I am an american who wants to get a job in Marseille France. I dont know much French however, I DO?

Question

have the STRONG desire to learn, any suggestions job wise? I am open minded about any type of job for the most part, and I learn quickly. I am quite personable, and very calm, and easy going. Do you know anyone in marseille who maybe looking to hire an american? I would get a work visa, if they could help me. Any suggestions would be great. Thank you for your time:)

Answer 1

Oh Marseille is one of my favorite places. My significant other is from France, and I visit often. I hate to say it, but the French are not very responsive to English. I really would suggest at least learning enough to get around, or you may struggle. Most of the larger cities have english speaking universities, or bilingual universities rather. I would try for a job there, and it might help your language skills as well. If you can know the city well, you can be hired to give tours to American tourists, as there are many things in Marseille that are worth visiting ha. Oh and definately check out their soccer team. They have a huge following and they are really aggressive. Its fun. I know a friend in your situation. They are really difficult about work visas. They would keep telling him he needed something else everytime he went, almost seeming like they were just intending to complicate things inorder to discourage him. Also, try getting a job "under the table". If you get the employer's trust, I am sure they would help you get your visa. (I know people who have done this as well) Good luck to you! Email me if you have questions!

Answer 2

A work visa is nice, but difficult to get.

Since you want to learn French you could always sign up for French classes for foreigners either in Marseille or Aix-en-Provence (30 minutes away by bus). Your student status will get you a "carte de sejour" that will last for a year, and with that "carte de sejour" you are able to work (though only for a limited number of hours). Then you can find a job that might be willing to extend your "carte de sejour", or you yourself can just take another year of classes that way extending your stay and chances of finding the right job.

You have to be aware though that the job market here isn't exactly the best, and it can be difficult to find work. You can try finding work as an English teacher (not in public schools, only in private language schools), however, most language schools seek people with qualifications. But it is still possible find a job in this field without much experience or qualifications, I know one person who has done it, she was so motivated that the director decided to take her under his guidance and now she's working as a teacher.

Another thing that you can do is apply for a high school English teacher's aide. The problem is that even though you can put down your top 3 choices, they are not obliged to follow through and might send you to some high school in the middle of nowhere (since no one wants to go there). If you like working with kids, you also have the "au pair" choice (full time babysitter), lots of rich families here look for English speaking babysitters for their children.

Anyway, see below for some (hopefully) useful links.

Answer 3

You might be able to get work as an English tutor (giving private lessons), babysitting, etc..  Living in France and not speaking French is hard.  I don't have any idea about getting a work visa in France. Living in France vs. visiting as a tourist are 2 completely different experiences.

Answer 4

While I'm admittedly not 100% sure that they'd have any advice or recommendations for you, I'm sure it couldn't hurt to contact the American Consulate in Marseille, for which I've included the link below. Best of luck to you!