| Useful Tips | When You Get There
Okay, you’ve checked into your hotel, you’ve got a list of English schools, you’ve got a phone, you’ve got copies of your CV and cover letter in hand, and you’re ready to go. What now?
1. Get a good map of Paris and hit the pavement. You need a map of the city with all bus and metro routes on it. They are available at any bookstore, or library. You should visit schools in business hours from 9 in the morning till 5 in the evening.
2. Transport pass and how to get it. To save money, you might also want to buy a weekly transport pass called a “carte hébdomadaire,” which is valid from Monday to Sunday of each week (so it’s not a good idea to buy one on a Friday). Ticket machines in local metro work for the whole 24 hours without breaks. Zone 1 passes cover all of central Paris, where most are located.
3. Go door-to-door. Visit the schools, hand over your cover letter and CV, and wait for them to call. Above all, don’t get discouraged. No matter what they tell you, a few schools do have the capacity to hire Americans, through programs like AIPT (Association for International Practical Training, www.aipt.org). Just keep trying!
4. Be patient. Begin making calls after a week or 2. Don’t harass employers. Wait at least or 1 week to give employer time to evaluate your candidature and make a decision. Some employers will want to do the interview on the phone. Don’t be scared of this, but be prepared. Some employers will want to meet you, and then at the end of the interview they will tell you that they can’t hire you without a work visa. In the end, it is a combination of preparation, determination, and luck that will land you that dream job in France.
Final Words to the Wise
If you want to earn a substantial sum of money, France is not for you. In a good month you could work 100 hours, but in slow periods like January and August you may only work 10-20 hours for the entire month. Most commonly the salary may be up to 1,000-1,200 euros a month; that is enough to pay for living if you don’t live too luxuriously. Don’t expect to save money or send money home.
Take no less than five thousand euro when going abroad, 2 month advance deposit may be asked from almost every mew comer. It can take months to open a French bank account, since you need your carte de séjour, or long-stay visa, before a bank will let you open a new account. The best thing is to have traveler’s checks in local European currency – euro - (you can order these in advance from most U.S. banks). Also, your employer will probably allow you to get cash advances on your paychecks until you can get an account. But you need to have some extra recourses of income.
In the end, teaching English in France is a rewarding and worthwhile experience, but you have to be willing to put in the time and effort to make it happen.
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