Working in France: Job Search Resources

The best way to get a job in France, as in most of the rest of the world, is through personal contacts. Like their counterparts in other countries, French employers rely heavily on referrals and personal recommendations. This practice can make the job search a bit challenging for the foreigner, but not impossible. Relying on the Internet or joining professional associations and networking groups can be a big help, but persistence is the key.

Listing approximately job offers from over 700 companies, Apec offers listings for positions in services, finance, industry, hospitality and construction. The site also offers a summary of activity for 500 major companies and contact information for 122,000 companies. Along with direct company listings, this site offers job listings from 80 major print sources, as well as articles on the job market, human resources, etc. Please note however that the website is available in French exclusively.

Other resources include government-sponsored agencies, such as The Angence Nationale Pour l’Emploi (ANPE) which offers a wide array of services to job seekers, including more than 100,000 job listings on its web-site. ANPE has a partnership with the International Immigration Office, expanding its capabilities to include an active role in the international job market. There are also many job fairs and career events, staffing agencies, some of which specialize in bilingual staff, recruiting firms, and the tried-and-true newspaper classified ads, any of which could provide the foreign job seeker with his lucky break.