# Current job market in Spain



## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

I first registered on here last year, after really wanting something new (Move away etc) But after a few months of looking on here and scouring other forum's I found work looked/sounded so hard to come by, especially for a foreigner, is this the case right now ? Is the job market any better or are the chances of somebody from UK getting a job improving ? 

I'd be willing to work anywhere, I wouldn't care as long as I could pay my way, that is all, id just be wanting to do this thing, get over, new life, new things, as long as I could get something, but it seemed like one huge stumbling block 

FYI, I've got a 7 year background working in the railway industry in the UK


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## tebo53 (Sep 18, 2014)

Unemployment in Spain is still one of the highest in Europe. You will need to be able to speak fluent Spanish to get a decent job nowadays as jobs are often lined up by "who you know"

It will be virtually impossible to just turn up here and expect to just find work, part time or full time.

There are loads of rules now about settling here now including having healthcare covered and having sufficient income so you will not be a burden on the state. 

Do research about the requirements needed to become a resident.

Steve


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

I think the situation is pretty much the same as when you registered. Unemployment remains high which means that there is a lot of supply for low skilled jobs. In most skilled work it is essential that you can speak Spanish, and that's true of some unskilled work too. In Javea I have seen bars and restaurants advertising out of season, but in every case they have wanted people who speak at least Spanish and English.

Choose a place and get out for as long a visit as you can make time for, and check the situation out.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

I'd say get out of office jobs, bar work, the railway industry, etc and break into IT. It's never too late to 
change career and who knows where it might lead you.
Ok you might have to go back to college, get the Cisco CCNA under your belt but once certified, the
worlds your oyster.

Also don't assume that you need to be good at computer programming, have straight grade A's in Maths
or a University degree to do it. Many people who eventually chose IT have come from a variety a previous
backgrounds, including the railway industry.
IT covers a wide range of jobs these days, everything from automation, robotics, the gaming industry -
Hello Gibraltar :lol:, computer networks, ISP providers, countless help desk jobs, etc and as the
companies you work for tend to have an international presence; then the lingua franca also tends
to be English, even here in Continental Europe.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> Hello Gibraltar :lol:, computer networks, ISP providers, countless help desk jobs, etc and as the companies you work for tend to have an international presence; then the lingua franca also tends to be English, even here in Continental Europe.


And post Brexit, when all those Gibraltar-based companies lose their passporting rights to sell services into the EU? I wouldn't "bank" on it...


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Jack92 said:


> I first registered on here last year, after really wanting something new (Move away etc) But after a few months of looking on here and scouring other forum's I found work looked/sounded so hard to come by, especially for a foreigner, is this the case right now ? Is the job market any better or are the chances of somebody from UK getting a job improving ?


Sorry to sound negative but yes, work is still hard to come by. We are told the unemployment figures are coming down, but nearly all new jobs are on temporary contracts, often lasting just a few days. There are still over four million Spaniards without a permanent job. You have to ask yourself, why would someone employ you rather than one of them? And after Brexit it could well be much harder for them to employ a Brit than someone from another EU country.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Whilst the U.K. is no picnic, I’m hard pressed to think why I’d move here unless I was either 

Retired with sufficient income
Guaranteed work.., ie professional with Spanish 
Or very young and could afford to take a risk

Other than that...


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> And post Brexit, when all those Gibraltar-based companies lose their passporting rights to sell services into the EU? I wouldn't "bank" on it...


Doubt that will affect Gibraltars gaming ( online gambling ) industry which is what I highlighted with Gib.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Megsmum said:


> Whilst the U.K. is no picnic, I’m hard pressed to think why I’d move here unless I was either
> 
> Retired with sufficient income
> Guaranteed work.., ie professional with Spanish
> ...


One of my top reasons for being in Spain is the weather. Frankly, I would have done anything to get out of the UK, it's not a place I enjoy.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> Doubt that will affect Gibraltars gaming ( online gambling ) industry which is what I highlighted with Gib.


Online gambling is exactly the sort of industry that could be affected, if companies can no longer offer their products freely in other EU countries. That's why they go there; very low corporation tax and unrestricted access to the single market.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Horlics said:


> One of my top reasons for being in Spain is the weather. Frankly, I would have done anything to get out of the UK, it's not a place I enjoy.


Do you fall into those categories? 

I agree I couldn’t wait to leave BUT not to be without income, nowhere is paradise without income


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Online gambling is exactly the sort of industry that could be affected, if companies can no longer offer their products freely in other EU countries. That's why they go there; *very low corporation tax* and unrestricted access to the single market.


But surely that's what TM's Brexit Britain ( inc Gib ) will be offering very low corporation tax !! and no 
doubt those German Car makers, etc are still keen to ease the phase 2 trade deals inc market access
between the UK and the EU.

The Guardian - Brexit Britain a race to the bottom on Corporation tax


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Horlics said:


> One of my top reasons for being in Spain is the weather. Frankly, I would have done anything to get out of the UK, it's not a place I enjoy.


As I said before - get yourself a real job and break into something different like IT.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Williams2 said:


> As I said before - get yourself a real job and break into something different like IT.


Thanks, i'll give it some thought.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Horlics said:


> Thanks, i'll give it some thought.


I seem to remember that you 'broke into IT' quite a long while ago...
You very kindly offered to take over as ADANA webmaster...


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## Gran Erry-Bredd (Nov 1, 2016)

Surely it's Jack who's asking for advice, not Horlics.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Gran Erry-Bredd said:


> Surely it's Jack who's asking for advice, not Horlics.


Does it matter, it’s all about help.... Jacks had his advice from various sorts and he could learn from what Horlics is being told.... it’s not like it went off topic and we start d talking about cheese :confused2:


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> I seem to remember that you 'broke into IT' quite a long while ago...
> You very kindly offered to take over as ADANA webmaster...


Yep


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Megsmum said:


> Does it matter, it’s all about help.... Jacks had his advice from various sorts and he could learn from what Horlics is being told.... it’s not like it went off topic and we start d talking about cheese :confused2:


Sorry, it was just me mucking about. Although pretty much retired these days I am/was in IT.

Anyway, while I'm here a few words on that......

I used to visit our offices all over Europe and in most of them English was spoken much of the time between the people who worked in those offices permanently. Many of the offices had a mix of people from different places, so even in Frankfurt, as an example, you'd hear lots of English across desks all day long.

But Madrid and Malaga were different. English was spoken only when it had to be and often reluctantly. Also, I'd say the % of non-English speaking staff was higher in the offices in Spain than it was elsewhere.

In fact, the above was one of the major reasons that I decided to try to learn some Spanish back then. Whereas I got on OK in all the other European offices and what was around them (hotels, restaurants, travel, etc.) Spain was always a bit of a struggle. E.g. a large restaurant next to a 4 star hotel in a capital city, Madrid, and not a word of English spoken.

Anyway, my point is that even in IT it can be uncomfortable to work in Spain without knowing the language. I'm not going against the advice given though, if anybody's looking at a career change and thinks they could take on IT, it's a good choice as a job which gives plenty of opportunities for working and living elsewhere. 

I can't help thinking, though, that with very few exceptions, getting a decent professional level job in Spain requires the ability to speak the language fluently.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Horlics said:


> Sorry, it was just me mucking about. Although pretty much retired these days I am/was in IT.
> 
> Anyway, while I'm here a few words on that......
> 
> ...


Horlics - although yes it's useful to know the local language - like you found in those other offices.
What the Managers are really looking for is experience & expertise in your chosen field of IT; whether
that be in computer languages like C++ or the old Fortran & Cobol or in networking Cisco, TCP/IP
and if you have the Cisco certifications or other vender based certifications; then more power
to your elbow.
Go for the International companies in Spain and steer clear of the local ( for example utility based
companies ) - anyway as they used to say on University Challenge, here's your starter for 10.

Look up United Nations Logistics Base in Valencia, Spain. You can find their website easy on the
Internet and what's more, it's in English & even better application forms must be submitted in English. Wow !!
So a classic international organisation where the working language is English - of course knowledge
of other languages is useful but not essential. There are scores of other International organisations
based in Spain, that provide services for clients in other countries, so think of Outsourcing and
off-shoring companies as other classic examples but there are more like AT&T Global Networks,
who manage internet traffic routed through NOC's in Spain & onto other hubs around the world.
You will find that the clients your manager wants you to work with are based in the UK, the USA, Germany,
Switzerland and therefore any Spanish skills are of little or no consequence to him, in fact his or
her biggest problem is nagging their staff to master their English language skills.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Horlics said:


> Sorry, it was just me mucking about. Although pretty much retired these days I am/was in IT.
> 
> Anyway, while I'm here a few words on that......
> 
> ...



At the end of the day - if your retired / retiring anyway, this all deja vu for you now.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Interesting isn't it, that the big problem hold many Spanish workers back at international level is their lack of English, but the biggest obstacle for a foreigner wanting to work in Spain is not speaking fluent Spanish... Oh the irony.

In any case, there are many more industries to work in than IT and I would hazard a guess that for the vast majority of those, a very high level of Spanish is necessary.

If the OP has been smart, he will have spent the last year studying Spanish so that when he gets here he will not be starting from scratch.

The good news? I have been watching my industry (rail) opportunities closely for several years and I thimk that there are more opportunities now than a year or two ago. 
Clearly wages are still very low compared with the rest of Europe and no permanent contracts are offered, but at least the quantity of offers seems to have gone up a bit. In fact, in the company where I currently work, we are even facing a slight staff retention problem with qualified professionals being tempted away by the competition. I can't recall that happening at all in the last 5 or 6 years, so it seems a change is upon us.


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## Horlics (Sep 27, 2011)

Williams2 said:


> .... although yes it's useful to know the local language - like you found in those other offices....
> 
> At the end of the day - if your retired / retiring anyway, this all deja vu for you now.


Just one thing.... it wasn't useful to know the local languages in the other offices, the vast majority of people in them spoke very good English. In contrast, Madrid it was the management team and about 20% of the rest of the staff who could.

Back when I was in my 30s I first thought of living and working abroad and considered Spain. I soon gave up on the idea because the pay was too low. The idea of the sun and the lifestyle was attractive, but as a young married person with kids making decent money was the most important thing. Spain wasn't the sensible choice.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

The impression I get now is along the same lines as other posters to some extent.


 Pay is still low if you compare to other parts of Europe
 IT departments in larger organizations are often mulinational where English is used as the basis for communication. However, it seems to me most work is project based and so is temporary. This could be weeks, maybe months and sometimes years, but is temporary.
 Even if the use of Spanish at work was limited you would soon need Spanish in the wider world if you not in some specific areas of Spain like Benidorm, Torrevieja and so on. Look at Horlick's post about Madrid.
 There do seem to be opportunities opening up, and in fields that are not just the usual English teaching and in the tourist trade, but unemployment is still much higher than the UK
Permanent contracts are still hard to come by and contractual conditions do not always reflect reality
Overtime is unpaid, but is part of everyday life for the majority of office working Spaniards


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

All excellent advice here I appreciate every comment, just haven't had the time to get back on the forum since posting

I do have very basic IT skills because I did an apprenticeship in IT a few years back, however, whenever I search for any jobs in Spain all I seem to find is stupidly high up positions wanted (Way above my level of expertise in any field) I can't find the middle ground, because other than that I guess the only other work is the typical, seasonal work that is always on offer in Spain

Bottom line is - I just can't see much that requires somebody like me TBH !


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Strangely enough, despite Spain´s high unemployment, it appears that nobody wants to work on the land (as, of course, is the case in the UK): https://www.thelocal.es/20171229/jobless-spaniards-turn-down-agriculture-jobs


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The Skipper said:


> Strangely enough, despite Spain´s high unemployment, it appears that nobody wants to work on the land (as, of course, is the case in the UK): https://www.thelocal.es/20171229/jobless-spaniards-turn-down-agriculture-jobs


Not so strange when you see the luxury accommodation they are expected to live in.


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## The Skipper (Nov 26, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Not so strange when you see the luxury accommodation they are expected to live in.


Ah! I thought there must be more to it than meets the eye! At least in the UK the fruit pickers have caravans to live in.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Overandout said:


> Interesting isn't it, that the big problem hold many Spanish workers back at international level is their lack of English, but the biggest obstacle for a foreigner wanting to work in Spain is not speaking fluent Spanish... Oh the irony.
> 
> In any case, there are many more industries to work in than IT and I would hazard a guess that for the vast majority of those, a very high level of Spanish is necessary.
> 
> ...


As he said earlier in his posts the OP is nearly retired so most likely NOT really going to action any of our comments.

Quote from the OP:
Sorry, it was just me mucking about. Although pretty much retired these days I am/was in IT


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Jack92 said:


> All excellent advice here I appreciate every comment, just haven't had the time to get back on the forum since posting
> 
> I do have very basic IT skills because I did an apprenticeship in IT a few years back, however, whenever I search for any jobs in Spain all I seem to find is stupidly high up positions wanted (Way above my level of expertise in any field) I can't find the middle ground, because other than that I guess the only other work is the typical, seasonal work that is always on offer in Spain
> 
> Bottom line is - I just can't see much that requires somebody like me TBH !


Most likely you need to get a few Vendor Certs under your belt first, like for instance if your going into Networking on 
Cisco TCP/IP networks, then you've got to go for the Cisco CCNA exams which would get you into working on a Service Desk /
Help Desk with the likes of AT&T Global networks. As these Help Desks are Continental EMEA coverage ( not just for Spain
although many based in other parts of Europe like UK, Germany, Holland and even in Gib ) so English Language skills
are a must.
The likes of PartyPoker.com where online availability is 24X7 is critical to the business, so another case in point.

As you can see Jacko - I wouldn't call Help Desk / Service Desk Operator jobs 'high up' and there's loads of vacancies for 
Help Desk / Service Desk with the 1st Cert - but for a Networker it's but step up to greater things, as most likely it will give you
exposure to Cisco Routers and Switches from where you can move onto the Cisco CCNP, CCIE exams and certification.
Most companies will sponsor you on these courses as it makes you more valuable to them.
Obviously passing these exams would require some graft on your part but the beauty of it is the Cisco certification
exams are mostly delivered in English.


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

Mate I'm far from retirement haha, I'm 25, I think people started believing that Horrlic (Think his name is) was the OP


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

Excellent post Williams, I've actually been applying to get back into IT before any of these were even posted, I fancied the change from the railway, I think IT would be the way to go for me


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Jack92 said:


> Mate I'm far from retirement haha, I'm 25, I think people started believing that Horrlic (Think his name is) was the OP


Sorry - yes you right, I got you mixed up with Horlics on that one.


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

Still solid post though regarding work/IT etc, I think my first step is probably actually getting back into IT asap in UK, then at least that's one foot in the door to a career which is probably more valued than the railway industry


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Jack92 said:


> Excellent post Williams, I've actually been applying to get back into IT before any of these were even posted, I fancied the change from the railway, I think IT would be the way to go for me


Well best of luck, although don't expect too much from it at first, for as with any change of career you've
got to prove your worth and work your way up from the ground floor first.


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

Thank you, ye this is very true, it does help that I have done an apprenticeship and I've done a year or so in a 1st line support role before, so it's very limited and very basic, but, at least I have "an IT background" rather than absolutely nothing, which seems to be working in my favour because I only started applying for jobs a few days ago and had 4/5 interview offers already

Here's to hoping getting one foot in, then starting the real work and getting solid qualifications that are actually desirable, I honestly don't mind putting in the work and starting from the bottom


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Finally if you had a misspent youth playing about with Computers by hacking into other networks. Who knows
that questionable act could land you a top job in Cyber Security as there's a real skills shortage in
Cyber Security these days !!

So if your good at solving puzzles this could be another avenue for you.


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

*Current job market in Spain (Update on my position)*

So, for anybody that's interested, I'm delighted to say I actually have a job back in IT

This thread actually made me think alot, the job I was doing just wasn't what I wanted, so I decided to get the old CV up to scratch and apply for jobs within IT and within a few weeks everything is happening and I'm in my notice period with my current company right now

It's only 1st line support, nothing fancy obviously, I can't go in at the top, but I can certainly make and work my way to it, it's such a good step for me in the direction I want to be heading, so now I'll work my behind off to make sure I get where I want to be at, which will hopefully open many doors for me, in the UK, which will hopefully be doors in Spain at some point, after a few years in the industry and maybe working towards other certifications and qualifications, but I can't wait


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Jack92 said:


> So, for anybody that's interested, I'm delighted to say I actually have a job back in IT
> 
> This thread actually made me think alot, the job I was doing just wasn't what I wanted, so I decided to get the old CV up to scratch and apply for jobs within IT and within a few weeks everything is happening and I'm in my notice period with my current company right now
> 
> It's only 1st line support, nothing fancy obviously, I can't go in at the top, but I can certainly make and work my way to it, it's such a good step for me in the direction I want to be heading, so now I'll work my behind off to make sure I get where I want to be at, which will hopefully open many doors for me, in the UK, which will hopefully be doors in Spain at some point, after a few years in the industry and maybe working towards other certifications and qualifications, but I can't wait


Good for you - incidentally I was 25 when I changed careers to IT. As I went through school without
much thought of where I wanted to work when I left school and instead just went with the default option of following my Dad into an office job.
Suffice to say clerical work in an office wasn't for me !!


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## Jack92 (Feb 13, 2017)

Williams2 said:


> Jack92 said:
> 
> 
> > So, for anybody that's interested, I'm delighted to say I actually have a job back in IT
> ...


I think it's a good time for me, after one or two issues which sort of, held me back in life for a while, I'm finally on a path in which I'm excited for, I honestly can't wait for the challenge and to progress, then once I'm experienced enough and have the knowledge, id love to really be able to look into moving, I feel like a kid at Christmas ! Haha


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