Working in Spain

Unless you are moving to Spain to enjoy your retirement in the sun you will need to find work. Every year, many people embark on a new life in Spain with only a vague notion of what finding a job there really entails – and many end up returning home again. The key, as with everything, is careful research and forward planning – and it's vital to have realistic expectations.

Unemployment in Spain is still relatively high (at 8-9%) compared to elsewhere in Europe – especially in rural areas and in Andalucia. Salaries are lower than in many other EU countries with the average income falling somewhere between 12,000 and 18,000 Euros per annum – this is offset, of course, by a lower cost of living. It's not always easy even for native Spaniards to find work, and if you don't have a job lined up before you move to Spain (always preferable) you should be prepared for it to take as long as 6 months to find employment. Traditional fields for expats seeking work in Spain are IT, the construction industry and teaching English as a foreign language. Many people also seek bar and restaurant work, though this can often be seasonal – and you will have to start looking well before Easter if you plan to secure a bar job for the summer.

It can't be over-emphasised that the single, most important advantage you can have when seeking work in Spain is the ability to speak Spanish. If you can't speak Spanish your search for work will be limited to areas with a high proportion of expats. Anywhere else in Spain you stand very little chance of finding a job if you can't speak the language.

Another thing to bear in mind is the old adage: it's not what you know, it's who you know. This is especially true in Spain, where nepotism is rife! Take blatant advantage of any contacts you have to help you in your search for work – even tenuous connections can help (ask your Mum for the number of the neighbour's son who's doing so well for himself out on the Costa Blanca). In the UK, the traditional routes to finding work are newspapers, employment agencies and, in recent years, the internet. This is less true of Spain – where relationships and contacts can play a much bigger part. Speculative approaches are common in Spain: send your CV out to companies you are interested in working for. The key then, however, is not to sit back and wait: follow up with a ‘phone call (or several!) Finding a job in Spain requires persistence and confidence…and luck.

The good news? As Spain is a full member of the European Union, if you are an EU citizen you no longer need a work permit to work in Spain. Once employed you have the same rights as Spanish Nationals with regard to pay, working conditions, Social Services and your right to Trade Union membership. You do need a full passport.

Oh and holidays are pretty good in Spain – under Spanish law, you are entitled to a month's holiday each year, usually in August. In addition, Spain has lots of national and regional holidays – and if they fall on a Tuesday or a Thursday you generally get the Monday or Friday off as well, creating a long weekend.

To sum up – there are jobs to be found in Spain but you will need to be determined to find them and it will help if you speak Spanish. Be shameless – call in every favour you can. Don't be a shrinking violet: ‘phone, ‘phone and ‘phone again. And don't give up: keep trying, even if you feel you are getting nowhere. Remember, thousands of UK expats do have jobs in Spain: it may just take longer to find one than you might think.

Useful Contacts:

http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm
The European Commission’s website, with useful sections on working within the European Union, your legal rights and obligations, education and training and much more. Includes EURES http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en , the European Employment Service which was formed to enable employment mobility throughout Europe and has details of vacancies throughout the EEA (European Economic Area)

http://www.enic-naric.net/index.asp
European Network of National Information Centres on academic recognition and mobility – its purpose is to promote the mobility of students, teachers and researchers by providing authoritative advice and information concerning the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study undertaken in other EU member states. Spain is a member and its pages are here
http://www.enic-naric.net/index.aspx?c=Spain

http://www.inem.es
The Spanish Employment Service (Servicio Publico de Empleo Estatal) has offices in most Spanish cities and towns and can help in finding work, vocational training and starting your own business. The website is in Spanish - we did mention that speaking Spanish is pretty much an essential job finding skill, didn’t we?

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/jcp/customers/workingortrainingineurope/index.html
Jobcentre Plus – incredibly informative section on working in Spain