1. A soft, semisolid food substance with a resilient consistency, made by the setting of a liquid containing pectin or gelatin or by the addition of gelatin to a liquid.

2. A casual working event that takes place in over a hundred cities where people come together (in a person’s home, a coffee shop, or an office) to work for the day.

Jelly (the work get together, not the food) has come to Bordeaux! The goal is to provide a working social environment for all those independent freelancers and working professionals who want to get out of their home offices and into a chilled space to bounce idea’s of like minded individuals.

This original idea started in New York back in 2006, where two roommates came to the conclusion that even though working from home is pretty rad they were missing out on brainstorming, sharing and staff room gossip.
Since these early days the idea has really expanded with chapters opening in around 100 cities across the world.

The Bordeaux Jelly has recently been created by Justin Staple, who after living in Bristol was first introduced to the concept. The idea is to meet for a whole working day (9 to 5) on a weekly basis. At the moment the group is meeting at the Tchaï Bar (rue du Mirail) but depending on availability may look for other venues to rotate their meetings. Jelly is open to English and French professionals alike and can be a great melting pot of language and cultural ideas.

So, if you’re looking for some brainstorming pals or you’re a venue that would like to host a Jelly workshop, contact Justin!

Via Twitter: http://twitter.com/elpats
Via email: elpats@mac.com
Jelly Bordeaux – Facebook Page.
Official Website – www.workatjelly.com

When: Next Jelly is the 4th July – 11am to 5pm (check Facebook page for future events)
Where: Tchaï Bar, 49 Rue du Mirail, Bordeaux
Cost: Free!! (well you pay for your own coffee)

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Training sessions will take place at :
4 rue Esprit des Lois, (near Place des Quinconces) on Mondays ( flexible times).

The group (2 participants) have a low intermediate level and will follow 21
hours of training (14 sessions of 1h30)

Looking for:

• EMT candidates
• Teaching experience and CELTA/TEFL/TESOL certificates required
• Valid working papers

Please send CV/cover letter to: recrutement@communicaid.fr

The post URGENT: Job Offer / Qualified English Teacher appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Over the last year, the Anglo expat community network has really taken off in Bordeaux – Spread The Word!

Clubs

Associations

Facebook networking groups and info pages

Language exchange and partying…

Buying or selling?

Looking for accommodation?

Apart from Le Bon Coin, Se Loger, PAP, myroom, la Carte Des Colocs and others you can try these facebook pages to look for an apartment or flatshare.

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The expat Facebook pages in Bordeaux get a lot of posts from people hoping to fulfil their dream of living in the Sud-Ouest, but don’t know where to start in their job hunt. Well, here’s an attempt at listing a few of the options when looking for work in Bordeaux.

Author: Chris Tighe

Tips before you start your search

You’re gonna need to speak at least functional French.

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Welcome to one of the most beautiful cities in France!

Here are the top 10 tips to get you kick-started in the port de la lune and help you to feel at home as quickly as possible.

1. Register with the town hall for the newcomers’ meeting.

2. Check out all the local Facebook pages and websites in English – they’re a veritable gold mine of information and you can ask questions to experienced local expats for FREE!

Here are the main ones:

3. Have a breeze through these key articles, which give an insight on how to get connected.

4. Pick up a copy of Le Map – this unique user-friendly guide is available all over town and has a complementary website – including a range of in-depth blogs in English and huge partner network.

Le Map

5. Get up to speed with all the local events.

6. Get out and about – the South West is brimming with incredible destinations to spend the day – or book an AirBnB and go for a long weekend!

7. Meet other Expats – there are many businesses and shops around Bordeaux that are run by English-speaking expats

Here are some of the main ones:

Downtown Bordeaux

Restaurants and Bars

Cafés

Other International Businesses

Chartrons

Restaurants and Bars

Other

Talence

Saint Seurin

Other

Cauderan

Restaurants and Bars

 8. Check out one of the local expat clubs.

Or Sports teams…

9. Hire a bike and go for a roll!

10. Learn to speak Bordelais…

The post BORDEAUX NEW ARRIVALS SURVIVAL KIT appeared first on Bordeaux Expats.

Bordeaux Expats caught up with Alice Neve to find out more!

 

Networking

Co-working

WIM (Work In Merignac)

The co-working area as a whole stretches across two floors and has a feeling of openness, with high ceilings and pervasive natural light. It is the most perfect space in which to create your own way of working. 

 

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He has worked in both production and post-production, as well as collaborations on different art related events.

Originally from Dublin, Derek has been based in Bordeaux the past four years with his wife and daughter. They originally planned for a one year trip but decided to stay when they fell in love with the city.

Having had the opportunity to work in post production in other European cities for a number of years, the chance of implanting his skills in Bordeaux has been a great opportunity and real learning curve. Being a Micro Entrepreneur for the past two years, this has seen him work on corporate and community based projects.

I can imagine I’m not the first person to find themselves in this situation having moved to such a beautiful city and to become self employed. With so much happening, family events, open air concerts in every park – the list goes on. It’s really difficult to dislike the place. For me personally, everything it seems is just so much more interesting to film – the warm weather helps of course.

Being a native English speaker, how has been the transition to working in France?

Well it’s not been easy, and that’s mainly because of the language barrier of course. Most of the projects I have worked on are french English speaking clients. But slowly I have managed to turn it around, but really still need to work on the french. That’s why I am back attending French lessons for a few hours a week.

What services do you offer?

I offer a range of services but lately I have been focusing on corporate and wedding projects. This usually involves covering the event and capturing all video and audio. I then edit the complete project to the specifications of the client and provide the master files directly.

I also cater for documentary films, web commercials, presentations, live events and video editing services.

Describe your video creating process from beginning to end.

I work best in a team for production, but I enjoy the freedom of editing a layout alone before showing it to the customer. From that point it’s easy to move forward together once you have a base to start with.

What is your favourite project that you’ve worked on in Bordeaux?

I have loved them all. From scripted shoots to live events, they are all exciting.

What has been your most difficult project that you’ve worked on in Bordeaux?

Well to be honest, it’s every time I sign a contract with a new customer. You simply want to produce the best intended result that the customer requires. Of course planning and trying to understand the customers needs is so important. Thankfully, over the years I have gained enough experience to cover most options. On another subject, weddings are by far one of the strangest events to film. I simply love them because i am given so much freedom. I don’t shoot them, I document the actions around me and this I think adds to a really relaxing atmosphere for everyone.

We understand that you’re a bit of a sci-fi fan and actually wrote a novel. Tell us about it.

That’s correct, I authored a novel called “The Creatures on the Bathroom Ceiling” available from Bradley’s Bookshop and Amazon.
The story goes, girl meets boy, girl likes boy, girl and boy make out, girl dumps boy – Boy goes insane.

I can imagine many people will relate to those few words above, and the crazy emotional roller-coaster that follows.

On the eve of his eighteenth birthday Francis Williams’ sister, Alex, gifts him a mysterious and bewitching stone. This sets in motion a series of events which introduce them to a secret world where they happen upon extraordinary creatures that have the strangest of stories to tell. Francis finds love with the most unusual entity imaginable and experiences a coming of age while dealing with loss, along with an ultimate confrontation with a form of evil hell-bent on retrieving the love of its life.

Do you have a business / website / blog?

www.derekrosevideographer.com
www.instagram.com/derekrosevideographer
www.facebook.com/DerekRoseVideographer

Any closing comments?

It’s never over, it just starts again.

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This is according to a study carried out by private employment website HelloWork.

Bordeaux is projected to be the metropolitan region with the most jobs created, with a 34% increase in offers in 2018. This business dynamic even places the city above Paris in the pecking order!

With four online recruitment platforms, HelloWork is well placed to observe the goings-on within the French labour market. The company boasts over 110 million visits and 14 million job seekers/recruiters. They carry out a yearly study that ranks French regions and cities in accordance to their recruitment dynamics.

The region of Nouvelle Aquitaine sits high in the national classifications, with a 31% increase on job offers from the previous year. Nonetheless, the Île-de-France remains the most job-rich region with 20% of the national average.

Among the most affected Bordelaise sectors, we find industrial engineering at 31%, computing/IT at 30% and finance / accounting at 27%.

Last year was a good year for permanent contracts (CDI), which accounted for 66% of job creation in 2017. This has been increased to 71% in 2018.

A reason for the stark increase in the regions ranking maybe due to the launch of the LGV train line. Bordeaux in now connected to Paris in only 2 hours.

What does this mean for Expats / International profiles?

Well, this all depends on what you’re bringing to the game. As always, when arriving in France you must expect to be in direct competition with the locals when going for a job. This means that you must have a great level of French and in some cases assure that your qualifications are certified or are the equivalent of French degrees within your domain.

Simply said: speak French, go hard with CV in hand, don’t take ‘non’ for an answer.

Got other suggestions or opinions? Leave them in the comments below…

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Written by Melissa Rindell

“A friend of the owner wanted to retire and was looking for someone to take over her association, teaching children English,” Elisabeth says.

For the Liddiards it was perfect. Simon is English and Elisabeth, a native of the Bordeaux area, was looking to return to the workforce after taking time off to bring up her children. They agreed immediately and have been involved with The New School Association ever since, Simon, as President, and Elisabeth, as a teacher.

The Liddiards met in England through an ERASMUS program at the University of Humberside. After graduation, they spent six years living in London, where they started their careers. Elisabeth worked in marketing for fashion sportswear companies and Simon in advertising. A job opportunity for Simon brought them to Paris in 2000.

“I loved living in England,” Elisabeth says, “It was easy to find a job, make money, find a place to live. And I liked the work culture. It was more relaxed, more genuine, more straight to the point. But I was really happy to come back to France. I always thought I would start my career in England and return to France for family and I really enjoyed coming back to the French way of living, the quality of products, especially food-wise. People are still cooking here. They’re still buying fresh products. In England, everything is pre-packed.”

After 14 years in Paris, Simon started contemplating changing professions.

“It was a fun, creative environment but hard work with long hours, and very stressful, ” Simon says of his time in the advertising industry, “And after 20 years, you’re not going to do a great deal that’s new. I kept hearing stories about people who had changed occupations and were enjoying new experiences and we were at a window of opportunity with the age of our children that we could move geographically without changing their education.”

Simon’s interest in wine tourism and the proximity of Elisabeth’s friends and family made Bordeaux a natural choice. Simon took a year of sabbatical and got his Masters degree in tourism and hotel management. He went on to work with the Bordeaux Tourist Office to create a jogging route and Urban Wine Trail. Inspired by a tasting room in Santa Barbara, the Urban Wine Trail allows people to experience the wines of Bordeaux without ever leaving the city, through an organised wine-bar crawl.

Passionate about real estate, the Liddiards also started investing in Bordeaux properties. One of the properties they invested in is a building on rue St. James, which they co-own with friends from business school. Un Chateau en Ville is housed in the commercial space. Un Chateau en Ville features all the wines of Chateau Lestrille and is a boutique, tasting room, and restaurant. Today, Simon works at the vineyard in Saint-Germain-du-Puch, where he oversees the boutique, tour program and event space.

Like many ex-pats, Simon has his fingers in a lot of pies and his love for real estate, lead to a position as an estate agent for Leggett Immobilier. Leggett is a British real estate company founded in the Dordogne 20 years ago, who initially specialised in clarifying the muddy water of French real estate for foreign buyers.

“Leggett is a family run business that advises clients on property rather than straight selling. I liked their approach as well as the strong focus on teamwork amongst the 500+ agents in France. The Bordeaux area is extremely interesting to work because it is not homogeneous, making it appealing to a number of different types of buyer. It also helps that it is dynamic and a real melting pot of French people from different regions as well as a high number of expats and foreigners,” Simon says.

Elisabeth’s efforts are more focused. She works full-time at The New School, which offers English classes for children 3-17, in Le Bouscat.

“It’s a great pleasure to wake up every morning and look forward to going to work. I love working with children and really feel I’ve found my true vocation. Feeding young ones and teenagers with English is very satisfying!” Elisabeth says.

In addition to classes during the school year, The New School offers educational holidays in North Devon, through a partnership with Country Cousins.

“Parents kept asking me for recommendations on exchange programs, so I started doing some research,” Elisabeth says. “Country Cousins is family-run and has a history of over 65 years, so I sent Simon to check it out.”

Simon has fond memories of a language exchange he did in La Rochelle when he was 14 and 15 and was eager to make that experience available to the next generation.

“I talked to a lot of French parents who had negative experiences with UK exchanges, so it was important to us to find one that had the quality we were looking for. Country Cousins is akin to what I experienced when I was young. It’s well organised and the activities range from surfing to theatre to sports. At that age, it’s important to make it enjoyable, because that makes kids want to go back and then it becomes their choice to learn.”

Country Cousins offers immersion programs ranging from 1-3 weeks for children as young as 8, during Spring and Summer vacation and a June program for “élèves de 2nde.” The New School is also offering an Acting in English Intensive from June 17 to July 5 in Le Bouscat for élèves de 2nde.

“It’s funny but if we hadn’t bought our house we might have a very different story to tell,” Simon says, “Elisabeth thinks she would still have ended up teaching English and I would still have envisaged real estate at some point, with or without wine! Life is sometimes helped along by chance encounters, the key thing is to embrace them.”

About the author: 
Melissa Rindell moved to Bordeaux from New York, where she worked as an actor, playwright and director. Before that she was a sports journalist for the Associated Press and did public relations for the Sydney Blues of the Australian Baseball League, Boston Red Sox, United States Olympic Committee and International Management Group. Melissa has been living in Bordeaux since 2015.

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Author Letty David

Step 1 – Pôle emploi and learning French.

First things first, if you’re job hunting in France, sign up to Pôle emploi; they will register you, and support you, and can prescribe free French lessons and subsidised training courses. You will be assigned a personal advisor (“conseiller”) whose job is to help you. If you have worked in the EU prior to arriving in France, bring them your U1 form which can entitle you to unemployment pay (long story and not the subject of this article, but well worth googling).

Now I’ll state the obvious; if you don’t already speak passable French, get learning as fast as possible. Find out if your Pôle emploi can get you free classes, and while you’re on the waiting list, get a card for your local ‘médiatheque’ (library) and borrow books, CDs and DVDs so you can immerse yourself completely. Médiathèques often host events, book clubs, and sometimes language exchange sessions as well so sign up for their newsletter and check their public notice board.

A friend arrived in France having only ever been here for a long weekend and learned enough to get a permanent job (CDI) by reading children’s books and listening to the radio. Within a year of working in a French speaking office, they were nearly fluent.

It isn’t easy, but it is doable; you just have to be determined. Watch French TV, subscribe to French YouTube channels, use French recipe books, and join local associations; yoga, dance, painting, football, whatever your hobbies are, do them in French! (Go to your mairie and ask for the list of sporting and cultural associations; some of them even do language exchange and lessons.) Switch your phone and other devices to French, even switch your mobile applications and Facebook to French. All this will help you to learn the language, but, almost more importantly, it will help you learn about French culture and meet French people, which is KEY to getting a job.

Aside from learning French, remember that your language skills and cultural background make you stand out.

An acquaintance found a permanent job in France after 3 months even though they spoke no French simply because they spoke fluent English which no one else in the office did.

List the languages you speak on your CV, and mention your background in your cover letter. Speaking English fluently is a great start, but it’s worth reminding people that you also have a cultural understanding of Anglophone/English/American/or other foreign clients and their expectations. Depending on your experience, you can also list that your work ethics and customer service skills were formed by your experience in American or British working environments (if that’s the case), meaning that you are hardworking and have excellent customer service skills for example. In short, no matter which country you come from, show HOW this makes you the better candidate. If you’ve lived and worked in Asia, that is likely to impress, so accentuate it in your application. Foreigners are exotic, so get out there and brag a little bit!

Step 2 – Applying for jobs: CVs, Lettres de Motivation, codes of conduct.

Your CV:

Your CV is expected to be one page maximum emailed in PDF format or printed out. Most people now include a picture of themselves. You can be as creative as you like with layout and colour schemes so it reflects who you are and your skills. Research the key skills expected for the jobs you are applying for (see fact-box at the end of this article) so that you know what is expected and which vocabulary to use. Make sure that they stand out by putting them in a box out, or in bold for example (soft skills are called “savoir être” and hard skills are “compétences”). Look at other people’s CVs on LinkedIn, and don’t hesitate to ask people for feedback on your CV. Be ready to regularly tinker with layout and update your CV.

Your cover letter or “lettre de motivation”:

This is expected to be no longer than one page in PDF format. Attach it to your application rather than send it as part of your email’s content.

Traditional layout is expected with your name, address, and contact details at the top left of the page, the employer’s name and address top right of the page, a subject line, an opening (“A l’attention de…recipient’s name”, or “Madame, Monsieur,”), followed by your text (and formule de politesse), and then your signature.

Your structure should have three parts; “you” (the company you’re contacting), “me” (your background, experience, qualities), “us” (how you can work together/what you can contribute to the company).

The first part shows that you have researched the company and are aware of their current projects and aims. The second is your chance to sell yourself. The third can be as short as one sentence synthesising your enthusiasm about working with the company and how you can drive their development.

Give concrete examples in your cover letter, and use keywords. This is your chance to add things that wouldn’t fit on your CV or expand on something that’s very important. Make sure to personalise your cover letter for each application.

Your application email:

Put the details of the position you are applying for in the subject line, for example; “Candidature au poste de -job title-” or “Candidature à l’annonce N3458” (advert number).

The content of the email should be short and sweet, something along these lines;

Madame, Monsieur, (use the person’s name if you have it)

Avec plus de 5 ans (insert number of years)  d’expérience dans (your industry or speciality) , je vous adresse ma candidature au poste de (job title) (référence n°45656). Vous trouverez ci-joint mon CV ainsi qu’une lettre de motivation plus détaillée.

En vous remerciant par avance de l’attention que vous y porterez.

Bien Cordialement,

(Madame or Monsieur your Surname and Name)

Handwritten applications:

Yes, some companies still ask for manuscript cover letters to be delivered in person or posted. If you’ve been asked for a manuscript letter or a writing sample (also a thing) it’s because you will be judged on neatness, handwriting, and presentation. Use plain white paper, blue or black ink (use a nice ink pen or fountain pen instead of a biro), and make sure to write neatly in straight lines. I always put a lined sheet of paper underneath the sheet I’m writing on to make sure my writing is evenly spaced and straight. Use cursive handwriting.

“Formules de politesse”:

“Formules de politesse” are your opening and closing lines and they’re a bit of a fetish in France.

The easiest opening to use for emails and cover letters is “Monsieur -insert surname-” or “Madame -insert surname-”. If you are unaware of the gender or name of your recipient, you can use “Madame, Monsieur,”.

Closing formulas come in all shapes and sizes. Usually, the more important the person you’re addressing is, the longer and more complex your formula is. You can end emails slightly informally with; variations on “Cordialement”, “Salutations distinguées”, “Respectueusement” or “Salutations Respectueuses”.

Here are a selection of ones you can use at the end of a cover letter;

• “Dans l’attente de votre réponse, veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes sincères salutations.”
• “En espérant que ma candidature retiendra votre attention, veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, ma considération distinguée.”
• “Veuillez agréer, Madame, Monsieur, mes meilleures salutations.”
• “Je vous prie d’agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l’expression de ma considération.”
• “Veuillez recevoir, Madame, Monsieur, l’assurance de ma considération distinguée.”

If none of these inspire you, google “formules de politesse” or “formules de courtoisie” and have fun!

“Relances”:

When to remind someone of your application is a tricky subject. Try to find out what the deadline for applications is, and don’t contact a recruiter about your application until after that. If there is no information regarding the application deadline, most people wait about 2 weeks after they sent in their application to contact a company. There is no solid rule about this though, so play it by ear. Just try not to come across as desperate because it could make recruiters nervous. Don’t hesitate to ask your Pôle emploi conseiller or anyone in your network what they think about this subject as it can vary according to your situation.

Other communication:

If you have been given an interview for a job, it is usual to email the recruiter within 24/48hrs to thank them for their time. Keep it short and snappy.

Step 3 – Networking

Why network?

Someone working at Pôle emploi recently told me that 60% – 70% of people hired in France get their jobs through the “marché caché”. He described the “marché ouvert” as the open job market; jobs advertised online and in papers; the visible part of the iceberg. The “marché caché” is the larger, hidden part of the iceberg; it encompasses jobs which are never advertised because they are offered directly to acquaintances, interns, or people who sent in spontaneous applications. Because of this, your most prized job catching apparatus is your network; your “réseau”. The larger your network is, the more flies will get caught in it.

Ok, so how do I network?

Your network includes everyone you’ve ever met. Traditionally, people’s network would include school mates, ex-teachers, parent’s colleagues, mentors, and extended family members. If you’re new to an area and don’t have a lifetime’s worth of acquaintances stored up, you’ll need to start from scratch. Tell everyone that you’re job hunting! Practice dropping it into the conversation; mention it at your children’s schools, to people you meet at social events, your neighbours, and your local baker (bakers know everyone, especially in smaller towns and villages). It’s a good idea to carry business cards you can hand out if anyone looks even vaguely interested.

Ask your Pôle emploi conseiller about their network; do they know anyone in your line of work who would be happy to meet up with you or chat over the phone?

Meeting people in person has to be your aim because it builds trust. People who have met you in person are more likely to recommend you and help you. You can do this by going door to door handing out cards and CVs and speaking to people. However, this can be very time consuming, and you risk only speaking to people who don’t have the power to hire you such as secretaries or interns. This is why I strongly recommend using LinkedIn.

LinkedIn and “entretiens de réseau”:

If you don’t already have a LinkedIn profile, sign up and get going. Make sure that your profile picture is an accurate representation of you, in focus, looking professional. It’s a good idea to have a banner picture; you can find one by googling “your industry/speciality + linkedin banner”. Your headline should list your speciality and that you are actively seeking work. If you speak several languages, make sure to fill out your profile all of them (find out how here). The more detailed your profile is and the more skills you list, the more likely to are to come up when recruiters search for candidates. Make sure you list your current location or mention that you are mobile. Start adding people to your network.

Use the search bar to find people in your industry near you and ask to connect with them. When you do this, there’s an option for adding a “note” to your request. I recommend adding a note explaining that you have recently moved to the area, are job hunting in X industry, and are trying to expand your network. You can also use this note to ask for an “entretien de réseau”.

“Entretiens de réseau” are networking interviews. Start by asking people you admire if they would be so kind as to share their expert advice with you. Ask lots of people because not everyone will respond. When someone agrees, organise a phone or Skype call, or a meeting in person (even better if you can). Prepare for the meeting by rehearsing your elevator pitch introducing yourself, your experience and skills, and laying out your aims. Then prepare some questions to ask. You can also ask for constructive criticism on your CV and cover letters.

Ask about your interviewee about their network; do they know anyone else who would speak to you?

Do they know other people in your industry?

Do they know of companies you could approach who might be interested in your profile?

The idea is for you to get advice but also expand your network using other people’s networks. If you didn’t meet your interviewee on LinkedIn, ask if you can add them. After someone has given you an entretien de réseau, send them a thank you email and demonstrate how they have helped (send your updated CV and list the steps you have taken). When you do find a job, let them know, and thank them again for their support.

Step 4 – The extra mile; “candidatures spontanées”, “immersion professionnelle”, “stages”,and “service civique”:

Once you’ve applied to all the job offers you’ve found advertised, make a list of organisations you would like to work for or whose missions or ethics you admire, and send them spontaneous applications. People often look through their archived spontaneous applications before even advertising a position so this can give your profile extra privilege.

Ask your Pôle emploi conseiller about doing “service civique”, an “immersion professionnelle”, or a “stage”; which are all great ways of getting a foot in at the door of whichever industry you want to break into. You’re more likely to be hired by someone who knows you, or a friend of someone who knows you.

It’s a good idea to mention in your spontaneous applications that you are available to undertake an “immersion professionnelle” with the aim of developing your skills and making yourself known. “Immersion professionnelle” is an unpaid opportunity to integrate a company for a short time (usually a week) so that you can develop your skills, learn about the organisation, and demonstrate what a good employee you would be. Asking for such an opportunity is a good way of standing out; if you undertake an “immersion”, you will expand your network and are more likely to be hired later on by that company as they know you. A contract is signed between your Pôle emploi, the company, and yourself, laying out the aims of the “immersion”. This is designed to protect you from being exploited. You can download an information pack to send out with applications on the pole emploi site (see fact-box).

“Stages” are internships; the pay isn’t huge, but this can be a great way of building experience of working in France with French people, and might help you find your dream job. You can search for “stages” on the Pôle emploi site and all other job hunting sites.

“Service civique” is similar to volunteering but you get paid between 500 and 600 euros a month. This can be a great way of practising French, meeting people, and developing skills to enhance your CV. For more information and to search and apply for positions go here.

Job hunting seasons:

January-April: This is a good time to job hunt in most industries as it’s the new year and new financial year. If you work in tourism/hospitality/entertainment, this is when people hire for the summer season. As companies come to the end of their financial year in April, personnel might be very busy and take time to get back to you so don’t stress; send a polite email reminding them of you about two weeks after you applied.

March-May: Good time to find last minute summer seasonal jobs. If you’re thinking about doing training or pursuing further education, you need to get organised now to start in September.

June-July: If you work in tourism/hospitality/entertainment and want a winter seasonal job at a ski resort, this is a good time to start looking as the good jobs with included accommodation tend to go early.

July-August: Bear in mind that the high summer season is from approximately the 14th July to 15th August; if you work in tourism you’re unlikely to get any rest during this period. If you’re job hunting in the tourism industry, make sure you’re available during this period; no one wants to hire staff who have holidays planned when they’re most needed!

August: If it’s the 1st August and you still don’t have a job, it’s time to take a break from sending out applications. Most of France shuts down over August; even my local nursery school and bakery close for three weeks. You’re unlikely to receive many responses from companies until the first week of September. This makes August a good time for you to recharge your energy, focus on updating your CV, practising your French, improving your cover letters and LinkedIn profile etc. Why not improve your chances further by taking an online course? There are plenty of free courses run by universities which can enrich your CV and show that you’re a proactive candidate (see fact-box).

September: The first Monday of September is “la rentrée des classes” or “la rentrée”; children go back to school, adults go back to work, and you’ve got a few months of productivity before the Christmas shopping season starts and things tail off again. This is a good time to grab people’s attention when they’re freshly rested from their summer break. You might not get many responses in the first week of September as people catch up with colleagues, attend meetings, and sift through all the emails they received in August, but by the 15th September, things should be more dynamic. This is a good time to expand your network, ask to meet people, search for mentors, and apply for jobs. September is also when most associations and meetups start again. Ask your local mairie or google “forum des associations” in your area; these are like Freshers fairs where associations and clubs have stands and hold displays to attract new members in the autumn. Joining clubs and associations will help you expand your network and integrate. This is also a good time to search for last minute winter season jobs.

December: This can be a difficult month; some people have given up by this time and have left the office early to go skiing and Christmas shopping. However, some people will be desperately trying to get things organised (and hire people) before going on holiday, so it’s worth continuing to make yourself known. You can also use the season as an excuse to wish people “Joyeuses Fêtes” or a “Bonne fin d’année” by email (remind them of your existence and dynamic attitude), and schedule January meetings with mentors or people from your network.

January: In France, New Years cards are more popular than Christmas cards. In fact, people spend most of January and February wishing each other a happy new year. Again, this is a great excuse to send out messages wishing people a “bonne année et bonne santée” and attaching a cheeky updated version of your CV, or asking for an entretien de réseau.

FACTBOX:

Pôle emploi:

Sign up to Pôle emploi + check job listings here

If you’re in the Gironde department, follow their Pôle emploi Facebook page; they’re active and host networking and job dating events all over the Bordeaux area.

Education/Socialising:

France université numérique is a platform hosting free digital courses run by French universities. The courses cover a wide range of subjects and some are available in English.

Use MeetUp to find social events and even meetings aimed at professionals in your area: “After work” meetups often attract a large crowd of people worth adding to your network.

If you are in Gironde, check out Bordeaux Expats Facebook pages and groups, as the international community is very active.

• BORDEAUX EXPATS (General Support Group)
• Bordeaux Expats English Freelancers
• Bordeaux Expats Jobs

Your CV and lettre de motivation:

Search these sites to find out about key skills in your industry/job, and French vocabulary:

studyrama.com

pole-emploi.fr

www.onisep.fr/Decouvrir-les-metiers

ONISEP is the national office for information about training and professions. Their site is a gold mine of information about education and jobs. Visit this page for practical info about job hunting, tips for writing your CV etc.:

Find free CV and cover letter templates here:

Layout template for lettre de motivation:

Great advice for putting together your motivation letter here

This blog is full of great tips and info.

Christopher is based in the Bordeaux area and also offers help with CVs, cover letters, and interview preparation. He has a big network so check him out on LinkedIn too.

LinkedIn groups to join:

Job pour TOI Sud Ouest (people post job adverts here, also a good place to share your CV):

Linkeat&Events Sud Ouest (lunchtime networking events organised all over the southwest)

Business Sud Ouest (for business owners, but still a useful place to be present)

People to add on LinkedIn:

Stephane Pusset runs the Linkeat events; he knows loads of people in lots of different professions and his events are incredibly worthwhile: he’s very approachable and always happy to help.

Amandine Carrier is a coach specialising in helping people with their CV and interview skills. She can take you through mock interviews and give constructive criticism in person or over Skype.

Entretiens de réseau information pack and template:

Download here

Immersion professionnelle information pack:

Download here

About the author:

Letty David was born and brought up in France but her family is originally British. Being bilingual but not understanding British culture at all, she wanted to learn all about it so she spent 5 years in Scotland catching up on English TV, discovering Scottish music, and bingeing on curry… She is now proud to call herself not only bilingual but bicultural. She is happy to be back in France, even though she knows that she’ll never properly fit in anywhere because she’s not 100% British or French… She is however a true European!

Letty specialises in communications, and she would be happy to connect on LinkedIn here: You can find out about her work as a photographer: www.lettydavid.com / @PhotographyLettyDavid

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