# Working in Spain advice?



## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

Hi guys! my name is Mads, from Australia.

My mum, dad and myself decided to move to the Marmande area of France two months ago, as our final relative in Australia had just passed away and we discovered after 27years, the rest of our extended relatives recided here. So we thought 
Stuff it! lets go!

We've been trying to find work in France while helping dads Aunt, But France just isn't as fast paced and "everything done yesterday" as we're used to.

So we've been looking all over Europe and have been taken by Spain due to it's expanding commericalism and international companies slowly growing there.

My Dad is an executive business development manager, (commerical/residential developments, small finance, Executive Sales Management. _"Essentially he's the go to guy companies use to get them away from debt and back into the green when a recession or downturn hits"_

I've been on indeed, Monster and every job site, I've signed him upto recruitment agents such as (Man Power, Robert Walters and Hays) _"i've had previous recruitment agent experience, so I'm using all my knowledge to help him"_

But I'm after as much advice as possible on the executive job market in spain so I can better his odds.

Does anyone have any advice?


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## amespana (Nov 10, 2009)

Does he speak Spanish?


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

It's possible he might find a company who are looking for an English speaking employee like your Dad, but his odds of finding a job in Spain at the moment will be greatly increased if he is fluent in Spanish. If he isn't then he might just as well forget finding a job with a Spanish company, I'm afraid...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Is he going to need any sort of employment visa?? Spain is still slowly coming out of the recession, which saw the construction industry crash, along with associated industries, so its not the easiest place to find work, nor are you entitled to any social or healthcare benefits in Spain without an employment contract. Spain is also known for its "mañana" attitude.

I guess I'd say that France may be the better option???

Jo xxx


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

I currently have him on Spanish Lessons and we're doing quite well. it's easy to learn when you love the culture.
and no, no employment visa as he's british.

I have noticed some major global companies advertising job vacancies there. i.e. (your move, homeaway, desigual, taco bell,) are global companies such as these on the increase?

I also noticed there are a few Texas based companies now operating in Spain involved in (real estate, utility and building materials) is this kind of American invasion on the up do you think?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> I currently have him on Spanish Lessons and we're doing quite well. it's easy to learn when you love the culture.
> and no, no employment visa as he's british.
> 
> I have noticed some major global companies advertising job vacancies there. i.e. (your move, homeaway, desigual, taco bell,) are global companies such as these on the increase?
> ...


Not that I know of. But the best thing he can do is to apply to some of these places. 

Jo xxx


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> I currently have him on Spanish Lessons and we're doing quite well. it's easy to learn when you love the culture.
> and no, no employment visa as he's british.
> 
> I have noticed some major global companies advertising job vacancies there. i.e. (your move, homeaway, desigual, taco bell,) are global companies such as these on the increase?
> ...


Two points: it takes years to be fluent enough in Spanish to be able to operate workwise in a Spanish - speaking environment. You start learning when you get to Spain. I was a languages teacher, translator/interpreter before I retired, I speak Spanish reasonably fluently after seven years here but I'm still not fluent enough to get a job ( fortunately I don't need one). Speaking and understanding are two different things.
Secondly: although unemployment has eased slightly it's still around 22% nationally, over 30% in some parts of the Costas. Over five million Spaniards are looking for work, many with professional skills and qualifications. I have not noticed any sign of an 'invasion' of US or indeed any real estate or construction companies, at least not in my neck of the woods, maybe elsewhere. 
Spain requires that immigrants from the EU meet certain income and savings requirements before qualifying for residency. 
I would hazard a guess that if you can't find work in France it will be even harder in Spain. But who knows...


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

Does anyone know of any American or Australian members on this forum that could possibly help me with information in relation to businesses?

well, mryph9 recession and GFC is my fathers career forte, so at least we look at those stats with optimism instead of negativity. 
I work in finance and i'm noticing spains share market is actually looking incredibly optimistic for 2016 in comparison to Australia's ASX, even your interest rates are higher! So thats all good news for us.

We can actually find work in France given our occupations. But we'd just rather Spain, my parents are very young for their age and love the busy (work,dinner,party) Madrid and Barcelona scene seems to display.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> Does anyone know of any American or Australian members on this forum that could possibly help me with information in relation to businesses?
> 
> well, mryph9 recession and GFC is my fathers career forte, so at least we look at those stats with optimism instead of negativity.
> I work in finance and i'm noticing spains share market is actually looking incredibly optimistic for 2016 in comparison to Australia's ASX, even your interest rates are higher! So thats all good news for us.
> ...


Yes there are Americans on the forum, mainly retired, I'm not sure about Australians, nor am I sure what they can tell you, other than what is happening which is as we've said. Spain is coming out of a recession. If your father is an expert in that field, then he may stand a chance of getting work?? He needs to send his CV out to relevant companies in his field.

Jo xxx


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## jamoct (Nov 6, 2015)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> Does anyone know of any American or Australian members on this forum that could possibly help me with information in relation to businesses?
> 
> well, mryph9 recession and GFC is my fathers career forte, so at least we look at those stats with optimism instead of negativity.
> I work in finance and i'm noticing spains share market is actually looking incredibly optimistic for 2016 in comparison to Australia's ASX, even your interest rates are higher! So thats all good news for us.
> ...


Hey, I'm not an American nor Australian. But, have you tried to look for jobs in the InfoJobs website/app and LinkedIn? Being a non-EU, I actually scored some interviews and two job offers already by using only those recruitment/job search websites. Just make sure also he has his NIE on-hand, as this is a requirement for companies to make a work contract.


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks for your response Jo, 
Well, I'm more after advice on directly the executive business market, than spains job industry as a whole.
so I can do my background research on companies prior, create linked in contacts, call them when they aren't advertising and increase the odds of my father obtaining employment the moment he arries.
But I thank you for all your info so far, it's really appreciated.

If their is anyone actively employed in busy Barcelona or Madrid, that perhaps recognises a few interesting or growing companies. I would greatly love to know.

Thanks,
Mads.

Thanks


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

jamoct said:


> Hey, I'm not an American nor Australian. But, have you tried to look for jobs in the InfoJobs website/app and LinkedIn? Being a non-EU, I actually scored some interviews and two job offers already by using only those recruitment/job search websites. Just make sure also he has his NIE on-hand, as this is a requirement for companies to make a work contract.


is info jobs the anglo.info website?
I have had a good response today with Robert Walters, But I know it generally takes a week to get suitable jobs lined up.
I love Linked in myself, But it's not incredibly popular in Australia for some reason.
So I've just started to develop my dads account.
Yes already been informed with the NIE as we travel to spain in probably a week. so I want at least a couple interviews lined up for him.
But seriously thanks for the help and the optimism glad you got offers straight away.


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

jamoct said:


> Hey, I'm not an American nor Australian. But, have you tried to look for jobs in the InfoJobs website/app and LinkedIn? Being a non-EU, I actually scored some interviews and two job offers already by using only those recruitment/job search websites. Just make sure also he has his NIE on-hand, as this is a requirement for companies to make a work contract.


Oh snap! just found the site! thanks jamoct,
this looks to be really useful.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

If France is too slow for you Spain may come as a bigger shock.
I guess it may not be as bad in the bigger cities.

Anyhoo, good luck with your search.


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## jamoct (Nov 6, 2015)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> Oh snap! just found the site! thanks jamoct,
> this looks to be really useful.


You're welcome! The whole set-up thing in InfoJobs is purely Spanish, and I would advise you to do the online CV with both English and Spanish texts. You can filter your search with "English" and other preferences so it's easier to choose.

My first job offer was a business development position btw, but unfortunately, as I did not yet have my official docs ready (NIE and Social Security Number), so I had to give it up. 

All the best to you and your fam!


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

profwhataloadacrap said:


> I currently have him on Spanish Lessons and we're doing quite well. it's easy to learn when you love the culture. and no, no employment visa as he's british. I have noticed some major global companies advertising job vacancies there. i.e. (your move, homeaway, desigual, taco bell,) are global companies such as these on the increase? I also noticed there are a few Texas based companies now operating in Spain involved in (real estate, utility and building materials) is this kind of American invasion on the up do you think?


American invasion??? No way! Very few of us here.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Well this is interesting. Your father is the "go to guy" who nobody seems to be going to, and that leaves you looking at sites like the expatforum to identify openings at executive level. You are ploughing the wrong field, my friend.

It appears you are also managing his account on Linkedin and you "have him on Spanish lessons".

I'm 50+ and have a son who's 30, and the career advice between us flows from me to him, me being the guy who has worked at the exec level, and him being the one forging his way.

Anyway, you can see from the above how extremely strange this looks to me, so I will go on to give practical advice. I worked for multi-national companies that have a presence in Spain and at the exec level EVERYBODY was fluent in Spanish to a level that would have you believing it was their first language, if it wasn't, for 98% it was. At lower levels requiring hard-to-find technical skills compromises are made, but at the exec level, it's people who know the language and the culture inside out.

If the Old Man knows how to turn water to wine, make silk purses from sows ears, or buck the trend and have the cash roll in while the economy is in the doldrums, then huge demand he should be in. But the fact that you are peddling him while the head-hunters are phoning elsewhere suggests..... well, can he turn his hand to anything?


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Will the OP be looking for work in Spain, I wonder.
She says she 'works in finance', a job description that covers a wide field, from working as a quant at Goldman Sachs to making the tea at the local branch of HSBC.
How is the job market for presumably non- Spanish speakers in that field, does anyone know?


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

It depends, I have said it before but you would be quite surprised how many jobs are out there that are available if you have the right qualifications in things like finance, law, admin, logistics, IT etc.. and using English as the main working language. 
Although last time I said such things and gave available vacancies I was basically accused of making **** up, so it wont happen again.

Most people in such industry though would already have an idea of where to look and to be clear these jobs are available to EU citizens first and foremost and the fields are very competitive so application is no guarantee of a job, the visa thing is something that the OP hasn't expanded on(sorry if I missed it) but unless they can find jobs in a month then I guess the visa will run out and it's back to Oz.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Pazcat said:


> It depends, I have said it before but you would be quite surprised how many jobs are out there that are available if you have the right qualifications in things like finance, law, admin, logistics, IT etc.. and using English as the main working language.
> Although last time I said such things and gave available vacancies I was basically accused of making **** up, so it wont happen again.
> 
> Most people in such industry though would already have an idea of where to look and to be clear these jobs are available to EU citizens first and foremost and the fields are very competitive so application is no guarantee of a job, the visa thing is something that the OP hasn't expanded on(sorry if I missed it) but unless they can find jobs in a month then I guess the visa will run out and it's back to Oz.


Interesting... Yes, there are always jobs available world-wide in certain professional sectors at the top end of the market, that's true. Such posts are often head-hunted, though, with top-end recruitment agencies aggressively seeking suitably qualified and experienced candidates. Remuneration is good an the attached benefits packages attractive - health insurance, relocation costs covered and so on. I know a few people who go from country to country, indeed from continent to continent, to take up jobs like that and they never seem to be without well=paid work.
What interests me is the precise scope ad definition of situations prefaced with the word' executive'. Years ago I used to attend a lot of lawyers' and human rights workers' conferences where I would be handed business cards (the sort you buy cheaply by the 100) which identified the bearer a 'CEO' of his/her company.. On investigation, it turned out that the company had at the most a couple of staff, sometimes just the CEO and a gofer/aka the PA.
The whole situation in Spain intrigues me. With five million or more unemployed Spaniards, many of them no doubt highly qualified and all speaking Spanish why do companies recruit from outside? Surely Spaniards know their own and international markets as well as or better than a Brit or a German?
I wonder how many of that five million are in fact doing very nicely working illicitly in 'good' jobs, not just bar work or pool cleaning, if there is such a demand for workers. Official statistics rarely give a true picture of what's happening on the ground.
The Spanish economy has picked up, slowly, it's true, although bond yields have increased and international markets are jittery over the uncertain political situation.
Can it be that there really is a glimmer of light at the famous end of the tunnel?
Or is it just PP propaganda?


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## Elyles (Aug 30, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> Interesting... Yes, there are always jobs available world-wide in certain professional sectors at the top end of the market, that's true. Such posts are often head-hunted, though, with top-end recruitment agencies aggressively seeking suitably qualified and experienced candidates. Remuneration is good an the attached benefits packages attractive - health insurance, relocation costs covered and so on. I know a few people who go from country to country, indeed from continent to continent, to take up jobs like that and they never seem to be without well=paid work. What interests me is the precise scope ad definition of situations prefaced with the word' executive'. Years ago I used to attend a lot of lawyers' and human rights workers' conferences where I would be handed business cards (the sort you buy cheaply by the 100) which identified the bearer a 'CEO' of his/her company.. On investigation, it turned out that the company had at the most a couple of staff, sometimes just the CEO and a gofer/aka the PA. The whole situation in Spain intrigues me. With five million or more unemployed Spaniards, many of them no doubt highly qualified and all speaking Spanish why do companies recruit from outside? Surely Spaniards know their own and international markets as well as or better than a Brit or a German? I wonder how many of that five million are in fact doing very nicely working illicitly in 'good' jobs, not just bar work or pool cleaning, if there is such a demand for workers. Official statistics rarely give a true picture of what's happening on the ground. The Spanish economy has picked up, slowly, it's true, although bond yields have increased and international markets are jittery over the uncertain political situation. Can it be that there really is a glimmer of light at the famous end of the tunnel? Or is it just PP propaganda?


Not so much recruiting outside but expanding the search for the most qualified person. In the US, when managing mental health systems I would constantly recruit out of State to bring in the most qualified psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, nurse, or case manager.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

If a local comes along and is best suited for the job then no doubt they will stand a chance too.
Nobody is saying they wont hire locals, in fact when perusing the vacancies available a lot of them do state level of Spanish to be native or mother tongue and not somebody who is just fluent.
Plus all of these type of companies are not only in Spain but EU wide and the same opportunities exist all over for the Spanish as well.
Either way it is still going to be the best candidate for the job.

Also most recruitment processes take months, stretching to over a year in some cases.

Still if you had fluency in Spanish then that would open the doors to many, many more companies, whether the Spanish companies would be as equal opportunity I couldn't say.
But on that point if you are learning the language it is vital you do it properly and get official accreditation for it from the right sources that CEFR accredited.

Having B2 listed in your CV for Spanish and now studying at C1 level is going to mean the world of difference to just saying I have conversational Spanish.


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

mrypg9 said:


> Will the OP be looking for work in Spain, I wonder.
> She says she 'works in finance', a job description that covers a wide field, from working as a quant at Goldman Sachs to making the tea at the local branch of HSBC.
> How is the job market for presumably non- Spanish speakers in that field, does anyone know?


I actually work for myself in international share trading, it creates an income to support my family while we search for our niche.
I have a background in executive and disabled recruitment, charity work and developments and construction like my father.
Once my mum and dad are happily settled little yuppies, at 25 i'm well overdue to flock the nest! So I will probably move to the states, so I can work more in shares and hopefully with that, work with some really underfunded youth homelessness and unemployment charities.


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## profwhataloadacrap (Jan 25, 2016)

jamoct said:


> You're welcome! The whole set-up thing in InfoJobs is purely Spanish, and I would advise you to do the online CV with both English and Spanish texts. You can filter your search with "English" and other preferences so it's easier to choose.
> 
> My first job offer was a business development position btw, but unfortunately, as I did not yet have my official docs ready (NIE and Social Security Number), so I had to give it up.
> 
> All the best to you and your fam!


Thanks again jamoct, I've already got my first response from that site and I've *only* been searching *for two bloody days! *
_
and to others wanting to track my progress or feeling a bit pessimistic about my tactics._

I've just recieved a call from Robert Walters recruitment, as I used to do executive recruitment. 
So I openly let them know of the personal media campaign I had created, the tactics i'm using, the consultant was absolutely thrilled with the approach as we've got a good candidate, good references and we're playing on the "quirky aussie" approach.

My dad's going to have 3 interviews set up by the time he arrives!

So thank you all so much to all the optimistic comments and useful information.
I can't believe how fast that was!


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## amespana (Nov 10, 2009)

Neither can I.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Sadly, he may well be slowed down a tad by the obtaining of the NIE and social security numbers, but who knows??? This maybe the start of something new. One thing is for sure, Spain isnt known for its speed in officialdom or bureaucracy. Keep us posted, it may give some hope

Jo xxx


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

One industry that is certainly booming is scam "recruitment agencies" who assure you that you are just what they are looking for to fill one of the many jobs they have on their books. They then charge an upfront fee for processing your application, and you never hear from them again.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> One industry that is certainly booming is scam "recruitment agencies" who assure you that you are just what they are looking for to fill one of the many jobs they have on their books. They then charge an upfront fee for processing your application, and you never hear from them again.


They have those scams in Canada too, but not all recruitment agencies are scams.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> One industry that is certainly booming is scam "recruitment agencies" who assure you that you are just what they are looking for to fill one of the many jobs they have on their books. They then charge an upfront fee for processing your application, and you never hear from them again.


Exactly if I didn't know better, on reading this thread I would think there are no Spanish capable of doing these decent jobs and they are just waiting for foreigners to come along and fill them.


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