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Living abroad for a while, getting to know a new culture and gaining some valuable international work experience? You can do it all at NORMA Group as part of a Bubble Assignment. The goal of these assignments is to strengthen cooperation among the sites and to help us all learn from each other. Overcoming national and cultural boundaries is a natural side-effect.
Clement Briand has been working as a Product Design Engineer at NORMA Group’s site in Guichen, France, for three years. This summer, he worked for three months as part of a Bubble Assignment at the St. Clair site in the US. In this interview, he talks about the work he was doing there, what surprised him – and why his view of NORMA Group has changed.
Clement, can you tell us a little bit about your job?
I mainly develop quick connectors, especially in the SAE area. SAE stands for Society of Automotive Engineers, a group that develops standards for the automotive industry. My work is divided into two main areas: On the one hand, I adapt existing products to the requirements of our customers.
“It is important to analyze the customer needs precisely while at the same time considering the technical and process-related framework conditions.”
I work closely with the quality, sales and application technology teams to ensure that customer needs are being met.
If the requirements cannot be met with existing products, the second part of my work kicks in: the development of new quick connectors. Projects like that can last anywhere from one to two years – with the objective of creating innovative solutions for future applications.
You worked at our location in St. Clair for three months in the summer. How did the Bubble Assignment come about?
I had already heard about the program, but I wasn’t really familiar with the details. My manager approached me one day and said that it would be a great opportunity for me to grow professionally and personally. I found the idea exciting and agreed.
What were your tasks at the site?
My role was quite diverse. I was at the NORMA Group site in St. Clair to share my knowledge and to support the team – especially when it came to products that were initially developed specifically for the European market, but that the colleagues there were not yet very familiar with.
I was also able to work on current projects, learn new things, and take the knowledge I gained back to France with me.
How did your daily work routine in the US differ from a typical day in France?
I thought that life in the US was similar to life in Europe, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I was wrong. The “everything’s bigger in the US” cliché is really true: Everything is bigger – the cars, the trucks, the supermarkets and the portions. The free water with ice in restaurants was also new to me.
Professionally, the biggest difference was the daily routine. In the USA, the working day often starts between 7 and 8 am, with a short lunch break, and ends around 4 or 5 pm. In France, people tend to start between 8 and 9 am and work until 5 or 6 pm – with an extended lunch break where they eat together and chat.
The concept of working from home is also different: In the USA, it is common to work from home two to three times a week. That doesn’t happen as much in France. We only have a few days a year when we can work from home. Personally, I prefer to work in the office because direct communication is important to me.
And what did you do in your free time?
It was my first time in the US, so I used the time to have a good look around. I’ve been to Chicago, Detroit and New York City.
Clement in Chicago, the Ford museum in Detroit and the Detroit Woodward Dream Cruise – a car cruise celebrating automotive culture.
I visited museums, toured Michigan University and watched football and baseball games.
My colleagues on site helped me a lot to get to know the American way of life – they showed me a lot of things, including how to play golf.
And together with my colleagues Gage and Lee, I took part in a race for NORMA Group around the Detroit Zoo. I really felt welcome during my stay.
Gage, Clement and Lee at the annual Run Wild for the Detroit Zoo
What advice would you give to someone who would like to work abroad for a while?
The Bubble Assignment was a great opportunity to improve my English. I spoke a lot – both professionally and privately – and it gave me a huge boost.
It also gave me a more intensive experience of American culture.
“My tip: If you really want to get to know a culture, you have to go out and experience it first-hand.”
If you just stay at home, you miss out on real local life.
Did the Bubble Assignment change your perspective of NORMA Group?
I work with colleagues from around the world on a regular basis – but mostly online. Personal contact is something completely different. The Bubble Assignment showed me why certain processes work differently at other locations. I knew there were differences, but it wasn’t until I was there that I really understood why.
