Waiters, beach attendants, street vendors, or entertainment for both adults and children, the “odd jobs” tied to the summer season are plentiful. Huldrick, 23 years old, an employee at Plage Castel in Nice: “This is my second season on this beach. For the rest of the year, I train to become a chef. This little job helps me finance part of my studies. I mainly take care of setting up the beach; lounge chairs and umbrellas, but also serving at the bar. I love this job because of the customer interaction, mainly, as well as the dream setting, the sun, the sea, and the pretty girls…”
Far from the paradise described by Huldrick, the jobs offered by private beaches are mainly reserved for students in hotel management school. Marine, 24 years old, a water sports instructor at the Beau Rivage beach in Nice: “I got this job through an ad from the ANPE (National Employment Agency). I only have the BAFA (a certificate for youth leaders and workers), which allows me to work with tourists all year round. In winter, I work at a ski resort, and in the summer by the sea. It’s a difficult lifestyle, I almost never see my family, but what a joy to always feel a bit like being on vacation…”
ANPE, CRIJ, and CROUS: the links between young people and companies.
If the job offers multiply during the summer, different social institutions act as intermediaries between young people and companies. Véronique, 45 years old, information officer and documentalist at the CRIJ (Regional Youth Information Center): “The CRIJ is not a specialized agency for seasonal employment. We offer job opportunities all year round; we just organize a forum in March about this type of job. We help young people, or anyone else, write their CVs and cover letters, and we connect them with companies.”
Whether a student seeking financial support or a seasonal professional, Nice seems to be the ideal city for anyone looking to combine life in the sun with work.
