# Finding work



## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Hi i currently live in england but thinking of moving to spain(costa del sol) not qiute sure where abouts yet just trying to find out some information. Im a qualified dental nurse and have been working for one as five years i know you dont need to be qualified to do this job in spain but just wondering if anyone knows wether it would be easy for me to find a job doing this or wether it would be best to look for something else? If so what are the best or easiest jobs to find?Also anyone know the salary for dental assistant?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

There are very few jobs in spain, there is mass unemployment here. You would really need to be totally fluent in written and spoken Spanish. But you could look thru some of the on line news papers at the job sections "sur in English", "friday ad" spring to mind. 

Jo xxx


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Thanks, i am at the minute taking spanish lessons, would be moving some time next year do you think it will still be the same then? x


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

sarahmiggs said:


> Thanks, i am at the minute taking spanish lessons, would be moving some time next year do you think it will still be the same then? x


I think it'll be worse then, unemployment here is far worse than the UK, currently running at 19% and rising with no sign of improvement. 


Jo xxx


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Ok thankyou for your information x


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Interesting what you say about being in the dental profession. In one of my published articles I commented on the miniscule chance of finding work in that very profession. Rather than re-writing this I'll try to dig it out. Probably 3/4 years old but the situation has got 10 times worse since then. Will it get worse? As Jojo says - YES! I am just commenting on some petrifying figures from Bloomberg. 

I wish you luck and, yes, keep your Spanish up! Te deseo mucha suerte.


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

:welcome: to the forum Sarah.

It's unfortunate that JoJo is right. The job scene here is dyer at the moment and the expats that are already here are having difficulties locatating work along with many spaniards.

If it's what you really want you want to do, keep on with the studying and when the recession lifts you will be all set to go

Sorry we bring you this bad news but it is just the way things are here at the moment and for the next couple of years I would say.

Don't loose the dream though!!

Chica. x


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Think i will give up on the thought of looking for a job as a dental nurse! Thanks dor leting me know i have been trying to find out for a while now


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Chica said:


> :welcome: to the forum Sarah.
> 
> It's unfortunate that JoJo is right. The job scene here is dyer at the moment and the expats that are already here are having difficulties locatating work along with many spaniards.
> 
> ...


Im still going to continue learning spanish, im doing quite well with it! Im still only young so will definatly do it even if i have to wait for a few more years.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Do not give up - NEVER give up. Just be aware of the realities. You only need one break don't you. Hope you get it.


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

Sur in English http://www.myservicesdirectory.com/Category/recruitment/situations-vacant 
As you can see apart from sales there is not much at the moment. Good Luck 

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I can't find the second part of this article but this gives you an idea of my thoughts: 


the honest truth is it is NOT easy to get work in Spain. It is even more difficult to get well-paid work unless you speak fluent Spanish and have an excellent group of local contacts. I am constantly amazed at the number of people who expect to breeze into a well-paid job with a package similar to those offered in the UK or Northern Europe. It just does NOT happen. Firstly, Spanish salaries are lower than almost anywhere in Northern or Western Europe and most job offers are now on a fixed-term contract basis. Indeed in the Valencian Community in 2004 less than 10% of all contracts offered were of an indefinite basis. However, the biggest challenge is the language issue. Spanish companies will rarely employ foreign nationals unless you have key skills AND fluent Spanish. Unemployment is amongst the highest in the EU and with a highly educated labour force especially among the younger generation, you must offer a potential employer something very special to be considered ahead of a local candidate. Even lowly-paid cleaning and care work is usually offered to the thousands of South Americans, North Africans and Eastern Europeans who are happy to work for wages that many Europeans would turn up their noses at. Yes, working in Spain needs FLEXIBILITY and ADAPTABILITY.

So, for most people the options are very limited. There is casual and badly paid bar work and many expats work at some stage with/for estate agents selling houses to the next wave of would-be expats. Even that is usually self-employed with often no financial or other guarantees and sometimes you would even have to supply your own car. To find work you must forget most of the norms from your home country. Here most work is found word of mouth. If you are looking for work, introduce yourself to anybody and everybody. Tell them that you are a time-served builder with 25 years' experience and you should soon see work coming in. What is less in demand is office clerks or dental receptionists. For that type of work you WILL need fluent Spanish. Nothing less will do. Imagine it the other way round. Would a dentist in Derby ever employe a Spaniard who, however good she was, could not speak English? I think not and the same is true here.

So with these few exceptions, the vast majority of expats who do work over here are self-employed. They either work as an agent for an established company or set up their own small or not so small business. Many people who had previously always "clocked on" now discover the highs and lows of self-employment. I declare my preference here and state that in all my working life I have only ever been employed for a few months. In my worst nightmares, I could think of nothing more depressing than being forced to work FOR somebody. Yet, for many the thought of being self-employed is equally terrifying. So, for some who do decide to take the self-employment route it is a last resort but for others it is the fulfillment of a life's dream. What is evident is that for most people it can be the ONLY option.

Many people have dreamt of owning a bar looking out over the Med. Having done that I can assure you that unless you are prepared to commit yourself to a 24 hour per day/ 7 day per week schedule, forget it. I have seen more people lose more money running bars than anybody would believe. In almost all expat areas there are far too many bars and far too few customers. Sure, a few people do "make it" and to those I take my hat off. Sadly, the overwhelming majority of bars change hands with tedious regularity and many thousands of people have their dreams and bank balances destroyed. Running a bar in Spain is HARD WORK with LONG HOURS and small margins. I wish you well but knowing what I have learnt over many years I can only suggest that you save your money and sanity and consider other alternatives.

So, what else can you do? The simple answer is – anything. Look around you and consider what services are missing. The newer the expat area, the less developed the infrastructure is and the more likely it is that you can make your mark but even in more mature areas there is still great demand for honest, reliable electricians, plumbers, builders, joiners, tillers, plasterers etc. Equally, if you have experience in installing satellite TV, alarms or grilles you can carve out a niche. But there are a million and one opportunities for those who think outside the circle – teachers could give extra English lessons to expat children, you could give swimming lessons or teach a hobby (yoga to computers, sewing to chess). You might NOT be well paid by the hour BUT you will have had no capital investment, it is easy to stop if it does not work out and you will be doing something you love – you cannot put a price on that! Perhaps you have the money to set up a shop, English (etc) supermarket, computer shop or even your own estate agency. More ambitious people and those with specialist knowledge could set up a local newspaper or magazine. Others I know have set up car/bike hire companies and a few very bold people have set up kindergartens and even schools. Obviously the last few require more money but all are, in my humble opinion, safer options than running a bar. My suggestion is always that you aim at the expat market. Unless you speak fluent Spanish trying to market specialist equipment to the Spanish is fraught with difficulties.

Yes, there is work in Spain.....IF you have a flexible approach and do not think that the world owes you a living! Sorry to be blunt but that's the way it is here.

Finally, there are any number of options to work as agents for Spanish or international companies marketing any number of products. Thousands of people every year arm themselves with a filofax and a mobile phone and call themselves estate agents. Some even go one stage further and take an office or launch a web site. Some will get a lucky break and sell a few properties whilst others will find the whole experience of fighting against professional companies for the potential buyers a very distressing experience. Nevertheless it is a viable option with low start-up costs. Equally many grille, TV and air-conditioning suppliers will happily pay a commission for all referrals

Many ex-pats are involved in some type of franchising or Network Marketing business. This can work very well indeed. Generally there is a proven business model, often there is a minimal or zero start up cost and always there is the plus that most people who you would approach have far more time to meet with you and your business (large or small) can be run in a very sociable environment. Some of the types of businesses that are always looking for agents, reps etc are telephone, alarm and health product companies. I am myself involved with an online company and am always looking for new partners anywhere in the world. For example with my company the total investment is only about 200 euros and for that you get your own web site and the opportunity to market the services of a world leader. There are no guarantees of success as in anything of a self-employed nature BUT the investment is massively smaller than owning a bar and you can work from home just the hours you choose. What is interesting for many is that they can even start their business in their home country whilst they are still planning their new life in Spain. They simply transfer their activities to Spain when they do eventually move. Others have moved here with the full intention of developing their Herbalife, Amway or similar business and all seem to be happy with their decision.

Whatever route you choose I wish you every success. It is never easy to start a new business in a new country, especially if you are not bi-lingual, but the rewards both in terms of lifestyle and independence can be exceptionally rewarding. 

On Expat portal, living in Spain, retiring in Spain. | thisisspain.info you will find many other articles about working in Spain which I hope might help you. I would be delighted to add them.

PS. If you want to read about the experiences of more than 20 people who have set up their own businesses in Spain, please visit TIBA - The International Business Association | Welcome to the Premier Business Group of the Costa Blanca, Spain - Torrevieja


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Thankyou for that! I'm just going to keep on saving money and learning spanish, ill probably leave it abit longer than i was planning on but then at least that way i will have saved quite abit of money up to keep me going for a while when i finally get there, that will give me time to look for a job


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

sarahmiggs said:


> Thankyou for that! I'm just going to keep on saving money and learning spanish, ill probably leave it abit longer than i was planning on but then at least that way i will have saved quite abit of money up to keep me going for a while when i finally get there, that will give me time to look for a job


Don't give up with the Spanish. The further you get the more complicated it gets (obviously!), but you need to keep at it and keep practicing. Perhaps you could come here to take a Spanish course a bit nearer the time??


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## sarahmiggs (Jul 28, 2009)

Thats a good idea didnt even think of doing that! Im practising my spanish everynight and one of my work colleagues speaks spanish so she said she is also going to help me


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## Chica (Mar 23, 2009)

You are being really positive about this Sarah. 

A good technique I found when learning was to listen to spanish whilst falling asleep when there was no other distaction (well, maybe not anyway..lol). When I got the basics out of the way I came across a set of 6 tapes with a book that was actually for germans learning spanish. The left hand page gave the german translation, the right, spanish. Now as I don't know german I had to translate the spanish before I could understand the tapes which was conversational spanish. It took me a great deal of time to do that but every night I would put a tape on and listen over and over again until I recognised every word, then went on to the next one, not all in the same night of course..lol. Needless to say now the tapes are bu.....d. This was my best ever teaching aid and bought me on in leaps and bounds. I'm still pathetic tho' but that's an age thing. So just a suggestion but without having to do the translation first. Your friend will be of great use to you as she can speak normal spanish which is really hard to hear when you are learning.


Good luck. x


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