Seeking Work - moving over in 3 months!!

[StephPearse]

Hello everyone,

I am moving over to France within the next 3 to 4 months, am flexible on location, and I am keen to secure some kind of employment before I arrive.

I will consider self-employed positions as I know it is difficult to get a salaried position in France.

I am bilingual, background in administration, sales and HR. I have very good IT skills, and am prepared to travel.

Please let me know if you know of any jobs or opportunities, thanks in advance

Steph

[Sprogster]

Don't you think it would be sensible to sort out the job situation before you commit to a move?

[5-element]

You may be lucky and just walk into a job - you may have skills which you could auction - and of course, you are probably a fluent French speaker, but remember that as a jobseeker, you are competing with  9.3% of the French population according to the latest unemployment figures.  (against 7.6% in Britain).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_unemployment_rate

[ianmill]

Good morning - most people would spend at least a year in planning their move - when did you start? What is your budget for house buying/renting? How many months or years can you live without an income from work? Have you a family to support?

I suggest a month spent in a large town of your choice going round employment agencies - that would seem the best way to research the market without committing yourself. But around us some employment agencies have closed down and others are refusing to take more people on their books.

You could probably also do a lot of research on the internet from home - but for any interviews you would need to be in France.

Are you truly bilingual, or are you over-estimating your abilities?

You might also look at the auto-entrpreneur regime - selling your services to small companies wishing to expand, or Brits who have a poorer grasp of French than yourself.

As a stop-gap you could probably find work teaching business English - lots of such companies in all major towns - but again you have to be here - just put together your CV with photo and covering letter and walk into the agencies - they might well give you an immediate interview. For many agencies having business English and business experience is more important than a TEFL qualification. But as the new boy in town you might well end up with the pupils no-one else wants. But it's a start.

My wife and I came here to retire but within 6 months work had found us - now we both give English lessons at the local Chamber of Commerce and we have some private pupils too. We consider ourselves lucky in this respect. But we're still not working enough to retain our Carte Vitale - so private insurance from 2010. Have you budgeted for this too?

Good luck