Jingjing: Chinese sales advisor at Sephora

Can you introduce yourself and tell me about your professional background?

I was born and raised in China! I came to study in France, where I did 2 masters degrees. I was looking for a job as a Chinese teacher, but I couldn't find one, so I registered on MisterBilingue. I was able to find a job at Sephora, where I really like it!.

Why did you come to France?

I have family in France! It was an opportunity for me to improve my French and to learn more about the French culture that attracts me so much.

How did you hear about MisterBilingue?

I discovered Misterbilingue by chance, while doing my job search online! I'm very happy to have found a job in France that I'm happy with!

What difficulties did you encounter during your job search?

I originally wanted to work as a Chinese teacher in France, but I didn't find one... I still like my job very much, even if it has not much to do with the studies I did!

What was your first impression when you started working in France?

Life in a company in France is really stress-free, people are nice, super benevolent, even my manager is nice (laughs)...! In short, everything went very well in my integration.

Any advice on how to integrate well in a new French company?

Speak French well (laughs)! It's really the basis, the tool you use every day! Also, I would say that you should not stay alone and be open-minded. Reaching out to others is important to integrate well, french company or not, by the way.

What are the differences between the way of working in France and in China?

I find that people work less in France than in China, their life is more balanced between work and personal life. The number of hours is the biggest difference between China and France; the Chinese work more than 40 hours a week, the French seem to me much less "hurried". They take their time. Also, I noticed that the French were very careful with the politeness formulas!

A French movie that you would recommend?

The show Top Chef! It's not really a movie, but I really like this show! It's a great way to discover French gastronomy, but also to improve your French!

Do you spend time with chinese expats or do you only spend time with french people?

I see as many Chinese expats as French; I really like this mix! It allows me to keep in touch with my Chinese roots, while learning about French culture every day.