Lucas de Bondelon is lucky. Then employed for a small job in an appliance store in Marseille, he sells a dishwasher to a couple who begins to question him about his career. “They told me that they knew someone at Veolia in Ireland. They sent him my CV. Two months later, he called me back and I was hired as VIE. It’s not piston, j ‘just had an interesting profile. “
The system allows for up to two years of contract but for Lucas de Bondelon, the experience will have lasted six months.
Lucas was afraid of ending up in a coffee / photocopying course, but he was quickly reassured: “I had a very good mentor, a pure and hard engineer. He gave me my first project: how to purify the water on the site after several cases of legionella? I found the solution, I got it scientifically tested, put into practice and verified that everything worked. “
In 20 years of existence, international volunteering in companies has enabled more than 100,000 young people to go and meet abroad. Given his experience, the Frenchman advises all candidates to get started, crisis or not:
It changed my life, I had access to things I would not even have dreamed of! You have to look online, contact Business France (the agency in charge of VIE), and contact the company directly if you have an idea, explain to them that the system is very attractive for young people as well as for employers.
Lucas de Bondelon, former VIE
The Business France website for VIEs
With a master’s degree in chemistry, the French dreamed of becoming an engineer. Thanks to VIE, he had his chance: “I wasn’t the most diligent student, but I took the plunge! I was exposed to everything, as an engineer: economic, scientific, political. It allowed me to travel, to meet people.”
Born in Mantes-la-Jolie, near Paris, at the age of 28, the Frenchman now lives in Sweden, employee of a small company in the medical sector and biotechs:
“I work for laboratories, universities and hospitals. My goal is to discover new treatments and products for our customers, for example by going online to find out about it, like the case of this little girl who was cured of cancer in Indonesia. The ultimate goal of the company is to further raise the level of health in the Nordic countries. “
In the future, Lucas de Bondelon wishes to extend his action to the rest of Europe. The Covid-19 crisis could slow down his projects. For the first time in 10 years, VIE departures fell by 20% last year, particularly to the United States and Australia, which are very popular with young people.
Write to him: lucas.debondelon@hotmail.fr
Business France, the agency responsible for VIE
Find this column on the website, the app and in the French international mobility magazine abroad.fr
