Erasmus+ praktika Prancūzijoje

Before summer and my graduation I was sure that I will go to France where my boyfriend lives. I did not know about Erasmus + program yet, and I was thinking about looking for a job because in France you cannot be an intern if you are not a student. About Erasmus + I heard from my friend and he suggested to try to look for an internship. For me it was a perfect opportunity because to find an internship seemed to be easier than to find a job when you are a foreigner and do not speak French. My research for the internship was very stressful and quite difficult. I faced many differences between France and Lithuania systems. First of all, I had to get special insurance without which you cannot work, in fact you cannot even rent a flat. To open a Bank Account looked impossible. For this you have to prove that you are going to stay at least 6 months in a country, to have a permanent living place and to show your monthly payments for electricity and water. Of course, to have all this for me was impossible just in one month.

Looking for an internship when you speak just in English was not an easy task too. However, I found a great internship in international company ContourGlobal which is located in Paris. I got an incredible experience during my work there. As my company was international, I met lots of different people, during my 4 months of internship I learned more than in 4 years at my university. I gained a lot of experience not just in work but in real life too. Being in another country when you do not speak their language was not an easy but I managed to solve all document’s preparing difficulties, researches for the flat and for the beginning of my life there. Also I had to use to Paris life which is much more intense then in Vilnius. Casual day starts early in the morning running from one metro to another. The most difficult was not to adapt to a new language or a new environment- the most difficult was to adapt to a new routine. All five days started and finished always the same. Waking up at 7 am, running to a metro, working 8 hours and coming back home. Just in my internship I realized that all the life will be the same routine, work will be the place where you spend the biggest part of your day. I realized that the most important is not a very good salary or very good company- the most important is to like your job. To wake up with a smile in a face knowing that today you will have to spend 8 hours with great people and tasks you really like. This is what I had during 4 months of my internship. This experience was amazing! Not all my friends can tell that they have found a job according to their studies just after a graduation. But I can be proud that I managed to get an internship and to work 4 months in one of the most beautiful city- Paris.

Thank you Erasmus + for this opportunity!