Touraine

Yes....

'chips and sheeps'

I would just like to throw into this debate I met my OH at uni in the UK. French students/young professionals/now middle aged professionals have the same mentality, humour, stupidity as their English counterparts. We are all the same.

dmu

Good idea, maybe return to the OP's other thread "Bergerac" and remain factual rather than philosophical.
Apart from the French nursing qualifications question, he has spoken (in this thread) of working for 3 months per year in the UK, and I don't believe any one picked up the important questions concerning his independent/employee status, Income Tax, Healthcare coverage for his job-seeking partner, etc...

Bonnet

I just googled "jobs for Brits in France" and got 8 sites of jobs on the first page.

Instead of telling everyone to "stay put" how about being tad more supportive and telling them to "stay put" until they have a job and then move.

I do feel sometimes this site acts as some undercover French immigrant-deterring gateway.

If someone wants to live in France tell them where to find information and what the best places to find out information is.

Fools just pack and leave and I don't think thee are many of them...they soon learn. But if people really want to come then let them find out what they need to know themselves. All they need is guidance as to where to find it. It isn't up to you or me to tell them to change their lives or not. They aren't children. They just need pointing in the right direction so that they can decide for themselves.

Touraine

I just did that and got nothing........

Back to the ANPE....

Bonnet

I spoke to a British friend of ours whose British wife has been a midwife in France for ten years.
I asked him how she got the job.
He said she wrote and sent dozens of CV's, waited a year and practised her French. She didn't give up.

It may not happen tomorrow...or next year. If you want it badly enough you will have to wait. But at least you haven't been frightened off by a bunch of people who seem to have some reason to disincentivise others to go to France.

Give them the tools . Let the adult i them do the rest.

Touraine

What is the salary differential between a midwife in the UK and France ?

The question I ask is....is France worth that differential in salary ?

This is a serious question we debated last week when we visited the UK for the first time in five years.

Have to admit, moving back is tempting...

InVinoVeritas

This is pretty naive Bonnet! If you can Google "jobs for Brits in France" (BTW I didn't find 8 sites) then someone in the UK could do the same instead of asking the question on BE. The jobs you find this way are UK employment agencies looking to place skilled, experienced people.

Presumably those asking on this forum do not fall into this category and it is in this context we have to be brutally honest about the chances of finding empoyment in the current economic circumstances.

You assuming that we are treating these people like idiots is rather a case of you treating us like idiots.

dmu

The OP's partner is a nurse, and I do believe that he appreciated the advice I and others originally gave. While she's looking for work (and/or getting French qualifications), I suggested he enquired about her healthcare coverage as they aren't legally bound. He himself says he'll be working 3 months per year in the UK. I asked him what his status would be, so that someone in the know can advise about Taxes and Social Security.
The OP seems to have left the scene and I wonder what aspects of this thread has put him off.
Hopefully he's taken on board the questions raised.
Contrary to what might be thought, we try to help potential expats find their way, and part of the help is to warn them of all the quirky French laws, regulations, customs, etc.... If they don't know all the differences from the UK, they won't know what cons (in the English and French sense) to watch out for. We are doing them a favour by warning them in advance before they've taken the plunge.

babyposer

dmu you're so right, i'm the same as your girls and left the country... quickly found a job in Newcastle which is one of the 'worse' place for employment in the UK.

It's probably a bit of luck as well but my friends are struggling to find a job too, even those who've been to uni, it's discouraging.

Yes, France is a great place for holiday but that's it... especially for young people without much experience.

babyposer

I don't agree AT ALL, I think the quality of the food is better in the UK than it was previously. And yes it is possible to cook a delicious meal with food bought from a local supermarket. But you have to know how to cook

"Dirty air" mmmh I think the air is so much cleaner in the UK. Not in London of course. My hayfever has disappeared as well.

No insecurity in the streets. I feel safe as a woman. I can dress however I want I won't get hassled.

The weather is cold yes, but you don't live in the UK for the weather anyway.

Bonnet

Having been on forums of all descriptions fo years I can testify that the average level of willingness to do any research at all on anything is petty remote. My OH tells me I assume and expect too much.

Secondly I have also learned to ignore anecdotes. What one person has experienced is not necessarily any example of average or even "once in a while".

Nor am I going to get into the old argument about where is best to live. If you don't like it in France, go somewhere else and stop moaning. I get fed up listening to expats complaining about someone else's country THEY chose to live in. No one is keeping you here.

I am constantlu amazed at how much people do NOT research plans. What is helpful is to advise them were to get the information they want.

Thee are jobs of all sorts in France and so what of they are through agencies? If someone has transferrable skills they should be flexible enough to turn them to jobs where they may have to use them in a different way. You may not find anything for months but in the meantime, try to gain skills you can use...Language or if you have found something you want to do, explore it. Or find something completely different to do. I did. I have had three jobs, one which is directly related to what I did in the UK.
Because I was flexible, patient and persistent.

I think it is a conceit to tell people not to come to France. It isn't your place to assume their experience or wishes are yours. Just give them the information and let them decide.

PS no insecurity in UK streets??? You have GOT to be kidding!! You are a WUM and I claim my five pounds.

InVinoVeritas

Someone with just 43 posts to their name is hardly in a position to criticise others for not being helpful enough

Tweedpipe

Agreed!


On the time since I've been here, I cannot recall many posts where folks have simply just been told, 'Not to come to France'.
They've been giving the facts, with often the additional comment, 'now is not the best time'. Certainly not the same thing.
And if any doubtful folks are currently packing in readiness for the plunge, I'll simply add again, "it's wise not to come to France until things have significantly improved".

scrubbedexpat095

I'm sorry but I can't resist

Can we ignore what you said earlier then?
In case you don't remember it was this ;-)

'In GB in March I found litter, dirty air, crowds, dissatisfaction, cold weather and general malaise. Even the wall to wall carpeting didn't help. The food was varied in cultural choice but so-so in quality'

dmu

... and a member for barely 2 months.
In such a short time, I would never presume to suggest being part of the "we" who ignore an allegedly grumpy member.
I'm beginning to wonder whether we aren't being wound up?