JLFS

But they would never tell you that....

HBG

I know four Spanish young people who have opened a car wash/ valetting service and are very successful. They've all got degrees and have got their marketing exactly right, a roundabout on the biggest and most established expat community in Spain, right next to Mercadona and a Chinese hypermarket. They all work a 12-hour day, six days a week, and do a marvellous job, while you relax with a free coffee on site.

Domino

I know a guy, here in Granada, Granada, qualified at Uni as Architect, is studying languages during the week and pumping petrol at weekends. Desperate to get out of Spain to join a practice in Europe - anywhere ! !

Meanwhile a number of shops have closed, including coffee shops in the middle of the city (where you expect customers)

agoreira

An ex Spanish teacher of mine from Barcelona, with a string of degrees and translator, was delighted to be working here in UK in a sports shop earning more than she could in Spain even assuming she got a job. All of the five Spanish women I know living here near me have excellent well paid permanent jobs. One has just had a baby, so is on maternity leave, and I asked was she going to rush back to work. Why should I? I'm getting well paid, no need to rush back. Good for her!

jackytoo

The Eastern Europeans do that in the UK. Pop into Waitrose and come out to a showroom clean car

bob_bob

Perhaps she used other talents to secure the post cman? who can say for sure in these days of uncertainty.

Dick Dasterdly

Yeh, but does it still have four wheels ?

bob_bob

As it happens we have two lads near me who do a car wash/valet service near me on a Saturday and Sunday and seem to do well; always cars there for them.

The whole idea of degree's and higher education is in turmoil just now I feel. In the UK Tony Bland and his tory, sorry, labour government wanted 50% of youngsters to get a degree. The problem with this concept, noble as it may be is that 50% of people aren't up to earning a degree so the solution was to widen the goal posts, lower standards and encourage degree's in the likes of media studies/sports science/golf course design/business development et al giving a pretty certificate but in reality being as much use as a chocolate tea pot.

Hence the long line of kiddy winks in the dole office, degree in hand, not a pan to pee in and no real hope of work.

Who would you employ to stack your shelves, the graduate who'd spend half the day dreaming of happier times in the warm and comfy security of academia or the less qualified person who really just wants to earn money and is likely to stay with you while the pay checks keep coming and do a good job happy with their lot in life?

jackytoo

Yes, good post

agoreira

We don't have many foreigners here, but several signs up with the locals offering to clean your car while you wait, £5. Never tried it, but seemingly they do a good job, better than my wife I bet!

cricketman

I agree with the sentiment of these posts i.e. that it is difficult to get a good job in Spain even if you are well qualified

However, some of them are going too far

I know plenty of 30 somethings who are well qualified an earning 20k-80k in Spain. I also know are few who have lost their jobs in the past few years

My OH has a relatively humble philology degree, one of the worst for getting a good job with, but has done well here and got 2 permanent contract jobs fairly easily. She left them to be autonomo because they were boring

EmilyPenguin

To be honest, Im the positive thinker type of girl, whilst or youre facts and percentages may be true, no one gets anywhere with the sorry excuse of "There is no work" or "Im too qualifiyed" or even "Im too fat for them to accept me" ... Im not skinny, yet I have applied for jobs in clothes stores up and down the coast, If I et to a interview Ill tell them straight, What do you want? a blonde bimbo that prefers to cheak herself in the mirror more then working? or someone that has some meet on her bones, but can actualy work hard for you?....

Im afraid the sorry storys that you all tell me, (as much as I do apriciate the time and the read material) Dont damper my spirits at all.. Yes familys have had to move back and forth and what-not. But the Uk is not and will never be my home, and I think I like my life too much to go back their and get stabbed or abducted.

Some people might think I live in the clouds, and I think everything is pink...But I would preffer to stuggle along then have something as stupid as money push me out of my home.

and yes its hard, but that isnt going to stop me living my life, sorry to the people that had to move back... But I dont run

JLFS

It isnt the norm for people in the UK to get stabbed or abducted, in fact it is very unlikely.

cricketman

Absolutely. In fact it is probably no safer on the CDS than anywhere in the UK

Emily. Thinking about this again, unless you have built up some good savings, you would be better off staying close to your family and getting a job on the CDS. Then you can help each other out, plus your English and Spanish skills will more likely be appreciated there

If you cant get a job on the CDS then I doubt Granada will offer you very much. After all there are more people living between Malaga and Estepona than in Granada, and there are many more tourists, so more bars etc

jackytoo

Well what can you say...I can't say it's rubbish cos I have been warned I could be going on a holiday...does that mean with BIL Oh dear