want to work in france

[mattyb]

Hey there, I want to go to france to work for a month, and not sure where to start any advice.

Thank you in advanced

[Breton Beats]

One word: NETWORK with your contacts here in the U.S.

Keep in mind I am not French so I do not know the "official" answers.
A couple question first?

• What is your profeciancy?
• How well do you speak French?
• Have you ever been to France?
• Can you think, w/o hesitation in metric?
• And why only a month? What do you hope to experience in a month? It would take you that long to learn the menu and where the pots are kept.

If by "work" you mean get paid, it won't happen. Unless you are already an E.U. citizen or can arrange for a quickie marraiage to one. But even then getting a work permit can take weeks(months)? And forget working "under the table" That went away in about the 1980's. There are HARSH penelties if employers are caught with employee w/o papers. This is especially true in Paris, but read below for other parts.

There are educational "stages" that are arranged by the government. Again you won't be paid, but in many cases lodging is arranged and it can be easier to connect if you don't have any networking contacts. However I would be hard to believe that anyone would take you for less than 3-6 months. You might try the ACF for info, but you might have to be a member.

I have worked in 3 different French restaurants. I was working my summers as a private chef on yachts that were based in Antibes. I was very familiar with living in France, and the language. The job allowed me to meet several excellent chefs and food purveyor (butcher etc..) In the "off" season I used these contacts to find "work". At first I wasn't paidm but later I was paid cash. The third time I was living in Paris for language study. I went around to small restaurants and passed out small slips of paper that said I was a chef and looking to swap conversation with other chefs. (They speak French/I speak English) At the time I just wanted to talk about food. As it turns out one person I found was head chef, and we just hit it off etc...

I have to say that the experience was good but not earth shattering. Again, I had been living and working in French culture already so there was no novelty. I did far more advanced, and more "French" food here in the U.S. (and I was working at 2-3* and G.M. rated resturants). Tradition plays a bigger part than French people realize and we Americans are used to being confined to. And the metric kept catching me up. Answer quick: What temperature do you cook Creme Brulee to? In Celcius? (Stupid American system)

It would be interesting to know your motivations, or what you are hoping to gain. It might be easier to answer your question that way. Good luck.

[Tattooed_Sousie]

I'll be returning to the south of France in a couple of weeks. Actually, working in the black is still pretty common. I don't speak French, but I'm taking private tutoring. It just doesn't seem to stick! From what I've been told, a lot of the french chefs and cooks are either coming to the US for better pay or changing careers for a job with a capped hour week. I know that there are agencies that will help to place you abroad. It costs around 1500-2000, but they help you to get your work visa and you are given a place to stay. I would highly suggest a brief trip there first, with the intention of just looking around and meeting people. I've been gathering information about this for over a year now, and I'd be happy to help you if I can.
You can pretty much forget about a work visa. Your employer has to petition for you and pay the government. They also have to explain to the government why they aren't hiring a French citizen, then they have to explain why they can't hire somebody from the EU. Third on the list is anybody from a foreign country. To make a long story short, it's too much red tape!!

[maguire1]

do it! you want it , do it . advice is all good, but if you want to expeirinece it then you do it for your self. go for a month, a week, a year, it will all be hard. just always remember why you wanted to do it in the first place.

[mattyb]

Thanks for all your advice,

A few things to clear up thou.

1, I don't need to get paid experience is what I want.
2, Its only for a month to see whats its like I would like to get in a place and keep going back for longer each year.

3, I live in England so were apart of the EU so can i just go over there for a working holiday

[Ishbel]

Originally Posted by mattyb

Thanks for all your advice,

A few things to clear up thou.

1, I don't need to get paid experience is what I want.
2, Its only for a month to see whats its like I would like to get in a place and keep going back for longer each year.

3, I live in England so were apart of the EU so can i just go over there for a working holiday

If you are experienced, then Leith's Cookery School has an employment company with jobs in the UK and in various parts of Europe
http://www.leiths.com/jobs.asp

or try www.payaway.co.uk