It's the Lotus Eater lifestyle. Days blur, and we go to bed when tired, and wake up without benefit of alarm clock.

Plus I'm a natural owl.

Hmm really? I'm guessing you dont know anyone like this?

It really depends on the industry you work on, but it London, in the language/education industry (like this one is) then the salary would be around £30-35k. Certainly not £75k-100k

Speaking from personal experience, the teaching of foreign languages in the UK seems to be a joke, and a bad one at that.

With our eldest, I managed to get her taught German at school as her first language (it was always French, quelle surprise) and because we were also learning German at the time, I worked hard to encourage her with it, but I could never really light in her the same feeling for languages that I had.

The other two were less interested than she was, and I just gave up. I'd offer help and try and work with them but they were never interested.

Despite being taught german and french for several years at the school, they both left with zero knowledge of grammar, and were unable to even conjugate the simplest verbs.

You know,

I am, you are, he is etc.

Like anything there are always exceptions at both ends of the scale. I'm sure we've all met people highly qualified, very intelligent, and with several degrees, who can't get a job. Equally there are those, especially in the investment banking area who land on their feet and somehow manage to get 200k despite never having achieved much at school
There's a poster in the "Returning to the UK" section now, worried that the temping rate she's being offered (£6 a hour) won't be enough for the high cost of living the south of England. I've seen ridiculously low rates offered in my field too (IT). I'm hoping the situation will get better soon (and in fact there have been signs it will improve). But yes, even in London, 26k isn't something to sneeze at (if only as a stop gap job - not as a job requiring loads of qualifications you refer to here).

Well yes I know quite a few people like that one of whom who is on over 100K euros p.a. which is why I mentioned it.

However, none work in the sector you mentioned which is neither prestigious nor well paid in any country.

I never said it was prestigious or well paid, but it does require a lot of qualifications. Hence why 25k in Malaga is a good salary.

I lived in London for 5 years and knew a load of mid 20 somethings who were earning between 15k and 150k per year.

There was no correlation to how qualified someone was and how much they were earning. Simply those working 80 hours a week in investment and corporate banking were earning around 6 figures, those in accounting and law were getting 35k-60k and everyone else earnt less.

The investment bankers were often from old polytechnic unis, but were rugger bugger wideboys who went to the right private schools.

On the other hand we mustn't take ourselves too seriously. Every nation has it's 'types'. We mustn't be too sensitive about a little lighthearted banter.
It's not like anyone is accusing all Brits of being murderers or thieves!
The expat brit shorts are funny!

In my case I was just talking about where to find various foods (In another thread) and explained to Johhnyone what in my case I mean by expat land.

Nearly every Brit know speaks Spanish, eats at Spanish (or other) restaurants, and there are no British shops around here. There is an English language International school, the largest group of pupils is Spanish.

Sounds like you live in Expat land.

I was speaking to a Spanish girl only yesterday whose English was pretty poor and who had just come back from two years in Bristol working for the Royal Mail. I asked her if I could get a job with Correos. No chance was her reply.

Maybe you should look for other reasons why Brits don't have jobs with Spanish companies.

Yup - I've reviewed this whole thread now. In answer to the OP - find cricketman. He lives in expat land.

Again, I'd say show me the money. I have yet to meet or hear any British person in Spain who speakers fluent Spanish, i.e. at a level where they could be employed in that language.

The one or two I have met who do, went to Spanish state school and grew up in Spain.

And I've spoken to Spanish people here who say I am the first British person they have met who speaks Spanish fluently. And there are lots of lots of British people here, so I'm sure I am not the first they have met!

As for British people eating at Spanish restaurants...hardly.

The type of "Spanish restaurants" the Brits tend to eat at are the ones aimed at tourists where Spanish people wouldnt go to, and are as likely to serve pizza or burgers as any Spanish food. There are some chains where British people go, but at the restaurants serving Spanish food, there are prodominantly Spanish people. Although there are always exceptions of course.

Actually recently we were invited to a "Spanish restaurant" by some of my relatives up in Mijas. When we got there we realised it wasnt Spanish at all. OK, the waiters were Spanish, but the food was a kind of a watered down Spanish-style food for foreigners and for that reason there were only foreigners eating there.

Ah, good, I do not live there then!

Grotty old Benalmádena, or somewhere down there. And he wonders why none of his football mates speak Spanish. He's thinks he's the only Englishman that ever spoke Spanish. I think my friend's 17 year old son could lose him when it comes to speaking Spanish. He has only Spanish friends, spends his holidays/weekends with their families, is the only foreigner in the town band, studies music at the conservatoire in Granada, in short, he leads a totally Spanish speaking life outside of home. And he doesn't live anywhere near Benalmádena.

I've worked for Spanish companies, both in Spain (ok a language school), and currently here in the UK - the company is owned by a Spanish conglomerate. I don't think there is a bias against hiring Brits - generally they want people who can do the job well and help the company to be successful. As more than one poster has pointed out above, if the candidate doesn't speak fluent Spanish then the chance of getting the job is very low, for obvious reasons. I've known plenty of extranjeros who worked for companies based in Madrid, but the majority of them were Latin Americans ie native Spanish speakers. Having said that I met Brits and americans who worked for the IT companies that were based there (eg Sun, IBM, Microsoft) but that's different I suppose. Other extranjeros I met in Madrid who were employed by Spanish include Roumanians, Greeks and Italians. Ok, the Roumanians were generally in the hospitality trade (as they were recent migrants), so still employed by Spanish nonetheless.
Having said all that I agree that it's nearly impossible for a foreigner to get a public sector type job, as the entry requirements are quite strict and require passing the oposiciones (plus the competition is so high).

Benalmadena is fine! In the road where I live there is one other English family, we have a Chilllean family opposite, Norwegian and dutch each side, French two doors up and the rest of the road are Spanish. The town itself is a tourist resort and much less British than my home town of Worthing (also a tourist resort) and certainly alot cleaner, more modern and pleasant. Are there British around, yes, but there are infinitely more Spanish! Why does it matter anyway. I'm in Worthing for christmas at the moment and funnily enough there are a good few Spanish around and polish and all manner of nationalities - So what????

Jo xxxx