Make Sure You find employment

Structurally France has difficulties with the potential for people to find work, in part this is due to the high costs associated with employing people. Beyond the usual wages employers are liable for a host of additional payments and taxes, hence they can be very cautious before taking on additional staff

Although France has amongst the highest unemployment rate of any Western European country there are still shortages in many areas. All work in France is very tightly regulated and controlled, you will usually require a valid qualification for every job

beware of working ‘undeclared’ as the penalties can be severe and the risks involved to you personally will be your responsibility, any insurance policy you have will not be valid in the event of an accident. I personally know of two incidents where people were working undeclared and had severe accidents which left them disabled, with no right to insurance or compensation, currently, they still face the risk of prosecution!

Competition for jobs is demanding, even for relatively menial jobs you can expect to face an assessment battery prior to the actual job interview

In France a C.V will be required for each job application, accompanied by a ‘lettre de motivation’. The CV is always on a single side of A4 paper and the ‘lettre de motivation’ is (almost) always handwritten. In France employers still seem to place a degree of credibility on graphology and you ‘lettre’ will usually be given to a handwriting expert. More and more job vacancies are applied for online but still expect your writing to be screened at some point

Maximise your Opportunities for Employment

• Register with the unemployment office (ANPE) This will not only give you access to support in finding a job but can assist you by offering a variety of free resources and opportunities related to job hunting, including: CV writing, French classes, use of telephone, photocopying. It is a simple procedure to register
  
  

• ANPE offices will also hold information on all the components involved in any job so that you are able to structure your CV and approach to every job. You will also be able to access their stock CV’s and letter de motivation’s to ensure that yours are perfect. To register as a job seeker at the ANPE you will first need to register with the social security system (ASSEDIC
  
  

• Have your work experience or diplomas validated by the regulatory bodies so that they are officially recognised, this will enable you to apply for jobs within that field. (You will need to do this even if you intend to offers your services to the expat community)
  
  

• Talk to people you meet about what you are looking for, in France many job opportunities will come about through word of mouth via people you have met in passing. If you are in the market, outside the school let people know you are looking for work
  
  

• Register with employment agencies such as Adecco or Manpower, you will find a long list of these in the yellow pages (Pages Jaunes) covering the area where you are seeking employment. Some agencies specialise in particular fields, if you have skills, experience and competence in a particular employment area register with these as well as the general agencies to maximise your potential chances of job offers
  
  

• Consider taking work well below your usual level of competence, not only will this influence potential employers at future interviews by showing your commitment to work but it will keep you within the ‘habit of working’
  
  

• Take seasonal work as and when the opportunities present themselves. Apart from the usual fruit picking there will be opportunities within cafes, hotels, shops particularly in tourist areas, often once you are working other opportunities will be presented to you
  
  

• Be prepared to take on temporary or part time work whilst you find that particular job you are looking for
  
  

• Read the within-france social security page for additional tips and information

Please use the following links to assist you with your search for employment, If you require further assistance or have specific questions related to your own circumstances please use the contact form

ANPE (Job Centre)
ASSEDIC (Social Security)
Validate Your Work Experience or Diplomas
Validate Diplomas for Health Professional/paramedical (not doctors)
Yellow Pages in France

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