looking for advice for working in the Nice area

[cli87]

In 21 years old and from Ireland. Ive spend the last 6months as a language assistant in a primary school in Paris with a programme called Comenius. My 6 months are quickly drawing to a close and my next destination is the Cote d'Azur,hopefully between Nice and Cannes.

I spent 3 months in Nice last year and loved every minute of the experience. I worked in a bar which gave me a great oppertunity to meet new people, improve my french and make a fantastic social circle which was important for me as I went to Nice alone so I was lucky to integrate well into my surroundings.

Ive really enjoyed my 6months in Paris,ive learned alot and gained invaluable life experience but its time to move on! Im eager to move on both destination and career wise.

Ive studied Language and Culture for 2 years at university in Ireland but in order to pursue my dream to live in France Ive stopped my studying.

Im a hard worker and an eager learner and Im hoping my teaching experience in Paris, my knowledge of the French language and being a native English speaker will work to my advantage at progressing both personally and career wise in the south of france.

Finally, Im looking for suggestions from people who possibly were in a similar situation as me or have knowledge of career opertunities for someone like me as Im slightly worried that not having a degree will hinder my chances and leave me a limited amount of options

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by cli87

Finally, Im looking for suggestions from people who possibly were in a similar situation as me or have knowledge of career opertunities for someone like me as Im slightly worried that not having a degree will hinder my chances and leave me a limited amount of options

To be honest about it, the French are rather keen on having academic qualifications - though in many cases those are expressed as "bac +" however many years of higher education.

What sort of job/career are you looking for? Generally you need an academic qualification that is related to the type of job you are seeking.
Cheers,
Bev

[cli87]

ya sure, i know lack of qualifications puts people at a disadvantage...in most countries! i would be happy to continue teaching english for the forseeable future and i did TEFL as part of my studies in Ireland. My boyfriend is french and he lives in the south, he says that i should be able to obtain a good enough job with having the 2 languages and that he can help but i feel i should try independently to see what my realistic options are. Ive always seen myself working with people in my 'grown up' life, in PR or along those lines but i know sometimes certain things need to be left as just a dream!

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by cli87

My boyfriend is french and he lives in the south, he says that i should be able to obtain a good enough job with having the 2 languages and that he can help but i feel i should try independently to see what my realistic options are.

Quite probably what your boyfriend has in mind is working as a bi-lingual secretary - which is certainly a possibility and reasonably well paid. Teaching English is, unfortunately, not a terribly lucrative job - thanks to salaries being undercut by anglophones teaching "informally" (i.e. with no teaching qualification).

You could simply try applying for a few jobs based on job postings in newspapers or online job sites and see what response you get. Career paths in France tend to be less flexible than in Britain, Ireland or the US - i.e. it's harder to cross over into a new line of work if you don't have the precise academic credential they expect. But networking (or "who you know") is the usual approach to job hunting in France. Don't turn down any leads or contacts your boyfriend might have to offer.
Cheers,
Bev