France has a huge appeal for young job seekers within Europe and across the globe. The language and the lifestyle draw in thousands of students and graduates every year. Are you one of them? Then have a look through our guide!   

Tips France

Where to find jobs as a graduate in France

Cities & industries: France is Europe’s second largest economy and an important trading partner to many other nations, so it is only natural that you can find the offices of almost every internationally known company there.   

In Paris, most dominant industries are found within the financial sector, the fashion industry, and services. The French capital also remains an important European manufacturing powerhouse, especially in industrial sectors such as automobiles, aeronautics, and electronics.

While much of the country’s economic activity is centered around Paris, there is also a range of options in other regions. France is a quite urbanised European country, therefore, cities such as Lyon, Marseille, and Nice offer various opportunities to hunt for jobs either at private companies or within the public sector.

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Our Top Tips

  • Most students and graduates start their career in France by being interns or “stagiaires”, so have a look at internship placements in the country (which usually need to be coordinated with a university).
  • Next to job portals (such as yours truly), most French newspapers are still quite active in running job boards, so make sure to check French jobs through Le Monde, Les Echos, and La Tribune.

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Preparing your French written job application

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Your cover letter (lettre de motivation) has to be of maximum one page and written in French unless otherwise specified. The writing style has to be polite and courteous, and the grammar impeccable. Read more about cover letters in France...

Your CV should be written in French and is one page long for fresh graduates - max two pages in case you have several years of work experience. It is best to use short and concise sentences and to avoid the use of ‘I’ (je). Read more about CVs in France...  

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Getting in touch with employers in France

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Language: The best chance you can give yourself for landing a job in France is speaking French. This is a requirement for most companies, as French is the business language. The general level required is B2 at CEFR competency. One of the best things to do is to find someone in your network that can help you with the language and the translation if you do not feel comfortable with it yet.

The job interview: Remember that the French culture is a formal working culture and you should address your interviewer with the formal versions of you, which are vous and votre. If not asked otherwise, it is expected of you to address the interviewer with Madame or MonsieurRead more about job interviews in France...  

Live

Working and living in France

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Bonne chance!

P.S.: Do you have other countries on your wishlist for work life? Let us know!

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