How to Apply and Get a Job in France From Ghana

Getting a job in France from Ghana will need you to know a little French, but with the right information you can easily apply and get a job in France without much stress. This guide on how to apply and get a job in France from Ghana contains information on the current France job market, job vacancies, French work permits and where and how to find a job in France from Ghana.

As earlier mentioned, finding a job in France while require you to have a little command of French. If you don’t speak French, it is hard to find anything but the most menial employment. So, you can increase your chances of getting a job in France by getting a language course in French.

When searching for a job in France, you need to be flexible. If you can’t find your ideal job at first, look at what other jobs in France are on offer and consider taking something else to get your grounds.

If you are looking for a job in France from Ghana, here is a guide on what you need to get started on your France job search, including advice on what jobs are available and where to start your France job search from.

Work in France From Ghana

France Job Market

At the end of 2018 French unemployment rate stood at 9.1 percent (INSEE).  However, unemployment continues to remain high for under 25s, of which around 23.3 percent were unemployed in 2016, among the highest rates in Europe. Against this backdrop, the majority of contracts are flexible, and permanent contracts are few. Employment levels are not predicted to rise significantly, however, there are jobs to be had especially in certain sectors (see below), although you stand a much better chance of employment if you speak French.

Available Jobs in France

The major industries in France with a lot of employment potentials are aerospace, motor industry, pharmaceutical, industrial machinery, metallurgy, electronics, textiles, food and drink, and tourism.

Management skills are in particular demand in sales management-level occupations, construction, and science and engineering – especially in areas outside major French cities – as well as in business marketing, distribution, industry (agribusiness, mechanical, electrical, metallurgy), health and social work, banking and insurance, and IT industries.

The public sector, accounting for around one in five jobs in France, also reported shortages; many civil jobs are open to EU nationals in state and regional administration and healthcare.

Jobs can also be found in tourism (including hotels, restaurants, catering), care giving (home, medical, psychiatric, childcare), retail and agriculture. English-language teaching is also an option.

Click here to see the up-to-date official list of shortage jobs in France.

How to Search for Jobs in France from Ghana

The question now is where can I find a job in France from Ghana. Well, they are a number of places both online and offline where you can get a French job in Ghana.

Public French Job Websites

Jobs are posted by the French national employment agency Pôle Emploi (the new name for the ANPE). You’ll find all kinds of jobs including manual, unskilled and casual work, and they have offices all over France. APEC is the national employment agency for professional and managerial jobs.

Job Websites in France

• ABG L’intelli’agence – scientific/medical jobs
• ANEFA – agricultural and viticultural (wine growing) jobs
• Craigslist – mostly Paris
• Emploi Annonces
• Emplois Verts – ‘green’ jobs
• IAPA (International Au Pair Organisation) – a list of French agencies for au pair jobs
• Indeed France
• Keljob
• Les Jeudis
• L’Etudiant – students and young graduates
• L’Hôtellerie Restauration – restaurants and hotel jobs
• Monster
• Recrut
• Stratégies Emploi – marketing, communications and PR jobs
• The Local

Employment Search Engines Across France

• Option Carriere
• Jobbydo
• Trovit

English speaking Jobs in France

• Jobs in Paris – despite the name, jobs throughout France
• Speaking-Agency – teaching and childcare

Managerial Jobs

• Cadremploi
• Cadresonline

Recruitment Agencies in France

You can sign on with as many recruitment agencies as possible. Look for names and contact details of recruitment agencies in the Pages Jaunes (Yellow Pages) under cabinet de recrutement. Reputable companies will be members of the recruitment agencies’ professional body Prism Emploi.

Teaching Jobs in France

English, German and Spanish are all in demand but getting a job in the French education system will usually require French qualifications. The British Council and CIEP have information about becoming a foreign language assistant in French state schools. A teaching qualification (eg. TEFL) or even a university degree and some experience may be sufficient for a position within a private language school or training agency.

There are lots of private language schools – some 300 in Paris alone – and you can choose between primary and secondary, as well as adult learners.

Embassies and Foreign Organisations

Check out opportunities at the French embassy in Ghana. Most will expect a high standard of both spoken and written French.

Newspapers

Both national and regional newspapers carry adverts for job vacancies, with links to job websites or their own pages; some main newspapers include Le Monde, Libération and Le Point.

FUSAC is a Paris-focused, English-language, web-based magazine with lots of job ads and can also put you in touch with others in the English-speaking community of Paris – good for work and social networking.

Networking

Jobs in France are widely advertised, but many positions are filled through personal contacts. Networking is very important because it could lead you to a potential job. Ask around: friends of friends, and though social networking sites for professionals, such as LinkedIn and Viadeo, the French social networking site. Get in touch with like-minded people in Paris through FUSAC (English-language, web-based magazine). Join a meet-up group to make contacts with like-minded individuals working in similar fields all over France.

Make the first move – speculative applications

Speculative applications (candidatures spontanées) are considered a sign that you have the ambition to achieve and are looked upon favourably in France. Use the Pages Jaunes (Yellow Pages) to look for companies in your sector and check out the websites of international companies.

How to Apply for a job in France From Ghana

Once you’ve found a job in France that you are qualified for, you need to send in your application in a format that French employers expect to see. If you get through to the interview stage you’ll need to know what to expect in a French job interview, and what to do – and not to do – during the interview.

READ ALSO: 5 Tips to Help You Get a Job Abroad From Ghana

Languages Requirements to Work in France

To get a job in France, you’ll typically need to speak French to a good standard. Even if the job requires you to speak your mother tongue they will probably still require some French language proficiency. You might consider studying French at a language school just to enhance your chances of securing a French Job.

Qualifications to Work in France

As a Ghanaian, you’ll need to find out whether your qualification will be recognised in France through the Centre ENIC-NARIC France. You can find out whether your profession is regulated (needs specific qualifications for you to be able to practise it) in France by checking on the European Commission’s database.

French Work Visas and Permits

As a Ghana citizen, you will need to apply for a France Schengen work visa before you can work in France. Once you have been offered a job by your prospective employer, they will apply for authorisation in order for you to work in France.

Salary of Workers in France

The minimum wage (SMIC) in 2018 was set at €9.88 per hour, or the equivalent of €1,498.47 per month (around €1,160 after tax). The SMIC is reviewed on 1 January and again in the year if the consumer price index increases by more than 2 percent of the SMIC.

In the main, France operates a flat minimum wage system, though there are some exceptions.

People aged under 17 with fewer than six months of experience in professional work can be paid at a level of 80% of the minimum wage until they are 17, then at 90% of the minimum wage until they are 18.

People with apprenticeships, meanwhile, can receive anything from 25% to 78% of the minimum wage depending on their age and level of experience.

In theory, people on work experience do not have to receive the minimum wage, although they should be allowed expenses. If a work experience contract lasts more than two months, companies must pay the intern a minimum amount towards their expenses. This is currently set at €554.40 a month.