How to find jobs on a working holiday in Québec (Montréal) with mediocre French skills
Background: I have recently graduated in Germany with a PhD in political science and decided to move to Montréal for 10 months or so, to work and travel in and around the region. (I have a one-year open work permit under the Candian working holiday program.) My English is alright, but my French is quite rusty.
Right now, I need to find a temporary or part-time job to cover my expenses. While I am not picky about which type of work I will be doing, I would love to work in a café or bar. So far, my first couple of attempts (basically walking in with a CV) were not successful.
Question: Are there are any places that frequently hire work-and-travelers in the Montréal region, in particular places that do not require great French skills?
Best Answer
Remember that Québec is a French-speaking province and that the French language is the official language (even if the government offer most/all services in english).
Businesses (retail/bar/restaurants) have no obligation to do business in other language than French, on the other hand, most of those places will serve you in English.
If your French is not "good enough" then a lot of doors will be closed, especially working with the public, especially retail and bars/restaurants.
You could look for a job working in the "back room" (prepping food…) where language is not an issue.
You could look for a job more related to your current background, I assume there should be demand for English/German translators in law firms or big finance/accounting firms; or maybe a German tutor for language schools.
I suggest you contact the Montréal chapter of the Goethe-Institut (google it) or the German consulate, maybe they can help you find short term work.
Bonne chance. Max.
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