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finding work...really that hard?

finding work...really that hard?

Old Jan 30th 2008, 8:26 am
  #31  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Phil had this idea last night for a bussiness,inflatable corse on the beach for mini Quads for 3 year olds and over ,ok so I took a deep breath and prayed he didnt bid on the kit hed just found on Ebay for £1200 ,now Im thinking....legal nightmare,would never get permission,health and safety ,do they let out bits of beach ,and if they do why is no-one doing it,please confirm what Im thinking so I can talk him out of it!!! please
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 8:38 am
  #32  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

They do let out parts of the beach,however there is a restricted timetable for apps,if memory serves it runs from Sept to Nov,so that places can be allocated for new tax year & hol season.
For the idea outlined you will have to pass extremely stringent health & safety
regs.
As a business idea,how about an online travel agcy targeting the UK market,that way getting an income in UK pounds,also relocatable,think I have heard of expats doing this who seem to make a good income in Spain
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 8:40 am
  #33  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Ok then as far as living is concerned - first year we lived in Albir just outside of Benidorm within easy reach of Altea, Calpe, and further north - plenty of buses also train line down to Alicante and up as far as Javea - loved the area but prices for rental certainly in Albir and Altea were more expensive - Benidorm not really my sort of place for living in - but ok for visiting.

Now living in Quesada on a huge urbinisation south of Alicante and about 11K from Torrevieja - rent I have to confess is a lot lower in south Costa Blanca but I much prefer the north. Certainly there appears to be a lot more English people here and somedays I hear no Spanish at all being spoken - which is not why I came to Spain.

Everyone's expectations of life are different but I have to say would much prefer to be living in north Costa Blanca.

Just seen your next post - you definitely would need licences for that and they are usually only granted for summer months i.e. June to September. I would think you would not make a living out of this to sustain you for the whole year. We have a friend who has a concession on the beach at Campello for hydro jets(?) certainly did not make enough to support a family.
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 9:23 am
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

what does phil do sally? could he do the commute route between spain and uk?
I believe you can brush up your barbering/hairdressing skills at nightschool then when your confidence is high you could do what a friend of mine in oxfordshire does. Mobile haidressing, you drive to someones house and do their hair in their house. If you were to do this (now) in the UK you would have a business (part or full time) which you could take with you and more importantly (by remembering your nvq studies) a self built portfolio to show when you get to spain if you need to go job hunting.

Your opportunities are boundless as if you start your reseach and planning now you will be laughing come 2010.

Have you a sky box or maybe be its on freeview? There are several tv channels about living in spain but there is also a channel called "living n spain" channel 293. If you can get this and others you can learn a lot about lifestyle and culture of expats in spain and maybe advice on jobs etc.
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 9:37 am
  #35  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Originally Posted by SueG
Ok then as far as living is concerned - first year we lived in Albir just outside of Benidorm within easy reach of Altea, Calpe, and further north - plenty of buses also train line down to Alicante and up as far as Javea - loved the area but prices for rental certainly in Albir and Altea were more expensive - Benidorm not really my sort of place for living in - but ok for visiting.

Now living in Quesada on a huge urbinisation south of Alicante and about 11K from Torrevieja - rent I have to confess is a lot lower in south Costa Blanca but I much prefer the north. Certainly there appears to be a lot more English people here and somedays I hear no Spanish at all being spoken - which is not why I came to Spain.

Everyone's expectations of life are different but I have to say would much prefer to be living in north Costa Blanca.

Just seen your next post - you definitely would need licences for that and they are usually only granted for summer months i.e. June to September. I would think you would not make a living out of this to sustain you for the whole year. We have a friend who has a concession on the beach at Campello for hydro jets(?) certainly did not make enough to support a family.
Looking now at rental prices south of Alicante mainly around Torrevieja definitely more reasonable,is Torrevieja highly populated expat area,although the dream is to live in a Spanish community,where works concerned we know realistically the jobs are in the more densily British areas,so village life may have to remain the long term plan,am I right?
I did mobile hairdressing for many years ,theres no point building a clientelle here now thats not going to transfer to Spain,I would have to start from scratch,I understand what you are saying about experience and portfolio but in my experience,no one has ever asked me for a certificate or references in hairdressing because they dont mean anything,put a pair of scissors in my hand and Ill show you what I can do
Certainly when I ran a bussiness here in barbering girls with years of salon experience didnt have a clue when it came to barbering and I had to retrain Id say 70% of them
Any english speaking barber shops in Torrevieja area
And just a thought how on earth do you fit a job around the school hours9-2,is it because thats the bussiness hours also
All Id need is a tiny space big enough for a chair and Im away
haircut on the beach anyone?
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 9:40 am
  #36  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Originally Posted by TheArmChairDetective
what does phil do sally? could he do the commute route between spain and uk?
I believe you can brush up your barbering/hairdressing skills at nightschool then when your confidence is high you could do what a friend of mine in oxfordshire does. Mobile haidressing, you drive to someones house and do their hair in their house. If you were to do this (now) in the UK you would have a business (part or full time) which you could take with you and more importantly (by remembering your nvq studies) a self built portfolio to show when you get to spain if you need to go job hunting.

Your opportunities are boundless as if you start your reseach and planning now you will be laughing come 2010.

Have you a sky box or maybe be its on freeview? There are several tv channels about living in spain but there is also a channel called "living n spain" channel 293. If you can get this and others you can learn a lot about lifestyle and culture of expats in spain and maybe advice on jobs etc.
do watch living in Spain,havnt found it too useful so far,it doesnt really tackle the areas I have Questions about its really aimed at those already living there isnt it
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 9:53 am
  #37  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Originally Posted by sally phil
Looking now at rental prices south of Alicante mainly around Torrevieja definitely more reasonable,is Torrevieja highly populated expat area,although the dream is to live in a Spanish community,where works concerned we know realistically the jobs are in the more densily British areas,so village life may have to remain the long term plan,am I right?
I did mobile hairdressing for many years ,theres no point building a clientelle here now thats not going to transfer to Spain,I would have to start from scratch,I understand what you are saying about experience and portfolio but in my experience,no one has ever asked me for a certificate or references in hairdressing because they dont mean anything,put a pair of scissors in my hand and Ill show you what I can do
Certainly when I ran a bussiness here in barbering girls with years of salon experience didnt have a clue when it came to barbering and I had to retrain Id say 70% of them
Any english speaking barber shops in Torrevieja area
And just a thought how on earth do you fit a job around the school hours9-2,is it because thats the bussiness hours also
All Id need is a tiny space big enough for a chair and Im away
haircut on the beach anyone?
We are just a short distance south of Torrevieja, there are a number of mobile hairdressers, (including one who offers a 'topless' service, and she even says you don't need to bother with the haircut, so not sure just what she does.) There are people who do hiarcuts at local car boot sales as well.
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 9:55 am
  #38  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Phil works for Speedyhire,originally testing and running equipement and tools for hire,blagged the job with little experience and found he can fix practically anything,he stripped cars down in his spare time,sometimes to fix them ,sometimes to sell parts on Ebay,sometimes just to see whats inside?
He drives for Speedyhire now ,got fed up stuck in the workshop and relocated from Boston to Peterborough as they needed a driver,better pay and they give him a van to drive the 30m to and from so saving a fortune in fuel
Many years he worked for Geest running lines in the factory,has alot of experience in that sector of food production but again no Quals
He had his own market stall for a while just because he always wanted to but that was a disaster and I think he earned minus £2000 in that 4 months or so
but we dont talk about that !!
Buys and sells cars sometimes
One idea he had was getting a hgv licence or smaller(dont really know what Im talking about here),would that be a good investment?
Hes a hard worker and prepared to give most things a go,he had a heart attack when he was 27 through stress lack of sleep etc,it was before I met him and he had split from his ex ,looking after his baby son all day while she worked then doing a nightshift,surviving on 2 hrs sleep a day and now gets angina...more often recently .....anyway my point being once he recovered from the initial heart attack he could easily have got his doc to sign him long term sick and never worked again but thats not him he has to be doing something,but the 12 hr days are killing him!
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:04 am
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

ok topless hairdressing sounds like I have stiff competition
say no more
If here is anything to go by all the barber shops I know 20+ are always desperate for staff If you are good and quick you can basically walk in and name your price,my old boss rang me the other day and asked if Id manage one of his shops ,I could basically name my price (which would have been £100 a day plus tips if I was interested)but I know Im happier doing what Im doing now
Dont worry I havnt gone insane I know Im looking at more like £20 a day in Spain,it just highlights the differences
We earn 20-25k between us and cant get out of our overdrafts ...really ticks me off tax tax and more tax
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:11 am
  #40  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

2 bed apt,what does anyone think your bills would be monthly,that would be water gas elec,is it right the owner pays local taxes and community charge

and how do you go about getting car insurance can you insure yourself in uk and just take it with you,providing you let them know you will be in Spain
Or do you have to get spanish car insurance,how does cost compare uk/spain

Phil wants to buy the car here and drive it over...sounds like more hassle than its worth from what Ive read
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:14 am
  #41  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

The best way to go in Spain is def self employment,what about teaching English,you could do a weekend TEFL course for £250.
In terms of income you could find yourselves initially on about the same in Spain,however the cost of living is about a 3rd cheaoer so it will go a lot further
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:15 am
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Originally Posted by sally phil

Phil wants to buy the car here and drive it over...sounds like more hassle than its worth from what Ive read

Best you read some of miss naughties posts about that particular idea.
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:17 am
  #43  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Oooooh love car boot sales,but we plan to sell all our crap before we move!!!!
and not buy anymore....do some people actually make a living out of it or is it just a hobby,I know people here and thats all they do,auctions and boot sales and they make enough to live,in fact Phil used to do that too surprise surprise,apparently he once sold a picture to a blind man

How do you get those bloomin smilies into your message?
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:18 am
  #44  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

Originally Posted by lcortez
The best way to go in Spain is def self employment,what about teaching English,you could do a weekend TEFL course for £250.
In terms of income you could find yourselves initially on about the same in Spain,however the cost of living is about a 3rd cheaoer so it will go a lot further
Dont you need spanish for this or am I being thick?
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Old Jan 30th 2008, 10:22 am
  #45  
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Default Re: finding work...really that hard?

No,the course is in England,run by a company called Intensive TEFL,will send details if your interested.
Of course aknowledge of Spanish will go a long way to helping you establish yourself in Spain
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