First the international degree, now the jobWilliam C. Holmberg, a former 'exchange student' at the HEC School of Management in Paris, explains his personal strategy for turning his international degree into an actual salary in France.

Expat Tales are real-life stories on making the move to France and learning to thrive here. We hope these stories will provide tips and help make connections among our readers. 

In an age when governments, non-profits and businesses need to hire future leaders with truly global experience, education and perspectives, why is it still so very hard for foreign students to get jobs directly after earning an advanced degree outside their home country?

Stories of ambitious and accomplished students trying –- and failing -- for six to twelve months trying to get hired in foreign markets are common.

Success requires an understanding of the primary obstacles plus a personalized strategy to get hired locally after graduation.

After finishing my coursework at the HEC School of Management, I did become one of the lucky few and here is the strategy I followed to make it happen.

The three big obstacles

Based on the observations of my fellow students, as well as my own, I believe there are three main barriers to getting hired locally after finishing part or all of an advanced degree abroad.

While having a work visa and language proficiency may seem obvious, they aren't as straightforward as they seem: the way you speak, dress, eat and shake hands can all kill your chances. 

OBSTACLE #1

While the requirements for a work visa vary by country, in most cases it takes a lot of time, money and patience anywhere in the world to get one.

William C. Holmberg

Being married to a local national solves, or accelerates, the process. Regardless of political clout or truly outstanding credentials, if a Paris bank knows their annual visa quota is almost used up, they will simply choose a local candidate. If you need a work visa to stay in the country of your degree program, consider including immigration law as part of your studies and start the process early.

OBSTACLE #2

Congratulations on your new work visa! Don't forget to take note of all the limitations. If you did not become fluent in the local language while completing complex forms and interviews with state officials, you'll need to skip more sightseeing trips to work on grammar, pronunciation and your accent for job interviewing.

OBSTACLE #3

Well done on your practice interviews! You're ready for the real thing, or at least sending out cover letters en masse in the local language. Don't forget to get a native French speaker to proof-read everything and don't forget that many French companies still expect cover letters, la lettre de motivation, to be written long-hand.

Now you must learn the local protocols of communication, behavior, les 'faux-pas', dress codes and everything else to conform locally.

Scared yet? Unless one is bi-cultural (not the same thing as bilingual), this process will be ten times harder than in your native country.

To help myself on this front, I engaged a professional career coach who is an expert on Anglophone/Francophone communications and career development to help me adjust the way I presented myself and answered questions in interviews.

It was certainly hard to conform to a new ‘protocol’.

Among the lessons I learned was that when interviewing in France, one needs to be fairly cold and straight-forward.

For example, I had to unlearn the American habits of smiling, speaking positively on experiences and goals as well as elaborating on stories and giving more information that what is asked for; all of these can be negatives in front of a traditional French

William 'Bill' Holmberg is a recent graduate of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and participated in the exchange program of the HEC School of Management in France. He now lives, and works, in Paris.

A lecture room at HEC -- fellow students now, competitors later

interviewer.

Your vocabulary also needs to be carefully groomed in advance.

Certain words like ‘ambitious‘, in French 'ambitieux', should be substituted by ‘motivé’; the former would be perceived as having a manipulative edge, as if you were out for the boss' job.

Moderate your expectations

Many MBA candidates, for example, look at the placement statistics of schools abroad and may be attracted by my school's program, for example, when they see that 58 percent of non-European students found employment in Europe.

But remember that these 'international' degrees are defined by the diversity of the student body diversity. The implication that such a degree will help you secure a local job easily is misleading.

Half of MBA candidates pursue the degree so they can switch sector or function, but this kind of mobility is a tough sell in France. Often the big recruiters in the consulting and finance sectors do understand this-- others have to be convinced in the cover letter.

Strategies to success

Here are some specific tactics to consider:

50 percent of internships lead to a full-time offer, even abroad. Your best chances are with a company from your home country operating in your dream city.  

Remember that your personal network and not Monster.com is most likely to lead to a job offer. So, exploit all friends, family, gym partners, etcetera to get introductions to decision makers in your dream organization.  

If you are in France but really want to work in Italy, do an exchange program there to network, interview and of course enjoy la dolce vita.   

Only about 10 percent of fresh MBAs find jobs through headhunters so don't count on them.  

Do not simply translate your existing CV into the other language but customize it to match the expected formatting preferences and information requirements. For example, French CVs often include age, marital status, and

Guide to work permits in France

Help Wanted: To find a job in France

a photo, none of which would appear on an American resume. 

And if you do get an offer...

Just like any other market, if a manager knows the labor market will offer a foreigner far fewer options than a local, he might offer a lower-than-market salary to a candidate with few viable alternatives. Be prepared to take the first offer you get and at a lower salary than you might want. 

Remember that integration takes time. No

matter where you end up, be ready to be treated like a foreigner for a long time.

Feel free to email Bill with your experience at: wholmberg@yahoo.com

November 2005

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