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Unless you can get yourself an EU passport, having a visa for the UK probably won't do you much good in finding a job in France.
First thing I'd do is hold off a bit until the elections are done here (figure June, since there are assembly elections after the presidential). Right now they are tightening up all the immigration rules as part of the campaign. Once we know who is going to be in charge we'll have a somewhat better idea of how tough things are going to be for foreigners looking for work.
In general, though, getting the type of job that will lead to a visa is not terribly easy even in the best of times. Unemployment is still pretty high amongst young adults, which means folks up to about the age of 30 or so. To beat out a French engineer for a job, you really have to have some sort of unusual training or experience to justify hiring you over a qualified European.
Keep on applying for jobs in any event. You only have to hit just the right job for things to turn your way. You may also want to make plans to make yourself available at some point for any interview that might come your way. Saving up for a vacation trip to France, and then mentioning in your applications that "I will be in France in the near future" can be an opening wedge to see if there is interest in your CV. Most employers won't pay to fly you in to interview, but hey, if you're going to be in the area anyhow...
You might also think about whether you would be willing (and able) to pay some or all of your own moving costs. That's the other big charge that keeps employers from hiring foreigners. You have to make it easy for them to hire you, cause the paperwork side of things is a real pain for them.
Cheer,s
Bev
First thing I'd do is hold off a bit until the elections are done here (figure June, since there are assembly elections after the presidential). Right now they are tightening up all the immigration rules as part of the campaign. Once we know who is going to be in charge we'll have a somewhat better idea of how tough things are going to be for foreigners looking for work.
In general, though, getting the type of job that will lead to a visa is not terribly easy even in the best of times. Unemployment is still pretty high amongst young adults, which means folks up to about the age of 30 or so. To beat out a French engineer for a job, you really have to have some sort of unusual training or experience to justify hiring you over a qualified European.
Keep on applying for jobs in any event. You only have to hit just the right job for things to turn your way. You may also want to make plans to make yourself available at some point for any interview that might come your way. Saving up for a vacation trip to France, and then mentioning in your applications that "I will be in France in the near future" can be an opening wedge to see if there is interest in your CV. Most employers won't pay to fly you in to interview, but hey, if you're going to be in the area anyhow...
You might also think about whether you would be willing (and able) to pay some or all of your own moving costs. That's the other big charge that keeps employers from hiring foreigners. You have to make it easy for them to hire you, cause the paperwork side of things is a real pain for them.
Cheer,s
Bev
