Hi all I’m coming to spain and was wondering how hard it is to find work. I’m an ex LGV driver looking for anything at all .Bar,cleaning ,labouring.

Depends which region you go to and if you can speak Spanish, even in the brit areas having fluent spanish is an advantage, as a lot of brits don`t they find it benificial to empoyee a brit who speaks the lingo.

As for jobs, unemployment in Spain is higher than the UK, they don`t pay benifits, so everybody is lookin, as opposed to the Uk where they sit at home.

Its luck at the end of the day, its possible to get work if your in the right place at the right time and you need to get out and about, being very nice and friendly is important as many oppertunites come via word of mouth in the area.

If your a prat you`ll be out of work a long time.

Your personality is crucial, probably more than your qualifications.

thanks for the advice mate

It’s not all doom and gloom. I see loads of idiots in bars saying I can’t get a job. what are they doing in a bar? Work for yourself Russell. You have to make yourself know to all the locals in the area you are going to reside in.

If you have ever wanted to start a business, it’s easy. I have started 3 and I would never go back to the UK. Time flys by here so don’t rest on your laurels.

Window cleaning, Painting villas, you would be surprised at the odd jobs that are available for someone who is reliable, honest and prepared to work for 60 -90 euros a day. Don’t expect more. If you do get it. Well done.

Good luck

1stcall - 23 July 2008 03:12 PM

It’s not all doom and gloom. I see loads of idiots in bars saying I can’t get a job. what are they doing in a bar? Work for yourself Russell. You have to make yourself know to all the locals in the area you are going to reside in.

If you have ever wanted to start a business, it’s easy. I have started 3 and I would never go back to the UK. Time flys by here so don’t rest on your laurels.

Window cleaning, Painting villas, you would be surprised at the odd jobs that are available for someone who is reliable, honest and prepared to work for 60 -90 euros a day. Don’t expect more. If you do get it. Well done.

Good luck

When we can’t be at our place we pay someone 50 euros to meet guests and then clean the house after a week or a fortnight’s stay, washing the bedlinen and so on. Sometimes it’s easy money and sometimes it’s hard work, depending on the size and nature of the tourists who’ve hired the place. I think if anything we’re paying on the high side, but there is plenty of need for that kind of help from British, Spanish and other absentee owners in lots of mountain and rural regions, beach resorts and even cities.  As Santi says, it’s all about relationships, whether within the guiri community or the wider population.  Depending on your area you may be able to look after a dozen or so places.  Trouble is everyone tends to change over on Saturday!

One word of warning though.

A lot of handymen do tend to struggle getting regular work, its very up and down.Makes future plans more unstable in an already unstable climate.

If you ever need to borrow money from a bank, they won`t want to know you without a Fijo contract, especially difficult for mortgage and loans.

Autonomo is ok if you can get work and grow quickly or if you`ve invested a lot of cash into a professional business.

Many Spanish institutions are well aware of foreigner Handymen.A friend of ours last year, got told by his Bank manager to come back when he got a proper job and he was a landscape gardener and needed a new vehicle.

You`d be surprised how many Banks got stung by foreigners borrowing a few thousand Euro`s only to see the borrowers do a runner back to the UK.

If you can live day to day or week to week it`ll be fine, but you could find your broke next month.

I did it a few years ago when I lost a job, it filled the gap, but I wouldn`t live that way personally.

Many thanks for the replies. I have enough money for 3 months and will just see how it goes.

Russel - 24 July 2008 02:35 PM

Many thanks for the replies. I have enough money for 3 months and will just see how it goes.

Don`t forget.

Leg work, leg work, leg work.

Good luck.

Hola Russell

It is harder in Spain than it is in the UK because of the language barrier, however, with determination and hard work you will find something that suits you.

I came here 10 years ago and did a bit of everything I could get my hands on, Spain has a good tourist trade, timeshare plays a major role on the Costa del Sol and majority of the costas as it goes and there is always work available in that industry, I can understand not many wish to work in timeshare but it is not all bad, I worked in the contracts department of a timeshare resort for a while and earnt good money, learnt a lot too!

This enabled me to meet many people and open up the opportunities available to me, I am now running my own business, successfully.

You have thought about this it seems as you have funds for 3 months, that will stand you in good stead, getting out and about always helps and meeting people in bars and restaurants.

You just need to a bit harder and more determined when living here and watch out for all those scams!

Forgot to mention Russell that I am on the Costa del Sol 😊