Job Discussion Forums

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

http://www.baby-speaking.fr/recruitment

Are these a good company, does anyone have any info?

free31 · Joined: 14 Apr 2012 Posts: 6 Location: To be Toulouse

Hello,

First post on here, so hello to everyone!

I have just appplied to them and I'm due to ring them today to discuss a job. Their recruiting system seems a bit complicated, but at the moment I can't say any more than that.

Will keep you posted! Very Happy

free31 · Joined: 14 Apr 2012 Posts: 6 Location: To be Toulouse

Well, got through to them finally, after several attempts. Answered a few quick questions about my teaching experience, and I have a Skype interviw scheduled for 9th May. Have received an e-mail requesting cv, answers to questions before interview (which had the wrong date for the interview, so had to ring back again...)

I am looking for work in Toulouse, where they don't have a site as yet, but will do in September...Not over-inspired by the agency so far, but we shall see.

coco1979, whereabouts are in France are you looking?

Any advice for work in Toulouse from others? Have made a few contacts, but nothing concrete so far.

Thanks in advance - will let you know how the Skype interview goes.

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

I know very little to be honest, i'm teaching in China at the moment and want to come back to Europe for September. On the face of it it seems a good number but they seem quite vague, I haven't organised my interview yet so I know little.
As far as Toulouse goes I have never been, the contact I have had so far is directed at Paris but that is a pricey place to live. I have been to France many times and it is a very appealing country as long as this work is secure. It seems they can offer �300 a week but is this a reasonable enough living wage?

free31 · Joined: 14 Apr 2012 Posts: 6 Location: To be Toulouse

I don't know Paris, I'm sure others are far more qualified to answer this - but I would be surprised if you could live on this, unless you have free accommodation.

I have a 'sort of' interview tomorrow with Inlingua in Toulouse, a 2 hour presentation. It looks like they do their own mini training course. Would appreciate feedback from anyone that has worked for them.

Many thanks.

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

Are you actually in Toulouse already?
Do you need to prepare a 2 hour presentation?
They have told me that realistically they offer 20 hours a week at about �900 a month before tax.

free31 · Joined: 14 Apr 2012 Posts: 6 Location: To be Toulouse

No, I'm about two hours drive away, but will be moving there in a couple of months.

The 2 hour presentation was done by Inlingua, not me, I'm relieved to say! There were three applicants, and we will know next Wednesday if we have been selected to go through to the next stage, which is a three day training course (2 days unpaid, 1 at minimum wage). If you're approved after this, work starts pretty much straight away. I have to send a sheet in by Monday of the days/hours I would be available. The pay isn't wonderful, complicated calculation but about 15 Euros brut, but they do appear to have the work there.

900 euros for 80 hours work sounds on the low side - is this Baby-speaking you're talking about?

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

Sorry I meant after tax. The Paris office said they could guarantee 20 hours but that wasn't necessarily so for other regions.

riverboat · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 117 Location: Paris, France

RE: living costs in Paris - you won't find accomodation for less than 400 euros per month - this is basically the rock bottom find-it-if-you're-lucky price for a room in a budget flatshare in a non-central location. At this price you can expect one or more of: a miniscule room, access to the bathroom through someone elses bedroom, a dodgy location etc, If you want a miniscule studio or a better-quality flatshare, it's more like 600 euros per month. And prices for flat shares and small (15-20m square) studios go right up to 800 euros per month plus.

A monthly metro pass is (I think) around 70 euros at the moment - but your employer should reimburse at least some of this.

A pay-as-you-go phone will cost you around 15 euros per month minimum, more if you make frequent calls.

Afer that, living costs are what you make them, but being Paris they tend to run high. Drinks in bars are really expensive, unless you just stick to wine all the time. A pint of beer is usually minimum 5 euros, a spirit+mixer is usually minimum 7 euros, a coke is around 4 euros. Food in supermarkets is probably comparable to most other major cities in Europe. Cinema tickets are 10 euros. Nightclubs are very expensive. Museums are about 7 euros a pop. A "formule" lunch from a bakery - like a baguette, a drink and a dessert - is about 8 euros. Restaurant prices vary widely, but for two courses and a drink its minimum 15 euros. Clothes and shoes are more expensive than in London (for instance).

So basically, I'd say while you can live on 900 euros per month, you'd basically be on a knife edge and have to live a consistently frugal existence...you'd need to try to earn more money by juggling a couple of employers and/or taking on private students.

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

Thats really helpful information. How would that compare to other places in France?

riverboat · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 117 Location: Paris, France

I've never lived in any other part of France, so I can't really say. But I think it would be safe to assume that rent is a lot less pretty much everywhere in France compared to Paris. I just had a quick 2-second look at pap.fr for apartments in Toulouse, and it seems there are lots of studios around the 400 euro p/m mark.

As for other types of living cost - food, drink, entertainment etc, in my experience of visiting other parts of France they seem to be pretty much the same all over. Maybe a tiny bit less than in Paris but not much.

coco1979 · Joined: 07 Feb 2012 Posts: 29

How realistic is it to live off �900 a month in other parts of France and if you wanted to pick up some evening work(bar etc) is that also realistic?

riverboat · Joined: 22 May 2009 Posts: 117 Location: Paris, France

Honestly, I don't know as I've never done it except in Paris. Firstly, wherever you are, everything hinges on finding cheap accomodation. It's already difficult finding accomodation in France because through most official channels you have to provide a "guarantor' - a French national who will officially guarantee to pay your rent if you default. This person has to provide details of their salary and living arrangements etc and sign a contract with your landlord and letting agency. If you're unable to provide a guarantor (as a lot of newcomers to France are) then you have to look for accomodation through unofficial or "private" channels. This type of accomodation is often highly sought after, and it really can be a huge headache trying to find accomodation of any sort, let alone something cheap, when you're new to the country, have no contacts, limited French and no guarantor.

Secondly, life is what you make it. Can you exist on 900 euros per month if you find cheap accomodation? Sure. Will you be able to actually have a normal life that involves going places and doing stuff? No. 900 euros per month is less than full time minimum wage in France. I believe net minimum wage per month is around 1100 euros which should tell you something about the standard of living you can expect on 900 euros per month.

RE: picking up bar work, its nowhere near so easy as it would be in America or the UK. Waiting/waitressing is a career here, and a lot of people do it full-time. Casual work contracts don't really exist much (ironically except for English teaching) in terms of doing a few flexible hours per week here or there. If you get bar work you're generally doing a set number of hours per week on a CDD contract. Again, I'm sure there are exceptions but it definitely doesn't work the same way as the UK or the US.