Language
It is advisable to take German lessons.
The kind of job you could get will depend on how well you speak the language.
There are several language institutes in France which can help you to quickly learn the language or improve your level.

If you are employed by a French or international company:
In the case where your employer is a French or international company you don't have to deal with administrative

formalities, the administrative services in the country usually deal with the formalities for all the expatriate staff.
You will only have to deal with them yourself if you are the only representative of your company in the country (commercial agent, in charge of a liaising office, etc ...).

Preparing for your departure and looking for a job :
You could start by looking for information by writing to French

associations existing in the country, to Trade Commissions, to the commercial services of foreign banks in France or French banks in Austria.
The French consulate usually has a service dealing with jobs and training and can put you in touch with companies wishing to employ French personnel.

The French Chamber of Commerce also offers information about the job market and the most dynamic sectors of the economy and they also edit a bulletin for French companies and local members.
You could publish a job application in this bulletin.

The Trade Commission in Austria or the CFCE in Paris let you consult their list of French companies set up in the country.

There is a comprehensive documentation about the country available from the cultural service of the Austrian Embassy in Paris.
You could also make a personal appointment with the Franco-Austrian Chamber of Commerce to complete your information and to obtain professional advice.

While you are looking for information you could also contact companies directly and send in an application proposing your services.
There is often relevant information to be found in international Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Directories and files on the country will be useful in looking for important bits of information concerning the sectors of activity and the local economic conditions.

Specialized organisms such as the ANPE, the APEC, the APECITA and the ILO can also be of help.
There are local employment delegations and ILO offices in the main towns.
You can look up a Yellow Pages directory, which you can get from the central post offices, for useful addresses.

Where to look for job offers :
In the French press (Le Monde, Le France Soir, Figaro, Moniteur du Batiment,..) for French companies sending people abroad.
In the international press nearly all the big daily papers have a column or a section of job offers (The European, The Guardian, Vacature, Corriere della Sera, La Tribune de Genève ...)

You can often find international job offers via the bigger employment agencies and temporary work agencies.
Via Internet you can get easy access to several data banks offering jobs locally.

Writing your CV and the accompanying cover letter :
Sending in information about yourself is the first step to getting an interview, so it's very important that you do it properly.
Your CV must be in English, clearly set out, typewritten and very detailled. It should be accompanied by a handwritten covering letter.
Some companies are not very interested in graphology, but it is still advisable to write your letter by hand.

Don't forget to attach a recent photo, preferably where you are smiling.
It is not necessary to send in all the documents as proof of your diplomas, work certificates etc with the first letter. If you mention all the important points in your CV and give the addresses of former employers, so that they can eventually be contacted, it is sufficient initially.

If ever you should think of arranging a CV to suit the employer's requirements, you should know that according to a study made by the Florian Mantione Institute, your CV has a 45% chance of being checked by the prospective employer, 34% of the candidates are eliminated following that verification, and that 60% of the checks are done with the previous employer. So, whatever your motives for adapting your CV, you should know that it will not help you during future interviews and could possible play against you.

Questions you should ask yourself before expatriation :
Ø What exactly is the mission ?
Ø What is the length of the contract ?
Ø Are you going alone or with your familyb?
Ø What is the life like locally ?
Ø Have you thought about coming back, how you will manage to get reinstalled financially ?
Ø Do you have the right character to be an expatriate ?

Qualities you need :
Ø emotional stability (so that you can react rapidly to all kinds of situations).
Ø autonomy, (can you make important decisions on your own)
Ø mobility and availability, are you able to relocate quickly ?
Ø social contact, (don't forget that an expatriate is an ambassador for his country in his working and his social life ).
Ø accomodating (you can easily adapt to changes of culture, climate and way of life)
Ø the ability to accept and understand cultural differences
Ø tolerance and respect for other people's habits and traditions.

Family: Your partner should share your ambitions, this is very important and can play in the recruiting choice.
Some companies, particularly if the offer is for a long term job, want to interview the candidate's partner to check that there are no conflicts in the couple which could eventually disturb the mission.

For the interview :
Punctuality is appreciated all over the world. Be on time for your interview.
Whatever post you are applying for, dress well, you will be judged on your appearance and the way you dress.
First interviews can be short but can also last for several hours if your application is found to be interesting, depending on the position to be filled, and if you have to do psychotechnical tests (handwriting analyses) or aptitude tests.
Be careful not be appear pretentious about your know-how, or to exaggerate your professional abilities. Emphasise your real competence, your ease of adaption, your mobility, your ability to work in a team and your willingness to bring in any experience you have gained.

Foreign companies often like to show that they employ expatriates in their company. International personnel can bring in experience and knowledge which is beneficial for the company.
Salaries : It can be difficult to negociate a salary, especially when you are not sure of the cost of living in the country. Higher salaries could mean that the cost of living is higher also. If you are employed by a French company you will normally have a salary which gives you an equivalent standard of living to the one you had in France.

Taxes :
(see our guide for expatriates) If you are employed locally you will have to pay the taxes in the country. If you should have an international contract you could have a tax free salary.
In some countries taxes are taken off the salary at source by the employer.