[thewhaleys]

hi all well we are new to the forum and really looking for a bit of advice, i have been reading alot of threads and all very negative me and my husband are thinking of moving to spain with our 2 children 11 and 5, my husband is a fully qualified hgv fitter/driver and mechanic, im a fully qualified nail technician and have many yrs experience in housekeeping/cleaning, we are not coming over with silly ideas of a laid back life with all we have at home, i am aware of the shortfall of jobs and understand the need for work, we are wanting to move to live the simple life embrace the culture the language and everything else the country to has to offer our aim is to fully intergrate, my dilema is how and where do i find or at least enquire for jobs possibly in the mojacar area of southern spain, we will do anything.

 

[Alcalaina]

Hi there,

The negative stuff is all too real, unfortunately. What few jobs there are usually get filled by word of mouth, it's a case of who you know. I'm not sure what a nail technician is, but there are hundreds of thousands of people of all nationalities willing and able to do housekeeping jobs for very low wages. However every year there are fewer people around who can afford to employ them!

There is no unemployment benefit, child allowance or housing benefit here like in the UK. Unless you are working in an official job and paying into the Spanish social security system you won't even get free healthcare for more than few months. Then you would have to worry about schools, how the kids will fit in, learning the language ...

Maybe not the best time to think about upping sticks right now!

 

[xabiaxica]

hi all well we are new to the forum and really looking for a bit of advice, i have been reading alot of threads and all very negative me and my husband are thinking of moving to spain with our 2 children 11 and 5, my husband is a fully qualified hgv fitter/driver and mechanic, im a fully qualified nail technician and have many yrs experience in housekeeping/cleaning, we are not coming over with silly ideas of a laid back life with all we have at home, i am aware of the shortfall of jobs and understand the need for work, we are wanting to move to live the simple life embrace the culture the language and everything else the country to has to offer our aim is to fully intergrate, my dilema is how and where do i find or at least enquire for jobs possibly in the mojacar area of southern spain, we will do anything.

:welcome:

everything you have read & everything Alcalaina has said is sadly true

add in that most people wouldn't recommend that an 11 year old be put into Spanish state school (unless already a native level spanish speaker) - so you'd need to find the money for private UK curriculum/International school & it's stacking up against you

 

[mrypg9]

Truth and negativity are not one and the same thing, sadly. It is highly unlikely that you would get jobs here at this time.
We get a lot of posts similar to yours at this time of year and I can understand why. It's cold and miserable in the UK, the economic situation is gloomy and it's the post- New Year blues time.
But one in three Spanish people on the Costas are out of work. Think: what chance have you of finding a job when you speak no Spanish and cannot offer a skill or trade that is in demand?
I know we sound like a miserable lot but we either don't need to work or already have secure jobs or businesses.
You will be in competition with thousands of people for low-paid work with long hours...much more so than in the UK.
No social security, no health care...and it's not cheap to live in Spain. It can also be extremely cold.
It is forecast that Spain is about to go into recession. At least the UK economy isn't headed that way...yet.
It's important not to mistake truth for negativity and we are telling it like it is.
And no matter how long you live here, you will never 'integrate'. You will always be viewed as a 'guiri', a foreigner...because that's what we are.

 

[djfwells]

You must appreciate that, whilst what you are hearing may sound 'negative', it is probably in reality sound advice from well-meaning people who have trod a similar path.
Sadly professions such as Nail technicians in most Coastal / Expat areas are ten a penny, and unless you own your own Salon you are probably highly unlikely to make a decent living out of this. As far as HGV Fitter / Drivers are concerned let's just say that it isn't really an 'In demand' profession and that unless your OH has Spanish qualifications, expereince and language to offer he will struggle to find something.

Try not to look upon this as negative advice - just encouragement to re-work your plan.

 

[thewhaleys]

Hi there,

The negative stuff is all too real, unfortunately. What few jobs there are usually get filled by word of mouth, it's a case of who you know. I'm not sure what a nail technician is, but there are hundreds of thousands of people of all nationalities willing and able to do housekeeping jobs for very low wages. However every year there are fewer people around who can afford to employ them!

There is no unemployment benefit, child allowance or housing benefit here like in the UK. Unless you are working in an official job and paying into the Spanish social security system you won't even get free healthcare for more than few months. Then you would have to worry about schools, how the kids will fit in, learning the language ...

Maybe not the best time to think about upping sticks right now!

thank you so much for reply, a nail technician basically is doing false nails manicures etc.

 

[thewhaleys]

Truth and negativity are not one and the same thing, sadly. It is highly unlikely that you would get jobs here at this time.
We get a lot of posts similar to yours at this time of year and I can understand why. It's cold and miserable in the UK, the economic situation is gloomy and it's the post- New Year blues time.
But one in three Spanish people on the Costas are out of work. Think: what chance have you of finding a job when you speak no Spanish and cannot offer a skill or trade that is in demand?
I know we sound like a miserable lot but we either don't need to work or already have secure jobs or businesses.
You will be in competition with thousands of people for low-paid work with long hours...much more so than in the UK.
No social security, no health care...and it's not cheap to live in Spain. It can also be extremely cold.
It is forecast that Spain is about to go into recession. At least the UK economy isn't headed that way...yet.
It's important not to mistake truth for negativity and we are telling it like it is.
And no matter how long you live here, you will never 'integrate'. You will always be viewed as a 'guiri', a foreigner...because that's what we are.

thank you for your reply, i would rather you be harsh and honest than tell me it is a land where fortunes are made and dreams come true, we are in the early stages of preparing and i assure you i will not be moving anywhere until either or both of us have jobs in place.

 

[thewhaleys]

You must appreciate that, whilst what you are hearing may sound 'negative', it is probably in reality sound advice from well-meaning people who have trod a similar path.
Sadly professions such as Nail technicians in most Coastal / Expat areas are ten a penny, and unless you own your own Salon you are probably highly unlikely to make a decent living out of this. As far as HGV Fitter / Drivers are concerned let's just say that it isn't really an 'In demand' profession and that unless your OH has Spanish qualifications, expereince and language to offer he will struggle to find something.

Try not to look upon this as negative advice - just encouragement to re-work your plan.

thank you for your reply, im very much the glass is half empty type my husband on the other hand is the opposite, i would rather hear the truth and negativity than lies and positivity we are very much in the early stages of planning this move and will not be doing anything till we have jobs in place.

 

[djfwells]

thank you for your reply, im very much the glass is half empty type my husband on the other hand is the opposite, i would rather hear the truth and negativity than lies and positivity we are very much in the early stages of planning this move and will not be doing anything till we have jobs in place.

It's a 1000 to 1 shot, but has your Husband thought of speaking to Nidd Transport at Boroughbridge ? - They certainly used to have - and may still have - the contract for delivering from the Harrogate deopt of the Yorkshire Linen Co. to all the spain Franchises. They might have (or know of) a vacancy where the driver could be Spain - based ?
A long shot, I know, but probably one of your best chances ...

 

[thewhaleys]

:welcome:

everything you have read & everything Alcalaina has said is sadly true

add in that most people wouldn't recommend that an 11 year old be put into Spanish state school (unless already a native level spanish speaker) - so you'd need to find the money for private UK curriculum/International school & it's stacking up against you

hi thank you for your reply money for schools is not an issue for the kids it more a case of once i have paid the fees etc for the rest of there schooling yrs we are not going to have much savings left so was more a case of job prospects, i will not be moving my family until jobs are in place, it just seems when i search via the internet etc it brings nothing up which is not outdated by at least 12 months.

 

[thewhaleys]

It's a 1000 to 1 shot, but has your Husband thought of speaking to Nidd Transport at Boroughbridge ? - They certainly used to have - and may still have - the contract for delivering from the Harrogate deopt of the Yorkshire Linen Co. to all the spain Franchises. They might have (or know of) a vacancy where the driver could be Spain - based ?
A long shot, I know, but probably one of your best chances ...

wow thank you this is very interesting he will get onto them in the morning thank you so much.

 

[djfwells]

wow thank you this is very interesting he will get onto them in the morning thank you so much.

... And whilst I Think on tell him to speak to Thomas Green's at Ripon - They operate the 'English Corner Shops' franchise that there are on many of the Costa's - I'm sure that they deliver from their spot in Ripon as well as shuttling stuff over here from Nisa in Scunny

 

[mrypg9]

thank you for your reply, i would rather you be harsh and honest than tell me it is a land where fortunes are made and dreams come true, we are in the early stages of preparing and i assure you i will not be moving anywhere until either or both of us have jobs in place.

If only everyone were as sensible....

 

[Leper]

Much of the negativity on the forum was produced by me. Unfortunately, things are getting worse by the day. Just over the weekend there were demonstrations against the new austere measures suggested by the Spanish government. It is only a matter of time before these demonstrations turn to riots. The Spanish dont take too well to being told what to do.

We dont know if the Euro will survive the incoming tide. Also, this could be the beginning of the fall of the European Community. Dont rule out Germany leaving the Eurozone either and opting for dealing in deutchmarks again. They have a strong economy and some reports suggest Germany would be better off going it alone. Who am I to say that this is not their best course?

Add in Italy, Portugal, GREECE, Ireland and it does not take a genius to belive that these will shortly be federal states of Germany.

However, if you are retiring or plain just going on holidays, Spain is the place for you. Just thought I would end on a positive note.

 

[mrypg9]

Much of the negativity on the forum was produced by me. Unfortunately, things are getting worse by the day. Just over the weekend there were demonstrations against the new austere measures suggested by the Spanish government. It is only a matter of time before these demonstrations turn to riots. The Spanish dont take too well to being told what to do.

We dont know if the Euro will survive the incoming tide. Also, this could be the beginning of the fall of the European Community. Dont rule out Germany leaving the Eurozone either and opting for dealing in deutchmarks again. They have a strong economy and some reports suggest Germany would be better off going it alone. Who am I to say that this is not their best course?

Add in Italy, Portugal, GREECE, Ireland and it does not take a genius to belive that these will shortly be federal states of Germany.

However, if you are retiring or plain just going on holidays, Spain is the place for you. Just thought I would end on a positive note.

But you were telling it like it is, not being negative.
I don't think your forecasts for the EU are 100% right, though.
Firstly, the demos at the weekend against the new labour measures were to be expected.
They were peaceful and trades union-led. I don't doubt that there will be more violent protests in future but that per se won't destabilise Spanish democracy. We must also remember that the current Government was elected only three months ago and that the governing party looks set to make gains in next month's regional elections.
After the collapse of the Soviet Empire and the reunification of Germany it was inevitable that Germany would revert to its historic role as the powerhouse of Europe, both geostrategically, politically and industrially. Of course Italy, Ireland etc. will not LITERALLY be federal states of Germany but the EU will continue to be dominated by the Franco-German axis, partly because of the ambiguous position of the UK.
I think though that you underestimate the importance that Germany attaches to the euro or indeed to the whole European project. I would wager every cent I own that you will not see the reemergence of the DM in your or my lifetime. It's easy to forget the reason why the EU has gradually evolved from the original nucleus of the European Coal and Steel Community. Continental Europe sees the EU as the major force for a state of peace in most of Europe which has lasted a miraculous seventy years. We should remember that the UK and Sweden are the only two continental EU states not to have been physically occupied by an enemy force in World War Two. These memories are still alive in the older generation.
The last point I want to make so I too can end on a note of optimism is that cyclical crises are endemic to capitalism. This too will pass and hopefully we'll see the emergence of a gentler economy where the market serves society and is not above society as it is now.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Unfortunately, things are getting worse by the day. Just over the weekend there were demonstrations against the new austere measures suggested by the Spanish government. It is only a matter of time before these demonstrations turn to riots.

You should look at the news tonight of the riots in Valencia. Students protesting against cuts.
I'm sure much of what was going on today was bear baiting by the students, but I heard that at one point they were using tear gas against them!! That was on the radio. I saw a bit on the telly news and it really was quite violent.
There was probably some bear baiting going on between the students and the police, but the poice looked like they'd been told anything goes and were beating the sh*t out of them.

 

[mrypg9]

You should look at the news tonight of the riots in Valencia. Students protesting against cuts.
I'm sure much of what was going on today was bear baiting by the students, but I heard that at one point they were using tear gas against them!! That was on the radio. I saw a bit on the telly news and it really was quite violent.
There was probably some bear baiting going on between the students and the police, but the poice looked like they'd been told anything goes and were beating the sh*t out of them.

Was it a riot or a demo that got out of hand?
I think it suits governments to show they are 'in charge' when law'n'order are perceived to be threatened. People are fearful of street violence.
On most of the marches I was involved in violence was caused by hard-core anarchsit and 'Class War' factions - a tiny minority.
But I would swear that on at least one occasion I was aware of there was police provocation by agents provocateurs. We were all sitting down peacefully -it was a CND march - when a guy appeared from nowhere and began to yell at us to get up and push forward at the police cordon...mounted police too. A section of the crowd began to do that so our little group got up and shouted at people to stay sitting.
There was the inevitable punch-up..
Later one of our group saw the agitator chatting to police officers on obviously friendly terms.

 

[VFR]

hi all well we are new to the forum and really looking for a bit of advice, i have been reading alot of threads and all very negative me and my husband are thinking of moving to spain with our 2 children 11 and 5, my husband is a fully qualified hgv fitter/driver and mechanic, im a fully qualified nail technician and have many yrs experience in housekeeping/cleaning, we are not coming over with silly ideas of a laid back life with all we have at home, i am aware of the shortfall of jobs and understand the need for work, we are wanting to move to live the simple life embrace the culture the language and everything else the country to has to offer our aim is to fully intergrate, my dilema is how and where do i find or at least enquire for jobs possibly in the mojacar area of southern spain, we will do anything.

Hello.
Yes I accept that you have read about the situation in Spain, but I fancy that you really do not want to believe the info ? (come on be honest )
Even if your husband gets a job driving from the UK to here you are very unlikely to be able to survive on his wage as the going rate is not good, plus of course you will be lucky to see him once a week.
For sure a Scania/Man/Volvo/Iveco trained or certificated fitter will be in demand at some stage in the future, but of course would need to speak a reasonable amount of Spanish.
An 11/12 year old is though another matter & will struggle to say the least (IMO)

So keep the desire alive & plan to move here when things improve and you are all better prepared and nowadays you have the advantage of good quality info on sites like this, just wish they were around when we were planning the move.

 

[Pesky Wesky]

Was it a riot or a demo that got out of hand?
I think it suits governments to show they are 'in charge' when law'n'order are perceived to be threatened. People are fearful of street violence.
On most of the marches I was involved in violence was caused by hard-core anarchsit and 'Class War' factions - a tiny minority.
But I would swear that on at least one occasion I was aware of there was police provocation by agents provocateurs. We were all sitting down peacefully -it was a CND march - when a guy appeared from nowhere and began to yell at us to get up and push forward at the police cordon...mounted police too. A section of the crowd began to do that so our little group got up and shouted at people to stay sitting.
There was the inevitable punch-up..
Later one of our group saw the agitator chatting to police officers on obviously friendly terms.

It was a demo that got out of hand, and is still out of hand, and will continue tomorrow.
See the other thread.

 

[mrypg9]

hi all well we are new to the forum and really looking for a bit of advice, i have been reading alot of threads and all very negative me and my husband are thinking of moving to spain with our 2 children 11 and 5, my husband is a fully qualified hgv fitter/driver and mechanic, im a fully qualified nail technician and have many yrs experience in housekeeping/cleaning, we are not coming over with silly ideas of a laid back life with all we have at home, i am aware of the shortfall of jobs and understand the need for work, we are wanting to move to live the simple life embrace the culture the language and everything else the country to has to offer our aim is to fully intergrate, my dilema is how and where do i find or at least enquire for jobs possibly in the mojacar area of southern spain, we will do anything.

Rereading your post that phrase stood out...
Life in Spain, as Jo always succintly points out, is really no different from life in the UK or any modern country.

Your daily life is the same, you will shop in the same kind of outlets and even buy mostly the same or similar foodstuffs. You may even see, on Spanish satellite tv, many of the same programmes dubbed into Spanish or sub-titled. The global market has sadly done much to homogenise culture.

Unless you are looking for an isolated, self-sustaining life in a neglected corner of the deepest campo, in Estremadura somewhere, say, your life will not be simple. It may in fact be a lot more complicated, made so by the daily worries of finding and keeping a job that pays enough to maintain a family, coping with Spanish bureaucracy which can be painless or difficult even for those of us who can get by in Spanish, depending on what you need and who you find yourself dealing with.

I do wonder whether you really have thought about your 'dream' coolly and realistically. Ask yourself why so many British immigrants have already gone back to the UK or would like to do so but are trapped by negative equity. Then consider why people like myself are settled in and as content as can be expected.

It all comes down to one thing: having enough money. That is the way of the world, has always been and ever will be, but it's a more pressing problem at this time and place...Spain in 2012.