Hello everyone,

I’m a new member to this forum and I would be grateful if anybody would be kind enough to answer a few questions that I have about moving to Spain.

OK, I’m currently in Thailand and I’ve been thinking about returning to Europe only this time, Spain. I understand that the unemployment rate in Spain is quite high which would possibly explain why I haven’t received any response regarding my online job applications.

Would it be better to apply when I get there? I was hoping to lineup a job before I make the initial move.

Somebody suggested somewhere in Malaga to find work as well as to have a decent lifestyle, is it true? What about Barcelona? I’m also looking for a fairly cheap accommodation.

Lastly, I see a ton of IT jobs on various sites but what I want to know is what kind of jobs are there in the local area that doesn’t get posted much online.

I do appreciate any suggestions!

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

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 about 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

I suspect that there are more IT people looking for jobs than there are jobs going, and a lot will depend on your fluency in Spanish. I very much doubt you will get ANY response from an on-line application, you need feet on the ground. The best places, those with the most jobs available are likely to be Madrid, Barcelona etc, the main cities.

As you say jobs are in short supply, and you really need to bring skills to the table that others just don't have. I would replace the 'quite high' in your post with 'very high'
The good thing about Spain is that finding a rental place at a reasonable rate is quite easy as the housing stock around is far higher than those wanting it.

Thanks Mike for your input.

If that's the case I think I will need to reconsider as to where I'll be heading and in the meantime to 'brush up' with my Spanish would be a good thing.

It also looks like I'll be making another post soon.

Thanks again!

There are actually a lot of IT jobs (including customer service) available in Barcelona, but often a 2nd language is required. The only problem I see is the low salaries and Barcelona isn't that cheap.

There is a lot of IT work in Gibraltar for the online gaming run from there.

When I was interviewing for jobs in Barcelona, 7-8 years ago now, they all asked for fluency in 4 languages. Spanish, Catalan, English and one other

Salaries are only about 60% of what you would be paid in London for a similar professional role, sometimes less

They still ask, until they realise it's pretty hard to find people with 4 languages/IT skills willing to work for €18K gross.

Salaries were a bit higher in my line of work. Market research. Around 30-35k back then with 5 years experience

Cost of living is always the key factor. No firm in Spain is going to pay London, New York or Silicon Valley salaries for equal skills.

Cost of living in urban Spain is a lot less than any of those. And suburban Spain is a fraction, and rural Spain is a fraction of a fraction. Still, €18K still won't make it - even in Spain. I'd have to believe that if you were fluent in 4 languages with outstanding skills and experience, you could make at least triple that.

Speaking 3 or 4 languages is just the considered norm. You dont get any additional salary for it. My wife and her 2 sisters all speak at least 3 languages fluently, but that is on top of being a qualified lawyer, engineer etc.

Then you will be earning 50k euros plus for sure (if you have 10 years plus experience)

But of course, the same position in Germany would probably be 100k. And even more in the UK

But then again, nobody comes to Spain for the salaries

London salaries are crazy, but 100K won't get you much in London either. 18K won't get you much in Barcelona, but a decent salary for many Spanish these days.

It may be different in your area, but around here, a particularly linguistic local would speak 2 languages. Germans generally are fluent in at least 2, and usually 3 or more.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The OP is correct in saying there are a ton of IT jobs advertised, the reason being is that IT is still an industry in which there is little competition for positions requiring particular skills and knowledge.

The same here, I am not talking about the average person, but professionals who are in the top 100 or so positions in their speciality in the country

There are very few good well paid jobs in Spain and you have to be very good (or have lots of enchufe) to get them