How to Get a Job in Spain

Working in Spain will allow you to enjoy the country's history and landscapes.

So you've decided you want to live and work in Spain. Whatever the reasons behind your employment search, you should be prepared to work hard to find gainful employment across the Atlantic. If you don't already have citizenship or legal residency in a European Union member state, your search will only be made more challenging as you leap over application hurdles and wrangle around the "paperwork" issue in interviews. Not only will you have to find those companies that need someone specifically like you, you will have to prove that you're worth all the hoops the company will have to jump through for you. Because to hire you, the company will have to demonstrate that they need you, and not someone else who already has the legal right to work in Spain.

Things You'll Need

• Computer
• Money
• Business clothes
• Resume
• Cover letter
• Planner
• Cell phone
• Pen

Instructions

Update Your Resume

1. Update your resume. Add any relevant experiences, and make sure to modify your resume to fit the job you want. Spanish resumes often include a photo of the applicant, age and marital status. But if you are an older applicant applying for an entry-level position, consider including a flattering photo and omitting your age. In Spain, age discrimination can be a problem and employers sometimes even openly advertise for certain age ranges.

2. Spell-check your resume and then read it aloud. This is a great way to catch those small mistakes that slip through spell-checkers because they're spelled correctly but mean something else, as well as problems with fluidity and sentence structure.

3. Have a friend or colleague read over your resume for errors and understanding. Ask them about what information they get from the resume, and what impression that information makes. If you're not making the impression you want to make with your resume, revise it.

4. Translate your resume into Spanish. If you are already a fluent speaker of Spanish, translate it yourself, and then go over your final version with a native speaker, preferably from Spain. If you are considering work in Catalonia, Valencia, Majorca, or Minorca, consider having your resume translated into Catalan as well. Many companies in this region will look favorably upon the effort, even if you don't speak Catalan fluently when you apply.

Prepare Your Cover Letter

1. Write a cover letter briefly presenting yourself and your experience. Include your contact information.

2. Spell-check your letter and then read it aloud to catch any obvious mistakes.

3. Have a friend read your letter for mistakes. Ask them what the letter communicates about you. If you don't like what the letter communicates about you and your experience, it's time to rewrite.

4. Translate your letter into Spanish if you're already a fluent speaker of Spanish. Have a native speaker, preferably from Spain, proofread and edit it for grammar, spelling, style and content. Make any changes necessary. If you are applying for work in Catalonia, Valencia, Majorca or Minorca, consider having your cover letter translated into Catalan as well.

Begin your search

1. Make a list of companies from your country, or international companies that have offices in Spain. If they have departments that you might fit into well, write them on your list of companies of interest. Larger companies are sometimes more likely to have the means (lawyers, etc) to regularize international workers.

2. Register and create a profile with your information on online employment sites for Spain. Popular sites where jobs from Spain are listed include Monster.es, Infojobs.es, Currantes.es, Careerbuilder.es, and Servijobs.es. Many human resources agencies like Adecco and Michael Page, also have offices and do hiring for companies in Spain. Do a job search on each site, and save your results.

3. Buy Spanish newspapers and check out the classifieds for work, or look them up online. Many of the bigger Spanish newspapers like "La Vanguardia," "El País," "El Periódico" and "El Mundo" have classifieds (online and print) where job opportunities are advertised.

4. Write down opportunities and contact information. For English language opportunities, try the European edition of "The Wall Street Journal," "The International Herald Tribune" and "The Overseas Job Express," and search out ads in English, even in Spanish papers.

5. Compile all the information about job possibilities you have gathered into one massive list.

Send out Resumes and Cover Letters

1. Once you have a list of opportunities for employment, send out resumes with cover letters to each company via email or regular mail.

2. Make sure to tweak your resume and cover letter for each position. For example, if the position is teaching English, highlight your English-teaching experience.

3. Check off the places you've applied to on your list by writing the date you sent out your application materials.

4. Mark the dates in your planner--approximately a month from when you send out application materials--to make follow-up calls to companies where you've applied.

5. Respond quickly and politely to any email replies or phone calls.

6. Make follow-up phone calls a month after you send off your applications. Be friendly, and don't get discouraged.

7. If you are planning on conducting interviews in person, and won't already be in Spain, try to schedule all of your interviews during one week, or one month, when you can be in Spain. This will save you time, effort and money.

8. Arrive at your interview a few minutes early and dressed to impress in business clothes. In Spain, formal dress is expected for interviews. Don't forget to bring fresh copies of your resume and cover letter for the interviewer, just in case.

9. Send an email after your interview thanking the interviewer for her time. If you haven't heard from the company in two to three weeks, follow-up with a phone call.

Tips & Warnings

• Before trying to find work in Spain, learn Spanish. A good understanding of the Spanish language will increase your chances for success.

• If you plan on living in an area of Spain with a regional language, learn it. A good understanding of at least "hello," "thank you" and "where's the bathroom?" will show potential employers that you did your research and respect the local culture.

• Be persistent. When companies haven''t responded to your application for at least a month, call and inquire about the status of your application.

• Don't lie or otherwise misrespresent your language abilities. Those abilities--or the lack thereof--will be found out quickly anyway.

References

• Expatica.com: How to Find a Job in Spain
• IdealSpain.com: Working in Spain
• TransitionsAbroad.com: Finding a "Real" Job in Spain; Sharon Lina Pearce

Resources

• Spain.Jobs.Com; Powered by Monster
• InfoJobs.net: Spanish Language Job Site
• CareerBuilder.es: Careerbuilder, Spain, Spanish Language Site
• Ministry of Work and Immigration, Spain: Official Spanish Government Site, Spanish Language
• Jobby.es: English Speaking Jobs in Spain