Starting a new job and setting up life in another country can be stressful enough, but during a pandemic adds another level of complexity to the situation. That is exactly what our account executive, Yannick Ondoa, did last year. For our latest blog post we asked Yannick to detail his experience of moving from France to the UK, and starting a new role at the coop…
“When my time at university concluded, my goals were simple: get a job and become financially independent.
As a result, when the opportunity to work in the United Kingdom, the country where I’d been studying for three years, presented itself, I jumped at the chance. On the one hand, it was an exciting job opportunity that would allow me to gain a tonne of knowledge. On the other hand, I would have financial separation from my parents. In just one interview, I was able to accomplish two important goals of mine.
My interview took place at the beginning of August 2020, and while the pandemic was still very much alive and kicking at the time, summer had us believing that things were getting better. The number of Covid cases were reducing, and the initial lockdown was over. As a result, I felt rather carefree and all I wanted to do was start this new chapter in my life.
September came around quickly. The moment for departure was fast approaching and I left Paris for Reading with an overstuffed rucksack strapped on my back. I recall having conflicting emotions, which contrasted with my excitement at entering university for the first time. I believe this was because studying and work life are two distinctly different setups… There is a chasm between the two of them – you have a lot more responsibilities at work. Also, money is coming into your bank account faster than it is at university, but you have less time to spend it. Paired with recurrent lockdowns, there was always the feeling that I wasn’t able to completely relax and enjoy myself outside of work.
As I had to self-isolate, my induction to LRR happened at home, which was new-fangled to say the least. Nonetheless, the Little Red Rooster team welcomed me with open arms (socially distanced of course). As many aspects of the job were explained in just a few days, your brain can feel a bit overloaded. However, the team made sure to reassure me and did not hesitate to help me if I had any questions (which is still the case!).
I struggled through the November lockdown, as did everyone else in the UK, as well as the lockdown that lasted from January 2021 to the end of March 2021. To be honest, these lockdowns hit me like a tonne of bricks. I felt as if time had stopped. Days went by, but I wasn’t doing much other than work. It was the same every day. The sun comes up. Evening has arrived. You have a job. You go to your bed. Nothing in the middle.
However, as the lockdown gradually eased, I had more opportunities to discover Reading and its surroundings. In addition, I met a few people outside of work, which is always great when the area is unknown to you. I hope to discover much more as time goes by.
Nonetheless, compared to the situation for some people, I cannot not say that my situation was dire. I found an organisation that organises frequent online events to keep its members’ morale up. Back in November, I organised a French wine and cheese online event where everyone from LRR enjoyed tipple and learned more about the French culture through a quiz. I’ve only met wonderful individuals here at Little Red Rooster, and I have so far learned a lot professionally about the PR industry.
Even the worst situations, I believe, can have great outcomes. These positives, inside and outside of work, are beneficial outcomes of a scenario that was far from ideal for people in the UK, France and across the world.”
