A Look at Jobs Available for Expats in France

If you are thinking about a move abroad to live and work overseas in France then you may first want to know what types of jobs are available for expatriates living and working in France. You might be surprised to see that it is not a simple process to get a job comparable to a job you had in your home country. In fact, it is pretty difficult to find a job period as a foreigner in France. However, there are some jobs that seem to be filled with mostly foreigners, so you should check into one of those positions first.

Au pairing is a popular job among those that wish to move to France to live and work as well as those that have just arrived in France and are looking for employment. If you are not familiar with what au pair is then you will want to know that before you go applying for a position. An au pair is similar to a nanny as they are hired to look after children. Usually au pairs are give a free place to live, food to eat and a small stipend allowance for their services. This is a great job for those new to France as it is an excellent way to brush up on your French with native speakers.

Length of service agreements for au pairs can vary. The minimum term is two months and the maximum term is three years. There is also no standard job description so you should make sure you are clear on that before taking the job.

Teaching English, or whatever your native language is, to the French is also a good career for expats coming to France. The languages most in demand of teachers are English, Spanish and German. If this interests you then you would want to look for a job at a language school or training agency. However, you should know that this type of job does not pay generously.

If you would not mind doing something like grape or fruit picking, then you may want to get a seasonal agricultural job in France. The grape picking season lasts about five weeks. It runs around September and October depending on the region of France you are in. And other fruits are picked between May and November.

The tourism industry is another great place to look for a job. It is especially easy to find a tourism job in August as most of the French have gone on holiday themselves. You can look for work at hotels, tourist places, restaurants and other tourist hot spots. Just remember that these are temporary positions. In the winter you can look for tourism jobs in the ski resorts.