redcard

Trying to get some information on employment opportunities in France, but struggling to get in contact with anyone in these industries. Anyone?

dmu

Hi, you were given pointers in an earlier thread - weren't they any use? Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a BE member working as an accountant in France, to advise. ...
If you're only considering moving to France in 3-5 years' time, I would have thought it too early to seek employment opportunities now. What you can do is use the time to get your French to a sufficient professional level and also take a course in French Accountancy methods, in order to compete with bilingual French candidates for any jobs going when the time comes.

redcard

spouse of scouse

Not really, just honest and realistic

EuroTrash

I think your best bet would be to contact specialist recruitment agencies and explain exactly what you're looking for. Financial services isn't really a big part of the French economy, probably just a few percent of GDP whereas in the UK it's over 10% isn't it? My impression (gotten from translating lots and lots of CVs from French high-fliers who fancy going to work in the US) is that recruitment within the sector is mainly at trainee level, taking on students doing their professional "stages", and the trainee's ideal outcome is to get a offered a permanent position at the end of their studies, and then build their career through internal promotion within the same company. As a whopping generalisation, French employers invest a lot in training and nurturing their employees and staff retention tends to be a lot higher than in the UK. No doubt head hunting goes on in big cities here like everywhere else and I'm sure there are opportunities, but outside of the cities, most accountancy cabinets and other specialist financial services providers seem to be one person practices or small operations with a handful of staff who've been there for ever, and a trainee or two. It's hard to see it as a sector offering easy ways in or vast employment opportunities to be honest. I would try the big firms and specialist recruiters.

EuroTrash

PS If as DMU says you're planning on moving in 3 or 4 years time, I trust you have an EU passport? By that time freedom of movement will almost certainly have ended for UK passport holders, and without freedom of movement, you can't come to the EU and look for work. You have to be offered a job before you come, and your employer has to "sponsor" you ie successfully make a case to the French immigration office why they need to bring in a non-EU citizen to do that specific job. If you don't have an EU passport and you want to work in France, you need to be here and working before freedom of movement for Brits ends.

dmu

This is what the OP says in his earlier thread, plus the fact that he'll be "fully CIMA qualified in the next 2-3 years", which implies that he can't move over before Brexit. As suggested, he's got time, while continuing his UK training, to get comfortable with the French language and even study French Accountancy at a lower level, as per for example:
BTS Comptabilité et gestion - Onisep
which would stand in good stead when faced with stiff competition from French candidates. An employer might sponsor him on the basis of CIMA and French qualifications. The economic situation might even have improved by then, with more employment possibilities.
My advice hasn't gone down too well so far, but, as said, I'm being honest and realistic. No point in keeping any one in ignorance of the facts, positive suggestions have been made, and "Fore-warned is fore-armed".

EuroTrash

My point, really, was that without freedom of movement he won't be competing with French candidates. He'll be competing with US, Australian, Japanese etc candidates for posts needing special skills that EU applicants don't have. For any position where there are EU applicants with the necessary skills, no applications from non-EU citizens are considered because immigration wouldn't allow them to be appointed..
On that basis I think he should be focusing on finding himself a uniquely unique USP, preferably with specialised work experience to back it up. Speaking English and knowing the anglo-saxon system is a start but probably not enough on its own because it's surprising how many French candidates have been on student exchange schemes with LSE and Harvard etc and done internships in the US and UK.