Vantaggi
- Interesting talks and the opportunity of interacting with important professors and researchers
Svantaggi
If you are a researcher that: - wishes to work in an expat-friendly/open-minded environment - is moving to Paris only because of the jobs - will not have the possibility to study French in first months PLEASE DON'T COME HERE!!! During the interview process with a research group of the ICM they presented me this research institute as "international". Unfortunately, when I arrived, I realized that the idea that French people have regarding the word "international" is really far from the real definition... First of all, just a couple of people in the HR department speaks an UNDERSTANDABLE English. Take this into consideration if you will need their help some problems... I am not a native English speaker, but I worked in other countries and I never had problems to understand the English of my colleagues (so the problems is not me). Be careful if during the interview process they will promise you a French guarantors service, support with relocation and help with the French bureaucracy. When I moved to Paris and I contacted the person in charge of the guarantors service she NEVER REPLIED ME. At the end, the "support for relocation" was only a couple of links to rental agencies or the opportunity of living with a French family (you are an immigrant, so you will not have problems in living with a family and taking care of their kids no?) They took care of my carte vitale and reimbursed me half of my travel expenses... but in theory, every job employer is forced to it in france so nothing special.... They have also a partnership with a really bad bank: they are really inefficient and not English speaking... Honestly, it's the worst bank that I have ever had... I tried also to join the yoga classes organised by the institute and, even if one teacher is American, she is forced to do all the lessons in French and during my first lessons the old guy that is organising this kind of event told to another teacher (in French) that I was the immigrant, I was supposed to adapt so she should not put so much effort in order to make the lesson in English.... Now, do you start to understand their concept of "international"? Apart from the really unfriendly environment, I had big problems in the research group that I joined because they have no idea of the meaning of the word integration. All the meetings were in English and in French, the most important things were discussed in French and I felt excluded from everything that was important.... In addition, they were only talking in French all the time I felt really uncomfortable.... After sometimes they also started to include me in projects and meetings that were entirely in French!!! If you have the opportunity of carrying out your research project in another country that is more friendly, developed and welcome, I really suggest you to NOT come here. In addition to your job, you will need to fight against people that are considering you just as an immigrant, hard bureaucracy, accommodations not human (have you ever heard about the wonderful quality of the french studios?) and a lot of stress and sadness. Are you really sure that you want this?