Bonjour tout le monde! It’s been about 5 days since I’ve landed in Paris and it’s been really fun adapting to everything. Tomorrow, I start my internship at Les Coulisses du Chef, a cooking class business run by Chef Olivier Berté. I would consider this internship as one in hospitality and tourism, while still being considered education to a certain degree. Hospitality and tourism, especially in Paris, is an incredibly large industry, and is usually always growing. Cooking classes are especially popular in Paris. France is often known as a world leader in cuisine and cooking, so tourists often decide to take classes learning classic French cuisine. There are several things I need in order to be successful at this internship. One of the most important is the specialized vocabulary used in cooking, such as uncommon ingredients or techniques which may be difficult to translate. Most businesses will use terms that are incredibly specific or that are only used in that industry so while some employers and places will give you a list of necessary terms already, it is important to do my own research and think of what might be important to say such as looking at past recipes that Chef Berté has cooked or by simply looking up cooking terms. Another important strength is being able to help lead a class and teach others techniques that I may also be familiar with. Working with children, while not exactly the same as what my responsibilities will be, has given me some experience leading a class, knowing where to best apply my efforts, as well as keeping an eye on many different points at once. Being able to work with the public and be someone ‘likable’ for them, is in my opinion the most important strength to have in hospitality. My attitude can make or break somebody’s opinion of the class which can in turn affect the reviews of Bertés’ business, so while he is described as knowledgeable and charismatic, I also have to maintain those qualities. These aspects of the internship will take a lot of studying and work to maintain and improve, as well as a confidence to put them into practice with the people in the class. This also includes the aforementioned vocabulary. Being able to properly translate instructions and ingredients helps the class flow easily and helps me seem more qualified in my work. I do not have much experience dealing with business so dealing with that side of this internship may prove to be a tad difficult for me, but as a consumer I know what I would like to see in a business. Expanding my way of thinking and being able to come up with new ideas that consumers would enjoy or by adapting to what the business could use is also a very useful skill that I will acquire through working with Chef Berté.

In my internship specifically, as I am working in France, it is important to highlight some of the cultural differences that I may face during my time here. The importance of the social hierarchy is not as important in the U.S. as it is here, so I will have to maintain speaking formally to Mr. Berté. The workstyle in France is also quite a bit different. Many French people do up to 45 hours of work throughout the week, so being efficient in what I do is essential. This is also factoring in the hour or hour and a half long lunches, and being able to finish my work by the end of the day. Work is stressed differently here as well. What you do isn’t nearly as focused on who you are. This means personality wise, the French value cooperation, being talkative, and being friendly throughout the office. While I will still work to the best of my ability, I will still have to consider how I present to my colleagues. With regards to my evaluations, the U.S. tends to spare feelings more, avoiding negatives and focusing on the positive aspects of what you do. This is the complete opposite here, and it is pretty rare to hear what you’re doing right, as the French will only tell you what you must improve on. I shouldn’t get disheartened and lose track just because of negative feedback, because that is simply what I should expect with my internship. Keeping these aspects in mind and knowing what strengths I have, I have a rather clear idea of my abilities and how I can perform in this internship. I’m so excited to see what Mr. Berté has to offer and I’m looking forward to working with him!