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Working
in the country
Before
leaving
You
should take Spanish lessons, or improve your level.
The quality of job you could aspire to may depend
on how well you speak the language.
With
a French or international
company
If your
employer is a French or international company you
don't have to worry about formalities. Usually the
administrative services deal with all the
formalities concerning the expatriate staff. Unless
you are the only representative of your company in
the country (sales representative, or in charge of
a liaising office ...), in this case you will have
to deal with the formalities yourself.
Preparing
for your departure and looking for a job
:
You can start searching for information by writing
to French associations established in the country,
trade commissions, commercial services of foreign
banks in France and French banks abroad.
The French consulate usually has a service dealing
with jobs and training, student grants and
reinsertion in France, and they can put you in
touch with local enterprises who are willing to
accept French personnel.
(See also
in the Practical Guide for the
Expatriate).
The French
Chamber of Commerce also offers information about
the job market, the most dynamic sectors of the
economy, and edits a bulletin for French companies
and local members. You could publish a job
application in this bulletin.
The Trade
Commission in Mexico or the CFCE in Paris can
furnish you with a list of French companies
established in Mexico.
Documents about
the country are usually available in the cultural
service of the Mexican Embassy in Paris.
You can however
prepare your trip in a more precise manner by
making a personal appointment with the
Franco-Mexican Chamber of Commerce in order to
complete your information and get professional
advice.
While you are
hunting for information you could contact companies
directly by sending a spontaneous candidacy
proposing your services.
The international
departments of the Chambers of Commerce and
Industry often have information about the country
available. Directories and useful dossiers from the
country can be helpful in getting information on
sectors of activity and the local economic
life.
Where
to find job offers
:
In the French press (Le Monde, Le France Soir,
Figaro, Moniteur du Bâtiment,...) for French
companies sending people abroad.
In the
international press, in nearly all the bigger
dailies there exists a page or a selection of job
offers (The European, The Guardian, Vacature,
Coriere della Sera, The Geneva Tribunal
..)
Leading
recruitment bureaus in Europe, and interim
companies sometimes offer international
jobs.
There are several
data banks specializing in job offers abroad on
Internet which are easily accessible.
Writing
your CV and covering letter
:
Your dossier is a determining element towards being
recruited, it is the first step towards obtaining
an interview.
The CV should be
very clear, typewritten, detailled, preferably
written in English and it should be accompanied by
a handwritten covering letter. Certain countries do
not accord much importance to handwriting, but it
is advisable to write the letter by hand whichever
country it is addressed to.
If the company is
French or the subsidiary of a French company, the
CV and the covering letter should still be written
in the language of the country.
Don't forget to
attach a recent photo, preferably one where you are
smiling.
Your
CV should be detailled, and have the addresses
and phone numbers of ex-employers on it so that the
company can easily verify the main points of your
candidacy. This can save you from sending a pile of
photocopies and documents with it. You can always
present these documents later during an interview
if necessary.
If you are
thinking of sending a false CV, you should know
that a study from the Florian Mantione Institute
shows that 45% of the employers check up on CVs,
that 34% of the candidates are eliminated during
this verification and that 60% of the verifications
are made with the previous employer.
Whatever your reasons for 'adapting' your CV to
suit the ad, be warned that it won't help you
during the interview and could even cause you
prejudice.
The
questions to ask yourself before an
expatriation
:
What exactly is the job?
What is the length of the contract?
Is it for the whole family or with bachelor
conditions?
What kind of life will you have locally?
Have you thought about when you get back, how you
will manage financially to fit in again?
Do you have the necessaries qualities to be an
expatriate?
Qualities
you need to succeed
:
emotional stability (so you can react quickly
in any situation)
autonomy (you can make decisions on your own in any
circumstance)
being mobile and being available for your job,
being able to relocate quickly
being good at meeting people (don't forget that the
expatriate is also an ambassador for his country
whether in his professional or his social life.
being adaptable (you can easily adapt to different
cultures, climates and life styles. )
being able to accept and understand different
cultures and cultural differences
tolerance and respect of other people's way of life
and way of living should be a natural part of your
character.
Your
family and recruiting
:
Your partner should have the same ambitions as
you. It is often an important factor in choosing an
expatriate.
In fact some recruitment bureaus or big firms when
they are recruiting, specially for long term
projects, insist on having an interview with the
wife to check that there are no problems in the
couple which could get worse abroad and maybe
disturb the mission.
Companies often propose that the whole family goes
together so that a good family balance is
kept.
During
the recruiting
:
Punctuality and precision are appreciated
everywhere. Be on time for your
appointments.
Be well dressed
for your interview, whatever kind of job you are
trying for. Your appearance will weigh with the
interviewer.
First interviews
are often very short but can last several hours if
your candidacy is interesting, depending on the
post offered, and if you have to do any
psychotechnical (graphological analysis) or
aptitude tests.
Be careful not to
appear pretentious about your know-how and don't
exaggerate your professional competence.
Don't forget that
nowadays the job market is a chronic problem nearly
all over the world, so take an interview
appointment seriously, jobs are not easy to come
by.
Emphasize your
real competence, your ease of adaption, your
mobility, your ability to work in a team, your
readiness to pool your experience.
The
company and the
expatriate
:
A lot of countries abroad like to have, and to
show that they have, expatriates on their
staff.
International personnel often bring in experience
and knowledge which can be very advantageous for a
company.
Salaries
- Salary requirements
:
If the candidate doesn't know the prospective
country, it isn't always easy to negotiate a
salary, especially if the amount has already been
mentionned on the ad.
However, there is nothing to stop you from showing
your previous salary and from discussing the salary
offered. The recruiting agent or the employer may
appreciate knowing what for you is the minimum.
It is often difficult to compare salaries with
European ones.
The standard of living that you find abroad is not
always similar to the one you know in Europe and
sometimes if the salary is much higher you will
find that the cost of living is also.
This is one of the reasons, and there are several,
including social security conditions, why it is
better to go abroad with a European company.
French companies sending people overseas budget for
differences in the cost of living. They can
reassure the expatriate that his purchasing power
will at least be the same as in France.
The 'basic French salary' can be paid either in
France or abroad, it is usually a choice, and an
allowance is paid for living expenses
(accomodation, food,...) This compensation is based
on the cost of living in the country.
Taxes
(see the page in the expatriate guide)
If you are employed locally you will have to pay
taxes in the country.
If you have an international contract your salary
can be negotiated free of taxes.
In some countries income tax is deducted at source
by the company.
Accomodation
- company car - other fringe
benefits
:
It is nearly impossible to negotiate for a company
house if you are employed locally. Getting a car
depends on your job and your level in the
company.
In a local company it will be very difficult to
negotiate a paid return ticket to France every
year.
There again, if you are an expatriate working for a
French company you will get fringe benefits, a
house, car, travel allowance, return flights to
France ...
Usually international contracts give 15 days leave
in France every 3 months.
Working
conditions :
These are the local ones with all the attenuating
advantages and disadvantages if you are working for
a local company.
The expatriate is often considered as an immigrant
and has to deal himself with the local
formalities.
On the
administrative side the expatriate does not have to
worry about the formalities concerning the police,
customs, immigration, income tax, visa or consular
declaration. French or European companies abroad
always have an administrative department which
completes all the formalities for its personnel and
deals with any problems which could
arise.
Foreign companies
remain subject to the laws of the country in which
they are working.
The
attitude towards the foreign
investor
:
The law passed on 27th December 1997 and completed
on 8th September 1998 widened the number of sectors
open to foreign capital, fixed clear regulations
and made administrative procedures easier.
As the federal Labour law has still not been
reformed, legal provisions in case of conflict
still tend to be in favour of the employee.
Workers are obliged to subscribe to a health and
welfare organization to which both the employee and
the employer have to contribute.
Pension schemes are managed, since 1997, by private
pension funds which can be freely chosen by the
worker.
Corruption
In 1998
Mexico came in 55th place in the listing made by
Transparency International. In its Corruption
Perception Index 2000 it came 59th out of 90, i.e.
the 31st most corrupt country out of the 90
studied. It would appear to be much more corrupt
than Salvador or Brazil, but less than Colombia or
Venezuela.
French expatriates living in Mexico claim that they
suffer from corruption on all levels : from the
policeman who insists on his banknote up to the
ministry where files can otherwise take an eternity
to be dealt with. Not to mention the problems with
the customs officers. But everyone who has been a
while in the country agrees that it is worth the
time lost the first time to resist "you are
considered a real nuisance, but the word gets
around, and quite quickly you stop being
bothered".
(source Le Moci)
Formalities
You need a passport which is valid for at least six
months after your return date. A visa is not
necessary for a stay which is less than 90
days.
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