Robbieb2342

I am getting a lot of mixed answers on this question but I am wondering would it be hard to get a job as a chef in Spain now for the summer months..I am looking at moving out to Spain permanently and would use the summer months to work and improve my Spanish..I am currently living in London,originally from Ireland..I have over 7 years experience as a chef..I have heard that,like most places,chef work is still pretty easy to get..Im just concerned that I have left it to late to get summer work..What do you think??

mikelincs

Chef work might well be available during the summer months.. BUT.. there are hundreds of unemployed Spanish chefs due to an umemployment level of aroung 30 - 35%, and many of them will be happy to work for a wage that you couldn't afford to live on as they will be living at home. You would also have to find private health cover as most of these jobs would be 'on the black' and have no employment contract. If you have money to live on for the summer then you could always look on it as an experience, and any work you would get would be a bonus, but don't go to Spain needing to gget a job to pay your way.

Robbieb2342

I have been offered a job in L'estatit,Girona for the summer months and have got enough money to survive..I have heard that there are jobs for chefs in the bigger cities(Barcelona,Madrid,Sevilla)etc but that the money wouldnt be as good as the UK..Im really not worried about earning a lot as its the lifestyle and weather that I am moving for and to learn Spanish.

Rosemary

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. I am the Concierge for the Spanish section and thought that you might find it helpful to know that the moderators for the Spanish forums are Fred James and Bevs, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Robbieb2342

Thanks for the info about the site.Was wondering if you had any info on my post??

Madridboy

There does always seem to be the odd chef job floating around but as said, there's lots of Spanish chefs fighting for the work also. Have a look through the classifieds and see what areas are looking for chefs and what wages they're offering.

cricketman

It will be difficult learning Spanish in Girona, it is deepest, darkest Catalunya!

You will need a crash course in Catalan

Domino

Robbie, sadly that is one of the economic facts of life about Spain. Salaries for many/most jobs are not great and for those who have become used to the high salaries and high cost of living in many parts of the UK it is a negative deciding factor. Yes the cost of living is lower (except in places like Madrid/Barcelona) but you still want to have some expectations of being able to Work to Live rather than Live to Work and to be able to go out of an evening.

But, congrats on getting a job offer this late. If you think the math is doable then Do It. Perhaps you will not be able to get something to carry on after the summer, but it will still be experience on which you can base perhaps a more permanent return next year or the year after. And you will be building up a list of contacts for the future. In your line of work contacts and reputation are the key.

So do it, you are only young once and it is a long while with regrets if you don't.

kr

Moses2013

Girona is amazing and don't be bothered about the language because it's Catalunya. I have plenty of work colleagues that are from the area and it's not as bad as Brits say. Just learn Spanish and you'll be accepted + it's great that the Brits haven't focused on that area, because you really get value for money when it comes to property.

Rosemary

If you can live on the money that they are offering with this job I would encourage you to take the opportunity to have a different lifestyle experience. I have visited the area a couple of times and it is great, the people are friendly and will accept you speaking Spanish.

Rosemary

cricketman

I've been to Palafrugell a couple of times which is close by, and have never heard the locals speak a word of Spanish.

They will let you speak in Spanish, but will reply in Catalan which won't be good for learning Spanish

Lovely area though

Rosemary

We stayed in Girona and visited so many places in the area and never had this sort of experience. The only time that there was any evidence of it was when we had lunch at the lake because their menus were in Catalan, English and German. However, we used the Catalan menu and the waiter seemed to respect the fact that we used Spanish and did not speak Catalan.

Rosemary

cricketman

Maybe because we were all speaking Spanish all of the time. If we were speaking English but then changed to order in broken Spanish then the waiters will probably be helpful

However, I repeat. It will be very difficult to learn Spanish in Girona. Wherever you go, people will be speaking Catalan. The only people speaking Spanish will be the Spanish tourists in the area

It would be a bit like going to Mallorca to learn German, or going to Mijas to learn English

jonnyx

You can seek for jobs here:
Jobs in Spain

Retired in Euskadi

Then go for it. What have you got to lose??