In this guide we will help you find a job in Paris, including looking for jobs, applying for them and starting your new job.

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Before you start searching

Are you eligible to work in Paris?

You may need a visa before you can start working in Paris. To find out if you need a visa and what kind of visa you may need, read more about visa and immigration.

Learn more about how to move to Paris ->

Note that it can take between 20 to 60 days to receive your visa.

Do I need to speak French to get a job in Paris?

In short, no, it is not necessary to speak French in order to work in Paris. However being able to speak French means you have a lot more employment opportunities.

If you don’t speak French you can still find jobs in;

• Tech companies
• International companies with offices in Paris
• English language teaching and adjacent language based careers
• Research academic roles
• Start-ups with international business or ambitions
• Childcare

How long is the hiring process?

The length it takes from your first interview to receiving an “lettre d’offre d’emploi” (job offer letter), can take up to 2 months. However this can vary depending on the role.

Step 1: Looking for jobs

Job contract types

• CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée) – No fixed end date and considered the most stable contract for job seekers.
• CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée) – A contract with a fixed duration of employment.
• Contrat temporaire ou d’intérim – A contract for part-time jobs.

General job websites

• indeed – Search engine for jobs, with many filters including languages.
• LinkedIn – A social network for professionals with a built in job search engine.
• Pôle Emploi – Run by the French state to help citizens land jobs.
• Glassdoor – A place to read company reviews from other employees, with job listings also.
• Monster – Another search engine for jobs with lots of filters.

English speaking job websites

• Wellfound – A jobs board with lots of international company’s, mostly English and tech roles.
• Englishjobs – A jobs board with a focus on English speaking roles.
• Jobs in France – The Local – A blog that also has a jobs board for English speaking roles.
• Jobs in Paris – A jobs board with lots of filters to help find suitable English speaking roles.

Tech & startup job websites

• Welcome to the Jungle – A French startup platform with a large emphasis on promoting company culture through multi-media content. Most Paris startup’s list their open jobs on this website.
• STATION F Job board – Station F is one of Europe’s leading startup incubator. This website lists all open jobs in the various company’s located in Station F.

Step 2: Apply for jobs

Does my resume need to be in French?

If you are applying for roles at tech company’s, or company’s that hire English speakers, it is not necessary to translate your resume into French.

Does my resume need to be specifically formatted for France?

This depends on if you are applying to a classical French company or not. If you are applying to tech startup’s you can leave your CV in it’s original format.

French resume format

French resumes or CVs are similar to American resumes. They usually contain a photo in the corner, your date of birth, home address, email address and phone number. They should be between 1 to 2 pages in length, and detail your career and education to date.

Note, it is very common to include if you have a driving license, regardless if it is required for the role or not.

Step 3: Job interview process

In France, the interview process can be long. Typically each round of the interview is a week apart. So for an interview process that has 4 rounds, you should expect it to take at least 4 weeks. Below is a typical structure for interviewing with a Paris startup.

Round 1: Talent acquisition manager

This is a screening round, typically conducted over a video call, where you will be asked on your career experience and why you are applying for the role.

Round 2: Hiring manager & case study / technical interview

This round is with the hiring manager for the role. Most tech companies have either a technical interview or coding problem that accompanies this round. They are designed to make sure you can do the job. Case studies are normally taken home after the interview, but not always.

Round 3: Peer interview

This is a round where you will be challenged on your knowledge and experience in the role and what you can bring to the position. If you have done a case study or technical exercise, you may also be asked questions about your work.

Round 4: Culture fit

The final round is typically with the talent acquisition manager again where they will tell you about the culture of the company and check to see if there is a culture match.

Step 4: Receiving a job offer

If you have been successful in your job search, you will receive a “lettre d’offre d’emploi”, which is a letter describing your job offer. It is at this point you can engage in negotiations with the employer.

Once negotiations are complete, you will receive your “promesse dembauche”, which is a document describing their ‘promise’ to hire you under the conditions you agreed during negotiations. You will then receive your contract which both and your employer will sign.

Step 4: Starting a job

Making sure you get paid

Assuming you have the necessary visa’s acquired, you will need two things when starting your new job in order to get paid.

• A EU based bank account – it is important that your bank account has a European IBAN and supports SEPA, as that is the only format of payment most payroll systems will accept.
• Numéro fiscal (tax number) – you will not have this number before you start working, however payroll will issue it to you a few weeks after starting your job.

Probation period

In Paris the typical probation period (“Trial period”) is between 2 & 4 months depending on the job type and company, with the possibility of extension once.

Helpful things to know

Employees are paid typically once at the end of the month. It is not uncommon for the payday to fluctuate by a couple days each month due to holidays and weekends. Tax is taken before the pay arrives into your account, however it is up to the employee to make sure the “prélèvement à la source ” is correctly set on your account at impots.gouvr.fr.

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