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As an expat just arrived in a new French-speaking country, when you’re looking for a new job, you can be very optimistic after leaving your first French job interviews.
Everything seems positive, the recruiter talks about a promising contract, and says you’ll hear back soon.
Then… silence.
But sometimes, silence really is a bad sign.
The Context: My First French Job Interview As a New Expat In Montreal
In 2011, I was a new expat in Montreal for a few months.
I was looking for my first job in Canada, and I was really surprised to get job interviews so quickly.
I was advised to contact companies I was interested in on the phone, and after a few tries, I eventually had my first job interview.
As Montreal is a bilingual city, I admit I never knew if the person I was calling would speak French or English.
This first time, the company was French-speaking so my first job interview would be in French.
The employer was a small French-speaking GIS software company, a business similar to my previous employer when I had applied for a job a year before.
When I arrived in Montreal, my first goal was to contact companies with a similar business, and it worked.
The first French interview went very well, the atmosphere was very friendly, we talked about the job I was supposed to do, tasks, salary, organization, and customers.
As the company was small, I just met the CEO and the sales manager.
Everything went smoothly, and I was invited for a second job interview, during lunch time.
We had lunch the three of us (CEO and sales manager), and they decided to hire me.
We agreed on the contract and the salary.
I was even invited by the sales manager to use “tu” instead of “vous” at the end of the lunch.
I felt privileged, and it means a lot to French people, but I almost forgot that it’s very common to use “tu” in Quebec.
I left the restaurant very enthusiastic, and to be honest, I wasn’t that surprised that after two short job interviews, I was hired so quickly.
I was told that Canadian recruiters make up their minds very quickly, and that proved to be true.
But in this case, everything seemed clear to me.
My tip to expats: never be afraid to ask questions during the interview to make everything clear.
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Then Silence After My French Job Interview... When Everything Suddenly Changed
After the positive second French job interview with both the CEO and the sales manager, I was asked to send the usual paperwork to prepare the contract, with a slight difference:
- At that time, Quebec granted a bonus to companies that hired new expats for specific jobs.
- The company knew that, so I was also required to fill out the paperwork for this specific request.
Then, after a few email exchanges… silence.
I waited a few days and tried to call them and sent emails… silence.
Two weeks after, the sales manager left a cold and quick message in French on my voicemail:
“Hi Jeremie, I’m sorry, but we can’t hire you, we’ve just lost one of our biggest customers.“
As an expat, I had no way to understand what had really happened.
I talked about it to my English-speaking neighbour who was a successful entrepreneur in pharmaceutical industry.
He reassured me by saying:
“If this small company lost a big customer and can’t afford hiring someone, it may mean that the majority of its business depends on one big customer…. so it’s better not to work for them.“
Maybe he was right.
Maybe they were not eligible for the bonus.
I will never know.
The Biggest Mistake I Made During the Recruitment Process
From the second French job interview (during lunch) until the cold message on my voicemail, it lasted two weeks.
During this period, I felt so confident to get the job… that I just stopped looking for a job.
I hadn’t signed any contract, there was just my enthusiasm as a new expat in Montreal telling me that I was hired.
And I was told so many times by other expats I met that when Canadian recruiters say they hire you, they do.
Sometimes, we arrive in a new country with a beautiful and positive image, and we think that everything is perfect.
Other new expats may feel the same way, positive, maybe too much sometimes, so stay happy to be in your new country, but also stay aware and observe.
And don’t forget that we may also have negative work experiences, like in any place.
I learned from this, and my next job interview would lead me to a contract.
My new employer never mentioned the bonus promised by Quebec.
Lessons for Expats After a French Job Interview
When we arrive in a new country as an expat, and look for a job, sometimes we think the biggest challenge will be the language.
But there is so much more to take into account to avoid bad experiences.
1. Keep Applying Until You Sign
This is the biggest tip you need to always keep in mind as an expat:
- Signing a contract means that you are hired by the company.
It’s true that in some countries, like Canada, most of the time when recruiters tell you that they’ve decided to hire you, a contract will come quickly.
I just proved that it’s not always the case, so :
- Keep applying, and keep attending the job interviews that you already planned.
2. Don't Assume Silence Means Good News
Even if you have a positive feeling after a French job interview, and the recruiter told you they wanted to hire you:
- Stay patient, and be aware that silence can hide either good news or bad news.
3. Be Careful With Cultural Signs
When you arrive as an expat in a new country, always keep in mind that you settle in with your own cultural codes.
And some cultural signs can differ from one country to another:
- In France, if a recruiter switches from “vous” to “tu” during a French job interview, it’s a very good sign that you may be hired.
- In Canada (Quebec), it’s very common for the recruiter to use “tu” and keep a friendly atmosphere, so don’t take it for granted.
Another interesting difference that I experienced in Quebec:
- In Canada (Quebec), if the French-speaking recruiter gives you too many compliments at the end of the interview, it may mean that you won’t be hired. The recruiter hides the negative answer with compliments.
- In France, it’s not common for the recruiter to give you compliments, but he can show some excitement during the interview if he wants to hire you, so observe wisely.
Conclusion
As an expat in a new French-speaking country, the silence after a French job interview is even more difficult to manage and understand than in our own country:
- Because we don’t yet understand the local cultural signs.
- Because we may not be that comfortable with professional French.
In this situation, we don’t know how to interpret the silence:
- Sometimes it means that the recruitment process is still moving.
- Sometimes it means the opportunity has disappeared.
- Keep applying and going to planned job interviews until you sign a contract.
- Always write an email to the recruiter after each job interview to keep contact and show your interest.
- Keep practicing your professional French and prepare each interview.
- Learn to observe local cultural signs and try not to interpret them through the lens of your own culture.
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