LydiaC

Hello,

I am in desperate need of some advice about job opportunities in France.

I will be living in the Saint-Louis region of North-Eastern France towards the end of August. This is right on the border of Switzerland, sitting next to the German speaking area of Basel.

I am 22, I have a History Degree from Cardiff University and experience in administration, data entry and hospitality. I am currently working as a freelance analyst creating processing manuals for a boutique furniture&garden shop, which I also manage. I am organised and creative and interested in design and styling, closely related to interiors.

I speak conversational French and while my french improves I need an English-speaking job over there. This could be anything from a few months to a few years and I am really not in a position to be fussy about what I will be doing.

My first thoughts are of English-Language Assistants in local schools/universities, or even companies wanting to teach their staff English. I am surprised by how hard it has been to research this types of jobs, most websites take you straight to TEFL and CELTA areas but I believe I am right in thinking that Language assistants do not need these qualifications.
Any advice on this area would be greatly appreciated!!

Secondly, I have considered British companies, the embassy, the Chamber of Commerce, and the civil service. All of which is a bit daunting! Any advice on anything would be welcomed.

As you can see I am looking very broadly into employment. Any suggestions please help!

Thank you
Lydia

dmu

Hi, welcome to the Forum!
Some one from the Alsace might come along to give local advice, but in general, the unemployment rate in France is still grim. Is there a particular reason for coming to St Louis?
You may be lucky as a "frontalière", i.e. living in France but working in Germany (if you speak German).
You need to apply to the Académie de Strasbourg http://www.education.gouv.fr/cid2495/strasbourg.html
for an job as a language assistant in a State school, but this is obviously too late for the coming school year.
Another BE member near Toulouse could advise you about teaching English to businessmen, but it seems that such agencies aren't recruiting much at the moment.
If you have an OH with a job and don't need to work immediately, then wait until you're settled in St Louis and have proof of residence, when you could register at the local Pôle-Emploi. But don't expect to be offered work corresponding to your ability - students with Masters Degrees are accepting menial work in order to survive...
I would make enquiries on a German forum (Toytown?) to find out about the potential job market in one of the towns opposite St Louis. I wouldn't consider Basel, since most Swiss-Germans speak good English (and, in addition to their dialect, Baslers are trilingual, being so near to France)...
Hope this helps, but you must be aware that France is still in the middle of an economic crisis and unemployment rates are high.

LydiaC

Thank you for your advice, definitely helpful! I am going to Saint-Louis as my partner works for Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, which means it would be possible for me to move out then register with the Pôle-Emploi.

Sadly, I am aware that getting a job relating to my qualifications is not very likely. I have a few months till I move and so maybe that will give me enough time to exhaust all my options.

You have given me some good things to get on and research which I really appreciate.

Thanks
Lydia

dmu

Hi again, you have to prove residence in order to register with the Pôle- Emploi, which means that, if you aren't married or pacséd, you should have at least one Utility service made out in your name (unless you have bought or are renting property jointly).

dennerlymum

Yes and you can register with the pole emploi to seek work, but you wont get any unemployment benefit while you are searching; so you will need to look fast!

I am the teacher in Toulouse; work is still there but is much harder to find. I work for a company called inlingua which is countrywide so there may be one near you; they dont ask for tefl qualifications, although I am a qualified teacher.

As for teaching/language assistants in colleges, you need to contact your local education office; called the rectorat of ... they will be able to advise you as to the possibilty of work, but it is very low paid....

Good luck!

le plumber

is it not possible to have uk unemployment benefit transfered to france?

As for teachers assistant jobs I think you'll need at least the TEFL. However, from what I gather having just a TEFL isn't up to much in france and I think you need a degree of some sort to go with it. I have a friend in Besancon who teaches in a private school doesn't have a degree, but she does have a CELTA.

TinaBee

Until you register with the Pole Emploi you can still use their advanced search option here
http://www2.pole-emploi.fr/espacecan...T1Z!-949045188

One method I have used is to select a wide area (say the whole region) and then just put "Anglais" in the keyword field (at the bottom of the form) this then brings up a list of every job which requires English. It will give you an idea of what types of job may be available.

Also make sure you have a CV in the French style and a letter of motivation if you want to apply for anything

dennerlymum

Nope! despite what you might be told in the uk. In order to qualify for benefit transfer from the uk, you have to work at least ONE DAY in France beforehand. With all the regs in France re employment it is nigh on impossible to secure that one day! So effectively no, you cannot have unemployment benefit!

TinaBee

If I am reading this right, it would appear that the UK will continue to pay certain unemployment benefits for 3 months after leaving the UK for France, as long as you fulfil certain conditions

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/...owance-in-eea/

And the view of the EU
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/citiz..._en.htm#faq-04

dennerlymum

Yep I read that too before going to my pole emploi office with the form saying I qualified... it was greeted with a polite smile and a statement of France's stance on the above, which in essence is

You might think you qualify and if you can find a job for one day then you can, until then tough luck!

I checked again via the assistante sociale of my village when hubby was unemployed for several months last year (she couldnt believe it was true either and checked with a friend at the pole emploi) The stance was still the same; The assistante was so shocked that she tried to find a job for one day for hubby but was unable...

In France the attitude really is, if you wish to come here then make sure you have money/a job, cos we wont help!

LydiaC

Really appreciating all this info

Dennerlymum - i will be looking into Inlingua and the local education offices - thanks

Also about to join a Swiss forum - focused on Basel Area - to try and broaded my research. Any forum suggestions welcome too.

Thanks
LydiaC

danielle1000

Hello all,

Just wanted to add my tuppence-worth regarding unemployment benefits / job-seekers allowance.

My husband should qualify for job-seekers allowance in France (even according to the various different advice we were given) and had worked for the British civil service non-stop for 20 years so paid all contributions.

He managed to do his one day's work, properly enrolled at the Pole d'Emploi, had all the necessary paperwork, submitted his dossier which was acknowledged as complete, does his monthly declaration etc. etc. Beware the one day rule also: after he did his day's work, we were then told that he had to complete 60 hours in one month or 240 hours in 4 months. Having done that, they then moved the goalposts again - to 610 hours of total work!

13 months further on, the French administration is still refusing his request for benefits even though he apparently fulfills all the requirements. They say that he has to apply to the UK if he wants benefits...

He is currently working as a labourer/handyman and is paid in CESU so has some income (only about 500€/month) but the administration still claim that he is not entitled to top-ups to the minimum wage amount.

They have now recommended that we resend all the dossiers and paperwork that we have ever communicated over the last 13 months with a copy to the central office of the Pole d'Emploi (even though they have retained the originals of much of this, including his E104).

Aaaarghh! Going to keep fighting just out of sheer bloody-mindedness now! Good job we don't really need the money...

dennerlymum

phew!!! what a palaver and I thought my hubby's fight for a carte vitale topped most things!!!

Good luck in your application; it must be very demoralising for your hubby.

johnwarner75

If It was me, I would pull up a list of secondary school in Fr and drop everyone of them an email (within commuting distance anyway)

At least then you are building a gentle relationship and if they haven’t got anything right now, then they may come back in a few weeks time

dennerlymum

that works for the private sector here in France but the public sector has no say in who is in their schools here; it is rectorat who decides.

I know because my son's school once offered me work as an English teacher, but rectorat refused to have the hassle of paying me for one school! So no job!