Student job in the UK (or another English-speaking country)

[trux]

Friend from our freediving club (Cyrnea, Lyon, France) completes his studies this year (baccalaureate in electronics). He would like now to improve his English, and also to make an experience in a different culture. He explained me today he is looking for a small job in the UK. He is thinking about doing Au Pair, or another similar job allowing him to stay couple of months there and improve the language skills.

I proposed that I ask here - it would be certainly better for him to find a job in a place with a freediving club where he could continue with the training. Of course, he does not expect getting a regular job related to freediving (although he is a freediving instructor). He is looking for whatever job that allows him to live in the UK for several months (or maybe a year) and learn better English. As I told: Au Pair, or any other similar student job would be interesting for him. Well, currently he considers the UK because of its proximity, but I guess if there were offers from another Anglophone country, I think he would be interested too (especially if it is close to water and freediving)

If you have any offers, or questions about the guy, please do not hesitate to send me a Private Message or post here.

Thanks!

[samdive]

if he ends up anywhere need Bristol, he is more than welcome to dive with us at SaltFree. If he is an AIDA instructor, we might even have some teaching work.

If he is also a scuba instructor I might be able to help find him a job - drop me a PM if so

Sam

[trux]

Thanks, Sam, it is very much appreciated! Knowing that, he can try to find Au Pair agency in Bristol. I am not sure now if he has an AIDA or FFESSM license as freediving instructor. Although there are AIDA competitions in France and he uses to participate, the clubs here must be organized under FFESSM (which is part of CMAS), so I suspect that the instructor license was issued by FFESSM. I will ask him and post back. However, he is one of 5 instructors in our club and usually manages at least one training per week.

Maybe the type of license does not matter, but the real problem for him with teaching apnea right after his arrival to the UK would be certainly the language barrier. I did not test him, but although he learned English during his studies, he claims he cannot speak at all. I do not really believe it - French often refuse to speak English just because of a psychological barrier and the shame not to speak well, but when you try, you find out they are at least able of a basic communication. I know it well, since when I moved to France, I did not speak French at all, and at the beginning had to communicate in English even with my parents in law (who may have shortly learned English some 50 years ago and never used it since). That was a real fun.

As for the scuba instructor license - I do not think he has one, but will ask too. BTW, I did not specify, but he is just completing his university level studies to become a teacher of electronics on a secondary level school (lyceum/high school). This is why his first idea was Au Pair, which has some pedagogical basis too, and which should not be difficult to find. Nevertheless, it does not mean he would refuse other offers.

As for diving in Bristol, Sam, could you tell something more about your club - where, how often and how long your train, how many you are? What is the admittance? Do you make deep dive trainings too? Do you make often trips to the sea (I suppose to the Bristol Channel)? If so - what are the conditions there (temperatures, visibility, boat traffic, special equipment for freediving,..?). If you can, please post the address of the pool where you train - that may help to specify the location when looking for job or accommodation. If you do not feel like posting all these details publicly here in the forum, do not hesitate to send a PM.

Thanks!

[samdive]

You can see all the details of our club on
www.saltfreedivers.com

mostly it is deep water training, once a month all year around and more than that in the summer

we have two regular divers who are french so he will have some people to speak to! I speak french too and so do a few others so he would be welcome

I have access to a pool once a week in Bristol but at the moment I am away a lot with work and haven't been going. There are a few other people around, one who is french, who might be talked into going to the pool with him more regularly if he ends up here

S