Applying for a job in France

Register for free with the government's France Travail (francetravail.fr): create an account, deposit your CV and receive offers and meetings with an adviser (conseiller) and training, and it is a condition for unemployment allowance.

• And search on private sites: Indeed, LinkedIn, Welcome to the Jungle (for tech and start-ups), APEC (for managers), HelloWork and Meteojob, and sector sites (construction, restaurants and health services).
• Temp agencies (Adecco, Randstad, Manpower and Synergie) offer temporary contracts free to the worker.
• And for those under 26 the Missions Locales and the alternance system (vocational training alternating between school and company) with pay.
• Ask your acquaintances and network since many jobs are filled by recommendation (le réseau), and take part in forums de l'emploi and job dating.
• And avoid those who ask for money for a promise of a job.
• And set alerts for new offers.

The French CV is one page (two pages for long experience), tidy and clear.

• It includes: the name and details (phone, email and address or city), the title of the targeted post (titre du poste) or a summary, professional experience in reverse chronological order (most recent first) with tasks and achievements with verbs (managed, developed, increased), training and qualifications, skills (languages, programs and licences) and the level of each language (B1 or bilingual), and hobbies briefly.
• The photo is optional (and not requested), and stating age, marital status or nationality is not required.
• Tailor the CV to each offer with the advert's words.
• Send it as a PDF named Prénom_Nom_CV.
• Ask a French speaker to review spelling and wording.
• And for foreign qualifications ask for an attestation de comparabilité from France Éducation international (ENIC-NARIC France) to know their value.
• And update your CV constantly.

The lettre de motivation is one page explaining why you suit this job and this company: begin by referring to the job and the source of the advert, then highlight your experience and skills with examples that fit the requirements, then explain the reason for your interest in the company, and end by requesting an interview in a polite formula Dans l'attente de votre réponse, je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées or Cordialement.

• You address the manager by name if you know it, Madame la Directrice.
• Do not copy the same letter for all jobs.
• Check formatting and spelling.
• And a short email of application is sometimes enough.
• And send a candidature spontanée, an unsolicited application, to companies that interest you.
• And two weeks after applying send a polite follow-up.
• And record your applications and their dates in a spreadsheet.
• And do not lie in your CV since you may lose the job.

Before hiring the employer must verify that you are authorised to work: he asks for the residence permit (titre de séjour) or the long-stay visa (VLS-TS) that allows work, and confirms it via ANEF or the préfecture before hiring and files a DPAE (prior declaration of hiring).

• Some permits have restrictions: students are allowed to work up to 964 hours a year (60 percent of full time), and some categories need an autorisation de travail (work permit) requested by the employer.
• Do not work without the right, since the employer and you may be punished and your residence threatened.
• For regulated professions (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, lawyer, teacher and engineer) official recognition of qualifications through the competent body is required.
• And for other qualifications an attestation de comparabilité via ENIC-NARIC.
• And in government jobs a European nationality condition is often required.
• And ask France Travail about the validation des acquis de l'expérience (VAE) to convert your experience into a qualification.

If you have no French experience start with sectors needing workers: hospitality, restaurants, construction, cleaning, transport, delivery, health, care and agriculture, or with temporary contracts (intérim).

• And for training: formation professionnelle via the Compte personnel de formation (CPF), France Travail and the Régions with funding, and French courses, and alternance and apprentissage.
• And volunteering (bénévolat) in associations gives experience, references and a network.
• And the Missions Locales, Cap emploi (for disability) and Pôle emploi offer free help.
• As for scams: beware of adverts asking for frais de dossier or a money transfer or a copy of your ID and bank account before signing a contract, or a job from home at a high wage.
• And a real agency does not charge you money.
• And report fraud on signal-arnaques.com or Perceval or to the police.

How many pages is a French CV?