FRANCE | Internship: At work | Applying for an internship
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 a correct French 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 above all the motivation for applying and qualification 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 to formulate 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 stand on top of the document and be classified (e.g. education, work experience, experience abroad, languages, further qualifications, personal interests, ..) The maximum page number should be one which is a must!
The CV is neither dated nor signed and it does not necessarily have to contain a photo but it is not a problem at all if it contains one.
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.