Working In Paris, France, for starters, is much different than I expected! First off, I’ve noticed that time is more fluid over here as compared to the United States. Oftentimes we will have customers take their time when enjoying our bike tours or show up for the tour 15-20 minutes late because of the culture here, so we have to always be ready to adapt to that. I also found it interesting that the companies in France are not held liable for things that happen to the customers. For example, as I’m working at a bike tour company, we have had a few accidents where customers have either been hurt or they damaged some property of another person. In those cases, it is the duty of the customer to sort things out with the offended person as opposed to the company taking on the liability. I have also noticed much stricter working laws, and the company does a great job of making sure nobody works too many hours above or below what is designated for them on their contract. These are just a few things that have opened my eyes on what business is like abroad! Attached is a random picture of a friend that I made at work enduring a rainy day!?
Center for International Business Studies Blog