This account was shared by a community member. It describes a search for a finance internship in Paris, carried out with no contact on the ground and no bearings on the local codes. There's no miracle recipe in it, but there is what eventually worked.
The first weeks: the wall
"I sent about fifty applications in a month. No reply. Not a rejection, not an acknowledgement. At first I thought my profile was worthless."
The problem wasn't the profile. It was the format. A CV built to the habits of another country, a cover letter that was too long, and above all applications sent en masse without adapting anything.
What changed: the CV
In France, a junior CV fits on one page. No compulsory photo, no unnecessary personal details, and above all: results rather than job descriptions.
- "Responsible for budget monitoring" becomes "Monitored a €40,000 budget over 12 months, variances cut by 15%"
- Volunteer experience and university projects count when you don't yet have professional experience
- Language level is stated clearly, with the test if you have one
Key point: a recruiter spends a few dozen seconds on a CV in the first sift. If they have to hunt for the information, they move on to the next one.
The cover letter that worked
"I stopped writing letters that talked about me. I started writing letters that talked about the company."
Three short paragraphs: why this company specifically, what you can do that answers their need, and what you want to learn there. The rest is filler.
Networking when you have none
This is the part that feels impossible when you arrive. Yet it builds quickly:
- Alumni from your programme — even if you don't know them, a polite message mentioning the school often gets a reply.
- Communities — diaspora groups like ImiziLinks relay offers and put you in touch with people in the sector.
- Professional events — career forums, conferences, meetups. Going to three a month changes a lot over a semester.
"The internship I got didn't come from an advert. Someone I'd met at a forum forwarded me an offer before it was posted."
The interview
Two different kinds of preparation: substance and form. Substance means knowing the company, its competitors and its current challenges. Form means being able to tell your story in two minutes, smoothly.
On the question about your background abroad: it almost always comes up. It isn't hostile. Answer simply, highlight adaptability and languages, and move on to what you want to build here.
What he takes away
"It took me five months. If I had to start again, I'd waste less time sending applications and spend more talking to people. Everyone replies to public adverts. The roles filled by word of mouth — almost no one."