"s'engager" as "to be hired"

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Permalink Reply by Vedas on June 19, 2013 at 10:34pm

Hello,

No both sentences aren't correct:

You could say:

J'espère être engagé(e) chez Cuisinard 

J'ai été engagé(e) (pris(e)) chez Cuisinard

 As an employee you use the passive form just like in English

or in the active form J'ai engagé quelqu'un  the employer speaks about having hired someone

 

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Permalink Reply by Davenne Marc on June 21, 2013 at 4:11pm

As you cannot hire yourself, you cannot use s'engager in the meaning of hiring somebody.

engager quelqu'un 

(see Vedas post)

But you have to know that s'engager means something else (to engage, to commit yourself )

Je m'engage à te rester fidèle jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare (marriage vow)

or it simply means to enter

Je m'engage dans l'allée

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 21, 2013 at 5:58pm

yes, i'm aware of the other uses.  one use (according to the dictionary) is to enlist in the military.  so if that is correct, then it did make sense that s'engager is also used when you begin working at a new job (it said "usine.")  but you are the second person saying it's incorrect so i accept it.  the dictionary does have "engager" as "to hire" which Vedas confirmed as correct.

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Permalink Reply by Davenne Marc on June 21, 2013 at 6:04pm

it exists, you are right, but somehow it is more like a commitment (so something coming from you) than a job, so nothing to do with you looking for someone to do a job (active way : engager) or you looking for someone who would like to give you a job (passive way : être engagé) : here everything comes from the other one : the boss

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 21, 2013 at 9:34pm

looking for a job is different than starting a job.  i'm aware of the usage of "s'engager" to mean "to commit to something."  so maybe just like committing to the military for a few years when you enlist, it is used in employment when you commit to an enterprise.         

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Permalink Reply by Davenne Marc on June 24, 2013 at 5:03pm

so if you want to say, after a few years working in your firm, that you are commited...yes

Je m'engage dans mon travail,  je m'engage pour mon entreprise

but it will not be 'to hire' or 'to be hired', right ?

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Permalink Reply by alan gould on June 24, 2013 at 8:43pm

well, my point was that the dictionary (collins) does have "(usine) to be taken on" for "s'engager."  it does have "to hire" for "engager."  it also has "to enlist (military)" for "s'engager."  so i'm content to use "engager" passively -- "IBM m'a engagé."  i'm also aware that there's the meaning of "to commit."  so i'm happy to say that "i'm committed to my job" and merely use "s'engager" that way with regard to work.  i thought maybe that that first meaning that i cited means that you start work with a new enterprise.  it would make sense -- committing, engaging.  but it's fine if no one is familiar with it.      

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