Eric and Carine

I've mentioned Eric a few times so far, so perhaps it's time to provide some detail. I got this job, via a rather circular route, and without actualy looking for it. I got a call from an English agent who had found me on linkedin.com, who wanted to put me in touch with a French agent, Eric Cariou. Eric works for a company called Aptus, who supply consultants to a wide range of IT companies accross Europe and the world. After the initial introduction, most of my contact has been with Eric. He conducted the initial one hour phone interview, to ensure I would be a suitable candidate for Aptus, and arranged the interview with the end client, Freescale. When I went over for that interview, he was there to meet me in the Aptus office next to the airport. Sometimes when you meet people for the first time, there's just something right about it, whether it's in the sincerity of the smile or the warmth of the handshake. So it was with Eric; we got on well immediately. He told me all about Aptus, their clients, what he thought they could do for me, and I for them. Beforehand he gave me some tips on how to sell myself at the client interview, to which he would be driving me, and which he would attend. This was very different from the kind of experience I'd had in the UK; the very idea of my sponsor being sat next to me to babysit me was odd, but in reality, there was a good reason. He spoke almost perfect English, whereas the client's English, although good, would lead to some misunderstandings. It turned out that Eric's English was so good because he'd attended university in England, for the very purpose of developing his English. He also picked up some other English habits; he liked tea and had a kettle, and could swear idiomatically in English at other car drivers. Fantastic.

It turned out that there would be two jobs on offer in two different departments within Freescale, so if I fancied doing two interviews that day, I could double my chances of success. The only snag was that they could not be done back to back, and would involve a break for lunch. Eric was quite happy to show me around Toulouse in the interval, and buy me lunch, in between driving me backwards and forwards to these two interviews. I can't imagine that happening with any English agent I've ever met. Afterwards, he also paid for the hotel, which was more than had been agreed in advance, so I could have a night in Toulouse.

A week after returning, I'd been offered both jobs, which was going to present me a problem. I wasn't sure I wanted to leave my house in the UK and I didn't want to leave SEMC earlier than necessary, as it was the best placed I'd worked, and I wanted to see it out. Eric wasn't pushy in the slightest. After chatting to him about what I thought, and his own country switch, I could feel my doubts disappearing. I think now I definitely made the right choice.

Between accepting the job and the start date, Eric helped me make some preparations, including finding some temporary accomodation to start with. As it turns out this fell through, because the two people that had agreed to provide a spare room, inconsiderately buggered off somewhere else as I arrived, so Eric came to the rescue by providing a spare room in the house he shared with his fiancee, Carine. Carine's English was not as good as Eric's, but it was still good. The main difference was in the speed with which I could speak to be understood. Her job involved assessing and correcting the gate of professional sports stars. It's something I've been meaning to have done myself, but I didn't want to push their hospitality. I had the run of the house, and a cat to play with, and free food. Their dog was a garden resident, kenneled, so I didn't see much of him. The cat was also normally a garden resident, mini-kenneled, but was very adept at sneaking in as you opened the door, often without you seeing her. She quickly learned I was a soft touch, and had my hands shredded in minutes. I would get no more peace from her as I sat with my laptop on my knee in the evenings.

I stayed with them for four nights, until moving into some other accomodation which he found for me (it could be said he had some motivation :-). He has since also helped provide me with a dentist, and numerous translation services when I phone through to an answering machine. In fact, this whole trip would have been much more difficult without his help. He and his fiancee Carine are due to get married on Feb 14th, St. Valentine's day.

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