need help with move to alicante
 

hey folks ,im 28 and this my first time on here and i hav decidied after many years of dreaming that im going to move to alicante in january i am under no illusions that this will be tough at first so im looking for some good advice im worried about the price of an apartment in the alicante area someone told me that 400-500 a month is what i would be looking at minimum is this true cause i will be moving on my own at first ,if anyone has some names of some nice areas near alicante where i could live i would like to hear them , im hoping to get a job in a bar maybe or a restaurant and wondering is it really tough to get a job over there .i look forward to any advice anyone can give me i will be on again with more questions

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

it's really tough for anyone to get a job

if you don't speak spanish you will have no chance in a spanish non-tourist area - and even if you do, in winter they tend to employ only family in bars & restaurants

in a touristy area with lots of brits - again pretty much no chance in winter as these places tend to quieten down, so won't be looking for staff either


just read almost every thread here and you will see how tough it is in spain just now

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

thx for your reply and honesty seems like work would be a big problem over there i would have enough money for about 6-7 months but if job prospects are that bad ,,i read on a thread that benidorm would be no problem getting work but i guess things hav changed over there guess i will hav to hav a long rethink about this didnt even make it passed the first reply

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

Hi how about holiday repping ? I did it for years and loved it! You could then discover life in a few Spanish towns, and perhaps that will give you contacts/ ideas for the future?
most companies, Thompsons & first choice employ seasonally and then if you work hard get offered either skiing or winter sun. This work includes accomodation, a wage and commission, also many bars and restaurants will give you free/discounted drinks when you use then.
In the meantime perhaps take a Spanish course.
Benidorm has work all year round but would personally prefer Tenerife or G Can , Ibiza as the season is longer and possibly better weather.
If following the bar work route you need to go early in the season (April) and make a flashy type one page CV with email and mobile contacts, you also need to have accom thrown in with work or find someone trust worthy to share with.
Be happy to give info on other Spanish resorts.
Hope this helps.

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

thx coansha for ur advice on the holiday repping how would i go about contacting them would i organise it before i go or would u meet someone over there in their office,,sry if that sounds stupid but never have done anything like that but it sounds great

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

You would be better to go on to websites and contact Human resources, Thompsons, Airtours, First Choice, check out other tour operators at travel agents(sorry been out of Uk a while) make a cv and focus on people skills, sales experience, any language abilities, hobbies (always put skiing/snowboarding) they normally recruit January onwards but may be looking for peoplke early?
It is a great lifetsyle for a few years, unless you go in to management then it can last much longer and being a man helps as most women(not all) move on or find partners.
You can then go into contracts, training or other departments.
Some companies require office staff if you have IT skills, and as it is al arranged for you makes it easy to slip in to and a lot of fun too.
This could lead to your own bar ( 3 mates have done this) or a buisness opportunity you can see would work. Seasonal resorts normally make their years money in that season so it is hard work too but what a great job.
helpful?

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

thx for the great advice coansha

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

even in Benidorm it would be hard in January

coansha's idea isn't a bad one though:thumbup:

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

Welcome, one last bit of advice without trying to sound a smarty pants.
If possible hang on to your Uk home and rent it out as it is all too easy to spend what you have earned and then have nothing to show for it.
It's possible to save a few grand depending who you work for and would be better paying off a mortgage or getting a small investment property to let out.
Remember to look into a spanish language course it helps lots to speak it and is well thought of but employers and hoteliers/ suppliers.
Buena suerte(good luck)

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

well why not share a place in alicante you get a room from 200 - 300 euros that with net aswell
you want to spend a month just hang to get the spanish , try to listen to spanish radio if you can are tv via 28.2 tve has there TVE Internacional its mix of tve1 and la2 and the news rradio link via the net http://www.rtve.es/rne/RNE_Envivo/index.html you listen two radio1 talk and music radio 3 music radio4 / 5 is chat aswell


why not look up bbc opencollege for there tv programs
if you i pod down spanish lessons

as in job thinks are had here ,like in the Uk aswell

Re: need help with move to alicante
 

I have lived in Torrevieja, Alicante for 7 years and have tried to help hundreds of expats with ThisIsSpain Exhibitions, The Newcomers Club, Survival Spanish Courses and 6/7 web-sites. I have employed or worked with 700+ expats in that period so I have seen plenty.

It has never been tougher to get work with a minimum 11% unemployment and more people going back than arriving. You'd need 400 euros+ for an apartment and flat-sharing is much less common here in expatshire.

This week I have been on the Costa del Sol recruiting and I am amazed how much more work there is here and how much more positive the attitude is down here. I will be interviewing again in 2 weeks and I have to say that the quality has been very high.

This may be a bit tongue in cheek but it might help you get an idea of life here in Spain as a foreigner.


(With acknowledgements to a certain Mr W Gates)

I recently gave a speech about 11 things they did not and will not teach would-be expats. I talked about how feel-good, commission-hungry estate agents created a generation of expats with no concept of reality and how this "dream" set them up for failure in the real Spain.

Rule 1: Expat life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : Expats and Spaniards alike will not care about your previous life. They will expect you to accomplish something in expatshire BEFORE you are respected. Able seamen become admirals, DIY enthusiasts become Master Builders. Shelf-stackers become supermarket magnates. Nobody cares - get used to it. They will expect you to pay your round.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make 60,000 euros a year as you come straight off the plane. You won't be employed and you won't get a contract until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think the UK is tough, wait till you try Spain.

Rule 5 : Villa cleaning is not beneath your dignity. A previous generation of expats had a different word for villa cleaning; they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your neighbours' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you arrived, the traffic police weren't as tough as they are now. They got that way from dealing with expats with no paperwork, no insurance, no ITV and listening to you bang on about how you thought you were in the right. So before you abuse another officer to his face or on a forum, try getting your UK car registered here. Just because you have not done it for 7 years does not make it legal.

Rule 8: The UK may have done away with winners and losers, but Spain HAS NOT. In the UK, they have a welfare state that supports people when they fall. They'll give to you as MANY TIMES as you want to - housing benefit, disability allowances, single-parent allowances, job-seeker allowances, free dental care and a NHS service that has got itself on its knees with more administrators than surgeons. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in Spain.

Rule 9: Expat life is not divided into seasons. You don't get summers off from paying bills and very few landlords or mortgage lenders are interested in helping you "FIND YOURSELF IN SPAIN".
Do that on your own time. Do that with your own money.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the bar and go to look for work. The prices on "A Place in the Sun" are pre the introdcution of the euro ....and it rains!

Rule 11: Be nice to Spaniards. Chances are you'll end up needing one to help you. LEARN SPANISH........................................... ........you will not integrate and prosper with just English.