Internships are an excellent tool for advancing your skills in a field of interest. These positions help young adults find a career path, test their aptitude for certain kinds of work, and further develop their CV. It is critical to find the right match so that the relationship is beneficial to both intern and company. Full time students have the easiest time finding internships because of their age, lack of real life skills, amount of free time, and education.
Internships in France
The law has been updated in 2008 and it is now mandatory to pay internships from 2 months onward. The bonus (not a salary, this is called gratification) for a full time job is 30% of the minimum salary (436,05 € in 2012); if the payment exceed that amount, the company will pay contributions on the full amount.
Paris is the site of the vast majority of internships in the France. Internship in France (stage) are often necessary to complete a student's degree. The duration of the internships usually runs from 2 to 6 months.
Search for Internships
To secure an internship aboard, it may be necessary to find a company that sets-up the internship. The easiest path is to be enrolled in a university which usually help you establish an internship with an affiliated program. You may also seek an internship by contacting companies you are interested in directly by sending a CV and a cover letter (lettre de motivation). A traditional letter is usually preferably to an e-mail.
To write a convincing business letter, follow this guide to French business correspondence.
Online
- Direct Etudiant - Leader of internship offers in France and abroad. Offers are dedicated to students with at least a first degree. Look in the section "stage à l'etranger".
- KapStages - Dedicated to internships for students with a 5 year degree.
- InfoStages - Offers internship with contracts (convention) for students. Offers are for all degree level and all studies.
- Iquesta - Targets students with a 4 year degree or more.
- AFIJ - (website of the organization for graduates and training) provides internship and first job in France and abroad.
- InternJobs - is a global database of internships for students, recent graduates and career changers. If your are looking for internship, then you can just register for free and have access to all the offers.
- www.ciee.org - Council on International Educational Exchange
- Intrax - Intrax Internships Abroad offers outstanding international internships in Europe, Asia, and South America to qualified college students.
- Europe Internship
- Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) - Along with study-abroad listings is a resource for international internships.
Also consider using Easy Expat's Job Listings to find offers, or network with other expats and share information on the forum.
Networking
If you know anyone in France - get in touch! It's not necessarily what you know, but who you know. Friends and family, or any contact you have in your desired business may know of a position. There are also professional social networks like Linkedin or Viadeo which allows for people to make business contacts.
Internship Positions
There are many major international companies in Paris. If you can find a position you are interested in, try applying directly.
L'Oréal - This international company offers internship to university, business school or engineering students. They last from 3 months to one year and are offered throughout the year in our various divisions (Research, Operations, Finance, Information Systems, Marketing, Sales, Communications, Human Resources).French-American Center - The program offers the participant a placement as an intern in an French organization, usually based in the south of France, for 4, 8 or 12 weeks, plus assistance with accommodations either in a French host family or in a private residence. The Center staff interviews potential candidates for the program, based on a completed application form and accompanying materials. If accepted, the candidate will be matched by our representatives in France with one of a number of French organizations seeking interns. The intern must arrive in France at a mutually convenient date, abide by the internship guidelines of the host organization, and depart France at the end of the internship.
EURES
As part of the EU, job seekers can access the European job mobility portal EURES. This resource provides information about job vacancies and the labor market. It also provides information on the living and working conditions, and a CV posting service.
Visa
If hired through an agency, the agency usually guides the intern through the process. Most interns receive a Student Visa. Certain French establishments will not take on interns from non-EU countries because of laws requiring working papers and health insurance. For more information on visa, consult the section on "Passport and Visas".
Update 20/06/2019
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