« I truly believe that the American dream exists. » Cécile, 37, is Regional Director of Customer Relations for the United States and Canada at Meltwater, a tech company, and saw her career take a turn when she moved to the United States. “ I transferred from Paris to New York in January 2023 and was promoted to take on the Canada market only a year later. It involved twice as many responsibilities as those I had in France. This is something that can only happen in the United States. When things go well, Americans are not afraid to trust, invest in and develop employees. In France you have to stand out to lead a team of 55 people. It’s possible, but it’s rarer. »
And since we are in the United States, the salary increase is in order. The salary base is 100,000 euros per year in France for this type of position, it varies between 180,000 and 200,000 in New York. “ The salary differences are enormous: +50% compared to France for the same job. In the case of promotion, here, the increase is around 20%. »
Networking, a way of life
Of course, working in the United States is not a smooth ride. When they land, the French leave behind the 35 hours, social benefits, job security, the minimum five weeks of paid annual leave, the already extended breaks and their company mutual insurance. But they also arrive in a dynamic job market, with a low unemployment rate (3.9%, compared to 7.5% in France, source OECD/INSEE). A proactive environment drifted » by open, visionary, ambitious minds who value failure, risk-taking and innovation. And in which they can step out of their comfort zone, assert themselves and dare. Because although it is frowned upon in France, putting yourself forward and promoting yourself is an integral part of American professional life.
« We lose a lot of things, but we gain in other aspects », explains Elyse (first name has been changed), 34, who is an actress but also reads and analyzes scripts at Netflix. “ What I managed to do in ten years in the United States (studies, castings, artistic projects, etc.) would never have arrived in France. » According to her, her success is largely based on networking, a practice deeply rooted in American culture. “ There is a more established networking system. During your studies, you realize that your university is your professional network. In France, this is the case in business or marketing schools. But not in public universities or artistic courses. »
In the United States, age is not a barrier
In the country that saw Mark Zuckerberg create Facebook at 19, Evan Spiegel co-found Snapchat at 21, Bill Gates launch Microsoft at 20 or Nathan Blecharczyk inaugurate Airbnb at 25, age is not a barrier either . While French managers and recruiters tend to judge a candidate’s potential based on their age, Americans focus on talent, innovation and daring.
« From the moment you show that you have will, knowledge and that you are determined, no one cares about your age, explains Léa (first name has been changed), 37 years old, lawyer in Los Angeles. In France, merit has a ceiling and that is age. Not here ».
Same observation this time from Texas: “ If you have a good CV, have carried out a lot of projects at school or personally, they will still interview you, confirms David (first name has been changed), 29 years old, developer at PlayStation. Age is not a blocking criterion. We give you your chance more easily than in France ».
After a prep school and an engineering school in Paris, the thirty-year-old did his last year of master’s in Chicago and sees today that his start to his career would not have been the same in France. Already at the level of job opportunities: “ In my field of activity – application development – it mainly happens in the US. If I had stayed in Paris, I would have done support, like debugging the platform when it had a problem for example. I would have developed tools, more than the platform itself. »
But also at the salary level: “ The difference is huge “, he explains. “ My salary when I left school was almost double what my classmates received in France. And today I am at 200,000 dollars a year, compared to 70,000 euros in France. In the United States we have big increases but also big bonuses on the company’s results and your performances. »
Meritocracy taken to the extreme
Jules (first name has been changed) was poached from France to set up a competing company in New York. “ In Paris I was often contacted for the same type of position that I had (commercial, Editor’s note). Here I am setting up a company that does financial consulting. I would never have had this opportunity in France. » At 28, 4 and a half years after obtaining his master’s degree in Business Engineering, he went from an annual salary of 70,000 euros in France (fixed and variable), to a fixed salary of 115,000 dollars. “ To which are added approximately 20,000 dollars in bonuses “, he specifies. “ But my CEO told me several times that if I didn’t have enough results, I would have to return to France. »
Because yes, in the United States, it’s a win-win. “ If you give the company what they asked for, the company will give it back to you », explains Cécile. “ Otherwise she won’t be afraid to make drastic decisions and change you. It’s very transactional “. And in fact, very challenging: “ Professional success is based on performance, the way we behave and how we evolve in the job. This is meritocracy taken to the extreme. »
Which makes this country the playground for the most passionate, competitive, visionary and ambitious profiles. “ The attractiveness of this country is largely based on business, jobs, opportunities for advancement and self-made. You can create a company in the United States and become a millionaire in a few months. » This, undoubtedly, is what we call “ the American dream »: this infinite field of possibilities for those who have the vision and the energy.
All is not rosy in America
Of course, the American dream has its other side of the coin: express dismissal, social benefits generally payable by the employee and as we explained in this article, a much higher cost of living than in France.
