Letting young adults between 18 and 30-years-old travel the world, a Working Holiday Visa allows you to pick up part-time jobs whilst abroad to fund your travels.
Available across the world between 18 countries including France, Australia, South Korea and many others, it’s a great asset to make use of.
In Paris, there’s an array of options for employment with a working holiday visa. At Mômji, we work with thousands of internationals in the French capital every year, and we’ve used our knowledge to pick out a few of the best options out there.
Hostel Work
Always a popular choice with travellers, hostels are a centre of international activity in Paris. Not simply a place to sleep, it’s through staying in hostels that many travellers make new friends and gain new experiences.
There are a whopping 136 hostels in Paris, so plenty of chance for employment. From simple welcome desk jobs to more important roles which come with accommodation, asking around or searching online is your best way in.
Check our list of hostel jobs in Paris.
Hotel Receptionist
Moving up from hostels to hotels, this form of accommodation is just as popular with professionals and French travellers and foreign explorers.
If you speak English, you may well be able to find a job working on reception. Add French fluency onto that, and you’re at even more of an advantage. With more than 2,000 hotels in the capital, there plenty of places to look.
Retail Jobs
Another popular option when looking for jobs with a working holiday visa is retail. Retail experience is often transferrable too, so if you have skills in shop work, why not put them to use?
Finding these roles online can be tricky. There’s a lot of noise to wade through. You might be better off wandering around the city’s tourist areas such as the Latin Quarter and Le Marais. Ask around and keep an eye out for job calls in shop windows.
Bartender
A hugely popular choice for students and young adults on working holiday visas, bartending work is easy and pretty fun too!
A host of bars catered to international crowds exist in Paris, whether they be Australian Bars, English Pubs or anything in between. Similarly to retail jobs, you’re often best off going and asking about roles in person.
Café Work
Becoming a waiter in Paris is next to impossible if you’re on a working holiday visa. French waiters go through extensive training and spend a long time mastering their trade… you’ve probably noticed the difference in quality when compared to other countries!
However, if you’re looking to work in catering of some sort, café work could be for you. In Paris, eating out at lunchtime is part of the culture and given that office hours often don’t allow time for a full sit-down meal, plenty of eateries serving over the counter are popping up. A quick online search will bring up many options but, as ever, keep your eye out whenever you’re out and about town.
Office Admin
When searching for suitable jobs online, you could well come across some Parisian companies advertising for workers with a working holiday visa.
They’re often looking for people to help with odds and ends – from paperwork to office organisation and simple admin tasks. It might not be the most stimulating, but if you prefer to be behind a desk, then it’s another viable option.
Tour Leading
The principal language for tourism in Paris is English - no surprises there! So, if you’ve mastered the English language, why not look for a job in this industry?
Tour leading is popular for internationals in Paris. Whether it be on boats along the Seine, buses through the centre or on foot, there’s a host of tour companies who could potentially hire your services. You’ll be requiring to learn and repeat some simple facts, but you’ll always be meeting new people and be doing something a bit different than typical roles.
Babysitting
The term ‘au pair’ doesn't originate from France for nothing! First coming into use as early as the 19th century, the phenomenon of au pairing is still as popular as ever in Paris.
Today, the role is often simply referred to as babysitting. French schools get Wednesday afternoons off and, on top of that, professional parents often work long hours. This means babysitting is commonly used by the majority of families – so there’s plenty of roles out there!
If that sounds good to you, then Mômji can help out. We work with thousands of families across the capital who are searching for English-speaking childcarers like you.
Most likely, we’ve got a role that fits your timetable and is in your ‘quartier’ too! Apply now through our online form.
Teaching
Just as Parisian families are looking for babysitters, they are equally as interested in hiring English-speakers to pass on the language to their children! Being able to speak English is a huge asset to a child's future employability and prospects, so is often a priority for French children to learn.
If you have previous teaching experience, then a job in a school as an assistant might interest you. If you’ve got no formal experience in teaching, but still want the rewarding work of teaching the language, you can combine that with babysitting.
Either way, once again, Mômji can help. As well as childcare roles, we teach English to children, families and professionals. Get in touch with us to join our mission!
Pet Care
If the animal world is more up your street, then how about looking after someone’s pet. Paris is an urban area, but that doesn’t stop its inhabitants welcoming a pet into their home. Did you know, a huge 44% of French families have a pet?
There’s a range of websites looking to hire pet sitters on the web. PetBacker and AppJobs are two examples to get you started.
