Finding A Job

Golden Rules

Don’t come here expecting to find a job

"Don't give up"

Some get lucky, some don’t but that’s the luck of the draw. Skill sets that once defined you and your career may not when you start a new life here. It’s a small town that over the years people claim is like a village in the U.K.  

Whenever a position becomes available, often you will find that word of mouth is the preferred method of communication. Some planning is required before your move otherwise it can be the source of problems and unnecessary pressure.

"Opening your own business"

If you are pre retirement age it may be worth considering the option of opening your own business. There are loan options here from all the conventional means even government funded programs to assist small business. (ECO)

Some business owners will allow you to finance directly with them, you will need official valuations and a good lawyer to manage the process. Since Los Alcázares has one of the highest bars and restaurant ratio's per square metre it would seem logical that majority of the businesses for sale fit that theme.

"Business opportunities"

Listings are hard to come by and usually highly confidential. If you do manage to get hold of one try and involve a freehold option as this will help to secure business longevity and a higher success rate.

Minimum wage in this region can’t be compared to the U.K. so you have to manage your expectations so that you are realistic not disappointed. As the town grows there is a genuine need for new services and products so there is ample room for an opportunity to develop a market share.

Spanish

If you want everyone to speak in English then you may have a long wait, this area in particular although of interest to tourists remains relatively traditional in terms of a preferred language. In contrast Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid have promoted English as a language that creates opportunity. There are times where you can get by but things of a more serious nature such as medical appointments may need to be supported by a translator.

To be honest, learning Spanish can only be of benefit after all you are in Spain. From my own personal experience children average between a year to a year and a half to gain strong command of the language. Adults can take considerably longer as they have to invest time into finding a source of income as well as numerous other responsibilities that need to be honoured.

Recruitment Agencies

Traditional forms of finding suitable employment just do not exist, LinkedIn, recruitment agencies and workshops supported by local government do not have any relevancy here. Recruitment agents are regulated and linked to the social security system so are very rare. Some of the advice and CV assistance can be sourced online.

It's not all doom and gloom, it's about finding a balance between working to live and living to work which I think that we all strive to achieve. If you would like to have a chat about what business opportunities exist feel free to contact me. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, till next time!