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abroad, american, application, culture, cv, english, expat, france, french, journalism, journalist, language, le figaro, le figaro in english, profession, professional, resume, working
I happen to sit right next to the people who review internship applications for Le Figaro‘s community management service.
A few weeks ago, I was surprised to hear a co-worker say “No photo? Never mind then” and toss an internship application aside.
Here is one major difference between France and Anglophone countries. On a French resume, you list your birthday, your hobbies and you add a photo—none of which we would do on an American resumé, at least to my knowledge.
These “personal” aspects are apparently optional. But judging from those I have talked to, not adding those details is considered seriously shady.
Of course, there are exceptions. Me, for example. When I sent my resumé in to Le Figaro, I didn’t know to add a photo. One of my good friends, another intern at Le Figaro, doesn’t have a photo on his resumé and he still got accepted. But that is also just an exception.
For me, an American, it just feels goofy to add your hobbies on a resumé. Who cares if I dance the salsa or kizomba, like vegetarian cooking and go jogging?
Then again, I suddenly felt really anxious about my hobbies. What if I happen to be applying to work for someone who is a diehard steak fan and decides having a vegetarian on the team would ruin group dinners? Or what if my future employer has an ex-boyfriend who was an international salsa champion and now goes cold with even the slightest strain of a cheery bachata?
On the other hand, maybe my future boss has been dying to share a tofu salad recipe with someone or talk running shoes.
When you are already worried about how your professional experience and page layout, these issues are the last thing you want to worry about in my opinion.
And I don’t even want to begin on the subject of the photo. STRESSFUL. I mean, are we talking glamor shot or passport photo? I have seen both and a little bit of everything in between.
But one other issue that stands out to me is that adding a photo seems like a recipe for discrimination based on apparence. I am absolutely CERTAIN it happens and probably, quite often.
Do you have a resumé in French? What tips do you have to share for other readers about this process?