Making it in Sweden: a Frenchman in business
For Frenchman Yann Blandy, moving to Sweden straight after finishing his studies was the prelude to a successful career in business.
Name
Yann Blandy
Age
37
Where do you live?
Stockholm
Where are you from originally?
France
What do you do?
Regional Director (VD) for Cision Northern Europe (a multinational media intelligence company).
What was your first job in Sweden?
HR Assistant / Secretary
What brought you to Sweden and when did you come?
My then girlfriend, now my wife, in 1995.
What did you do before coming to Sweden?
I studied in Paris
How did you find your first job in Sweden?
I sent 150 letters; got 1 interview – I looked for jobs in 1995 before Internet recruiting was founded and before e-mails. I sent 150 paper applications!
What's the best thing about working in Sweden?
Acceptance for you are as a person; respect for competence rather than age, gender or nationality.
What's the worst thing about working in Sweden?
Decision making is slow and there is too great an emphasis on consensus.
Do you speak Swedish at work?
Yes
Do you speak any other languages at work?
Yes, English.
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Name
Yann Blandy
Age
37
Where do you live?
Stockholm
Where are you from originally?
France
What do you do?
Regional Director (VD) for Cision Northern Europe (a multinational media intelligence company).
What was your first job in Sweden?
HR Assistant / Secretary
What brought you to Sweden and when did you come?
My then girlfriend, now my wife, in 1995.
What did you do before coming to Sweden?
I studied in Paris
How did you find your first job in Sweden?
I sent 150 letters; got 1 interview – I looked for jobs in 1995 before Internet recruiting was founded and before e-mails. I sent 150 paper applications!
What's the best thing about working in Sweden?
Acceptance for you are as a person; respect for competence rather than age, gender or nationality.
What's the worst thing about working in Sweden?
Decision making is slow and there is too great an emphasis on consensus.
Do you speak Swedish at work?
Yes
Do you speak any other languages at work?
Yes, English.
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