paulm

Hi,

I'm considering moving to Spain to be with family and wondered what I.T. opportunities there are.

I've gone through usual online agencies but with little success. My skills lie in the Microsoft, Compaq and Cisco domain.

If anybody could help steer me in the right direction in securing a job around the Costa Blance region I would be most grateful.

Thanks,

Paul

valleygirl

Hi

I have lived in Spain for about 4 years and getting employment within any industry is very difficult.

However try the following

www.surinenglish.com This is an English newspaper out there that has vacancies. Also the andalucia.com website has a forum to post your skills and to look at any jobs advertised.

I moved back to the UK in the end as the only jobs that came up were bar jobs(Iam a teacher).

The only people that I know who have really made it work out there are the retired and people who own their own businesses.

Hope this gives you some insight.

sortedtoo

did you find anything?

BritBull

I know of a few currently recruiting but mainly in Gibraltar (one in Marbella).
Costa Blanca - can't help sorry.

pwwm

As Britbull says it is quite hard to get into IT here unless you have language skills possibly. My other half was an IT expert in UK but where we are here there is absolutley no call for consultants etc.
Unfortunately most jobs seem to be more menial, thankfully we do not need to.
I wish you all the best
pwwm

coralsoft

The whole industry is very different to the UK, where there is a large, well-trained and flexible workforce. With significant contracting, freelance, temp and small-outfit contributions, the UK IT industry is buzzing in comparison to Spain. Whilst they have the technology and work processes, the employment and business attitudes ensure that everyone is after an easy life, puts up with poor conditions and stays in one place for ages. There are jobs around, just because they need the software, hardware, installation and maintenance done, but employed professions here are not as well-paid as in the UK, so if you're looking for a job, rather than setting up in business, be prepared for a significant drop in pay and status. And by setting up in business I don't mean being the local IT odd-job man, but heading a firm where you have cheap employees bringing in your profits (and your employment hassles).

There are exceptions, however, but I expect they'd be on the technical manager levels within niche industries: I know of 1 guy in Madrid who works for a hedge fund where pay is comparable to London because that's the competition.

Personally, after a brief perusal, I've not bothered looking further, since jobs here can't sustain the lifestyle I'm after. I'm better off taking a well-paid London job or contract anywhere in Europe for 6-9 months a year and commuting at weekends.

big wheels

I can only echo what has already been said re-pay by coralsoft. Whereas you can be earning up to £300-£400 per day in the sth UK as an IT contractor.
The Spanish equivalent is nearer 100 euros, if you are lucky.

regards
BW.

athie

Just to reiterate what pwwm has said really – it’s imperative you learn the language. I’ve various MS and cisco qualifications but my lack of the Spanish language is a huge handicap. I’m heading out to Gibraltar in 3 weeks to a new job because the doors in Alicante are tightly closed for someone like me.
I wish you luck and hope you get that lucky break

Mercedes

This link may be of use to you.

http://www.spaindata.com/directorio/...t-export/jobs/

Also contact the British embassy for a list of British companies and associates who are in Spain. May open some opportunties for you.

Mrs eddie

My husband is an IT Consultant, but after many online applications and browsing forums like these he too came to the conclusion that unless you spoke Spanish there were no jobs available to him.

We've since downloaded a Spainsh language course....Rocket spanish i think....
This week his boss, who owns his own business said Ed (my hubby) could relocate to spain, doing the support stuff remotely to start.... then with a view to branch out the business in Spain.

Although not sure what the tax scenario would be etc....does anyone know ??????

coralsoft

This sounds like an opportunity worth grabbing with both hands to get you going. I know several who've taken advantage of such a situation, including myself. I worked for a UK investment bank using their Madrid office for nearly 5 years, going to the UK for less than 1 week a month on average. A friends's fiancee at the same bank is now doing the same for 2 weeks a month having heard what I did. Another friend is IT infrastructure manager for the Madrid office of another investment bank, but employed by London.

Initially, I used my UK company as employer and stayed in the UK tax/NI system. Talking to the UK social security people, it seems that a few years of 'secondment' to a foreign branch is not a problem. Since there are tax treaties between the UK and Spain, tax residency is a case of deciding where the work is performed and counting the number of days per year in each location to find out when you leave UK tax residency and/or have to enter Spanish tax residency. Whilst I obtained my resident's card fairly early on, I didn't actually become tax resident until way after my family did.

Tax authorities haven't really caught up with the technical concept of sitting at a computer screen in one country while performing work on the computers and systems located in another. The work is being performed in country A, but the body performing it is sitting in country B. This is different from a person in country B doing work there and then sending it to country A.

One word of warning: plan ahead to deal with the transition out of UK employment, when you find that your lifestyle may have to be sustained outside the UK business world. A few years might be a good opportunity to get settled and then build the business locally from a position of security, but if you expand your lifestyle to the level funded by UK expat employment, you might find it a bit tricky finding something else which can pay for it afterwards. That's the experience we and several others I know have.

To sum up, there's no problem staying UK tax and NI resident, even if the worker's family 'go native'. You'll need to notify the UK tax authorites when you formally want to go Spanish system resident and keep counts of days in each country to monitor if you are still UK tax resident and/or when you have to go Spanish tax resident, but you can stay a UK employee even then, but pay personal tax in Spain or agree with the employer and both tax authorities how it should be sorted out.

Mrs eddie

Aw thanks,

My hubby, initially thought he would be working in Spain, so therefore we all would be Spanish residents although now he may have to come back to England as and when needed. So all the info you have given is fab !

Take care

Mich