From the suburbs of Lyon to Dublin, Imen Boukassem shares her inspiring journey as a young graduate embarking on her first professional challenge abroad. Between autonomy, adaptation, and cultural discovery, she explains how Gapsmoov’s “culture decoder” helped her better understand her environment and integrate into a multicultural team.
An authentic testimony about the courage to take the leap, learn, and grow abroad. 🌍✨
Gautier Saïs: You are about to dive into a new, inspiring story. Welcome to 10 Minutes, the podcast of French People Abroad (Français dans le Monde). I am Gautier Saïs and I have the pleasure of spending 10 minutes with Imen Boukassem, heading to Ireland. 10 Minutes, the podcast of French People Abroad. Français dans le Monde.fr. I could call you Imen the Lucky One, because so far, everything concerning your new VIE has gone smoothly. Hello and welcome, Imen.
Imen Boukassem: Hello.
Gautier Saïs: Glad to meet you. You are a project manager in an Essilor subsidiary that manufactures glasses. You did your studies, and now this VIE internship in Ireland. The interview is conducted as part of the partnership with Gapsmoov, the “culture decoder”. A tool, by the way, that you used after your studies when you were looking for this VIE, and which told you that you should go to Ireland. That’s incredible.
Imen Boukassem: Indeed, it’s quite funny to see it from this perspective. I tell myself that ultimately, destiny and the nickname “Lucky One” suit me well. So, in the end, it’s fine.
Gautier Saïs: You are originally from the Lyon suburbs. You did your studies in Lyon and a work-study program in Valence at Orange. And at the end of your degree in September, you wanted to have an experience abroad. Why did you feel that the international aspect was important in your career path?
Imen Boukassem: Well, having done most of my studies as a work-study program, I didn’t have the chance to do either an Erasmus exchange or any other exchange abroad. And I told myself that this was something important, both for learning how our neighbors work and for personal culture. I thought, if I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it. So, I went for it with a good level of English.
Gautier Saïs: How had you maintained your English until then?
Imen Boukassem: Netflix helps a lot. Let’s not lie.
Gautier Saïs: Do you watch in the original version (OV)?
Imen Boukassem: Exactly, I used to watch in OV, with OV subtitles, and then in OV only. After that, it was a lot of exchanges with the Erasmus students who were at my university, who were genuinely English speakers. And where I worked, especially, they speak fast and you have to adapt as quickly as possible. So, that’s how I maintained my English.
Gautier Saïs: How did you hear about the VIE to start your search, and how did it go at the beginning?
Imen Boukassem: Well, the first time I heard about the VIE was thanks to a colleague, when I mentioned the idea that I wanted to go work abroad. At first, I was looking at classic job offers, where it’s very complicated to apply when you’ve just finished your studies and you’re French, with no particular experience other than the work-study program. And then my colleague told me about the VIE, because he was lucky enough to do one a few years ago. And he told me it was the best gateway for international experience. A few weeks later, I also heard about it at school from my teachers. And so, I started, checked the website, looked at the offers. And here I am today.
Gautier Saïs: So, this International Volunteer Program (Volontariat International) is managed by Business France. You go to the website, you see the ads. And there, we could say you were a bit lucky. You found ads that suited you. You got in touch with the employers, the recruiters. HR meeting, manager meeting. Boom, it was settled in a few weeks.
Imen Boukassem: Exactly. My first searches date back to the beginning of October and I signed mid-December, if not late December.
Gautier Saïs: When you know you’re going to be in Ireland, what’s the first reflex? Is it to surf the internet, find people who are there? You told me you made a Reddit post that was a huge hit.
Imen Boukassem: Yes, I made a Reddit post about the city I was going to move to. “I’m French, I’m moving to Ireland soon. Can you advise me on places? How does it work? What should I do? Where to stay? How do the buses work?” And finally, many people responded to me. Many people gave advice on housing. And I was able to get a feel for the local culture and the kindness, the famous Irish kindness. It was fantastic there.
Gautier Saïs: You felt a sense of mutual help, especially among VIEs. I have the impression that it’s quite a supportive network.
Imen Boukassem: Yes, when I arrived, the first thing I noticed was that I wasn’t the only VIE who had had VIEs in the past. I was able to get in touch with a VIE who is still a VIE and a former VIE who signed their contract and works there. They helped me enormously, giving advice on everyday life, on how to find accommodation, on what to do, and how to occupy my weekends.
Gautier Saïs: So, a VIE is done in a French company abroad. In your case, it’s Ireland. So, the plane ticket and your first month in a hotel are covered, because after that, you have to manage on your own. You have to find accommodation. There’s talk of a housing crisis, particularly in Ireland. You were a bit lucky there too, since you found a place quite close to your work in 15 days.
Imen Boukassem: Exactly. Well, I really looked around and I very quickly realized that it’s truly a housing crisis where rents are extremely high and it’s mainly shared accommodation. I was lucky enough to find a small apartment, but this time more in the countryside, which wasn’t very far from work. And I told myself, ultimately, isn’t this the solution? And it was the solution.
Gautier Saïs: After a few weeks, since you’ve been settled since February 1, 2025, what is your biggest plus and your biggest minus of the adventure?
Imen Boukassem: Well, my biggest plus of the adventure is the landscapes. They are magnificent here. Ireland is an extraordinarily beautiful country. The people are adorable. And the negative point, really, is Irish gastronomy. I have nothing bad to say about it, but we are far from our homeland. And I admit that a good goat cheese and honey sandwich is something I miss sometimes.
Gautier Saïs: You know, Imen, I’ve done almost 2,500 interviews. When we talk about food, it’s a serious subject, because apart from Italy and Spain, maybe they hold their own a bit. But you don’t find the same thing elsewhere. Let’s not hide it.
Imen Boukassem: Completely.
Gautier Saïs: When you return to France, do you rush into a bakery to buy a little pain au chocolat?
Imen Boukassem: Well, when I return to France, the first thing I do is go to the cheesemonger, because I love cheese. And I buy a tradition baguette and go home to my parents. It’s a small tradition now.
Gautier Saïs: Speaking of food, you have breakfast at work. That’s surprising.
Imen Boukassem: Oh yes. So, that’s something very surprising that I discovered when I arrived here. The days are organized pretty much the same way. In Ireland, in any case, it’s very important, apparently. At least where I am, you arrive in the morning between 8:30 and 9:00, or maybe 8:00 for the early birds, then at 10:30, it’s breakfast. So, breakfast within the company. And some people even bring their breakfast from home. Then you return to eat lunch around 1:00 PM. That’s something that surprised me, but you get used to it.
Gautier Saïs: And in the evening, it’s not a legend either. When you finish work, you can go to the pub. That happens.
Imen Boukassem: Yes, well, I really imagined it as a place of heavy drinking, not at all welcoming or, on the contrary, too focused on getting drunk, let’s say. And in fact, not at all. It’s quite convivial where people are there to chat, to look around them. It’s about releasing pressure. And it’s very interesting to watch.
Gautier Saïs: What was the biggest challenge for you to succeed in this VIE? What worried you the most before it happened?
Imen Boukassem: What worried me the most was that at the beginning, when I was looking for information, for example on public transport, on how to get around, I had absolutely no information. And it’s very complicated to find buses or things like that. And I thought, how am I going to get to work if not by bike? Well, finally, I had a bike to go to work for a little while. But I had this fear of telling myself I wouldn’t have the information or the system we have in France for all that. But in fact, everything happens a lot through word-of-mouth, through communication like that. So, once I was there, everything fell into place.
Gautier Saïs: Do you believe you are a different Imen today, that this international experience, even if it’s just the beginning, has already changed you?
Imen Boukassem: Well, I feel much more independent, even though I thought I was quite independent and autonomous before. But now, I realize that I’m learning to put things into perspective, to see it from the Irish side of things, so with a bit more lightness, telling myself that in any case, we’ll find a solution and that it’s not… It’s by asking questions and by being helped by others that you manage, and that autonomy and independence does not mean keeping everything to yourself. So yes, I would say that it has changed me.
Gautier Saïs: And do the Lyon region, family, friends, all that, do you miss it a bit?
Imen Boukassem: I can’t say otherwise. I miss it even enormously at certain moments, especially when I see family gatherings or even friends who are going out to enjoy an evening together. I tell myself, well, I’m not there, but when I return, we manage to catch up on lost time. And then, there is still the possibility with today’s social networks not to be completely isolated.
Gautier Saïs: Completely, that reminds me of the VIEs during the time of Covid where we called each other to talk about our lives. But there, we were just in the house on one side. We just couldn’t go out. That was just the difference. What a time. To finish, let’s talk about your work. You are starting your professional life. But with this international dimension, you work with a team that is quite international too, by the way, around you.
Imen Boukassem: Completely. Well, in my team, we are quite virtuous. In any case, I work with people from all over Europe, where I primarily liaise with Italian teams, French teams, and occasionally teams in the United States. So, on that, I can communicate, discuss with everyone. And it’s a plus to be, let’s say, multinational and a bit everywhere since we manage to understand all the cultures a bit. And it’s very interesting, in any case, from this point of view.
Gautier Saïs: And my last question for those who are wondering whether they should do a VIE or not, what would be the first piece of advice you would give? To not hesitate?
Imen Boukassem: If the offer appeals to you, ask yourself the question. Why shouldn’t I take it? Why am I afraid? And really, if it were in France, would I hesitate or not? If we wouldn’t hesitate in France, then abroad too, you have to go for it and commit fully to it.
Gautier Saïs: And we salute your work colleagues because you are in your office and we can hear them chatting in the background. After all, they are working and we won’t disturb them more than that. I think you have answered the important questions regarding this new VIE, this new life for you too. And thank you to Gapsmoov for putting us in touch. See you soon, Imen.
Imen Boukassem: See you soon.
