Longtonian

Hello everyone

My wife and I are considering moving to Spain to the Costa Blanca region. Realisitically, what are our chances of getting jobs out there? I speak pretty good Spanish (I am a Spanish teacher) but my wife doesn't speak any yet. I have read all sorts of pessimistic stories about long working hours and low pay. Is anybody happily employed out there ?

SueG

Well hubby and I live in south Costa Blanca and I am gainfully employed in an English speaking lawyers firm at a realistic salary for Spain (BUT in England I was earning over twice what I earn here). Yes it is cheaper to live over here but I have noticed that things especially food and petrol are creeping up and we have only been here since Jan 2007. I have virtually non existent Spanish - we were going to classes but an awful lot of people speak English (even if you try and speak Spanish to them!). Hubby has yet to find work of any sort (he is 57) and looking to the long term we might have to return to England as presently we are breaking into capital every month although we are desperate not to.

As you speak fluent Spanish I am sure that you will find work a lot easier than most.

Our attitude is that we are having a gap year or three in Spain and like a lot of the youngsters will not return to England (if at all possible).

Mind you I am for ever being told off cause I can't quite get my mind around the Spanish mentality!!!

Best of luck to you both

Longtonian

thankyou for your reply. Best of luck to you both too. I hope you don't have to return to the UK. What sort of job do you do in the lawyers office? Is there a lot of competition for english speaking office jobs?

SueG

Basically I look after the office for my Principal. Virtually all our clients are English so at least we can understand where we are both coming from!! I am learning about Spanish law all the time and sit in on all interviews (as long as the client doesn't mind). I think I now know enough to point people in the right direction but if it becomes involved then obviously I have the back up of the whole firm.

I do think you being bilingual will help you enormously

Longtonian

How do you find life in general? Do you have a good social life. Do you mix with mainly other expats? Would you recommend it? We are just in the early stages of considering it. We would love to move out there because we have spent many holidays in Spain and we love the culture and the easy going way of life. But obviously realise the reality would not be all sunshine and sangria and are therefore trying to investigate what it would be really like, and whether we could get jobs. We wouldn't have a mortgage over there and don't expect to earn mega bucks, we just need enough not to be constantly struggling. How did you find your job? Do you know other Brits who work over there too?

bokeh

Hi Longtonian,

If you speak good Spanish you are going to have lots more employment opportunities than most expats but my personal opinion is being self-employed is best.

One mistake a lot of folk make when they come over is overstretch themselves with a mortgage that seems small to moderate to a Brit but without consideration to Spanish wages.

Longtonian

Hi

Yes I see your point, but don't have a clue what I could on a self employed basis (apart from teach expats spanish !)

Are you self employed - what as? Does it not take a long time to establish yourself though ?

SueG

We both love out here. Don't have a good social life - we both are quite content with our own company and each others. Have to be honest and say I steer well clear of British bars etc - do eat out in a British restaurant occasionally - we much prefer to go into a Spanish bar and eat Spanish and there is nothing better than eating sardines with a beer on a lovely sunny day overlooking the sea. A lot of the British are struggling if they need to earn a living - most of them are working outside of the Spanish law and I do know that the Police are checking licences, work permits, british registered cars etc etc.

I found my job by contacting the lawyers regarding a problem that we had encountered when we were proposing to buy a business (a long story!) and a vacancy arose and I applied for the job. I have to say in my own experience it seems to be who you know rather than what you know as far as jobs are concerned. In our firm we have a variety of people working - English people who have recently come out to Spain - Spanish speakers who have been here for years and obviously Spanish people as well.

I think if I were you and you didn't need a mortgage and could afford to come out for a year and rent I would take that course of action which then leaves you with all your options open.

searcher48

Teaching Spanish to pensioners is a good opportunity, as many complain the Spanish do not explain enough. I also sent my son to a private English secondary spanish teacher for extra coaching out here(€21 per hr ) at her apartment. Also if you have TEFL I have a bilingual friend who teaches English to Spanish business men.

zel

How about getting your C.V up to date (in both Spanish and English) and find some employment agencies and see what turns up? You might just get lucky!

mikelincs

As you already speak Spanish there are a number of jobs you can take, translator is one, plenty of people need help when going to the notary, lawyers, Doctors etc also teaching Spanish to small groups of people, which would fit in with your current job. These are apart from jobs in other places being an interface between the english clients and the person in the office.