# Work wanted malaga area



## Mark and Linda (Mar 2, 2008)

Hi we are moving to the malaga area in the next 3 months but i am having problems finding jobs 
i have over 10yrs experience in engineering and also 10yrs painting and decorating.
My wife has over 20yrs experience in gardening and 18yrs of care work.
Also my son has worked as a handyman/oddjob.
At the moment we have basic spainish but are continuing to learn everyday!
Any ideas or tips would be welcome (also any job offers also welcome )


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Mark and Linda said:


> Hi we are moving to the malaga area in the next 3 months but i am having problems finding jobs
> i have over 10yrs experience in engineering and also 10yrs painting and decorating.
> My wife has over 20yrs experience in gardening and 18yrs of care work.
> Also my son has worked as a handyman/oddjob.
> ...


Times is 'ard here at the moment
You had some job sites off me some time ago didn't you.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Mark and Linda said:


> Hi we are moving to the malaga area in the next 3 months but i am having problems finding jobs
> i have over 10yrs experience in engineering and also 10yrs painting and decorating.
> My wife has over 20yrs experience in gardening and 18yrs of care work.
> Also my son has worked as a handyman/oddjob.
> ...


I live in the Malaga area. Things are not good work wise here. the construction industry is on its knees and there is mass unemployment. But if you look through the local papers online - "The sur in English" ,"costa del Sol news", "Friday Ad - costa Del Sol" they may have something - mainly telesales, comission only. but you never know???? The Airport is undergoing a major expansion programe, but they tend to use cheap labour from East Europe, which apparently is annoying the local, out of work builders (I dont know how true that is, I overheard it in a bar). Could be worth looking into though???

There are lots of odd job people around and very little work for any of them and as for care workers, I was one in the UK and although I managed to sort of get a job as a carer when I first got here, i was only ever gonna be called if someone was off sick or on holiday (that has happened once in the 6 months I've been here). I'm on a waiting list should a permenant place come up.

Sorry to sound negative, but its no better, in fact its probably worse here than the UK right now - but, try and have a good look. You maybe lucky

Jo


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## SunnySpain (Jul 30, 2008)

Mark and Linda said:


> Hi we are moving to the malaga area in the next 3 months but i am having problems finding jobs
> i have over 10yrs experience in engineering and also 10yrs painting and decorating.
> My wife has over 20yrs experience in gardening and 18yrs of care work.
> Also my son has worked as a handyman/oddjob.
> ...



Hi there,

To be honest you don't seem to have the work experience or qualifications that is needed in Spain. There are no end of odd job men earning very little (not enough to survive really) and the same goes for painters, decorators, brickies, care workers and many other jobs of a similar nature.

Engineering could come in useful, but it depends what skills and qualifications you have in your locker, but these jobs are not on the Costas, so I doubt that would help you at all.

Your problem is a common one it would seem, as no end of people come on this forum saying they want to start a new life in the sun, but unless they don't need to work or own an internet based company that they can run from anywhere that has an internet connection - then its the same old story I'm afraid and you will need to have a major re-think one thinks.

No job = no money = no life in the sun

Regards, Dave


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

SunnySpain said:


> Hi there,
> 
> To be honest you don't seem to have the work experience or qualifications that is needed in Spain. There are no end of odd job men earning very little (not enough to survive really) and the same goes for painters, decorators, brickies, care workers and many other jobs of a similar nature.
> 
> ...


My husband is a trained electrician, an IT programmer and an electronics engineer, he runs his own business in the UK - so he commutes! - Is commuting a possibility for you???


Jo


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Mark and Linda said:


> Hi we are moving to the malaga area in the next 3 months but i am having problems finding jobs
> i have over 10yrs experience in engineering and also 10yrs painting and decorating.
> My wife has over 20yrs experience in gardening and 18yrs of care work.
> Also my son has worked as a handyman/oddjob.
> ...


You and 2.5 million people are having trouble finding jobs in Spain.

The demise of the building industry put about 3/4 million EXTRA on the jobless lists and they're all doing work for next to nowt just to make enough to eat. And here's the point - mostly they're Spanish speakers. There are 1000's of Doctors etc here doing cleaning work. You wont get state care work without EXCELLENT Spanish. You may find some private, but the folk I've met are more like paid slaves - DO NOT EXPECT UK 9-5 rules here - they talked of 12-14 hour days. You wont see your wife.

As SS says the engineering MAY be useful - But then you need to contemplate the Basque region or certainly NOT tourist areas. This said many engineering co's are shutting factories to re setup in places like the Czech Republic where it's cheaper.

btw EXPERIENCE counts for ZILCH in Spain generally. Price is what matters as often as not.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

chris(madrid) said:


> You wont get state care work without EXCELLENT Spanish. You may find some private, but the folk I've met are more like paid slaves - DO NOT EXPECT UK 9-5 rules here - they talked of 12-14 hour days. You wont see your wife.


My so called nursing home job is with a British, private nursing home for ex-pats. The pay was 6 euros an hour. When I did a shift there, the hours I was given were 8am til 2pm and then back at 4pm til 10pm, but we were allowed frequent cigarette and tea breaks. Apparently I'm about 19th on the waiting list for a proper job there. The way things are going, I'll be a resident before I get a job there LOL. 


Jo


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Jo when my wife was in hospital last year - she was in a room with an old dear who had a private & personal care helper. I meant these sort really. 

The lady was from the ex eastern block and spoke very good Spanish. She was telling me how tough it was one day (when the nurses were changing dressings etc) - she was continually being asked to accept "live in" terms - and was not unnaturally a bit unwilling, and was trying to find something more like you have in view. Her day was 8AM to 8PM normally. 

8-2&4-10 would seem LONG to me.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

chris(madrid) said:


> 8-2&4-10 would seem LONG to me.


It was ok for a "one off", but everyday???? I dont think I'd last long - I was completely knackered when I'd finished! Am I right in thinking if you get these hours you have to pay into the SS system here? If so, that would make a serious dent in your take home pay!! So should I ever get offered a job, I dont think I'd take it, unless there's a part time option. Not only that, I've got two children to look after, take and pick up from school etc


Jo


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

Jo if you make more than a VERY small amount - you WILL have receive a contract - i.e TAXED and SS payments. 

A normal worker here can expect 8 hours work (5 days) plus that 2 hour lunch break - i.e 10 HOUR, PLUS COMMUTING, DAY. My neighbour has a 4 day week and has a 12hour (inc 2 hr lunch) day. Guy down in our work secure parking has a 12hour day (4 on 2 off). 

Welcome to Spain.


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## jebus (Nov 14, 2008)

what type of low paid work is there i,m single and just fancy some sun i,ll do anything legal


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

jebus said:


> what type of low paid work is there i,m single and just fancy some sun i,ll do anything legal


without any experience , qualifications or fluent Spanish, I doubt there's anything much at all 

Jo


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

jebus said:


> what type of low paid work is there i,m single and just fancy some sun i,ll do anything legal


THERE IS LOW PAID WORK ABOUT. But it's very low (close to the approx 600Euros/month min wage). Bear in mind YOU'LL be paying 400plus a month for a flat - you wont be eating much.

There is MASSIVE competition for the work though. I know one bar (and we're not in a tourist area) that will ONLY hire TRI-LINGUAL employees - because they can be choosy. 

Also It's VERY doubtful you'll see much sun - unless you're working in it (in which case you'll come to hate it in summer). Hours are long - AND there's talk of lengthening them. 

Just to put things a bit in perspective. The SS office that corresponds to me is not large - and was pretty fast at attending in (say) 2005. Be there 10mins before the door opened and you'd have a 30-60minute wait at PEAK job flux times. 

You now NEED to be there at 7 (2 hours before) to have any chance. Turn up at 11Am and you simply wont even get a number - come again (earlier) tomorrow.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

chris(madrid) said:


> THERE IS LOW PAID WORK ABOUT. But it's very low (close to the approx 600Euros/month min wage). Bear in mind YOU'LL be paying 400plus a month for a flat - you wont be eating much.
> 
> There is MASSIVE competition for the work though. I know one bar (and we're not in a tourist area) that will ONLY hire TRI-LINGUAL employees - because they can be choosy.
> 
> ...



Yes, there is work, but it isnt regular or contractual from what I can see. You may get a few days here and there. Bar work seems to be the obvious choice, but as chris says bar owners can afford to be choosy and unfortunately in this economic climate there are no guarantees that you'll be kept on or that the work will be regular. 

Being free and single helps, so if you do come over, you need to make sure you have funds with you to tide you over. But, you never know, maybe come over and see what happens - just dont burn too many bridges in the UK

Jo


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## SteveHall (Oct 17, 2008)

A local bar to me has just announced "winter" wages at 4 euros per hour. So on a 170 hour month that is less than 700 euros - take out 400 euros for accommodation and you are left with 300 euros PER MONTH for food, drink, transport, telephone, tolietries etc etc You are going to be in full-time work ....losing money every month!! 

Let's go to 8 euros an hour - 1400 euros per month. That's got to about the absolute MINIMUM you can survive on - certainly if there are two of you. Any less and you are losing money every single month. You are not even treading water. 

Nobody even thinks about 150/200 euros per month for Spanish lessons. "I get by in English" ...would not get you a decent job/decent money in the UK. Why do people think it will here, if you'r idea of getting by is remembering that it's buenOs días and buenAs tardes? So, yes, I suggest you factor in 200 euros per month for quality Spanish lessons with a professional teacher. Saying "Bwennors dears" once a day to next door's Peruvian cleaner isn't going to help you. The Argentian pool cleaner will be happy to say "Hola" but you'll be confused when he talks about chaves and carros. Do you know why? 

Somebody had a go at me about this the other week (their right-not my problem) and told me I was making it worse than it is. The reality is they have an opinion. Frequent holidaymakers living in an El Dorado. I have FACTS. Spanish newspapers still have job vacancies. Expat ones have the usual collection of commission only opportunities, part-time vacancies, the occasional holiday relief position but even for these VERY OFTEN you will need a minimum of two languages. I am advertising this week but the applicant needs to speak/write FLUENT Spanish and Finnish....with that I can be fairly sure he/she will also speak good English and probably Swedish and a couple of other languages. 

The TROUBLE is that the overwhelming majority of people who come on this site (and all others) do not have the skills that are needed here. The NUMBER ONE is - FLUENT and I mean FLUENT Spanish. I am looking for a gestor's assistant for a friend on another site. It has had 700+ hits. I have had three people who could actually be put forward for an interview but not one of the three have sent me a CV in Spanish with an English covering letter. This is for a contracted position with SS etc etc 

I have been interviewing this week in Málaga and will be next week in Barcelona/Valencia and after 7 years I am getting bored with expats not sending CVs, not bringing them to interviews, whose idea of fluent Spanish is dos servessas paw favor etc etc 

I had a guy walk out this week when I asked him to do a short - one paragraph - translation from English to Spanish. Complete temper tantrum. Yet the vacancy QUITE CLEARLY said absolute fluency in Spanish (written and spoken) was a pre-requisite. 

Guys, like it or not and get upset with Jo, Chris, Stravinsky or me as much as you like, Spain does not need a single expat with no transferable skills and no knowledge of Spanish. PUNTO. 

Don't believe us? Go to Working in Spain - Working in Spain and see how many vacancies there are there. 

BTW I have a friend looking for a fully qualified IFA for the Jávea/Calpe area. NO need for Spanish as it will ONLY be dealing with expats. (Organising equity release schemes) 

There is HUGE money to be made in recessions - some would say obscene money - but believe me if you want but it is NOT skimping by at 8 euros per hour and yet Iceland had over 1,000 applicants for 16 vacancies for a new store. Would all those 1000 people have applied to be shelf-stackers in the UK. I think not.


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## chris(madrid) (Mar 23, 2008)

SteveHall said:


> There is HUGE money to be made in recessions - some would say obscene money - .


God I love it when folk talk dirty.


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