Hey guys, im new to the forum, my name is Joshua and im 19years old, currently living in Brighton, England.
Ive been desperate to move to Spain for about 4 years, i have family living in spain and never want to leave when i visit.
My girlfriend who is nearly 18 is also desperate to move and now that we no longer have commitments (college, work) we thought now would be the best time to go over. We currently live together in Brighton
The things i want to know are;
- How easy will it be to get a job? i worked in american express for over a year and my expierience is computing/admin work. I studied spanish in college and can remember the basics but am in no way a good spanish speaker. I do have 11 GCSES and 3 A-levels.
- Renting accomodation? Is it easy to find and rent, i saw that the prices are cheaper than here where i live, by a lot.
- How to get our stuff over? Only smallish bits like TV’s, computers, DVDs, clothing, small furniture?
- Laws in spain that may hinder us at all? working problems, healthcare etc…
We want to move so badly, we know that in life you need to take risks, so were ready to move everything over on a small chance that we will suceed in our expectations. Weve got very little savings which also hinders us.
Any advice or anything would be much apprieciated.
- How easy will it be to get a job? i worked in american express for over a year and my expierience is computing/admin work. I studied spanish in college and can remember the basics but am in no way a good spanish speaker. I do have 11 GCSES and 3 A-levels.
How long is a piece of string.
If your looking for American Express type jobs etc you’ll probably fair better in Pizza Express.Getting a career type job earning enough to support a family is the holy grail and you’ll struggle to get anywhere. I would look towards cities with colleges and Uni’s rather than coastal areas or locations such as the northern coast away from the typical areas that attract Expats and bar workers.
- Renting accomodation? Is it easy to find and rent, i saw that the prices are cheaper than here where i live, by a lot.
Same rules apply in Spain as the UK, popularity and location dictates prices, on average for a 2 bed is around 400 Euros, exclude Madrid & Barcelona and some others.
Loads of letting agents and you’ll be looking to pay 3 months rent, one deposit, one to the landlord and one to the agent.
- How to get our stuff over? Only smallish bits like TV’s, computers, DVDs, clothing, small furniture?
Google removal companies in Spain, don’t use Bishops Move, they have an issue with quality, generally you pay per sq meter, usually around ?30.00, but can vary, most will quote you a price before and then you arrange a date and they pick up and deliver on a date you pick, most use local warehouses that the main wagon delivers too and then they ship out as people require.
- Laws in spain that may hinder us at all? working problems, healthcare etc…
No issue with moving as your a EU peep, you’ll need to arrange NIE and Social Seguridad, Social Seguridad required when you get a job and allows free health care, uptil then technically you’ll need insurance as your card only covers tourists and not residents.
Try to avoid black market jobs, you’ll no if they are as there poorly paid and no payments are made to the govt and you’ll be paid in cash.
Its shouldn’t really be an issue if you move to cities and locations for work that employ students, my sister in law worked in a take away pizza place whilst studying in Zarragoza.
We want to move so badly, we know that in life you need to take risks, so were ready to move everything over on a small chance that we will suceed in our expectations. Weve got very little savings which also hinders us.
Any advice or anything would be much apprieciated.
Thanks !!!!
Your probably in the best place to actually make a good go of it and I wouldn’t put you off, I do have a bit of a reputation for negativity around here, but that is due to the OP I’m responding to and there position, not solely on the Spanish economic situation.
Having family there will help and also your age, doing a few yrs at the lower end of the labour market will help getting better employment, time served working in Spain will benefit your CV compared to a newbie from Uni or outside of Spain.
Don’t expect to much too soon and you should be ok and at least it’ll be good life experience.
Well first off thanks the advice!!!
Ive been reading through these forums for weeks, and when i saw your picture i knew of your reputation, but i appreciate the no nonsense approach, and its better to hear the truth to get prepared.
The family i have in spain is around the Denia/Pedreguer area, from visiting i notice that its not a particularly touristy place, but there are a good amount of english speaking people. Would this be the wrong place to look for a job and accommodation?
I also agree that this is the perfect time to move, were still young, and really dont have much to loose as this would be the time in my life for a ‘gap year’.
If all goes well i would be extending this year to maybe a lifetime, but time will only tell.
Im looking forward to picking up the spanish language further than my basic spanish at the moment, and i know it will help me secure work, but its a lengthy process.
Im not scared of a good days work, and im a very hard worker, but what are the average working hours for a spanish citizen? Is there a siesta during work hours?
If anyone says Santi is completely negative anymore I’ll send them over here. Great post Santi.
Joshua: as Santi mentioned, you’re in the right place. Most of those questions you’ve asked have been carefully researched and answered in the articles we’ve written for the main site: http://www.spainexpat.com. I hope you’ll check them out too.
The family i have in spain is around the Denia/Pedreguer area, from visiting i notice that its not a particularly touristy place, but there are a good amount of english speaking people. Would this be the wrong place to look for a job and accommodation?
That depends, the advantage is that family is near, so if you run short of cash a place to return is close.
If I was in your shoes I’d start further away in medium size towns, if your Spanish is pretty good try Zaragoza,Bilbao, San Sebastain, Gijon, Pamplona.
If your Spanish is in need of help try Madrid or Barcelona, although accomodation is expensive in the city, outside is not to bad, but your faced with a commute.
There are many many bars and tourist in the costa’s, you’ll be faced with more job adverts, but with that much more competition.I’ve said before a Spanish friend of ours with 7yrs waiting experience in Malaga city hasn’t had much waiter jobs in 3 yrs.
If all goes well i would be extending this year to maybe a lifetime, but time will only tell.
Sometimes offers come out of the blue, don’t count on them but you never know, for sure not trying will get you no place.
Im not scared of a good days work, and im a very hard worker, but what are the average working hours for a spanish citizen? Is there a siesta during work hours?
Thanks again!!
It is slowly becoming normal in some regions for 9-5 hrs jobs in offices, shops still have a break at lunch for 3 hrs.
My timetable started at 9am lunch at 2pm until 5pm and then 5pm until 8pm, that can be hard saying good bye to your OH and kids at 5pm as they leave for the beach and you’ll be working and returning home around 9pm.
Couple more questions, would it be completely pointless in me searching for a job thats not bottom of the pile bar work. I have excellent business and economics experience and grades but i understand that my extremely limited Spanish almost makes that pointless.
And also, me and my partner have hardly any money saved up, but were dying to go, if we had jobs we would quite literaly move tomorrow. So would you advise to have a lot of money saved up to go over there with? Ive pretty much come to the conclusion that im going to have to work through the summer and maybe move in September when im more financially stable.
Couple more questions, would it be completely pointless in me searching for a job thats not bottom of the pile bar work. I have excellent business and economics experience and grades but i understand that my extremely limited Spanish almost makes that pointless.
Don’t pass job offers no matter how crap, don’t do anything dangerous, a friend got a labouring job fitting aircon units to apts, they should have used cherry pickers, but they cost so had to go onto two ladders holding the heavy unit up 40 feet without any harness etc, I wouldnt recommend that, although there very oftern an easy job too get.
Of the degree educated that I no, my OH included struggle to find good jobs quickly if at all, my OH best friend studied Business and works as a secretary in Madrid, my sister in law is a Logopeda and is self employed as no jobs in schools available, she is doing better though as teachers a poorly paid compared to the UK, her husband is a structural engineer, he works in a bottle recycling factory, my cousin studied Engineering and was working in a car component factory doin the maintenance of the machines, but the factory has been hit and is unknown how long will remain.The only successful peeps I know have been welders and a crane operator, one in Malaga port and the other in a factory in Bilbao, the job I had is still goin and the guys are still employed, that was in a factory making domestic appliances.One expat friend of mine moved to Spain around 9 yrs ago now and is still running his own business, but relies on Expats and that is repairing appliances in Malaga.
And also, me and my partner have hardly any money saved up, but were dying to go, if we had jobs we would quite literaly move tomorrow. So would you advise to have a lot of money saved up to go over there with? Ive pretty much come to the conclusion that im going to have to work through the summer and maybe move in September when im more financially stable.
Thanks !
Have a few trips to relatives and search for work for a few weeks, see what happens, its would be ideal to have a few grand ready at least plus the 3 months rent you’d need for a place.
The family i have there are retired, so dont have a clue about the job prospects etc…
I think im going to work through the summer here in England, save up as much as i can and fly out in september, got to take risks!
Thanks for all the info guys!
just a quickee as im in spain on hol doing some research for my planned move, but im up near the area you have family and just read your post!!
wow some beautifull scenery in these parts! have you not considered, moving in with the family on a short term basis? or have they not got the space, that to me would be the best start, they can provide acommodation, support, show you where to go etc - that all depends on what part you are looking at moving to I suppose, as Santi suggested some other places for you.
My folks have a place in Polop ( ten mins drive behind benidorm in the hills) and one that im just vistiting for the 1st time now (benitachell, near Moraira) area wise I would say the latter is much classier but appears to attract the older generations, who retire out in spain, the former is probably where I will end up as its more suitable for my age group (though im geting on a bit myself now at 32 lol) - Been to Moraira town today, and had a chat with some people who advise me its very seasonal in that particular town, and basically closes down in winter months, whereas Javier just up the road seems to be all year round, I would make sure you pick the right place to land esp if its now going to be towards the end of the season. Ill keep you posted on further research and info I pick up as it may be of benefit to the two of you!
Ste
If you need to move to Spain but do not know how to start with… you have now a new service called ORYENT (http://www.orientayencuentra.com/en)
It is an information service about moving to Spain for Work, Study or Tourism. Also, we cover all 27 countries of the European Union in terms of Work and Study
you can choose between an on line information consultancy service for fast and urgent questions you need to solve and a more accurately document made in base of your concret needs
Prices are very reasonable and you can access to an very good knowlegde to make easier your moving or stay in Spain
We also have no interest in sugar coatings and selling, we’ll tell it as it is or at least our experience.
That way you can make your decision yours.
Frankly all the info on Spain, living there, working there, rules and regs are all easily found on the net within a few minutes, if you cannot find it and feel the need to pay someone to do it, forget Spain to live and work, you’ll be well out of your depth with everyday tasks, such as bills, shopping and travel, unless your rich and dumb enough to have someone do those for you.
If your feeling overwhelmed by moving, reconsider your motivation and situation, moving is the easy bit, entering into a culture and society unfamiliar to you is far more challenging.
My first task in Spain all on my own was in the offices of the Seguridad Social, registering my employment details was a challenge I’ll never forget and the best language test ever.I had some help, a friendly guy from somewhere in South America who also had only just arrived in Spain assisted me, we both stood in line completely perplexed and amused by the chaos of the place.
I never felt nervous before the move, in fact wild horses couldn’t stop me and if it was up to me I’d have been on the plane the day I was offered the job.
If your the type not used to meeting people and self conscious in public, a bit shy, nervous of change, lost in bureaucracy then Spain is going to test your resolve and probably make you head straight for the brit enclaves or back home.
