Working in Spain
Some people come to the Costa del Sol to retire, while others plan to work in Spain as soon as they arrive. There are a number of factors to take into consideration if you’re looking to work here, but it should be pointed out that plenty of people from the EU and across the world earn their living in the region.
Whether you plan to be a teacher in Torremolinos, a builder in Benahavis or a social worker in Sotogrande, you should be searching and applying for positions as early as possible. The Spanish job market is busy but not thriving, so some positions will be filled extremely quickly by others in a similar situation to you.
One of the things you may have to get used to is a change in working hours. In Spain, the working day for many people will begin later in the morning than it would in the UK and will end later in the evening as well. The traditional siesta, an afternoon nap well away from the harsh mid-day sun, still exists, and many jobs have a two-hour lunch break to accommodate eating and napping.
Hitting the pavements to look for service jobs
As you might expect from one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations, the Costa del Sol offers plenty of opportunities to work in the service sector. Bars and restaurants in locations such as Fuengirola and Marbella need sizable workforces and a regular turnover of staff, so sometimes the best way to look for a job is to have a wander around the tourist areas and ask a few questions.
If you’re looking to work in sectors such as accountancy, legal, real estate and education, having a good grasp of Spanish is often a must. Learning to speak the language is always a good idea for better assimilation anyway, so it’s best to start the process before you even leave the UK.
There have been many British success stories involving entrepreneurs who have come to Spain to seek their fortune. It’s worth noting, however, that if you plan to start a business here you should engage a gestor, a specialist in local business administration, to handle the often complex bureaucratic side of things.
For more information about working in Spain as well as other aspects of your new life in this beautiful country, call our team on +34 682 66 22 89. We hope to be speaking with you soon.