LA SIESTA:

It is not a myth. In small towns shops are closed from 2 until 5 because of la siesta. In Madrid and Barcelona some shops are closed, others are opened, there is no fixed policy. However, if you work in a company your work schedule will probably officially be similar to other countries: 9 to 6, 40 hours a week. 

AT THE END OF THE DAY:

At the end of the day you might feel better than in other countries because you will not have just spent 9-10 hours working, but also shared that time with “work colleagues”, using the politically correct word; I prefer calling them “friends”. You will have laughed, talked and shared more than work.  It is common for friends from work to meet during the weekends or at night: “para tomar unas copas”, having a drink.  (An important phrase if you want to know what Madrid is about). In Spain, work is not just about gaining experience and having an income, it also has to do with knowing people, having friends and enjoying the beautiful things in life.

HOLIDAYS:

By law you will have 24 days of vacations. Some companies automatically make the bridge: If you have a public holiday on Tuesday, then you will have off on Monday, same thing goes for Thursday, when you get a day off on Friday - these days off before a holiday do not count againist your 24 vacation days. The extra vacation days can really duplicate your holidays in an impressive way. For instance, next Christmas by taking 4 labor days off your 24 days you could have 2 weeks of holidays. Another interesting fact: Counting the week-ends, holidays, bridges and public holidays in Spain people have 1 day off out of every 3 days. In simpler terms, a third of the year is holiday! That is a pretty good deal. 

SALARIES: 

The world is not perfect.

You will not find in Spain the same competitive salaries as in the United States (where you have 10 days of work for every vacation day), and they might be a little lower than other European salaries. Take into account that Spain, on average, is the third European country with the lowest salaries; after Greece and Portugal.  If you have a 4 year Bachelor's Degree or License and more or less 1 year’s experience the expected starting salary would be $18,000 - $21,000 per year for an administrative position: Marketing, Finance, Accounting etc. With tax you will see your bank account receive more or less: $15,000 - $17,500. 

You might be thinking that life is cheaper in Spain, but that is not necessarily true. Madrid and Barcelona are expensive as far as lodging is concerned. Renting an average, one bedroom, 70 m² apartment in downtown Madrid or Barcelona will cost you more or less: $700 per month. Do the math: you have a monthly income of: $1200 - $1400 and at least $700 goes to rent, $50 to commodities (electricity, water, gas), $50 transport, $150 food, $70 telephone (you will be calling abroad often I assume), and lets say: $200 in other things: going out, sports, trips etc. You are left at the end of the month with:  $ 20 - $220. If you live in the United States you will probably need 3 –5 months to save up the necessary money to fly to the East Coast (3 Months) and West Coast (5 months).

Two other figures: 80% of Spaniards spend 60% of their income in their House. Leaving little space for savings. Price of land has increased in the last six years by 85% in Madrid while salaries have increased by 15%. Barcelona has more or less the same situation. Hence, people prefer buying a house rather than renting one. In the long-run of course it is cheaper, and interest rates are very low: +- 3%.  Yet the price of an apartment is high: an apartment with one bedroom, 70 m2 in downtown Madrid or Barcelona: $180,000. You would probably be paying $700 per month for 25 years to pay for it.  But it is like taking out money from one pocket and putting it in another. 

Life is a compromise. The above information should scare those that need a lot to live well. There again, what does living well mean. It could simply be enjoying life with what you have. Or having things to enjoy life. In the end, it is a matter of perspectives and lifestyles. Spain is not a country that will enable you to take a cruise every year, but it is a country that will allow you to have fun everyday. 

PAPER WORK – BARRIER TO ENTRY

IN THE UNITED STATES: If your intention is to land in Spain and start looking for work, you will have a really hard time, except if you are better or more qualified than all the other Spaniards looking for work, which in itself would be very difficult (By the way, I am not Spaniard, I am Belgian). Remember that Spaniards are competent and well trained. University in Spain is for five years, and not four as in the United States, and finishes with a thesis; similar in length to a Master's Degree in the United States. 

The paper work which a company needs to undertake for you to work in Spain represents a huge obstacle.  It will prefer hiring a well qualified Spaniard than a well qualified European, and then maybe someone from a country that is not part of the European Union. I do not mean to be harsh, but I did say that I would be sincere. 

IN EUROPEAN UNION: The process will be made simpler. You will need a DNI Extanjero and be registered in the Social Security Office. The aforementioned can be done solely with your European Passport. You would basically be doing the extra work that a company would otherwise need to do for you to work; placing your chances at the same level as those of a qualified Spaniard.

FINDING WORK: 

If You Are Not Currently In Spain And Cannot Go There Immediately, the easiest way to look for work in Spain, as if you were there, is through the Internet: http://jobs.escapeartist.com/Openings/Spain  www.monster.es, www.trabajos.com, www.infojobs.es. The simplest way to have all the online job search engines is by using www.yahoo.es. Go to Yahoo.es, then under Economia y Negocio, go to Empleo. Once there, click on Ofertas De Trabajo. 

Be aware that looking for work over the Internet is extremely competitive. A good offer published on Tuesday in Infojobs.es will have received 3000 résumés on Wednesday. If You Are Not Currently In Spain, But Can Get There: Get there! Looking for a job in a country is easier by being in that country. 

For Spain you should start looking in Madrid or Barcelona; the two cities with the most job offerings. You might try Bilboa, Valencia or Sevilla but it will be more difficult. 

Three Guidelines:

*Stay in a cheap Hostel: $10-$11 per day, with shower etc. 
*Eat at Doner Kebab everyday: $3 -$4 Euros per meal.
*Get a Pre-paid cell phone ($62 (when on sale) Siemens S.69 ) .

Getting a cell phone is very important. When you send your résumé you must have a direct contact number. You do not want someone to call your aunt in Djibouti, that will call your brother in Biarritz that will then receive your call to tell you that someone was interested in hiring you. You want that person to talk to you directly. In any case, leaving an e-mail address is too informal. 

You have three ways of finding work: Internet, Answering Direct job offers in the newspaper, and: 

Contacts:

Internet and Newspaper ads: You should send your resume making it look like you are now permanently living in Spain. The address of McDonalds in Puerto del Sol and your cell phone number should do the trick. If a company is interested it will call you; if not, it might send McDonalds a very polite thank you letter which you should not care about. Remember that companies want the least problems to get you to work for them and therefore if they see that you are living abroad they might hesitate; while if they see that you have decided to live in Spain and already live in Spain, they will see you as someone international and open minded, as well as a risk taker. 

For the newspaper ads you have two good specialized newspapers: Laboris which is released every Saturday and Segunda Mano which is released on Friday. Then of course on Sundays you have job postings in El Pais and La Razon, to mention just two. Do not waste money looking in the newspapers during the week since the best and most serious offers are published during the weekends. 

This is the more difficult and efficient way to find a job in Spain. In many companies you will find that people obtained their job because a friend of their cousin works there. How to get these contacts is a personal issue. For instance, I really like sports and therefore my first step was to get involved in sport clubs. Others might do it through attending small churches, or dancing clubs, or bars etc. 

Of course the best and most efficient method is the good combination of the three: Internet, newspapers and contacts; and you should have plenty of time for that. 
If you already live in Spain and have been there for a while: You know all about it, perhaps more than I do.

CONCLUSION:

Good luck with everything and enjoy it all. And by the way... the best Doner Kebab in Madrid is on Calle Atocha next to the Metro Entrance of Anton Martin.