Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Back to OPINION
OPINION

Vivre la vie Francais?

Avatar
Avatar
by Gregoire500
Fri, Feb 11, 2011 14:45
11

 Right road.cc'ers.  Dilemma time.

 

Just been offered a 3 month intern in France.  This poses an interesting problem.

 

I've just moved to London, and starting to get settled enough that I can start to envisage getting some decent training in.  I have the potential of a decent paid job, but that isn't concrete yet, and I've moved in to a flat with my gf, re-decorated and sorted everything out. I've also applied for postgrad places which may involve interviews, and have committed to doing 3 sportives in the UK as Etape preparation.

The job in France is hardly lucrative (I get a 600 euro fee plus free accommodation and travel paid) and i won't actually know what the position is until I get there, or where exactly it will be (it should be somewhere near Montpellier though) but it may stand me in good stead for working in France in future and put something interesting on my CV.  

It will also allow me to spend 3 months cycling on quiet French roads, as well as making excursions to the mountains, representing pretty ideal Etape training, which, having lived in France before, done all the 'cultural experience' malarky and already speaking the language fluently, is definitely the biggest draw for me. 

I have till Monday to decide.  

 

What to do?

 

 

...

Add new comment

11 comments

Avatar
Gregoire500 | 13 years ago
0 likes

Hi fennesz,

it is 600euros for the whole 3 months in total, but with free accommodation. Which would be quite difficult to say the least!

I had to decide by today so I've said no... I can't really afford to do it either financially in order to actually see myself through it or in terms of taking time out from here to earn money. And I've just moved to London so another bout of upheaval probably wouldn't be great for my Etape training anyway.

Donc voila-la vie est rarement simple. Will have to keep focusing on the good things and pray I get the job I'm after here!

Avatar
fennesz | 13 years ago
0 likes

I live in that neck of the woods (well, Beziers). The randonnée season is just about to kick in properly, so you'll have club runs Thurs/Sat/Sun, plus a randonnée on the Sunday. Spring a great time of the year May/June being my favourite. July is too hot & need to be finished & off the road before 11h30, but local rides start at 6h30!

600EUR a month doesn't sound a lot. Are the providing you with accommodation?

Avatar
Gregoire500 | 13 years ago
0 likes

I get what you mean-if it was better paid or defined I would be more enthused-or could justify it easier maybe-but truth is I'm skint already and need to get some bank together.
Plus i was living in Spain last year, then France for a while before that, and had been travelling in Cuba before that for a few months... working before that in Switzerland, then France, then the USA. I'm starting to get the feeling its an innate tendency in me to avoid putting down roots which isn't very constructive in the long term. Or maybe I just haven't found where/what I want to be doing yet.

Is it too late to do a degree in pharmacology and join the pro peleton?!

Avatar
dave atkinson | 13 years ago
0 likes

3 months is the blink of an eye. I was in Chile for four months (at the same age) and some of my friends didn't even realise I'd been away. Seemed like an awfully long time to me though.

Avatar
Gregoire500 | 13 years ago
0 likes

Cheers for the input chaps, very much appreciated.

Needless to say the matter was brought up with my gf before I even applied and has her blessing if it is what I want or if it would be good for me, which is very understanding of her (either that she's getting sick of my bike chat and figures it will give her a holiday from it until the Etape...)

The main issue is my motivations for going and what will actually be accomplished as it has to be worth something more than a 3 month holiday. I think I'm erring more on the side of Tony's wise words... If it was even 3 years ago I'd probably be off like a shot but I'm turning 28 in Feb and getting sick of feeling like I'm not living up to potential. Ah well-back to reality!

Avatar
IHphoto | 13 years ago
0 likes

My 2p - if you are asking the unwashed on here and haven't sort the counsel of your girl then please do that first. As for unpaid / v low paid internships - my view of them is pretty dim: A cheap way of getting projects done with no commitment which often should be done (better) by someone who would be paid properly.

They'll get you for 3 months then another then another...if you're unlucky and apart from some limited experience (you don't need the language / cultural side you said so yourself) what's in it for you career wise? You don't seem at all sure what they are giving you to do.

Paid job trumps low paid internship mostly every time unless possibly if it's with dream employer and even then, the fact you have commanded a salary means you have more to bargain with in future.

As for the riding I'll echo our previous poster: who's to say whether you'll get much chance.

Your call (with a decent amount of input from significant other).

ATVB.

Avatar
Fringe | 13 years ago
0 likes

i spose you have to weigh up if a 3 month intern post would lead to a job after (in france) in which case it would be worth going, if the answer is a definite no then career advisor Mr. Farrelly is probably more right.

mind you that road snaking up the side of a mountain is pure deviant pornography for us cyclists, the rest of the human race (i.e my wife and her glass of wine) just walk past and say "wtf are you looking at roads for?"!

Avatar
Tony Farrelly | 13 years ago
0 likes

What does your GF think?

It may sound crazy but my advice is to stay - if you're going to France simply to ride on French roads for three months. That's 3 months now against the possibility of a lifetime doing it if you sort your career out now. The shine might well wear off 3 months of French roads if you end up in a crap job, with crap money and possibly not enough time to actually enjoy riding those roads.

Sometimes you've got to decide it's time to make a start on ensuring that you have the sort of life and career that you'll be able to look back and feel satisified that you fulfilled you potential - you can only put that start for so long…

Avatar
Gregoire500 | 13 years ago
0 likes

I very much do... I like France a lot and like to thnk that I'll end up there eventually. But my age is slowly creeping up and I need to be getting myself some kind of 'responsible' existence/career whatever it is people bloody inflict on themselves... which probably means not having my life revolve around bikes and running off on enjoyable but not necessarily professionally beneficial soujourns when I have a groaning overdraft, credit cards and need to really knuckle down and get a well paid job somewhere.

Plus if I want to study next year I need even more cash 7 if i want to study next year. Plus my gf might not see it as entirely complimentary either...

So, basically, I'd be sidelining every and all professional/personal commitment, and slightly bankrupting myself even more, in order to wake up to glorious french weather and stomp about on my bike without a care in the world.

why would I not want to go!

Avatar
dave atkinson | 13 years ago
0 likes

Seriously, why would you not want to live near roads like this?

Avatar
dave atkinson | 13 years ago
0 likes

Go. provided you'll still have an internet connection to fulfil your blogging duties 1

Latest Comments