Lesson Learned

It’s funny; I didn’t really realize it was November until now. Each day goes by slowly but the time has flown by. I haven’t blogged much. Perhaps you’ve thought I’ve given up or perhaps you’re wondering if life is really that boring that I have nothing to blog about (except of course for pickles).

Though neither is true. I went to Colombe’s baptism, which was a great experience! I’ve had a handful of friends pass through Paris, one of which introduced John and I to a wonderful family who, ironically, live five minutes from John’s grandparents. I've seen the first Apple Store in Paris. And have even tried my hand at Chinese cooking – which it turns out should be my new back up profession.

So what’s the problem here? Why are the days slow but a month slipped away without me noticing?

Work. I’ve tried to keep my internship and company off of my blog perhaps out of respect for their anonymity or perhaps because living in Paris shouldn’t only be about my work experience. Though to be honest I spend a majority of my time at the office & learning French (which, by the way, is going swimmingly).

I wish I could tell you that I am having a typical French work experience but that would be a lie. I only get a 35-hour work-week (okay, maybe it’s a little less) because I study at the Alliance Francaise 3 mornings a week. I don’t get perks like a Metro card reimbursement program or coupons for lunch – which I’ve come to learn are a given for most French employees. I get about 30-45 minutes for lunch, not the glamorous 2 hours I’ve been asked about by Americans. Though when people arrive in the morning we “faits les bisous” (kisses on the cheeks) or shake hands; a custom I think all American managers should consider. As people come and go they acknowledge employees with a company-wide, “Bonjour” or “Au revoir” as they walk in. You can often find croissants or gateaux (desserts) in the coffee room for any reason under the sun: someone had a big meeting, it’s someone’s birthday (or their child’s birthday), etc. This past Friday the company took 45 minutes out of their afternoon to toast (with Champagne) someone’s relocation to the office in New York. In fact, employees often take breaks. I was taken-aback within the first week when I would look up and see almost no one in the office because they all go outside to smoke (for 10 - 20 minutes). In the mornings – though I suppose it happens all day – people take coffee breaks for a decent chunk of time. This all sounds normal of paper but for Americans I have to admit that some of these things took some getting used to. I’m sure I’m forgetting to mention things because I’ve just grown too accustomed to it to think about it as different.

It also sounds like I should be having a great experience. And it’s true I should. During the planning process this experience sounded too good to be true. In reality it has become perhaps one of the biggest learning experiences ever.

Simply put: this isn’t the experience I agreed to do. The work asked of me wasn’t marketing not mention mind-numbing. My manager doesn’t appear to have any management abilities, which surprisingly makes life at work more complicated than I thought it would. Not to mention I’m being paid a fraction of what was agreed upon, which the CFO has made clear isn’t upsetting him and won’t be changed.

I would like to think I could handle all of this if the rest of my interactions were positive. Sadly I haven’t been given the chance. Departments have become cliques. And of course my department (in Paris) only consists of my boss, who seems to avoid me so that he doesn’t have to be a manager, and me. Through lunch conversations I’ve found out that most employees aren’t happy at the company and question many of the decisions upper management make, including adding a third mode of security to access the office. You now have a code to get into the building, a key-card for the first door to the company office and then your fingerprint for the second. It’s no wonder I don’t feel the warmth or even welcomed by peers. I am grateful to have made the few connections I have.

I won’t go into details but each week it seems something happens that makes the experience harder. Though my parents must be sick of coaching me through different situations, this is ultimately one of the biggest learning experiences I could have. And after almost quitting many times I have decided that three more weeks of listening to pod-casts and doing mind-numbing work is worth the letter of recommendation: that I have done everything they have asked of me, even translating business jargon filled reports into French. After weeks of letting this experience cast a dark cloud over my stay in Paris, I have decided to not obsess over it anymore. Besides who else can say they moved to Paris and found a marketing internship when the economy is so awful? I can. Besides: what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. It wasn’t clear for a while but it looks like I’ll survive and that this experience has made me stronger.

Click here to see pictures from Colombe's Baptism.

And here to see pictures from the celebration after! What a fun day!

Click here to see pictures of the first Apple Store in Paris! It's pretty impressive.