Finding work
is a full-time job, as anyone knows. For expats in France, it can be a
24/7 proposition. Face it, we're battling against our cute accents, Anglo-Saxon
mannerisms and lack of connections. Fortunately, the job market is thawing.
And the long-range forecast is tropical. Here are 10 tips for weathering
your hunt.
1. Pinpoint
the hot sectors. After a decade
of double-digit unemployment, France's jobless rate is high -- 9% in January
-- but coming down. Headhunters foresee shortages in certain sectors: telecommunications
and high-tech, and hotel and restaurant work.
English-language
teachers and bilingual secretaries are in great demand.
2. Wake
up and smell the café. If you lack
French working papers and have nationality outside the European Union,
bunker down for a long search. But you say, I am very well-qualified, speak
a little French and my mother tongue is English – that must be something!
Yes, but. Competing against you are excellent candidates from Britain and
Ireland, who have the right to work in France. Package your skills to beat
a continent of candidates.
3. Work
around the system. If you are
a foreigner with French working papers, you still might be unable to practice
your chosen profession. U.S. lawyers, for example, can’t easily work as
French lawyers without obtaining the country's credentials, but may be
assisted by firms here anxious to retain their services, according to Sam
Okoshken, a U.S. lawyer practicing in Paris. These candidates may increase
their chances of employment by speaking to firms that cater to expatriates.
4. Target
new subsidiaries. It's counterintuitive,
but job opportunities at subsidiaries of your home country are usually
limited. Coca-Cola France and the like are in business to sell to France
and need native staff. When foreign firms first enter France, however,
they do rely on home-grown talent. Try subsidiaries of U.S. high-tech and
telecom companies now entering the country.
5. Become
a known quantity. The French
hire "who they know,” and then slowly and cautiously. Hiring is expensive,
considering all the French work rules and benefits. Plus, firing someone
on a permanent contract (contrat de durée indeterminée or
CDI), is difficult. Temporary contracts (contrats de durée determinée
or CDD) are common.
Become a known
quantity. Network intensively and politely. Manners require that if someone
grants you a favor, return it.
6. Redo
that franglais CV. That basic
job tool, the resumé, is different in France. And it's not even
called a resumé; the French use the Latin term curriculum vitae
-- CV for short. Learn the lingo. There's no such thing as a bachelor's
degree here; the closest equivalent is BAC+2. That's shorthand for the
baccalaureate (exam at the end of lycée) plus two years of higher
education. Examine French CVs; find a French native to edit yours.
7. Please
forget the thank-you note. If you land
an interview, cross that cultural threshold at your own risk. The French
are formal, mannered and deferential. The handshake can be strong enough
to pull a muscle. Dress for French success. Your best khakis aren't appropriate
– except for a restaurant job. Don't resist questions about age, marital
status or plans to procreate. C'est normal.
Be prepared
to regurgitate your CV in everyday French. And don't thank the interviewer
with a post-rendez-vous note; it's just not done.
8. Don't
knock open doors. Many expats
in Paris avoid English-speaking organizations like the plague, wanting
to immerse themselves in French culture. That's fine. However, many groups
have formal and informal job resources: bulletin boards, talks and workshops.
Employers see them as pools of bilingual personnel. Volunteering can help
expand your network.
9. Don't
get stuck in a rut. Some job seekers
rely on one strategy, like signing up with an agency. That works for hot
job sectors like high-tech and bilingual secretarial, but not for the one
entry-level marketing job le tout Paris wants. But don't ignore them either.
Several cabinets de recrutement specialize in bilingual employment.
Headhunters
(chasseurs de têtes) are helpful for executive positions.
Except for
the top jobs, most agencies seek people with working papers.
10. Try
temping. Work through
temporary employment agencies is open to those with working papers. EU
citizens, though, may work for their first three months in France hassle-free.
Secretarial and accounting are in big demand. There are several agences
d’intérim that specialize in placing bilingual French-English workers
like GR Interim, MCS International and Selpro-Sélection Professionnelle.
While finding
a job in France is daunting, consider it a rite of passage into higher
Frenchness. Along the way, don't lose your Anglo-Saxon je ne sais quoi.
While French job-seekers are more passive, we are generally more active,
optimistic and open to risk. Don't lose the Pollyanna in you. As you pound
the pavement, it's more sustaining than shot of café.
