jonnifer

I don't see how there would be any kind of legal barrier to working for free as a "stagiaire" (intern). When I was in college I did a four-month unpaid stage in Paris and it wasn't set up in any kind of formal way. The director of my study abroad program found some of them just by asking her friends. I asked my (French) husband, who is an expert comptable, and he doesn't see any reason you couldn't do a stage in an accounting firm. However he notes that you wouldn't be an official "stagiaire expert comptable," which apparently is a formal term and requires having the accounting degree. He says your best bet would be to try an accounting firm (cabinet) rather than a business. Convincing someone to take you on will be the hard part but it certainly doesn't hurt to try, and just "testing the waters" you will learn a lot about what qualifications you will need to be considered. Bonne chance!

    From what I've been reading having two jobs is allowed but is subject to all sorts of limitations. Most notably, civil servants (fonctionnaires) cannot take on another job and in all you can't work more than 10 hours a day or 48 hours a week! That really puts a crimp in a workaholic's lifestyle. Not sure how the 10 hours a day could be enforced if you don't have a clock in-clock out type of job. Your two jobs also must not present a conflict of interest (the "clause de non-concurrence" in the job contract). There is some complication I haven't looked into yet where the two employers share paying your cotisations. I find it weird and restrictive that the two employers have to coordinate with each other because it means that to some extent you need their cooperation/consent to have the two jobs. And if working two jobs isn't very common, which it sounds like it's not, then I could see them balking at it. Being able to work more than 35 hours (tax-free, no less!) is great -- I wonder how often the opportunity arises? Sites (in French) below or Google "cumul d'emplois": http://www.travail.gouv.fr/informations-pratiques/fiches-pratiques/contrats-travail/cumul-emplois-984.html http://www.travail-solidarite.gouv.fr/informations-pratiques/fiches-pratiques/duree-du-travail/duree-legale-du-travail-1013.html http://www.murielle-cahen.com/p_cumul_emploi.asp

    I'll be moving to Paris in February to meet up with my French husband who will be there. Even though he'll have a good job, I'm nervous about not being able to make it -- I have no idea what kind of job I can get, if I'll be able to make good money, if I'll be yet another victim of the high chomage, etc. My plan was to take advantage of my free time by having a regular full time job during the day and a part time job a few evenings a week, like as a waitress. That way I could feel more relaxed if a I don't get a great (or any) FT job right away and also get exposed to a new experience and different people as I adjust to my new city. I already have a FT/PT situation in the US so I'm used to being a workaholic. But I told my husband about my plan and he said he's not sure if I'll be able, as in allowed, to work two jobs, that maybe there are limits or it's regulated to help spread employment around. Does anyone know about this? Also, if you work in a resto or a bar do you automatically make SMIC (min. wage) or are there ways/places that might pay more?