What's it Like to Land a Sales Job in France?
Have you ever sat around waiting for a prospect to call you back and wondered what it would be like to leave it all behind and move to Europe? In this week's interview, we talked to Amanda Rollins, head of Sales Enablement for AB Tasty, a tech company in Paris, France. Amanda worked in Boston and had dreams of becoming an expat, finally pulling the trigger in 2018. She talks about what it's like to sell in Europe, the process of relocation, and what she'd recommend to anyone considering a move. The interview has been edited for clarity.
Q: What is your current role?
I'm global sales enablement manager for a French tech startup. I'm the main sales trainer that handles onboarding, coaching, sales techniques, organizing sales training, and working closely with the SDRs.
Q: How did you land a sales job in Paris? What should someone who is looking to get a sales job in France do?
When I first moved to Paris, I was an au pair, then worked in e-learning creating sales-based content in English, for about a year and a half.
There are only a few visas that would allow a foreigner to work in France and they aren't easy to qualify for. Mine is called the Talent Passeport visa which is reserved for "highly skilled workers" meaning they have to prove that my skills/experience couldn't be found in France. This visa also requires my salary to be 1.5x higher than the average salary.
There are 2 types of contracts in France, CDDs (contracts with an end-date) and CDIs (permanent contracts).
I have a CDI, which is truly permanent; it's almost impossible to be fired. The workers here have so many rights, so you'd really have to do something incredibly egregious to be let go. Instead, what they do is they try to buy you out of your contract in a mutual separation. This is exclusive to France, not necessarily Europe.
Apart from that, you should really know how to speak French. I am fluent which helped a ton. There are plenty of sales people who would be qualified to work here, it's just a bit of a process to obtain the right to work.
Q: What are some things you have to do overseas that you don't need to worry about in the states?
GDPR compliance is big here. Accessing people's information is very serious. Getting call lists with people's phone numbers is incredibly difficult. If you call someone, they'll want to know how you got their info. Culturally, there's things that will work in the U.S. that won't work in other countries. In Germany, for example, they're very direct, and if you can't answer their questions directly, they won't agree to a meeting.
Q: How does the pay compare to a sales job in the United States?
The salaries are not as high. You pay higher taxes. However, healthcare and education is fully covered, so the cost of living is lower. Oftentimes, commission is capped.
Q: Do you need to learn French (or the language of the country) to sell overseas?
Yes, you definitely need to know it. My company is English-speaking but not speaking French would make it much more difficult.
Q: What kind of advice would you give to someone who wants to move to France and get a sales job?
Create your resume in English and have someone who is French translate it. Craft a message that might resonate overseas showing your output - a hunger to move up the ladder, which will be attractive to a hiring manager. Look at tech companies, they want to bring in Americans so they can compete with US companies. They'll usually have English as their primary language. Being in the country is the best way to get hired. Get to the country first.
Q: Which websites should salespeople use if they want to search for sales jobs overseas?
Welcome to the Jungle and Station F.
