I was wondering if anyone works there?  Self-eployed or employed?  Whats the job situation like there?  A friend told me that its not impossible to get work once you can speak the language.  Because we will need to work &I dont suppose theres much point in getting there to find out its non-existant.  What experiences with jobs has anyone had?

Thanks xx

wrote on Feb 4^th, 2008 at 12:42pm:

I was wondering if anyone works there?  Self-eployed or employed?  Whats the job situation like there?  A friend told me that its not impossible to get work once you can speak the language.  Because we will need to work &I dont suppose theres much point in getting there to find out its non-existant.  What experiences with jobs has anyone had? Thanks xx

Yes, speaking the language is a must. It doesn´t matter whether it´s Castilian or Catalan but you must have a decent command of one of them otherwise you'll end up at the bottom of the labour pile:  picking oranges and olives for peanuts, if you're lucky.

If you can get by then your first port of call should be to register with ETTs (Adecco, Manpower...etc) and state you will accept anything. Once they've seen you can stick at a job, the offers will get better but initially expect something manual. Don't bother with the INEM (dole office), unlike the UK they are only interested in processing your benefits and you'd be lucky to find something through them.

To give you an idea here's my story:

1. Left a well-paid job in IT and moved over here Xmas 2003.
2. Registered with ETTs and in the first six months was offered and took up two cleaning jobs  at two factories for a total of 5 days (via Adecco).
3. Worked on the production line in a furniture factory for a month in July 2004 via Adecco. Offered a full time job at the end of the month I turned it down for a short term contract to teach English (I have a TEFL certificate and handed my CV in person at all the schools) full-time at a private school in Tortosa until Feb. 2005.
4. Carried on teaching English part time in various local companies and went back to ETTs in Feb 2005. Got a job in a button factory as a salesman but company folded within the month.
5. One of my students (HR Director...) offered me a full-time job during summer 2005 as an administrative assistant which I accepted. Within a month another student from another company offered me a similar job which I declined.  After a couple of years with the same company, I have progressed to salesman with a decent wage by local standards and have been able to give up teaching evening classes.

Basically, if you are willing to do anything and work hard, you will find job offers coming your way if you stick at it long enough. More interesting jobs depend on your knowing the language (I'm fluent) and knowing the right people (in my case, teaching at companies) but you can also get some through ETTs. However, don't expect anything out of this world. Most jobs on offer are in factories or building sites, with the latter not looking too good at the moment. There are very few desk jobs on offer and these will require fluency in one of the official languages.

Another thing, don't expect the same wage structure as you might find in the UK. As a salesman, I've only just started earning more than I did as machine operator in the furniture factory two years ago and quite a few workers in my own company earn more than i do. To give you an idea, in industry, a labourer earns 800 euros/month, a qualified/experienced worker around 1000 euros/month and a foreman around 1400 euros/month. A company director might get around 3000 euros/month + perks.

Hope that helps and good luck.

Snowhite

..the other side... I'm self employed here and have been so for the last 2 1/2 years (time flies!)

As self employed (Autonomo) you have to pay your own social security (about 240 ish euros a month) and do your own accounts (or, much easier, employ a Gestor to do it all for you).  

Work is obviously dependent on your skills etc., most of mine now comes from recommendation and from previous customers. I do pretty much all 'technical' stuff such as satellite TV, plumbing, electrical work, air conditioning, fix computers/tv's/satellite recievers, develop web sites and a few other things as well - there are lots of English builders, I don't do any building!

If you have skills that are in short supply then you'll have little problem building up from scratch.

Nigel

can you tell me where the ett is please

wrote on Feb 5^th, 2008 at 10:25pm:

can you tell me where the ett is please

http://www.paginasamarillas.es/resultados.asp?activ=ETT&prov=TARRAGONA&loca=tortosa&pgpv=1&mode=simple

Snowhite

Thanks for that. :)

I'm not fluent in the language - but am hoping as soon as I get out there that I can enrol in classes & really study hard.  I previously had been learning castillian for 3 years but stopped that 3 years ago when we were coming here to Turkey.  

I have several different qualifications - accounts administrator, lsa - learning support assistant - I worked with senior school children with learning difficulties, beauty therapist/reflexologist/aromatherapist, plus have been an assisant manager for a retail shop and supervisor for M&S.  So quite varied work.  But if it will help towards the bills then I really dont care.

Hi Deb

I think Castillion, is good here.
Spanish is spoken, although, I think the locals prefere to speak Catalan.
You ve a wide range of skills and knowledge. Perhaps you should start brushing up on your Spanish.
Good luck, I m sure you ll be fine  :)

Yeah I have started to get my cds out again - but its quite difficult trying to remember not to talk Spanish to the Turks!!!!   ;D  But I've decided I'm giving myself some time when I get there - it will be far more easier than trying here.  But am still listening to them.

Thank you all for your help.