Job Discussion Forums

[Jasmeen]

Ok, all you old handers who love to laugh at novices (en France) like moi, here's something for you.

So far, the only offers I've come across are 14euros gross (i.e. that's just pre- social security deductions, not to mention tax considerations). Inlingua, Toulouse are offering a whopping 9euros / hour over, at most likely, a 1125 hour year (I think that is net the social security deduction).

I was on twice this (currency converted) in Australia in my first six months of teaching TESOL!!!

I've read aritcles on the net that talk about a minimum 15euros / hour upwards, leading one to believe a somewhat reasonable income is to be scrounged somewhere out there in the TESOL profession of France.

(e.g. http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0503/teaching_english_in_france.shtml)

Is it just because I'm outside the capital?

Go on, tell me how I naive I am... I am so stunned from these offers, I'm bound not to smart from it.

Thanks in advance.

[Luder]

While it's true that hourly rates are usually a bit better in Paris, the cost of housing is significantly higher, so if you're a renter you're probably better off in the provinces, even with those piddling wages.

There's better work to be had out there, but finding it can take a while. Your best bet is "vacataire" work in higher education (try universities, IUTs, IUPs, etc.). This work is always well paid (30-40 euros/hr) but to get it you'll have to have three hundred hours a year of teaching work for another employer, usually, as it happens, one who pays much, much less.

[Jasmeen]

So if I've got over three hundred teaching hours under my belt, a few business comm. skills training, a couple of respectable degrees and a CELTA, I should actually be able to find uni work?

Even at this time of year?

"Vacataire" means someone took leave/resigned?

Who does one approach at unis? Faculty deans? Chefs for Anglaise depts I can look up on websites? I have trouble locating anything but stuffy stairwells in those haunts but perhaps I haven't knocked on enough doors...

I'm still new so did those ackronyms (IUTs, IUPs) include Grandes Ecoles de Commerce type places?

[Jasmeen]

OHMYGOSH!



Did I thank you?


THANK YOU, kind sage.

I hope you are enjoying your current position.

[Canedolia]

I've never been very successful at finding information on French university websites (and I speak French and work at a university!), but if you are looking for people to approach, remember that students in almost all departments will have to study some English, so don't limit your searches to the arts faculties and languages departments. Maybe try looking for the person in charge of English for "non sp�cialistes".

Vacataire teaching is the hours not covered by staff contracts. University teachers usually work 300 hours and anything on top of that is considered to be extra. If the university staff don't want to or can't do extra hours, departments are free to recruit people from outside the department. I think this is what Luder was talking about.

Some universities haven't yet started their second semester, so you might be lucky and find this kind of work somewhere just now.

Good luck!

[Jasmeen]

This is really helpful, friend.

The title of these people is likely to be "Directeur/Directrice de..." within the department de droit/ sciences social/ etc. Or are they usually some kind of specialised administrator/ overwrought assistant de everything?

However it is, I'm damn interested and arming myself with CVs and sensible shoes for the rounds. Guessing my cover letter needs to be in French for these guys too, huh?

Thanks HEAPS, kind people.

Promise to share my wisdom with all interested parties once I have some. (karma and all that).

[Jamparis]

Hi Jasmeen, I found university work myself just by sending in an email to the university in my town. So, maybe you can save on the leg work and just check websites and you might get lucky!
Best of luck

[Moore]

I worked at Inlingua for a year in Toulouse (back in 1998) just the sort of thing you'd expect- mickey mouse job, but not too bad and I lived ok in a nice flat and the cdd (fixed length contract) was handy as the automatic dole entitlement helped me with the subsequent jobhunt when I left.
Irritatingly, a year after leaving in Paris I got a phone call from a University in Toulouse offering me work.
Try supplementing your wages in Toulouse with translation work: there are loads of companies there with international markets such as IT and aerospace and I did ok out of that.