Many people considering moving to Spain are filled with dreams of a new life in the sun. But for some of those who took the plunge, the dream turned sour as they struggled to find work. We talk to some who are facing the prospect of returning home disappointed.

Teresa Gil has, on the face of it, the one advantage many people crave when they decide to start a new life in Spain: she is a fluent Spanish speaker.

As her father is from La Rioja, in the north of Spain, and her mother is British she grew up speaking both languages.

So when she and her partner, artist Colin McCallum, decided to sell their home in east London and buy a flat in Barcelona almost two years ago, she hoped this skill would at least help her find work.

But she has been looking for a job ever since and has been forced to survive on their savings.

Ironically, her partner - who speaks little Spanish - has had more success in the job market, working for expat firms.

But her lack of success is not for want of trying.

Gil, a researcher who has also worked as an art gallery manager, decided to tread a well-worn path and undertake a TEFL course to teach English.
 
But despite costly and intensive training, she has not landed a job in any language schools.

Exasperated by her situation, she was forced to return to London last summer to work as a temp.

Now she faces the bleak prospect of returning to Britain for good.

"I never expected anyone would hand me a job here and certainly not doing exactly what I was doing in Britain, but one problem here is lack of communication," she says.

"No-one replies to your applications or gives you any feedback. But apart from that, perhaps there are just too many people after too few jobs."

Gil suspects that despite her language skills, her age may count against her. At 42, she feels employers know she may take a job which pays EUR 600 a month, but will not be there for long.

"I am of an age now where I have got standards and I may take a job like that briefly - I am not proud and need to get money - but the employers know I will make it a career move," she says.  

Yet Gil does not feel she and her partner came to Spain with illusions about the job market; she insists they researched the situation well.

"You have to be here on the ground to know what it is really like," she says. "I would simply say to people, do as much research as you can, but you cannot know what it is really like unless you come over yourself."

There are too many people after too few jobs, says one expat

Tourism and services, two leading sectors, both show no signs of recession; this is helped by a building boom and strong demand for housing.

Yet, unemployment still hovers at just over 9 percent, according to latest figures.

Experts say that generally foreigners should not have trouble finding unskilled or semi-skilled work, but managerial posts are harder to come by.

For John Pawlenko, an experienced British business information researcher, this rings true.

He decided to leave Britain to live with his Spanish girlfriend in Barcelona in August 2001.

Pawlenko, 39, who worked in London for PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Financial Times among others, believes the way the Spanish economy works has not helped his job prospects.

"I came here with the expectation that somebody is going to catch this fish, but now it doesn't look like this fish is going to be caught," he says.

Pawlenko decided not to opt for teaching English as he felt he had a valuable skill to offer Spanish businesses.

"If you are out of work, teaching English is simply treating the symptom, not curing the disease," he believes.

Pawlenko worked initially for an internet online database company but was laid off.
 
He set up his own business information company but after eight months it folded through lack of clients.

"Spain is not like the United States or Britain in that business is not information-led," he says.

"They seem to think that if you stick a word into Google you will get reliable information as opposed to a well-researched report which actually tells you more."

He will not work for any of the typical expat companies which sell satellite dishes, run bars or offer other services.

"You are demeaning yourself. I would rather go home. I thought I could come to Spain and contribute to the country's economy, not live off the expat community," he insists.

Even those who did opt for the staple of English-teaching have been left wishing they had never left home.

 An American woman, who wrote into Expatica's Discussion board to talk about this issue but did not disclose her name, described her job-hunting experiences in Navarra, in north-west Spain, as a "nightmare".

She says: "I spent an embarrassing sum of money on TEFL training only to be told upon completion that there is no legal contract for non-EU nationals.

"Hours were erratic, students cancelled more often than not, and I found myself calling my parents every month and begging them to wire me more money.

"I left the country feeling upset because I had to part with my boyfriend but glad to know that I could easily earn double the amount of money in the United States for an unqualified position (which I did)."

All those interviewed for this article wanted to hear from other people who might be in a similar position.

If you would like to contribute, please try our Discussion Board.

April 2004

[Copyright Expatica 2004]

Subject: Living in Spain, jobs in Spain