Jean-Elie in the restaurant of the hotel L’Echiquier in Paris © TD
A graduate of a BT specialising in cookery in the Ivory Coast, Jean-Elie arrived in Paris for a 6-month internship at the L’Echiquier Opéra Paris hotel, part of the Accor group’s MGallery collection. He welcomes us at the end of lunch service for an interview on his customer experience with Talent Developer. Before settling in the capital, Jean-Elie was a chef for 3 months in a 4* hotel in the Ivory Coast after having completed 3 training courses in the kitchen and a few extra jobs.
How did you hear about Talent Developer?
It was my school that put me in touch with the Talent Developer team. I was selected among the best students of my year by my school, which suggested that I meet Estrella Maillet to consider doing an internship in Paris.
How would you describe the client experience offered by Talent Developer?
The support I received from the Talent Developer teams was above my expectations. I am very satisfied with the help I received to succeed in my interview and with the company I was placed with. There is a great capacity to listen which is very appreciable, especially for a foreigner like me who arrives in France with no reference points, so it’s always good to know that you can get help for anything at any time.
What is your day-to-day life like in the company? What are your tasks?
I started my internship at the hotel L’Echiquier Opéra Paris as a kitchen assistant one month ago and I am already very well integrated by the whole team. The chef was able to put me at ease and quickly understood that I was passionate about platting the dishes. I love to embellish dishes, especially salads, and here everyone calls me “The King of Caesar Salad”. I know I still have a lot to learn and I haven’t mastered all the techniques in the kitchen, but I am eager to learn and here I am given the opportunity. Our restaurant does brunch once a month and I am lucky enough to have been chosen by my chef to make the omelettes “à la minute” in front of the customers.
Does the internship meet your expectations?
The internship meets my expectations perfectly, I was a chef for 3 months in a 4* hotel in the Ivory Coast, so being in the heart of Paris for my internship in a 4* hotel is everything I hoped for! My chef is very attentive and he involves me a lot in everything he does, I still have a lot to learn at his side. I discover new things every day and I don’t forget to write them down in my notebook. I didn’t expect to have so much practice and freedom in my internship. Talent Developer didn’t choose just any hotel for my placement, the team really took the time to find me the hotel where I would feel comfortable and at home.
Jean-Elie with other Ivorian students and Estrella Maillet for a breakfast at the office! © TD
Was coming to Paris for an internship important to you?
France is the country of gastronomy and it was a dream for me to come and discover the culinary excellence of France. I was able to discover new products such as cheese, which is used a lot here in the kitchen, unlike in Ivory Coast. It’s important for me to work with products that I didn’t know or that I had never been able to work with fresh but always frozen.
Would you recommend Talent Developer to your friends and family?
I have already recommended Talent Developer to two of my friends who are looking for a traineeship in the kitchen and who are in the same school as me in the Ivory Coast.
What do you want to do next? Do you have any plans?
My diploma in the Ivory Coast is equivalent to a baccalaureate only in France, which is why I would like to do a BTS in a culinary school in Paris at the end of my internship and then call on Talent Developer’s services again to place me in a company.
If you too would like to be coached and placed in a company by the Talent Developer teams, don’t hesitate to get in touch here!
Article written by Talent Developer