colinhenry

Hi everyone,
I'm going to be vague because I don't have any firm plans just yet, but I'd appreciate some insight into making a living in France. In brief, I am Vidal Sassoon trained hairdresser, have owned 2 salons of my own (never again!) and have been a qualified trainer and assessor for the past 4 years. I now work for a Police Force as a trainer and am also been a Special Police Constable for 7 years. I know enough French to get me through the occasional motorbike trip and I am fairly handy at painting, decorating etc.
Question is, will I be able to earn a living at something!!?? I am 49 years old.
Thanks

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the forum!
I don't think you'll earn a living at hairdressing. It's one of the luxuries that many are reducing due to the economic situation here. To give an example, salons in our nearest town are closing down, and our roving hairdresser, who "does" the villages round here, now makes ends meet working in the nearest Lidl.
To enter the French Police, I may be wrong but believe that only French nationals can join. But even if the Conditions have changed, there's a Competitive Examination in French for all Fonctionnaire jobs and you'd have to be fluent and know a lot of French culture in order to compete against the French candidates.
You could register as an Auto-Entrepreneur, but you'd have to do a lot of research as to where you're most likely to find potential clients, and not just expats. IMHO you'd have to get your French up to scratch for the bureaucracy involved and also for communicating with potential French clients. Some one will come along with more info on setting up this type of business, but I would forget hairdressing and police work.
Presumably you're coming alone and haven't got a family to provide for?
Hope this doesn't sound too pessimistic, but the unemployment rate in France is higher than in the UK and priority for any jobs going is given to (bilingual) French nationals. Fore-warned is fore-armed!

EuroTrash

Unfortunately as far as getting a 'real job' goes, the French in general still have the job-for-life mentality. Recruiters look for people who decided what they wanted to do before they left school, did the training, got the qualifications and built up the experience. People who have chopped and changed and had several careers tend not to get a look in because they don't fit any of the pigeonholes. They're not big on multiskilling and being flexible.

So you'd probably be looking at being your own boss, and as such it will depend entirely on your determination, your business skills and how well you can market your service. You say you owned 2 salons in the past and never again - maybe that doesn't bode well for self-employment in France! Even setting up as self-employed you have to specify and register each activity you want to offer, and you'd be lucky if they let you register as a hairdresser AND a decorator AND a trainer - if you're a qualified hairdresser you are expected to dress hair, not paint houses, because painting houses should be left to qualified decorators. Once you're registered, most people find it harder than in the UK to make a living, partly because you're limited in what you can do, partly because you will pay far more of your hard-earned cash to the government for the priviledge of living here and partly because a lot of people are tightening their belts at the moment.

As DMU says, France is not an easy option at the moment, unemployment is over 10 per cent and the French economy is not well at all. However you sound a resourceful chap, so if you have strong reasons for wanting to come to France all you can do is give it a go, but make sure you have your route back to the UK planned in case it doesn't work.

Your post suggest you have good English language skills and you have experience as a trainer, so that might be another option?

Be aware also that as of next March the UK is proposing to stop funding health cover outside the UK for anyone below retirement age who moves to another EU country. The French social security system is contributions-based not residence-based, therefore you wouldn't be entitled to any state healthcare until you're earning a living here and paying contributions, so you might need private health insurance which isn't cheap.

MillieF

Colinhenry....here I go...everybody shoot me later but...probably not....the French Are NOT ageist, but they do just prefer the French, and in time of high unemployment, they would prefer to employ the French where possible, first.

Certainly one of our family's best friends is the head of the Gendarmerie and he would find it extraordinary to employ a foriegner....that being said his wife is my best friend and she has been unemployed for two years and she is well qualified.

Why do you want to move to France and where do you want to go? If its for a year or so for reasons other than work, do it, if the all encompassing pay cheque is needed, don't do it - in the immediate future. Where are you from originally? What is your native language? Might this help you with relocation?

Very best of luck

EuroTrash

Not ageist, well maybe not - but it seems to be generally accepted, with absolutely no resentment as far as I can see, that if you become unemployed when you're over 50, your chances of getting another job are very slim indeed.

MillieF

Yes ET, I would agree entirely, and I realise I expressed myself badly, apologies. Given the retirement culture of France, they see it as entirely extraordinary that anyone would still be trying to find work after 50. I did a couple of role playing days at the pole d'Emploi (not terribly useful, but good fun in some ways) and I think the oldest French person there was possibly 40....then there was me

colinhenry

Hi everyone,
Thank you very much for all your replies, they've been very helpful.

Colin

cupoftea

Don't be downhearted with all this negative stuff. I am 55, disabled, and working in a french supermarket. Everything is possible - depends on attitude, willingness to compromise and an open mind. Good luck.

Chatter Static

It can take quite a while to achieve these things and whilst air is a wonderful thing to breath it is pretty dull in a sandwich so bring a buffer lots of books and some gardening tools.

cjm

I'll throw tuppence in as well. Friends here called you resourceful and with good English skills, so, can I suggest you look, a big deep look, at teaching English. It's been on this forum before and friends may say 'whoa', but if you are keen to be in France check it out, with a proper qualification. I say this only as someone with a friend where English was key to his UK profession, who got TEFL accreditation and now teaches. His French was likely on a par with what you have shared and now it is much better from doing it ... bonne chance.

dennerlymum

I agree - tefl teaching has been a good source of regular, if not significant income

cjm

Not directly connected to original post, but, like others have had promo mail from Connexion newspaper. It is highlighting a paid-for guide to French healthcare. Perhaps worth checking for those looking to move across and update for those already ensconced. Cost is reasonable.