FRANCE | Internship: At work | Applying for an internship

Applying for an internship or a job vacancy

A spontaneous application is a very common way to apply for a job in France. Each application to a job offer or an online application, no matter if spontaneous or not, consists of two parts: A letter of motivation and a CV It is not necessary to add anything else such as your diploma or other certificates – only if they are explicitly requested. Furthermore, French companies rarely send back applications in case of negative responses. For internship positions, it is generally enough to send an email with the letter of motivation and CV attached.

 Some suggestions:

• Pay attention to correct French language, since a very good command of the national language is of great importance in France
• If your application is in writing, pay attention to a very good layout and choose good quality paper – it is rather the form than the content that draws the attention

The letter of motivation contains all of the motivational drivers for applying and the qualifications of the applicant as well as his or her professional future expectations. These thoughts have to be formulated thoroughly, especially in case of an online application. Sometimes, handwritten letters of motivation are required. Handwritten or in electronic form, the letter needs to be tailored to the potential employer.

As far as the style is concerned, the French appreciate a certain politeness and thoughtfulness.

In France, the correspondence is a special case: One always has to follow the conventions. Here are some possible examples for formulation in your application:

• To address the recipient, simply write Madame/Monsieur without the last name
• If writing to the director of a company, a professor or a chairperson, the position is mentioned: Monsieur/Madame le directeur/la directrice
• In an application, Je m’adresse à vous concernant... needs to be included.
• You can finish a letter using En vous remerciant d'avance, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs or
• Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes sentiments distingués

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) must contain the applicant’s education and career details. In France, the information in a CV should be listed in a chronologically inverse order. This means that the most current information should be at the top of the document and be classified (e.g. education, work experience, experience abroad, languages, further qualifications, personal interests, etc.) The CV should not be longer than one page, this is a must!

The CV is neither dated nor signed and it does not necessarily have to contain a photo, but it is not problematic if it contains one.

Phone call

After having submitted one’s application, it can be beneficial to make a phone call to the company and ask whether the application has arrived. This way, the applicant shows his or her motivation and interest to work for that company.