I am thinking of moving to Spain?

Question

I am currently employed as a primary school assisant and my husband works for a major retailer

What do you think are chances would be to find work in the Quesada area

Answer 1

Hi, I lived 3 years in Barcelona and 6 months in Fuerteventura, it was nice and fun, but only for this period... consider the following:

- The salary is very low: aprx. 1000-1200 EUR per person in average for a foreigner... even if you have a position as manager!

- Your contract says you work 8 hours, but you'll be working 12 hours

- Learn the language perfectly before going there otherwise you'll have problem to find an appartment, to make your paper, to go to the doctor, to sign your contract, for your daily life as spanisch will fool you!

- Now that everything work slow, so  you'll need to be patient.

- Nothing is well organized.

- A company can throw you away in less than 2 weeks without any compensation. Having an underminated contract is a privilege... try to get one.

- The police will not help you if you need..

- The private insurance for health is a must.

- Spanish are still backwards in terms of how they live, work and think.. the technology as well is not one of the best, and the only thing that I found great was the banking system from La Caixa.

When I went to live in Spain to live with my boyfriend (now my husband) we were expecting to get kids there and have a nice place to live.. forget it... first the renting price is very high, we had to share an appartment with 2 other people even if I was working as Manager for sales & marketing and that my husband was working in IT for GE. Food is cheap, but insurance, car, transportation ... are very expensive compare to what you earn. Forget to travel in Europe... it will kill your annual budget. After having spend 3 wonderful and innocent years in Spain, we went back to Switzerland and go on holidays in Spain whenever we can... enjoy the places, restaurant and beach we couldn't before when we were living in Spain. I advice you to find a well paid job before even move to Spain, find an apartment and start a network of people that can help you in case, there, in the city you'll be moving to.

Answer 2

I have a friend who lives in Sevilla, and she says there is a big problem of people (illegal foreigners) NOT getting paid appropriately, and not having contracts, meaning they don't have pension payments, and they only work at their jobs for one year, then get let go.  My advice would be to DEFINITELY have the work lined up in advance...can you get a Fullbright in your business?  Check out employment possibilities online...try CIEE, they set people up for exchange situations both as students and professionally.

Depending on where you are in your own career at home, taking a year or more to change gears may or may not be the best move, but Spain is a terrific place to live if you can make a go of it.  The success would surely be in the planning.  Enjoy!

Answer 3

Hi

I live in Spain (Málaga to be exact), I work with many companies along this coast, one of them being a recruitment company called Ambient Jobs, they have many jobs available on their website and they specialise in helping people relocate to Spain and finding work.

They have just recently launched their new section called "Jobs Direct" where you can advertise work wanted - they cover the whole of Spain and Gibraltar.

If you have the time I would have a look at their website and upload your CV, or send them an email and let them know what type of work you are looking for and in what area, they will assist you.

Good look with the move and I hope you can find a suitable job :)

Answer 4

Why quesada ?,having lived there for 2 yrs i hated it i thought i had moved to an upmarket british council estate in the sun. the only work your likely to find here (if you are lucky ) is a bar job,or waitressing job,unless of course you are proficient in spanish.There are many people out here who have had there dreams shattered due to naivety.Come out on holiday for a couple of weeks and ask the questions here ,especially in winter when you will get a different slant on things.

The people who survive out here are the retired on a reasonable pension ,or the good trades men who will do a good days work for a fair days pay,or of course having plenty of money in the bank.

I wish you well but you would be better waiting for your pension ,and then some.

Answer 5

Very good,  you have the skills to teach English for a start.

Answer 6

I assume that as a school assistant you are not a qualified teacher? Like some of the other people who have answered your question life here is not as rosy as some people paint it. Jobs are not easy without qualifications and Spanish, they will be low paid, probably without a contract and social security contributions, therefore no health service, and you'll be scrabbling round for every cent. Try to find legal jobs before you come over to Spain, at least that way you know you have an income, or bring enough money to last you both at least two years whilst you look for decent work. Good luck to you both.

Answer 7

Do you speak Spanish? You can definitely find work over here if you don't, but of course there are less opportunities. This doesn't matter if you are not fussy about what you do. Quesada's not exactly buzzing though.

My advice to anyone thinking about moving to Spain is much like Nike's. "just do it".

If you think too much about these things they begin to appear scary but I moved to Spain 5 years ago and it's the best decision I've ever made in my life.

I would try hunting for a job first though.

There are many bilingual schools in the Murcia area for example that hire English speaking teachers.

El Limonar is one (www.ellimonarinternational.com).

You just have to be positive and make contacts.  You only need one job after all!

Murcia (the province just below Alicante) has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Spain at 3.1% and it's only 5.9% in Alicante contrary to other comments made. Considering London is at 7.6%, these aren't really bad.

As for your husband, there are many retail companies that operate solely for their English speaking clientele. They don't tend to be major but if you are limited by language again, it's a good start.

Try thinking of what the most popular things are in the area you want to live in. The property and rental markets are quite English driven so you may want to look at furniture stores, property management companies and the like.

In my humble opinion though, you may want to look outside the Quesada area. It is a kind of a purpose built holiday area and can be quite dead in the "winter".

Good luck with everything!

Answer 8

Veronique's experience is typical of many who come to Spain. Her commentary is essentially correct.

Spain is expensive. It is no longer cheap and cheerful. Prices are going up fast and 50% of Spaniards say that they have difficulty reaching the end of the month.

A teacher's salary is only about 15,000 pounds a year and rental costs are high. If you do not speak Spanish almost no jobs are open to you. Retail wages are a joke, and unless your husband has connections in Spain, (enchufe) and a good qualification and speaks fluent Spanish, he will be lucky to get a job as a timeshare tout.

If you are not a qualified school teacher, you are unlikely to find a job teaching. If you have a TEFL certificate you will find work in a language school but the pay is very low and the hours of work anti-social.

Do not leave unless you both have jobs to go to.

Sorry to be so miserable.

Answer 9

Is your husband going to go missing in a canoe ?

If so dont get your photo took with an estate agent ...

Answer 10

dont move 2 spain coz there all jipsis

Answer 11

Hello

I live just outside Quesada but i work in Quesada i would never recommend someone to move out to this area without coming out and getting a job 1st, unemployment is very high in Spain and this is not a good time of year to start looking as its quiet.

What i would recommend you trying looking at our local news paper sites 1st, try - the leader, The Costa Blanca News, Coast rider or Round town news.

Everyone thinks it is easy to get a job once they are here but its not i have been here 18 months and have only been working for 6.

If you have any questions e-mail me.

Good luck in your search and let us know how you get on.

x x x

Answer 12

don't even think about it...

the local housing bubble has burst and the economic growth weights too much on the contruction sector, the whole eceonomy may have a downturn in th next coulp of years.

sources

"the economist" magazine