The cost of living is on the rise, and France is no exception. Inflation, rising energy and transport costs, the budget needed to live is increasing, and with it the headache for students of financing the more or less lengthy period of their higher education.
While it is out of the question for a student to work full-time during his or her studies (how could he or she seriously dedicate the necessary time to learning?), a student in France on a long-stay visa with student status (VLS TS) is entitled to supplement his or her income by working for a "supplementary wage".
This means that the work is not their main activity - studying - but a secondary activity. Under French law, foreign students are allowed to work up to 964 hours a year, which is 60% of the legal working week, or around 20 hours a week.
So how much can you reasonably expect to earn from this scheme and, above all, how do you go about getting it?
1. What salary can we expect?
Even if we can't estimate a high range, we can tell you the minimum you can expect to earn. In France, there is a legal minimum wage called the Smic (standing for “salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance”). It defines an hourly rate, i.e. a minimum wage per hour worked, to which all employers must adhere.
On 1 May 2023, the gross rate was €11.52 per hour, giving a net rate (what you actually receive after compulsory social security contributions) of €9.11 per hour.
Logically, if you work 20 hours a week, for example, you could receive a minimum salary of around €180 a week, or just over €700 a month.
The good news is that if you have to do a compulsory work placement (“stage”) at the same time as your studies (as part of a work placement agreement, “une convention de stage”), the potential bonus from the placement will not count towards the 20-hour maximum working week. You can therefore combine these activities.
2. How do you look for a job?
Looking for a job while you're studying, commonly known as a "student job", means first of all having the 2 documents you need for any application: your CV and a covering letter. Naturally, both documents need to be up to date, accurate and, above all, tailored to the job you are looking for. Do not reuse old letters targeting other applications, as this could be taken the wrong way. As far as spelling is concerned, there are a number of tools that include automatic spell-checkers, so even if you're not a spelling champion, these summary documents should be free of mistakes.
It can be very useful to set up alerts on job platforms, incorporating criteria that are non-negotiable for you (e.g. proximity to where you live, a maximum number of hours, etc.).
Multiply your opportunities by sending or submitting unsolicited applications to organisations or companies that interest you, for example by going to job fairs, forums and other events organised near you.
Finally, don't forget to look after your e-reputation, i.e. the information available about you online. Your first instinct when you want to find out about someone is to consult the web, so it's a safe bet that a potential employer will do the same.
3. Where should you look?
Potentially, all job platforms can offer ads that interest you. It may be a good idea to focus on certain sites dedicated to "student jobs", i.e. those open to young people looking for a non-full-time job with flexible hours or hours that differ from normal working hours.
Studentjob, 1 jeune 1 solution, Jobaviz, Jobetudiant are just a few examples, so check them out.
コメント