Your plans

Researching and preparing

Working in another country can be rewarding on both a personal and a professional level, but it’s not something to be left to chance. Before leaving, you’ll need to take a mental note of your goals, your past experience and the destinations that interest you most. You’ll also need to become familiar with the legislation and formal procedures in force in the other country.

Whatever your level of qualification, there are plenty of resource websites and organisations to advise you. Follow the guide.

Working overseas. Where? When? What opportunities are on offer? How do you research them? How do you apply? : Summer jobs, au pair positions, working holiday visas, WWOOFing, internships or long-term professional relocations… which one is right for you?

Think about your personal strengths and weaknesses to focus your research and assess what you need to do in advance to make the right choice in terms of the type of stay you’re looking for, whether you need to refresh your language skills, how long you have to plan, what funding you’ll need and other questions.

Working abroad requires certain skills such as adaptability, good organisation, sense of autonomy and an openness to other cultures and customs.

Think hard about your choice of destination because your language preference doesn’t always guarantee the best geographic location for you. What do you know about the country? What skills do you have in relation to the country’s professional requirements ?

Find out about the administrative formalities, the job market and the recruitment conditions, as well as local regulations, remuneration conditions and the legal status you would have (e.g. local or expat contract, consultant, volunteer, etc.).

Speaking of which, what are your return plans? You’ll also need to think about those before you leave. Check out:

http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/services-aux-citoyens/preparer-son-expatriation/dossiers-pays-de-l-expatriation

Finding somewhere in Europe is your simplest option

To work for up to three months in the European Economic Area (EEA), you will only need an ID card or passport if you are an EEA citizen. To work for longer than three months, you may be asked to register with the competent authority (generally the local town hall).

See « Living & Working » on the EURES website : https://ec.europa.eu/eures/public/fr/homepage

Outside Europe, you will need a passport and visa specific to the type of stay before you leave. Note that you cannot ‘upgrade’ a tourist visa to a work visa. Don’t think about just turning up and applying for a visa at the border, your trip will almost certainly get off to a bad start—with a trip back home !

Recognition of professional qualifications

This is to see whether a person practices a profession that is recognised in another country.

If your profession is not regulated you can freely practise your profession just like any other citizen in the destination country. Your employer will be responsible for assessing your skills. All jobs are open (subject to conditions) with the exception of those whose purpose is to uphold the sovereignty of the state (army, police, diplomatic service).

For a job or mission contracted by a French company or organisation whose head office is in France, recognition of professional qualification is not necessary.

Even if your profession is regulated, you will have to find out about the terms and conditions under which it can be practised.

There are two possible cases :

You are in a professional category that is automatically recognised in Europe and in some cases further afield, e.g. medical professions, but not all like physiotherapists or speech therapists which are subject to a review of the individual’s career path.
Your regulated profession does not have a common foundation and you are required to obtain recognition of your qualification by sending a request to the competent authority that may require you to sit a proficiency test or take further training or work experience.

www.enic-naric.net

www.ciep.fr/enic.naric.fr

www.cnp.gouv.fr

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/work/professional-qualifications/recognition-of-professional-qualifications/index_fr.htm

Writing your application

Translate your CV, adapting it to the standard practices of the country in terms of look and content.

Spend time getting the presentation right: be thorough but brief.

Highlight the things you love about foreign countries.

Present your skills, strengths and knowledge outside your education and experience.

Don’t translate your certificates or diplomas: put their equivalents in the other country and describe the content of your education where relevant.

Ask another person who knows the other language well to read through your CV.

Need help writing your CV in English? Head over to the European Youth Portal. https://europa.eu/youth/eu_fr

In your cover letter, write a response to each task or duty when applying for a specific job or, for speculative applications, make sure you research what the company does and think about how you can stand out (through your technical knowledge, languages, experience, commitment, availability, etc.).

Also think about CV Europass

You can create a CV using a European-wide template and present your skills and qualifications in a clear format.

https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/fr/documents/curriculum-vitae

Researching and preparing

Finding somewhere in Europe is your simplest option

Recognition of professional qualifications

There are two possible cases :

Writing your application

Also think about CV Europass

Pour continuer vos recherches, quelques sites incontournables :

L’actu

Mobilité en Europe