French Job Interviews in France:
What Expats Should Know About
ESN Hiring Practices
Job Interviews
Designed by Magnific – www.magnific.com
When you have your first French job interview in France as an expat, you are often focused on::
- Speaking professional French
- Stay focused on answering interview questions properly
But what if the recruiter had something else in mind during your job interview in France?
The Context
In 2002, I just graduated from ENSEA (French engineering school).
At that time, the French economy was not that good, as 9/11 events had happened a year earlier.
In 2000, one year before 9/11, my school organized an event with consulting companies (called SSII at that time, now ESN) as guests.
They all gave me their business cards promising me interesting IT projects after I graduated.
Some months after 9/11, the same event was organized within my school, but I felt the interest that ESNs had in future engineers changed.
The economic context eventually changed the way job interviews in France were conducted.
Let me now tell you my story.
My First French Job Interviews in France: A Wake-Up Call
In 2002, I started applying for developer jobs in France, and despite the current economic climate, I had a lot of calls from ESNs.
I was so happy that I arrived at each job interview in France very enthusiastic… maybe too much.
I met sales people, but I noticed something strange right away:
- Either the job I applied for was not available anymore
- Or I didn’t have enough experience for the job!
But how could I have more experience at that time? I just graduated!
I understood that it was just an excuse to say “no” politely, but that’s not what bothered me the most…
Get your Free Professional French Assessment
- Are you an expat? Do you speak French?
- Do you struggle in real work situations? (job interviews, presentations, meetings with customers…)
During my first interviews, some recruiters had dishonest practices during these job interviews in France:
- They asked me for professional contacts during the interview process from the company where I did my final-year project.
The first time I was asked for contacts, I innocently gave them, then I asked why they needed my references.
The official reason was to learn more about my IT skills and experiences.
But the reality was otherwise:
- They needed my contacts in order to call them and find project opportunities for the ESN!
I understood that later, after receiving negative answers quickly by email, or sometimes no answers at all.
There were no IT projects, as the economy was bad after 9/11. Some ESNs had bad intentions by inviting me to come and ask me for contacts.
I felt very frustrated after understanding it, and I decided to change the rules for the upcoming job interviews.
How to Handle a Job Interview in France as an Expat
New job interview with an ESN in Paris. It was very interesting that during that period, only ESNs contacted me, as other kind of IT companies had no budget to hire a young engineer with no experience other than my student internships and my final-year project.
I arrived at the job interview in France, well prepared and well concentrated.
As always, I met a salesperson who began to ask me questions about my resume.
As the guy was talking a lot about the values of the ESN, and we still hadn’t spoken about the job, I decided to cut the conversation and asked him:
“I understand all of this, but I came here to talk about the IT project, and I have some questions about it.”
As expected, he replied with a typical answer:
“You don’t have enough experience for this specific project, but your resume can be interesting for future IT project opportunities.”
I felt frustrated, but as I still had hope, we continued the conversation.
The sales guy spoke quickly, asking me for information about my resume so I would answer without thinking.
Then the crucial question arrived:
“Who was in charge of your final-year project?”
That was it. No IT project. I was just invited to give them contacts.
So I took a pause and a deep breath, and I responded in a very relaxed way:
“I will provide you with the contacts you need once a contract has been signed and an IT project has started with your company.”
I saw in his eyes that he didn’t expect this, and I remember that he barely replied.
The job interview ended very quickly, and 2 days later I received an automatic rejection email.
Some months later, I started my first job in a small ESN with good values and interesting IT projects.
They never asked me for contacts.
Common Mistakes During a French Job Interview in France
When preparing for a job interview in France as an expat, many candidates make the same mistakes:
- Focusing only on speaking French instead of understanding the recruiter’s real intention
- Not asking questions about the IT project or job role
- Giving too much information too quickly during the interview
- Not understanding French workplace culture and recruitment practices
Conclusion: Lessons from a French Job Interview in France
In a difficult economic climate, some companies like ESNs with no IT project conduct multiple job interviews to obtain names of contacts from IT candidates.
Unfortunately, it is still happening in 2026, as I saw related posts on Linkedin.
The end of my story also shows that not all ESNs are the same, as I found my first IT project within an ESN with good values.
So it’s important to attend these job interviews, after asking specific questions about the project before setting an appointment. You will save time if you detect that no real project will be offered.
As an expat, you may feel very concentrated speaking professional French during a job interview in France. But keep this in mind:
- Only answer questions that are relevant to the job interview
- Don’t give the recruiter your professional contacts for free during a job interview, find a way to answer it wisely and professionally
Let's Work In French
Do you have a French job interview in France coming soon?
Do you need to practice your professional French for job interviews in order to present your resume and answer technical questions?
Do you need to know more about the French cultural codes and detect what is behind the recruiter questions?
Book your 30-minute free call to prepare your job interview in France, I will assess your professional French and we will set your objectives for your job interview.