't have seen otherwise. I meet wonderful people I wouldn't have otherwise met; I see movies, I would never have considered watching (and certainly not in French!). I do something that people benefit from, and often that makes them smile. So, what could be better!
The know-how:
It is advisable to know at least a little French but it is not a requirement.
It is helpful to understand what the “job package” entails: what would you like to do, where, how long, with what kind of people?
Be open – the French people highly appreciate your availability for volunteering work
France Benevolat offers something they call “permanence”. This is a person who can guide you in the volunteering process. They are available only at specific dates. You can find more information at the French Benevolat web site francebenevolat.fr
Markus at the L'Oreal event talking about his story.