Are you looking for how to find a job in Barcelona? In this article, we will explain you everything you should know about this topic.
You might be submerged in the topic of having to find a job in Barcelona, and this might sound like a very daunting task for many of us but, the reality is that finding a way of making money in the beautiful city of Barcelona, is maybe easier than we may expect. This is why in today’s article from BCN Advisors, we want to help you by giving you a step-by-step guide, that will most definitely make your experience of finding a job as an expat, way easier. ¿Ready?
Characteristics you need to work in Barcelona
Are you looking for a job for Americans in Barcelona? What is the average salary in Barcelona? First, let’s start with the basics. As we all know, Barcelona is probably one of the most touristic cities in the whole world, which means that it is not impossible to find places to work, where knowing Spanish is not really necessary. This does not mean that we can get any job that is available, but we know that moving to Spain without knowing the language is not a big problem, as you can live in Barcelona without speaking Spanish. In fact, being such an international city, there are many jobs in Barcelona for expatriates.
Most important is having a work permit, if we don’t have this documentation, we might have to worry about this instead of the language barrier. All the European Union and Swiss citizens can work in BCN without the need of having a permit. If you come from a place that is not either of both we’ve mentioned, then, you might have to take the longer path. You’ll need a Spanish visa, as well as a NIE. Don’t forget about having to register at the “agencia tributaria”, and the tax office.
It might seem like a boring and long process, but in reality, you’ll be working sooner than you expect.
Best work choices for expats
It’s better to know the different job options us as expats can apply to. As we’ve said earlier, Barcelona is a very touristic city, and almost 20% of the whole entire population are expats. With many areas growing like tourism, industry, services… the probabilities of finding a job have increased in the past years, so you can easily identify hiring opportunities with different salaries. Although, sometimes it is even easier to find a job than an apartment for rental. But fear not, in our luxury real estate agency in Barcelona, we can help you.
The other choice that many people pursue as an expat, is being a freelancer. There are many people living in Spain who work as translators, writers and photo or video editing. If the idea of being a freelancer has aroused your interest, we would like to remark that, although you’re not working for any specific business, you need the Spanish work permit, and being registered to pay the self-employment taxes, you’ll be all set. It just takes some time, and also knowing how to present yourself to the world, in order to live a normal life in Barcelona being a freelancer.
English speaking jobs in Barcelona
Having such a high percentage of foreign population, there are many job opportunities that will allow you to have more time to learn a language. One of the main advantages you have is that you speak English. Many people in the city, specifically locals, really need some classes sometimes to get more in touch with the language, and it’s even better if your teacher is a native speaker. In universities, schools and high-schools, there are for sure many opportunities that you might find without really trying.
If we follow the same topic, about kids, there are many parents desperate trying to find a nanny. These kinds of jobs are actually pretty great, most hours of the day, kids are at school, and also, many parents always look for native speakers of English to take care of their kids. This is because they want the toddler to get familiar with the language very early on. So if you’re looking for jobs for Americans in Barcelona, this is the perfect opportunity for you.
And if you get a stable job with which you get a good remuneration, we advise you to take a look at our list of luxury apartments in Barcelona, and start living the Mediterranean experience in the best possible way.
In another article we already told you about which are the most expensive streets in Barcelona (all of them influenced by the environment and privileged situation in which they are located), so you can start to get an idea of how much a property in Spain is worth, starting with the best there is.
Best places to find a job
There are so many ways in which you can find a place to work, this can be through the internet, through some contacts, basically everywhere. To make things easier, we will guide you through some of the best ones.
Online websites to find jobs
If you’re interested in finding a job in Barcelona without spanish, these are some sites you can check for job opportunities. Find the best jobs in Barcelona (Spain) for US Citizens:
- Jobs in barcelona
- LingoBongo
If you want to have a wider range of opportunities to choose from, we recommend doing some research and see what you can find
- Infojobs
- Barcelona Xpat
- Learn for good
- Simply angelic
Other ways to find a job
In Spain, there’s still a way that not many people know or use. ¿Did you know you can find a job through the newspaper? Well this is possible. There’re many groups that will keep you updated if you need to find a job as quick as possible this way.
What is recruitment
This is another way of finding a job. Though agencies, you can go and give them all your information about your degrees and aptitudes. They will help you find a full time or part time job. If you have the qualities that they need for a specific job, they’ll call you.
How to apply for jobs in Barcelona for expats
It’s quite easy, you will only need to have a CV in Spanish, just translate the one you already have and write it in Spanish, this will give you a bigger advantage. Now, when you go to places to ask for jobs, you need to bring it with you and give it to them, so they can have something to decide whether you’re the right fit or not.
If you’ve gotten to the point where they ask for an interview, just dress accordingly to the situation. You don’t need to dress too formal, just enough so you give a good image to the person who’s selecting.
And that would be it, if you follow these steps and you do them correctly, you just need to be patient. Sooner than you expect, you’ll be working in Barcelona.