Jump to content
Complete France Forum

what does everybody do?

chocolatefish

By chocolatefish
in Earning a Living

Recommended Posts

chocolatefish Newbie

chocolatefish

Posted
Posted
Hi all

No idea if this kind of post will work since I think you all know each other already but I am keen to satisfy my basic nosiness and find out what all you guys do to make a living in France. Maybe I am looking for inspiration as our budget becomes every tighter!

For me, I am a SAHM at the moment. I'm well qualified in my own field (planning and conservation) but as I don't speak French fluently and don't have a hope of getting a fonctionniere-type post I am considering teaching English eventually. DH is a teacher in an international / bilingual school here in Lyon. We are surviving on one salary but certainly not able to make the most of being here in France - we've had maybe one trip out of Lyon (except for going back to Scotland) in the 2 years since we got here!

So what do you do to bring in the Euros?
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Sprogster Newbie

Sprogster

Posted
Posted
chocolatefish, in the near two years you have been a member of this forum, the answer should be self evident, in that the vast majority of other members are retirees or second home owners. Those that need to make a living in France, appear to be the first to return home.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cooperlola Newbie

cooperlola

Posted
Posted
A quick tot up of the Brits round here (whom I know of) : 2 language teachers, 1 farmer, 1 builder, 1 gite owner, 1 IT bod , 1 lady who works as English speaking liaison for a US company based here and us (retired).  And just as Sprogster says, we're the only ones with the time to post on here!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LEO Newbie

LEO

Posted
Posted
[quote user="Will"][quote user="suein56"][quote user="Chancer"]DH?[/quote]

Dear husband?

[/quote]

And there was me thinking the second letter stood for 'head'...

[/quote]

Dick or Dunder, could be the first word

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Canouan Newbie

Canouan

Posted
Posted
I run a dog grooming shop in Eymet and as I have a life long passion for English Springer Spaniels I have the occasional litter of puppies. The puppies help to pay for feeding/health testing the other dogs and my passion for showing/trialing them.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mint Newbie

mint

Posted
Posted

[quote user="NormanH"]I decipher acronyms, but could of course teach English, since as everyone knows this requires no specific knowledge or training.
[/quote]

Norman, glad and very relieved to see that you are back to your old acerbic self.  Wooly and I were a bit concerned that you might have come over all sweetness and light and we couldn't have countenanced that for anything!

PM you soon, BTW

Link to comment
Share on other sites
chocolatefish Newbie

chocolatefish

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Sorry have spent too long on parenting sites and got used to the acronyms on there... yes SAHM is stay at home mum and DH is dear or darling husband.

I may have been a member for two years but have only posted a couple of times - mostly been busy getting used to life in France. And posting on parenting / family boards.

And Norm, you don't half jump to conclusions do you? Or miss a chance to judge people? If I pursued English teaching as an option then I would have every intention of getting properly qualified to do so. And everyone has to start a new career somewhere as a beginner.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ladoix Newbie

Ladoix

Posted
Posted
Hi Chocolatefish,

I work part time in a wine cave in Burgundy, I returned to work 2 years ago when my youngest was 15months old.  I also work as a consultant for Tots to Travel, checking out holiday rental properties that are family friendly and I am secretary/admin/accounts for my husbands business.  With 2 small children I don't get out much but enjoy the forums as they give me a chance to chat in English, although this forum does seem to have a higher proportion of retirees.

Most of the English speaking people I know here tend to work in tourism or for themselves, although a couple of friends work for a wine exporter.  Those of us in regular jobs have jobs that require us to communicate primarily with English clients but we also have to be fluent in French.

Good luck with the job search when you start it - in Lyon you have a very good chance of finding a job primarily in English.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NormanH Proficient

NormanH

Posted
Posted
[quote user="chocolatefish"]Sorry have spent too long on parenting sites and got used to the acronyms on there... yes SAHM is stay at home mum and DH is dear or darling husband.

I may have been a member for two years but have only posted a couple of times - mostly been busy getting used to life in France. And posting on parenting / family boards.

And Norm, you don't half jump to conclusions do you? Or miss a chance to judge people? If I pursued English teaching as an option then I would have every intention of getting properly qualified to do so. And everyone has to start a new career somewhere as a beginner.[/quote]

That wouldn't be a rapid solution then. A 5 year course is pretty standard.

My judgement isn't about people. It's about an attitude that teaching is a fall-back option, and that been born speaking English  is an adequate replacement for a study of the language.

Why not aim to train people in the fields in which you are qualified?

Or work on the net as an AE

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Gardengirl Rookie

Gardengirl

Posted
Posted

People we know in France who are from UK and who aren't of retirement age mostly work as gardeners, in property maintenance, rent out properties they own or run gites. We also know a few who write for assorted magazines or run companies and websites advising people who want to move to France or who need help finding properties and associated problems they come up against. There are also a couple of tour guides.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
parischic Newbie

parischic

Posted
Posted

paris + chic

Paris =: lived near Paris for 30 years - British born, French DH, 2 bilingual offspring

Chic =  well, aspire to be so... but it's never going to happen

What do I do: currently on "congé de reclassement", then as from  Oct  2010: chômeur - or chômeuse (woo hoo!) , getting Assedic payments till my 65th birthday, working as English tutor, re-purposing and selling on furniture, little bit of this, little bit of that... (Système D - or more formally known as a "portfolio career")

PC

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
andyh4 Newbie

andyh4

Posted
Posted

[quote user="chocolatefish"]I am keen to satisfy my basic nosiness and find out what all you guys do to make a living in France. 

Work in Germany

We are surviving on one salary but certainly not able to make the most of being here in France - we've had maybe one trip out of Lyon (except for going back to Scotland) in the 2 years since we got here!

I come through Lyon about 60 times a year - on balance I think your lifestyle may be preferable - hard though that may be to understand

 

[/quote]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...