Looking for a work-study placement (alternance) in human resources is a real recruitment process in reverse: you have to identify the right employers, send them a convincing application, follow up without annoying them and go through interviews, often at the same time as your exams. Many students start too late or apply at random, and find themselves without a contract in September. This article offers a method: when to start, which roles to target at your level, which channels to use, how to organise your applications and follow-ups, and what an HR work-study CV that gets through the first screening looks like.
When to start your search
The right time is earlier than you think
Most work-study programmes in France start in September, but companies prepare their work-study hiring well in advance. Large groups often open their campaigns at the end of winter or in spring, with multi-stage processes. Small and mid-sized companies hire later, sometimes in June or July, once they can see their workload. A search that starts in spring leaves you time to cover both.
A three-stage calendar
- January to March: clarify your plan, prepare your CV and your list of companies, spot the campaigns of large employers. If you are also applying for a master’s, run both processes in parallel (our article on applying for an HR master’s details that calendar).
- April to June: apply actively, go through interviews, follow up.
- July to September: keep going with small companies, late offers and speculative applications; do not let up over the summer.
What the rules say
According to the Service-Public.fr page on the apprenticeship contract 🔗, the apprentice must start training within three months of the start of their contract and, if the contract is terminated, can continue their classroom training at the apprentice training centre (CFA) for a few months while looking for a new employer. These margins exist, but they should not be your plan: aim for a signed contract before the start of the year.
Apprenticeship or professionalisation contract
The apprenticeship contract is open up to the age of 29 inclusive, with exceptions detailed on the same page. Beyond that, or in some situations, the professionalisation contract 🔗 can take over. Check with your school which contract it accepts.
HR roles open to work-study students
Depending on your level
- In a BTS or a professional bachelor’s: HR assistant, payroll assistant, recruitment assistant, personnel administrator. Duties cover employee files, contracts, preparing variable pay items, tracking absences.
- In the first and second year of a master’s: HR officer, recruiter, training officer, HR development officer, campus relations officer, HRBP assistant. Duties become more autonomous, with projects.
Generalist or specialist
A generalist placement lets you touch everything: recruitment, administration, training, employee relations. A specialist placement (recruitment, payroll, training, compensation) gives you expertise faster. Both are defensible; our article on the choice between HR generalist and specialist helps you decide according to your plan.
The type of organisation
Large group, small or mid-sized company, recruitment agency, staffing agency, accounting firm for payroll, public or non-profit sector: each offers a different experience. A smaller company often gives you more responsibility, a large group a method and a recognised name. Staffing agencies hire many work-study students in recruitment.
The channels that work
Company websites
Large employers publish their work-study offers on their careers site, often grouped in a dedicated section. It is the most reliable channel for them: a direct application is better tracked there than one sent through an aggregator.
Public platforms
The public service La bonne alternance 🔗 gathers offers and identifies companies that regularly hire work-study students, even without a published offer. It is a good tool for building your list of speculative applications.
Your school and CFA
Your school or CFA receives offers from partner companies, sometimes organises fairs or recruitment sessions, and has a network of former work-study students. Ask from the start which employers took on previous cohorts: they are priority targets.
Your network
Alumni, the work-study supervisors of your classmates, guest lecturers, internship contacts: a short, precise message to these people often opens doors. HR teams are happy to hire through referrals for their own teams.
LinkedIn and job boards
Useful as a complement, provided you take care of your profile and do not limit yourself to one-click applications. A very visible offer receives many applications; a direct, targeted application has a better chance of being read.
Applying and following up without spreading yourself too thin
A tracking table
Keep a simple table: company, role, application date, channel, contact, follow-up date, status. This is exactly the tool a recruiter uses to track a pipeline, and it saves you from duplicates and omissions.
Fewer applications, better targeted
Sending dozens of identical applications gives an impression of activity, but rarely interviews. Take the time to adapt your summary and your message to each offer. Our article on the HR CV summary offers an example for a work-study student.
The follow-up
If you have had no reply after one to two weeks, a short, polite follow-up is well received:
Hello, I applied on 3 April for your work-study recruiter position. I am still very interested in this role and would be glad to talk with you. My CV is attached again to this message.
One follow-up per application is enough, unless the company invites you to get back in touch.
Preparing for interviews
Prepare a two-minute introduction, three examples drawn from your experience (internship, job, volunteering) and questions about the role: duties, supervisor, rhythm, tools. Find out about the company and its HR news: current recruitment, a site opening, recent agreements.
An HR work-study CV that gets through screening
What the recruiter looks for first
Your level of study, the work-study rhythm, the start date and the type of role you are targeting. This information should appear in the summary, at the top of the page. Without it, the recruiter does not know whether your application fits their calendar.
The structure that works
- Summary: target programme, rhythm, availability, role sought.
- Education first, with the useful courses.
- Experience: internships, jobs, a previous work-study placement, described with precise bullet points.
- Projects and volunteering, if they add something.
- Skills and tools: spreadsheet, HRIS or ATS if you have used one, languages.
If you lack HR experience, our article on the HR CV with no experience helps you make the most of the rest of your background.
Models to start on the right foot
The HR work-study student CV example shows how to present a first work-study placement while looking for a second; the HR intern CV example suits you if you are finishing a bachelor’s degree. When your content is ready, create your CV for free: the layout is done for you, and the final document stays readable by the screening software that large employers use for their work-study campaigns, where applications arrive in very large numbers.
Sources
- Service-Public.fr, Apprenticeship contract 🔗: age, start of training, termination.
- Service-Public.fr, Professionalisation contract 🔗.
- La bonne alternance 🔗: offers and companies that hire work-study students.
Frequently asked questions
Can you start a work-study programme without a contract?
Some schools and CFAs accept it for a limited period, but it is not guaranteed and conditions vary. Check with your programme, and do not count on this possibility to delay your search.
How many applications should you send?
There is no right number. A reasonable number of targeted applications, adapted to each role and tracked in a table, is better than a mass mailing of identical ones.
Should you accept the first offer?
If the role matches your programme and your plan, often yes. Still check the duties, the supervision by your mentor and the rhythm. A poorly supervised placement can cost you a year.
Do speculative applications work in HR?
Yes, especially with small companies and staffing agencies, which do not always publish their needs. Address your application to a named contact and explain precisely what you can bring.