Job Discussion Forums

[sally2005]

Hi everyone.

Does anyone have any information about how to find a position as a �lecteur� in a French university in Paris? Are the positions advertised? If not, is it better to approach university HR departments, or the English department direct? And are �lecteur� positions only available in universities, or do they also exist in Grandes Ecoles? I�d really appreciate any info anyone has on this.

(I�m a UK citizen with an M.A., a CELTA and experience teaching business English but no university teaching experience yet).

Thanks in advance for your help

Sally

[Luder]

Lots but by no means all lecteur positions are reserved for people on exchanges from foreign universities (that's how I got my job). The others aren't widely advertised, and certainly not anywhere that potential candidates are likely to come across them. (when I was working as a lecteur, my boss had weekly meetings where, among other things, she read us job announcements that she must have gotten from some listserv the rest of us didn't have access to).

I think your best bet is probably to call or visit the HR department. They might be nice enough to direct you to the right person, whether in the English department or at the maison des langues.

Working as a lecteur is great. The students are fun, there's not too much work, the pay isn't bad at all (though to survive in Paris I think you'd have to pick up another couple of classes), but I suspect it's late for September 2005, unless someone on an exchange doesn't show up.

Another possibility--maybe easier to find, maybe not--is working as a vacataire. Again, contact human resources.

[sally2005]

Thanks very much for the quick (& useful!) reply

Sally

[NMB]

I had a great interview for a lectrice position at one university, then was told by another that the position required a Master's. Do the requirements vary among universities?? I was under the impression that the lecteur program was national, with standard salary and requirements.

[Luder]

The ministry of education says, I think, that a "lecteur" has to have the equivalent of a French "ma�trise." Because they sound so similar, the Anglo-Saxon equivalent is usually, if perhaps mistakenly, deemed an MA. The requirement is nation-wide, but each university can decide on its own how to award equivalencies. Hence the variations. Note too that if you've done the equivalent of a D.E.A., (like an MA), you can also apply for a job as a "ma�tre de langues."

[lolwhites]

I am about to start a lecteur job in Paris. I got it by making speculative applications to every university in Paris. Of the 20 or so I wrote to, 2 replied offering interviews and one gave me the job.

It seems to me that most universities get their lecteurs through exchange progammes with universities in English-speaking countries. Some still recruit independently, so there's no harm in sending a CV and letter. Make sure you send copies of all relevant certificates.

Salaries are standard, but I don't know about qualifications.

Hope this helps.

[daily chai]

Lolwhites, thanks for your helpful response Did you send all of your paperwork, diplomas, etc. with your speculative first letters, or did you say "available upon request"? Or would anyone else like to chime in with their suggestion on whether to do this?

Here in Asia I'm reluctant to send copies of my diplomas to prevent fraud. Also, I wonder if the person in the position to hire would feel it's too forward, or be too "overwhelmed" to open a thick envelope vs. a one-pager. I suppose it's also possible to reduce the size of the diplomas to just show them, but give actual copies later in the interview process. Advice?

[lolwhites]

I sent copies of all my diplomas, plus a letter of recommendation from my boss (I have the advantage of having a boss who's fluent in French). French institutions love their paperwork and the more you send them, the better. However, they prefer letters of recommendation to actually going to the trouble of checking out references.

I wouldn't worry about a public institution like a university committing fraud; I might be a bit more cautious about a private school on a street corner somewhere in the banlieu.

[NMB]

Has anyone lived in Nancy? If so, what do you think of the city? I've just accepted a lectrice position there but am not sure how I'll feel, having lived in such major metropolises as Paris, Istanbul, etc...

[NMB]

Another question...The contract is Sept - July for 200 hours. Can this be interpreted literally -- Do lecteurs really work so few hours???

I'm planning to pursue a Master's concurrently. Has anyone done both, and was it an issue trying to balance the schedules?

[Luder]

It really means just 200 hours, unless you do extra hours, for which you will also be paid extra. And the contract may say September-July but don't be surpised if it's more like October-June, if you're working as a university lectrice, that is.

I didn't do a graduate degree while I was a lecteur and I regret it. I'm doing it now, while also working twice as many hours to make the same salary I did as a lecteur.

All I know of Nancy is from Stendhal's Lucien Leuwen. It's described as smack dab in the middle of a muddy and treeless plain. Maybe it has improved since then!

[NMB]

If a lecteur is studying, which carte de s�jour does this mean? Lecteur or Student cds? Would one be more advantageous than the other?

[plover]

hello! just wondering if anyone still wanders in this forum.
i am arriving in france in august and looking to become lecteur/ma�tre de langue. (i am eu citizen, have bach., masters, currently completing phd, 5 years of both university teaching and work as an assistant) i am hoping that this will be an option if i can scour various areas with CVs (i realize it will be too late in many cases...or not!?)
thank you in advance for your help/advice/leads!
your posts/thoughts have already been SO helpful!

[plover]

Hi!
I am in France and would like to find a post as an MdL or lectrice for next fall (or if something was starting earlier by chance...)
I am having some difficulty navigating the whole university hiring process here in france
ie. which catagory of hiring does this fall under...i know its not tenured work but is it emplois du second degr�, PRAG, ATER, etcetcetc....
some of these searches are now starting and I'm not sure if the MdL/lectrice ones are as well...

thanks SOOO much for your help!!

[lolwhites]

Lecteur jobs may be advertised, but there's no harm in sending speculative applications to relevant university departments. Names and adresses can be found on the university websites -try looking for the UFR Langues.

MdL positions are usually only open to people studying for a PhD.