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Jobs in Barcelona

Top Six Ways to Find Work in Barcelona

Finding work in Barcelona is not so easy if you don't speak Spanish, and a lot of the Catalan companies also prefer their employees to speak Catalan. Having said that, it is possible to find work in Barcelona, even with the current credit crunch affecting jobs here too.

There are many international companies based in Barcelona, as well as those small to medium-sized companies set up by expatriates, many of which need employees who speak English.

The following article is a guide on where to start to find employment in Barcelona, but before you even begin looking for work it's best to try to get your NIE. To be fair, your NIE is not so easy to get without having a job offer, as this is one of the qualifications for the NIE. However, there are other qualifications and if you have your NIE it shows that you're serious about finding work to any future employer.

The World Trade Centre, is situated in Barcelona's port and is home to Avis Contact Centres (see number 6 below).

So, where do you start to look for a job in Barcelona.

• 1. Get a copy of the Barcelona Metropolitan magazine – it's Barcelona's magazine in English. It's free, is published every month and has a job section at the back. Most of the job adverts are aimed at the expat community as employers are searching for people with language skills - and sometimes that just means speaking English.

The Barcelona Metropolitan is available in many places throughout the city. Most of the language schools stock copies, but you can also pick up copies at Café de la Opera on La Rambla 74, (opposite the Liceu opera house) and Hibernian English Bookshop in Gracia, www.hibernian-books.com , for example. If you go to the Metropolitan's website you can find all of the distribution points.

• 2. Browse through the job section at www.loquo.com . This website is a great resource for all things in Barcelona, from accommodation to buying second hand things, but there is a very good jobs section.

You can search through the relevant categories as the jobs section is split into the various markets, e.g. Design and Creative; Education; Construction; Engineering, Part-time, etc. If you want to, you can also place your own 'seeking work' advertisement. Loquo is an excellent resource for freelancers.
www.loquo.com .

• 3. Check out www.infojobs.com - another website - but this one specialises in jobs. Infojobs.com is a large site, covering Spain, Mexico and Italy, but you can search by city and also by your job category. Most of the job postings are in Spanish, but there are some jobs advertised in English too.

You have to subscribe to the site in order to reply to job offers, but this is an easy process. Once you are a member you can apply to have any new job offers in your area and category to be emailed to you as they appear. There is also a system to help you with your CV. Infojobs.com .

• 4. If you are a Spanish speaker then one of the best ways to find work is the old fashioned way of looking in the newspapers, La Vanguardia and El Pais being the most popular, both with good job sections. La Vanguardia has an online classified section where you can browse for jobs at http://empleo.clasificados.es , and the online directory for jobs at El Pais is: http://empleo.elpais.com .

• 5. Craig's List is one of the most successful classified ads site in the world. Its clear, easy-to-use layout has made it very popular and there is now a Craig's List website for most major cities. The Barcelona Craig's List: http://barcelona.en.craigslist.es , can be viewed in either Spanish or English.

There are several job categories, such as, Accounting, Education, Human Resources, Manufacturing, etc. Adverts are placed by the individual companies or people, and you reply directly to them. Adverts are listed by the date they have been posted, so you can easily see how recent the postings are.

• 6. Last but not least - Avis Contact Centres. Avis is the international car hire company and their international call centre is in Barcelona, in the World Trade Centre to be precise. Avis are always recruiting (it's a call centre job and the turnover is quite high), but if you need a job whilst you're looking for something more rewarding, need part-time work, or are just planning to stay in Barcelona for a short time - six months to a year perhaps - then Avis is a good bet.

If you only speak English you can apply for work there. Avis also recruit people speaking Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch and Czech. They give a temporary contract initially, usually six to eight months, and then a permanent contract if everything goes well. There is a page about working for Avis here: www.avis.es/TrabajaconAvis (in Spanish, but you can apply in English). Or send an email with your CV to: recruitment@bcn.avis-europe.com

So, those are my top six ways of finding employment in Barcelona – best of luck!

(Please be aware that with all online advertising, some adverts can turn out to be scams, so please do use your common sense when replying.)

Teach English in Spain

With an English Language teaching qualification you have the opportunity to find work in Barcelona teaching English during the summer, and if you're lucky all year.

There are many language schools in Barcelona who employ teachers - usually on a short-term contract, and there are also companies that hire teachers to give English lessons to their employees. Of course, you also have the option of freelancing too.

i-to-i Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Courses

i-to-i is a world leader in TEFL courses and TEFL jobs abroad. In 2010 they trained 15,000 people to Teach English as a Foreign Language, and i-to-i also help people to find jobs worldwide once qualified. They have won several awards and nominations for their courses and work.

• You can take their TEFL course online.
• Online TEFL course - free trial
• i-to-i courses are internationally recognised
• It's a qualification for life

i-to-i Online TEFL course

How To Be Self-employed in Spain

There are various legal requirements to being self-employed (autónomo/a) in Spain, the first and foremost is to obtain your Número de Identidad de Extranjeros (NIE). There is an article on how to get your NIE on my page about legal requirements for living and working in Barcelona.

Secondly, freelancers must register at the local tax office – Delegación de Hacienda. The Agencia Tributaria's website lists all the offices, so you can find your nearest office there. At the Hacienda you have to choose the area of work you're involved with from one of their categories and you also need to register for IVA, which is the Spanish equivalent to VAT. In Spain your NIE number also acts as your IVA number.

The next stage is to register at your local social security office, their official website is www.seg-social.es (you can view the website in English). To do this you need your registration form from the Hacienda, your passport as proof of identity and your NIE. Every month, despite what you earn, you must pay approximately €250. This money is similar to National Insurance payments in the UK and covers your unemployment benefit and national health contributions.

As a self-employed person you have to file a tax return for your business quarterly, in January, April, July and October together with IVA returns. Every year, following your first year, you must also file a full personal income tax return (IRPF) in April. Any invoice (factura) you issue for your business must contain your full name, address and NIE number.

There are a lot of legal requirements and red tape involved with going self-employed and I think an accountant and a lawyer are probably essential.

Setting up your own business in Barcelona?

For those freelance entrepreneurs looking to set up their own business or extending their existing business into Barcelona, there is the Entrepreneurs Network Barcelona. This is basically a networking community that have regular meetings and advertising opportunities. The meetings are held in both Spanish and English.

Flats for Rent in BCN

How to move to Spain, find accommodation in Barcelona and learn Spanish.

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