jack_walters

Do I need to learn french to work in an IT department in Paris?
Is it a must?
I'm a web developer.

EuroTrash

That's a very succinct question. Why would you want to live and work in Paris if you don't want to learn French? None of my business I suppose.

I'm not sure how many fully anglophone companies there are in Paris and it always helps if you speak the same language as everyone else, otherwise how will you understand what your PDG/line manager/end users want you to do? How will the feedback process work, don't web developers have to work quite closely with the management team? Can you talk about SEO and design technicalities and landing pages and search engines and page rankings and hyperlinks etc etc etc in French, are you up to speed with all the mentions légales that by law have to be included on all French websites? Will you be able contribute to team meetings, join in the office banter, embrace the company culture? French companies tend to be quite hand-shakey, kissey kissey places. You might feel isolated if you're right out of the loop, both socially and professionally, though if it's a standalone role in a very small department it wouldn't be as bad.

So realistically, I think you're limited to anglophone companies because in any case it is very hard to get a job with a francophone company without speaking good French, unless you have something really special to offer. You would be competing with jobseeking French web developers who know the culture, speak the lingo and can mostly, if required, speak English. Unemployment is at an all time high in France at the moment and the French tend to look after their own - if they have a French applicant and a non-French applicant with similar qualifications, they will always choose the French one. France is not an easy country to break into at the moment, even if you do speak French.

jack_walters

Thanks for answer, what about other EU countries?

EuroTrash

No idea. I think you'd need to post the question on the Forum of each country you're interested in, to get the benefit of local knowledge (this is the French forum here). Though there are some people who use this forum who also seem to know quite a lot about Spain and Germany and places.

I could be wrong but France seems to have the reputation for being one of the countries that is most hardline about insisting on its own language being used in business, putting its own citizens first, etc, so hopefully other EU countries will turn out to be more easy going. But, I honestly don't think that there are many that are as 'soft' as the UK.

Novocastrian

Agreed. The OP would, IMHO, have a much better shot at finding a job in Germany than in France. But the caveat about having something rather special to offer the putative employer stands.

NATIONAL-VELVET

Not sure if your job allows you to work from home but, if so, why not work for a UK employer but live in France? Just a thought.

EuroTrash

I can't quite work out why the OP wants to live in France - but unless he has very good reasons, why would he want to fork out French cotisations when he could stay put in the UK, earn the same and pay far less to the government?

jack_walters

Other EU countries are OK to me as long as they accept web developers that speak English.

dmu

Hi, I imagine it would be the same problem - as already mentioned, priority for any decent jobs going would be given to bilingual national candidates. When it comes to the crunch, they look after their own first...

EuroTrash

There is no doubt that they do, and that's an attitude issue, but also there are very real practical issues as well - how are they going to interview and assess a candidate who doesn't speak the same language, and how badly the communication difficulties affect his or her ability to carry out instructions and do the job.

Have you considered the Netherlands, Jack? Amsterdam? I have no concept of how high or low unemployment is in the Netherlands, or how easy it is to move there as an expat, but at least all the Dutch seem to speak good English and they don't seem to take it personal that not many people bother to learn Dutch!

jack_walters

Thx for advice

EuroTrash

Well apparently unemployment in NL is apparently relatively low, and a quick google brings up sites like http://www.octagon.nl/candidate-services/vacancies.aspx so jobs in IT seem well possible. The Netherlands has a lot to recommend it IMHO - the country has a very nice feel to it, there are some great cities and the Dutch themselves are lovely, though it takes a while to tune in to their mindset. Personally I found the roads a tad scary with all those cyclists, I didn't understand the food - could never find much to eat apart from cheese and 'kip' - and on a more serious note I believe the taxes are quite high, but nothing that can't be coped with I'm sure. Maybe that's your answer then, and the very best of luck if you decide to give it a go.

Domino

have to agree wholeheartedly.
its no use moving to another country and not wanting to communicate with the "locals", be it for a newpaper, baguette or a task instruction.

most people are aware that most programming is carried out in americanised english, but that doesn't help if having to get someone to write the front page for you or to help provide links etc.

the problem is more and more english speakers are picking up on the requirement to speak english in other countries for business and local government. but tell that to the little lady who does your flat cleaning, or makes the baguettes (hopefully she will have washed her hands first).

Sorry, reliance on locals to speak english is crass stupidity and bad manners.
when I started travelling the world almost 50 years ago i made myself a promise I would learn just the basics of Yes, Please, No, Thank you, 2 beers, and extra words for longer stays.
its almost 40 years since I ordered a Kirin beer in the Ginza in Toykyo but think I may still be understood.

sorry to be negative, but you really have to remember that many countries even in the European thingy aren't that fluid in english.

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