France

Understanding the jobs market and recruitment methods used in the country you want to work in is important for a successful job search. If you are considering working in France after completing your course there are a few things that you need to be aware of.

France recruiters will typically expect applicants to have a relevant degree and work experience as well as a grasp of the language to give you the best chance. 

You should also be aware that some occupations are regulated so you would need to confirm whether your qualifications will have to be validated. ENIC-NARIC France involves an equivalency review in which foreign qualifications are compared with a corresponding French qualification.

Getting started

Includes information on the French job market, applying for jobs and getting work experience.

LSE subscription site.  Includes job search resources, information on employment trends and advice on making applications.

Links to the European job mobility portal with information for jobseekers on living and working in France.

Visas

EU Citizens have the right to work in other European countries without a work permit.  However non EU-nationals may be required to have a visa. Check with the French Embassy for information on the visas and permits you may require.

Language

Try the LSE Language Centre if you want to learn or improve speaking French.

Internship agreement

You may sometimes, as a result of the French national law, be required by your company to complete an internship agreement, called ‘Accord de stage’ or ‘Convention de stage’.

Find information here about how to request and complete an internship agreement from LSE Careers as well as how to request a company/government internship agreement to be signed.

CVs in France

The aim and format of CVs in France is largely the same as in the UK. However, below are some of the key differences and features of CVs in France.

A French CV should not exceed two pages; a one page CV is usually sufficient for a new graduate.

The ‘personal details’ section can include an email address, phone number and optionally a link to the LinkedIn public profile. The date and place of birth, marital status and number of children are not necessary, but not prohibited either.

Despite trends towards anonymous selection processes it is still quite usual to include a photo. This is then included at the right hand corner of your CV. Use a professional photo rather than one from a photo-booth.

It’s highly recommended in French CVs to add a title at the top of the CV, which usually corresponds to the job title you are applying to. It helps recruiters know you’re actually replying to their job advert. In addition, it’s also recommended to add a ‘subtitle’ under this title: use between one and three lines to highlight the key strengths of your application, in terms of previous experience, education and areas of specialism. These lines (similar to the ‘profile’ at the top of UK experienced CVs) will enable the recruiter to read your CV with these key strengths in mind.

Examples of French CVs

  • There are several examples of French CVs and covering letters on the French section of Going Global.
  • Monster.fr also includes an example of a tabular CV and covering letter as well as examples of sector specific CVs.

Covering letters in France

  • A covering letter in France is called a ‘lettre de motivation’.
  • The content of the covering letter is very similar to that in the UK – why you, why the role, why the company.
  • A speculative application is called a ‘candidature spontanée’.

Further study and academia

Here is a list of useful websites for postgraduate study in France:

French Agency for the promotion of higher education, international student services, and international mobility.

Portal about studies in France and other useful information for students

Academic and research careers

An overview of academia in France is available from European University Institute: Academic Careers Observatory (ACO). The ACO facilitates the flow of knowledge among researchers about national academic careers and research opportunities in the social sciences and humanities, throughout Europe and beyond.

The pages on France higher education and academic career progression are informative.

The websites about competitiveness clusters in France (competitivite.gouv.fr and franceclusters.fr) list large and small firms, research laboratories and educational establishments, working together on collaborative research projects.

The site franceclusters.fr/nos-services/forum-de-lemploi includes a job board to work in clusters.

Academic vacancies

Vacancies for researchers throughout Europe, along with individual country portals and practical information is available through the researcher's portal of EURAXESS. This is written in English and is easily searchable by country, discipline and level of experience. Here is the French national EURAXESS website too.

The Association Bernard Gregory is specialised in recruiting and career development for doctoral candidates and PhD-holders.

Academic Positions is the European career network for Academics, Researchers and Scientists and lists job adverts in France too.

Further information from LSE Careers

Useful Information

Routes in

Two good places to start when looking for employers in France are:

The following resources should help you find out about organisations in France:

Has an online membership directory you can search.

In the online directory, 60% of the 600 member companies are French.

Use the advanced search to find UK employers located in France

Lists France's most attractive employers, resulting of a survey of French graduates by Trendence

Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the leading professional networking site to explore opportunities in the area and connecting with organisations and alumni across the world and to find out about job opportunities.

Suggested LinkedIn groups include:

You can also search for LSE alumni when you log on to LinkedIn. Find out more about using LinkedIn in your career.

Connect with LSE alumni

The Alumni Association in France organises events and networking.

Cross-industry job boards:

  • LSE CareerHub
  • Apec (Association Pour l’Emploi des Cadres – Association for Executives’ Employment)

The main French job board for graduates, managers and executives, highly recommended.

Apec is also a key resource for labour market information by sector, by region or by type of role. They also offers high quality careers information and advice online, free one-to-one appointments as well as free workshops for graduates and executives across France. They organise job fairs and other events throughout the year in different French cities.

Specialised job board for students and graduates, offering internships and entry role jobs, with thorough employer presentations.

Job board of the French Job Centre, with 600.000 job vacancies online, non-specialised.

Specialised websites:

Banking and financial services:

Leading website for job opportunities for students, graduates and executives in finance, banking, accounting and insurance.

Financial markets job and internship portal for mathematics backgrounds and quantitative skills.

Dedicated to jobs and internships in the management and finance sectors.

Jobs in the financial and insurance sectors.

Legal and paralegal:

Leading website for legal and paralegal professionals.

Specialised in legal and financial sector jobs.

Agri-food industry:

Devoted to the agri-food, agricultural, food distribution, environmental, restaurant and industrial equipment sectors.

Job offers and advice for managers, engineers and technicians from the food and agriculture sector.

Aeronautics industry:

Specialised in positions and companies in the aeronautics industry.

IT and digital opportunities:

The leading website for IT-related positions, with information on salaries, legal issues and other pertinent topics. Also well known for its job fairs in different French cities.

National and local government:

National civil service job opportunities.

Territorial civil service job opportunities.

Culture, arts and heritage:

Opportunities for executives in culture, heritage, arts, and other sectors.

Environment and energy sector:

Dedicated to environmental and sustainable development positions in air, water, energy and waste management.

Specialised in energy and environment jobs.

Fashion, luxury and beauty sector:

Fashion, luxury and beauty sector job, internship and freelance positions, and up-to-date industry news and market trends.

Industry and construction sector:

Jobs in the industry and construction sectors.

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