Job interview in Paris

[scouserabroad]

Just had a call for a job interview at a large multinational company in Paris next Monday lots of questions someone please please help!

• What is central Paris like in the mornings WRT traffic jams etc? I have to get from gare Montparnasse to Boulogne Billancourt, www.mappy.fr says 12 minutes by taxi, is this right?

• What should I wear? Here in Brittany normal trousers and a nice top are fine in most offices, but I keep hearing about "Parisian" office wear, what is this?

• Is it true about the guys who hassle you, and the muggers, etc? Or is this just a Breton myth about the big scary capital?

OMG so stressed! Hey at least I'll fit in with the locals

Gare Montparnasse to Boulogne-Billancourt is not far. No-one is going to mug you or hassle you - it is Paris not Casablanca!

If it is a large multinational, wear the smartest office wear you've got.

Good luck!

What time is your interview? Traffic is light before 8 and after 9.30.

Thanks Bonsoir, my interview is at 9.30, and my train gets into Montparnasse at 8.40. I hope this is do-able? The thought of possible traffic jams never even crossed my mind while I was arranging everything I've already had to change my interview time once - they called me when I was out in the snow with the DDs so I had to sound professionnal on the phone whilst dodging snowballs and slipping on ice and so stupidly agreed to an interview time which I could never make!

You should be absolutely fine if your train is on time (which it should be if it's a TGV).

Would this be for a move to Paris?

That's great :)

It might mean a move to Paris, if I get the job and if I'm brave enough to make the move. I have been in a small village for the past five years and Paris seems hugely daunting viewed from here!

Don't be daunted! Paris is quite villagey too, you know, you must just choose which quartier to live in very very carefully - they are not all as nice as each other by a very long way!

Hey Scouser, I know Bonsoir would hate me for saying this (knowing her opinion on suburbs!) but there are some really nice small towns/villages just outside Paris, too.
Good luck in your interview, anyway!

I was about to say "OK, so which areas of Paris are nice?" but no! Must not even start thinking about that until I've been to the interview

Personally I wouldn't do Montparnasse to Boulogne-billancourt by taxi at that time. I used to live right by Montparnasse and it was pretty clogged up when I did the school run. Mind you 50 minutes is doable as long as you can find a taxi!

Otherwise metro is pretty simple - 13 to Duroc and then change onto the 10 is the way I would go.

Good luck!

Metro does look pretty simple but it seems to take at least 35 minutes, doesn't leave much time to get lost! I have been on the metro literally once in my life and that was years ago, I'm sure I'd faff around for a bit just getting tickets and finding the right platform. I thought sitting in a taxi until I reach destination would be easier... Alternatively it's only about 7km, I could have run that in 45 minutes if only the flustered messy hair look was ok for interview