The jobs with the most hiring vary by region and by year, but health care, personal care, industry, construction, digital and sales roles often come up. The most reliable source in France is the "Besoins en main-d'œuvre" (labour needs) survey published every year by France Travail, which breaks down hiring plans by job and by local employment area. And if you're aiming for a sector where you have no experience, an internship is still one of the most direct ways in.
Plenty of rankings circulate online, often copied from one site to the next with no date or source. Rather than giving you yet another list, this article helps you know where to look, read these figures with a critical eye and turn the information into an application.
Where can you find reliable data on in-demand jobs?
Three public sources are worth a look:
- France Travail's Besoins en main-d'œuvre (BMO) survey: every year it lists employers' hiring intentions, job by job, with filters by region and department;
- France Travail's job profiles: actual salaries, skills required and the number of offers posted near you;
- Apec studies for management-level positions.
One tip: always look at your own local job market, not just the national figures. A job in high demand in Lyon may be saturated in another city, and vice versa.
The main job families facing shortages
Without going into figures that change every year, some job families regularly top the list of needs:
- health and care: nursing, home help, care for older people;
- industry and construction: technicians, skilled workers, site managers;
- digital: development, data, cybersecurity, IT support;
- sales and customer relations: sales reps, advisers, technical sales;
- support functions in some fast-growing companies: human resources, management, accounting.
"Hiring" doesn't mean "hiring beginners". In many of these jobs, employers are looking for people who are already up and running. That's where the real challenge lies.
Why you can't find work, even in a sector that's hiring
When applications go unanswered, lack of motivation is rarely the cause. The same obstacles tend to come up.
A lack of recent experience
This is the most common blocker for recent graduates, people changing careers and those returning after a break. Recruiters want something concrete: tasks completed, tools used, results. Even short experience changes how a CV reads if it's recent and relevant to the role.
A CV that's too general
A CV that tells your whole story without targeting a specific role doesn't land well, especially when it's first screened by software. Reuse the wording of the job ad (title, skills, tools) and highlight what matches it.
A plan that's still vague
"Open to all opportunities" rarely reassures a recruiter. A specific job title, in a clear sector, with a clear reason, works better. If you're still unsure, our article Career change: where do you start? can help you sort things out.
A sector that's very popular with applicants
Communications, culture, events, journalism: some fields get far more applications than they have jobs. It's not impossible, but you'll need something that sets you apart: a portfolio, a recommendation or hands-on experience.
A network you don't use enough
Some jobs are filled through referrals or direct applications and are never advertised. Former colleagues, internship supervisors, LinkedIn contacts: a short, specific message sometimes opens more doors than twenty applications sent online.
Internships: a way into these jobs
If experience is the main obstacle, an internship is often the quickest answer. It lets you:
- try out a job before committing to it;
- add recent, concrete experience to your CV;
- get a recommendation from your supervisor;
- get noticed by a company that might hire later on.
Example: Karim, 34, wants to leave logistics for human resources. With no experience in the field, his applications go unanswered. He lands a four-month internship in the HR department of a small company. At the end, he has concrete work to show (recruitments followed, staff files) and a supervisor ready to recommend him.
Of course, no internship can promise you a job. But it gives you what you need to make your case. For what comes next, our guide Landing your first permanent job after an internship explains how to turn it into an offer.
Doing an internship when you're no longer a student
In France, an internship must be covered by an agreement signed by you, the company and a training provider. Without a school, this is often where everything grinds to a halt. Our article Internship agreements for adults explains the different situations.
At EDU Business Institute, you enrol in one of our 9 online courses of 200 hours, open to all profiles (marketing, human resources, banking and finance, IT and artificial intelligence, real estate…), for €299, payable in 3 instalments with Klarna. Your internship agreement, for up to 6 months, is issued within 24 to 48 business hours once your file is complete, and you don't need to have finished the course to get it. To pick the right subject, see how to choose a course that fits your plans.
Registered with France Travail (the French public employment service)? Talk to your adviser before you start.
FAQ
Is a job facing shortages necessarily easier to get into?
Not always. Some shortage jobs require a specific qualification or certification, or are mainly looking for experienced profiles. Check what's actually required on the France Travail job profile before you start.
How do I know if a sector is hiring near me?
France Travail's Besoins en main-d'œuvre survey lets you filter hiring plans by department or local employment area. Then compare with the number of offers posted locally.
Does doing an internship at 40 or 50 go down well with recruiters?
As part of a career change, it actually makes sense: it shows you're taking your plans seriously and have tested them in the real world. There's no age limit for internships.
How long does it take to find a job after an internship?
There's no typical timeframe: it depends on the sector, your region and how you showcase the experience. A recent internship mainly helps you get interviews, because it reassures employers that you can work in a company.
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