One student's bold question to French President elicited an unexpected reply. Now people wish it was them
The Sciences Po student approached the celebrity figure with ease, giving herself a chance to fulfil her 'impossible' dream.
"You never know unless you try" is often used to encourage someone to step out of their comfort zone — and one young student decided to take that advice quite literally. When she had the chance to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Paris Peace Forum on October 29, 2025, she approached him directly and asked him for an internship. Her interaction with the French President was originally shared on TikTok by Schereid (@willy.schereid) and later on Instagram by Interview Scouter (@interview_scouter) and has received around one million views so far.
@willy.schereid Abonnez-vous pour plus de coulisses sur la diplomatie et obtenir des conseils pour intégrer ce milieu @Paris Peace Forum #parispeaceforum #macron ♬ son original - Schereid
The young lady, whose name remains unknown, told President Macron that she previously worked at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Morocco when he visited in October 2024. She added that she was looking for an internship. The President smiled and responded, "Did you bring your resume?" She impressed Macron by immediately handing it to him, and he commented, "You seem very well prepared."
After handing the document to his team, the President asked her how long she was looking to intern for, to which she replied, "Six months." She also told the President she wanted to work in the Economic Cabinet Team. The people around her seemed to be impressed by her guts and determination. The Sciences Po student, who prefers to be anonymous, was also interviewed by Le Parisien after her interaction with the French President went viral.
She revealed that she had been offered a contract to work at the economic department of the Élysée Palace after her interview took place in November 2025. She told the news outlet, "I'm just waiting for my contract. The Élysée Palace wasn’t an obvious destination for me, coming from a remote area of mainland France and a very modest family." She shared she "absolutely did not expect" such a "buzz," especially since the approach "didn't seem so extravagant and, above all, something anyone could do." She also expressed her thanks to all those who "have kindly acknowledged the gesture."
Her unique way of finding an internship seems not so out of the box, considering how competitive the job market is these days, where simply having a degree or the required credentials is not enough to land an internship or a job. Research from Handshake shows that internship listings declined by more than 15% between January 2023 and January 2025. The drop has been even steeper in higher-paying industries, with technology postings down 30% and professional services postings falling by 42%.
The internet was cheering for the young student in the comments. @rachelrache777 commented, "Every chance you don’t take is an opportunity gone to waste. Every successful man will tell you, never be afraid to lose or said no to. There will be a window when there is a yes." @mahwara_azada jokingly added, "When Indeed and LinkedIn don't work." @aeemiie wrote, "Lol! This is how it’s done, I guess?? Literally need to ask Macron in PERSON."
You can follow Schereid (@willy.schereid) on TikTok for more French educational and political content.
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