Moving to Tenerife and searching for employment [Archive]

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djodav

27-01-2012, 16:29

garlicbread

27-01-2012, 16:41

Before you make your move , read through these threads

http://www.tenerifeforum.org/tenerife-forum/showthread.php?334-My-Tenerife-Survival-guide-for-new-and-wannabe-expats

http://www.tenerifeforum.org/tenerife-forum/showthread.php?12937-Advice-amp-Info

Suzanne

27-01-2012, 17:29

see janets link unemployment in canaries now 30%. i have been here 20 years this year and this is the worst i have seen it. However, good luck to you.

Simon-M

27-01-2012, 18:09

see janets link unemployment in canaries now 30%. i have been here 20 years this year and this is the worst i have seen it. However, good luck to you.

Reading it another way... 70% of people have a job. Yes, times are bad everywhere but people can still make it work. It will be very much down to you to make it. There will not be much help if any. You will need to network hard but it is still possible to make it work.

Do read the posts above as this is a realistic situation for many. You don't have to be one of the failures. It's not compulsory to fail although the odds are in favour of it.

mossy

27-01-2012, 18:32

If you have £11k saved up it should last you a year untill you find your feet and try your luck on the job front.Good luck

ElaineTV

27-01-2012, 19:58

hi there,my family and i are currently on the course of moving to tenerife.It would be of great help if anybody could help me in what the best ways are to look for permanent employment in either painting and decorating,building,landscaping or anything else that could bring in a regular income.Im a multi tasked person who is most definately not afraid of hard work and would give everything to make our move to Tenerife a permanent and happy adventure my wife and family have longed for for the past 13 years.If anybody can give me any advice on how to make our dreams turn to reality i would be extremely grateful.Thankyou for reading my plea,yours hopefully Andy+Jo

Hi Andy & Jo,

I too have been asking for advice, pretty similar to you. I have had so many conflicting replies mainly giving negative responses, such as people saying you will need at least £20,000 in the bank to others saying budget about £3000 per month, quite extreme advice as you will find out in your research. As you will appreciate, each case is totally unique and there is no 'blueprint' of a success story, all based on trial and error.

My advice is to ignore any 'opinions' given on any forum, concentrate on FACTS only! Ask basic and relative questions only ie "How much is the average wage for a...?" and "What is the usual rate of income tax" etc etc... otherwise forget it, you will only get more confused and more despondent as not everyone knows the answers only one or two will but you don't know who they are amongst the ones who are giving their opinion. However, there are many lovely people on this forum who have sent me private messages and have helped me start to find my feet in the labyrinth of what is 'Living in Tenerife'!

I believe that you have to do your own legwork.. no one else will do that bit for you, once you have some key facts to work on such as a particular area you're looking to move too then ask about the local criteria needed such as council tax for that area, heating & lighting costs etc, things that people will have actual knowledge about and can advise wisely.

I personally have looked into Adeje, and I have estimated that the general household of for 3 bedroom apartment would need an income of approximately 1,600 euros per month/£1,350 per month so having some savings would be beneficial as I believe that even if you find work quickly, you may not necessarily be in that job for long and may have some periods of time without work so having some financial float seems a must to me.

With regards to work it seems to me that unless you have a set business to start up the only other thing you can do is to start looking for work as soon as you arrive.. it seems to be a case of being in the right place at the right time, or it's who you know and not what you know!

I'm not sure if you have children and if at school age, but if so there are added costs to the Spanish state schools - as with the UK too, ie school dinners, after school clubs and uniforms/books etc and so I would say budget about 2 euros per child per day for the commodore charges and about 15 euros per month per child for the school uniform and books although you will need to purchase them in one lump sum, so have that money ready and then budget as above for the following year... again each school/area will probably vary but hope this gives you an idea of what to consider in your financial planning.

I hope you and your family are prepared for a bumpy ride, from what I've been told it can make or break a family, however if it is a dream you all share then I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end!! At least I hope so for all our sakes!! ;)

garlicbread

27-01-2012, 20:42

You advocate concentrating on the facts @elainetv

This should be of interest then:

Latest figures show that the number of those out of work in the Canary Islands rose 27,500 throughout 2011, leaving 341,900 people without work, up 8.75% on 2010. The exact rate in S?C Tenerife is 30.93%, this is according to data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). The breakdown is Las Palmas province 32,36%, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 29,46%. (In Spain as a whole, only Andalucia has a worse rate, at 31.23%.)

The VAST majority of employers here are Canarians/Spanish and they are hardly likely to welcome foreigners taking any of what few jobs are available and remember the "benefit" system here is virtually non existent compared with the UK.

With a total of 5 million unemployed in Spain it's even made the news on the BBC website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16754600

Anyone with a young family coming to live in Tenerife from the UK to enjoy anything other than the sunshine is misguided, but then that is only my opinion so concentrate on the facts.

mossy

27-01-2012, 20:45

siliconephil

27-01-2012, 21:28

I think it's unfair to say there is no work here. There is work, always has been and always will be, Tenerife is a thriving holiday destination. You may not find work in what you want to work in but you can find work. The hotels are packed, aalways needing waiters. If you speak a bit of Spanish the hotels love english people. Trust me.

It's not all doom and gloom, the worst bit is getting everyone settled in and over the home sickness. You need to be strong as a couple as it will be an upheaval.

Plenty of people do what you are doing and it's been the best thing they've ever done, but i'm not going to lie. Unless you have come here with a sure job already lined up and a few savings behind you, it will be tough but not impossible :D

Oh and while i think about it, there will be a lot of paperwork to do, if you need any help by all means pm me here,

ElaineTV

27-01-2012, 23:01

We too moved here a few months ago and took all the advice from this forum and others and i do believe negative comments can be as helpful as the positive ones but it's all down to you to weigh the two and plan for the worst case scenario.

I totally agree 100%!! However, it would be nice to get some positive feedback from time to time, after all, people who are planning a move abroad aren't taking the decision lightly, and for some it might be the only option they have.. ie the UK is having major problems too - thousands of jobs going daily so if someone asks for help and advice I feel that is what should be given and not just a reply of doom and gloom, as that is not helpful, there is doom and gloom everywhere at the moment. imo. It's all about balance, letting a person weigh up all the pros and cons with all the facts and current information as best people can give. :spin:

Added after 4 minutes:

I think it's unfair to say there is no work here. There is work, always has been and always will be, Tenerife is a thriving holiday destination. You may not find work in what you want to work in but you can find work. The hotels are packed, aalways needing waiters. If you speak a bit of Spanish the hotels love english people. Trust me.

It's not all doom and gloom, the worst bit is getting everyone settled in and over the home sickness. You need to be strong as a couple as it will be an upheaval.

Plenty of people do what you are doing and it's been the best thing they've ever done, but i'm not going to lie. Unless you have come here with a sure job already lined up and a few savings behind you, it will be tough but not impossible :D

Oh and while i think about it, there will be a lot of paperwork to do, if you need any help by all means pm me here,

Excellent post siliconephil!! It is the same scenario all over the world, work is out there but it might just be doing something you'd rather not... and yes, people need to be made aware of this.

I am dual nationality as are my children so hoping that we should fit in reasonably easy, and my husband will be fluent in no time too as he already knows a fair bit. Thanks again for a positive and well balanced reply!

Added after 17 minutes:

You advocate concentrating on the facts @elainetv

This should be of interest then:

Latest figures show that the number of those out of work in the Canary Islands rose 27,500 throughout 2011, leaving 341,900 people without work, up 8.75% on 2010. The exact rate in S?C Tenerife is 30.93%, this is according to data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). The breakdown is Las Palmas province 32,36%, and Santa Cruz de Tenerife 29,46%. (In Spain as a whole, only Andalucia has a worse rate, at 31.23%.)

The VAST majority of employers here are Canarians/Spanish and they are hardly likely to welcome foreigners taking any of what few jobs are available and remember the "benefit" system here is virtually non existent compared with the UK.

With a total of 5 million unemployed in Spain it's even made the news on the BBC website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-16754600

Anyone with a young family coming to live in Tenerife from the UK to enjoy anything other than the sunshine is misguided, but then that is only my opinion so concentrate on the facts.

Things aren't so great in the UK either, income has decreased steadily over the past 8 years and with longer pay freezes while everything else goes up making the pay cut greater... the unemployment rate is now higher than 11 years ago... so to struggle in the Uk or to struggle in Tenerife??? That is the question?? lol!! :spin:

Muppet

28-01-2012, 09:52

I totally agree 100%!! However, it would be nice to get some positive feedback from time to time, after all, people who are planning a move abroad aren't taking the decision lightly, and for some it might be the only option they have.. ie the UK is having major problems too - thousands of jobs going daily so if someone asks for help and advice I feel that is what should be given and not just a reply of doom and gloom, as that is not helpful, there is doom and gloom everywhere at the moment. imo. It's all about balance, letting a person weigh up all the pros and cons with all the facts and current information as best people can give. :spin:

Added after 4 minutes:

Excellent post siliconephil!! It is the same scenario all over the world, work is out there but it might just be doing something you'd rather not... and yes, people need to be made aware of this.

I am dual nationality as are my children so hoping that we should fit in reasonably easy, and my husband will be fluent in no time too as he already knows a fair bit. Thanks again for a positive and well balanced reply!

Added after 17 minutes:

Things aren't so great in the UK either, income has decreased steadily over the past 8 years and with longer pay freezes while everything else goes up making the pay cut greater... the unemployment rate is now higher than 11 years ago... so to struggle in the Uk or to struggle in Tenerife??? That is the question?? lol!! :spin:

You are certainly very positive about your planned move and more power to your elbow for that. But whenever anyone tries to point out the negatives you counter them with negatives from the UK.

There is no doubt the UK is going through hard times at the moment, primarily the result of serious mis-management of its economy over the past decade or so, and whilst much of the primary focus at the moment there is being directed toward the welfare state and reductions in help and benefits are certainly on the way, at least there is assistance of some kind in place.

It is a very different picture here. What State welfare there is here is under as much, if not even more pressure than in the UK. Unemployment here painfully high, now at over 30%. There is work to be found but at rates of pay that would bring tears to your eyes. The construction industry, where much of the work came from in the past, is now almost non existant - a problem for your husband given his line of work, and as has been said before, there is no shortage of hairdressers/beauticians which will be a problem for you - dual nationality or not.

Many of the responses to your enthusiastic questions have been negative - and when you see the odd positive response you jump for joy, but please take heed and ask yourself why there have been so many negative respnses - the answer is that the future for you and your family is not that positive.

It is not impossible to achieve the dream, but I'd guess at this moment it is maybe ten times more difficult to do it today than it was a couple of years ago.

If you were a single person then pretty much everyone's advice would be "go for it", but with 3 young children and the responsibilities that entails, I'm not surprised with the bulk of the responses you have had.

You ask for facts, so exactly what do you need to know?

Food and essentials shopping costs are close to those of the UK, depending on exactly how you currently/want to live.

Self employed NI contributions which you will both need unless you are both more than extremely lucky to land a job with a contract, are between 250 and 300 Euros - each. Income Tax rate is 20% ish, estimates for electricity costs for a family of 5 in a 3/4 bed house are circa 100 a month - especially if you heat your water with electicity.

Hardly anybody takes home as much as 1,000 a month - 800 is probably more like it.

The relative cost of living here has risen considerably in real terms whilst real term earnings have fallen considerably at the same time.

And just a final thought. The relatively new Spanish Prime-Minister won a land-slide election victory late last year. His plans to bring Spain's economic situation into control were based on many of those of David Cameron, so if it is the politicians and the austerity measures they are having to take in the UK to try to fix the problems there which is driving your plans, there is worse, much worse to come here.

One of you, perhaps your husbnd after his impending redundancy, needs to come here for more than a 10 day holiday and experience the real Tenerife for a month or two before you can really decide if it will work for your circumstances - that is the best advice anyone can really offer.

ElaineTV

28-01-2012, 13:31

You are certainly very positive about your planned move and more power to your elbow for that. But whenever anyone tries to point out the negatives you counter them with negatives from the UK.

There is no doubt the UK is going through hard times at the moment, primarily the result of serious mis-management of its economy over the past decade or so, and whilst much of the primary focus at the moment there is being directed toward the welfare state and reductions in help and benefits are certainly on the way, at least there is assistance of some kind in place.

It is a very different picture here. What State welfare there is here is under as much, if not even more pressure than in the UK. Unemployment here painfully high, now at over 30%. There is work to be found but at rates of pay that would bring tears to your eyes. The construction industry, where much of the work came from in the past, is now almost non existant - a problem for your husband given his line of work, and as has been said before, there is no shortage of hairdressers/beauticians which will be a problem for you - dual nationality or not.

Many of the responses to your enthusiastic questions have been negative - and when you see the odd positive response you jump for joy, but please take heed and ask yourself why there have been so many negative respnses - the answer is that the future for you and your family is not that positive.

It is not impossible to achieve the dream, but I'd guess at this moment it is maybe ten times more difficult to do it today than it was a couple of years ago.

If you were a single person then pretty much everyone's advice would be "go for it", but with 3 young children and the responsibilities that entails, I'm not surprised with the bulk of the responses you have had.

You ask for facts, so exactly what do you need to know?

Food and essentials shopping costs are close to those of the UK, depending on exactly how you currently/want to live.

Self employed NI contributions which you will both need unless you are both more than extremely lucky to land a job with a contract, are between 250 and 300 Euros - each. Income Tax rate is 20% ish, estimates for electricity costs for a family of 5 in a 3/4 bed house are circa 100 a month - especially if you heat your water with electicity.

Hardly anybody takes home as much as 1,000 a month - 800 is probably more like it.

The relative cost of living here has risen considerably in real terms whilst real term earnings have fallen considerably at the same time.

And just a final thought. The relatively new Spanish Prime-Minister won a land-slide election victory late last year. His plans to bring Spain's economic situation into control were based on many of those of David Cameron, so if it is the politicians and the austerity measures they are having to take in the UK to try to fix the problems there which is driving your plans, there is worse, much worse to come here.

One of you, perhaps your husbnd after his impending redundancy, needs to come here for more than a 10 day holiday and experience the real Tenerife for a month or two before you can really decide if it will work for your circumstances - that is the best advice anyone can really offer.

Thank you for a great reply Muppet!! Most helpful indeed!! It is a gamble moving abroad and any information is much appreciated. :thanx:

golf birdie

28-01-2012, 13:34

I think most of the possitve replies come from recent arrivals to the island, those still living the dream and those who refuse to admit they made a mistake, Most negatives will come from people like me who have been here many years, seen countless come and go, many broke money wise, many broke family wise. I have seen people crying wishing they could turn back the clock to the time before they upped sticks. Yes some will make it because they would make it anywhere but most will fail and when you fail here its worse as there is no net to catch you. As I said in another post, I have been here 20 years and this is the worst I have ever seen the place. Even in the good times it was difficult, now it near impossible to land here and improve your life. Good luck to those who try but be prepared to fail as most will.

tracey_in_tenerife

28-01-2012, 15:08

Muppet

28-01-2012, 17:25

I think though, that when people are asking for advice , they are wanting positive advice , ive seen a couple of threads the last couple of days that are so negative and people getting beat down for asking for advice , this forum is turning into the old forum , full of nasty miserable people with nothing better to do than whinge and moan , if they don't like Tenerife , why don't they just go back to where they came from !
There's alot of people that have been here years too that will never go back to the uk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Of course they are wanting only positive advice - especially those who have already made up their minds (as clearly in this case) and are seeking support for their decisions. It's when genuine concerns about the truths that have been told. For example, Elaine's husband being offered a 500 euro per week job with prospects of doubling/trebling that in a week or three.

Those jobs simply do not exist outside drug smuggling and/or other dodgy lines of work that will last days at best .......

ElaineTV

28-01-2012, 17:40

Of course they are wanting only positive advice - especially those who have already made up their minds (as clearly in this case) and are seeking support for their decisions. It's when genuine concerns about the truths that have been told. For example, Elaine's husband being offered a 500 euro per week job with prospects of doubling/trebling that in a week or three.

Those jobs simply do not exist outside drug smuggling and/or other dodgy lines of work that will last days at best .......

You have misquoted me totally!! I never said that at all! I said that there was a job offer on the basic starting wage of 100 euros per day, with the chance to build up over the 'years' certainly not weeks!! And I also said that I wasn't sure if that job would still be available come the summer when we would be in a position to move, if at all. Thank You!!

I have been asking for genuine information and advice regarding areas and schools - not opinions!! Please read my posts more carefully before responding. Thank you!

Suej

28-01-2012, 17:44

Hasn't it been said so many times before on this Forum, and I still feel it's the best way to proceed to a possible permanent move here and that is for one of the couple to come over and see for themselves what they might be up against, rent for a few months, look for work, schools, areas, health care Blah, blah, Blah! it really is the only way to get an accurate insight into living life here as oppose to the UK. ;)

This is not a reply to anyone's post btw!:)

ElaineTV

28-01-2012, 17:46

I think though, that when people are asking for advice , they are wanting positive advice , ive seen a couple of threads the last couple of days that are so negative and people getting beat down for asking for advice , this forum is turning into the old forum , full of nasty miserable people with nothing better to do than whinge and moan , if they don't like Tenerife , why don't they just go back to where they came from !
There's alot of people that have been here years too that will never go back to the uk

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great reply Tracey!! You're quite right, it is for individuals to make the decision based on correct information and not on peoples opinions.. if someone was asking me should they move the UK I would say that is was in a financial mess but would never try and discourage someone from following their dreams, just outline the pros and cons as honestly as possible and some have to be fair.. not many mind!! lol!!

Muppet

28-01-2012, 18:16

You have misquoted me totally!! I never said that at all! I said that there was a job offer on the basic starting wage of 100 euros per day, with the chance to build up over the 'years' certainly not weeks!! And I also said that I wasn't sure if that job would still be available come the summer when we would be in a position to move, if at all. Thank You!!

I have been asking for genuine information and advice regarding areas and schools - not opinions!! Please read my posts more carefully before responding. Thank you!

Hi Elaine

My apologies that you feel I mis-quoted you - you actually wrote "My husband has been offered a job in sales earning 500 euros a week working 40hrs , but not sure it will still be open to him come July, and he is needed in the UK to get our house ready to rent out.. ...

You must understand that this island is full of sharks, and comments like that automatically set alarm bells off, for obvious reasons..

TenerifeTeddy

28-01-2012, 20:07

When people offer opinions whether positive or negative, they are normally based on that persons own experiences good and bad, so you are bound to get a wide range of answers, it doesn't mean that any one person is more right or wrong than another. Most information on here is provided in good faith, and it is up to the person trawling through the information to decide how useful it is to their particular circumstances. just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean it is wrong.

There are very few hard and fast "facts" almost everything is relative, living costs will vary enormously, depending on your circumstances and desired standard of living. The job market is volatile at best, though you stand more chance of employment if you speak Spanish. I know some people who seem to never be out of a job, moving from one to another as needed, and know plenty more who always struggle to find employment. Many people find they do better being self-employed though that carries it´s own risks.

We have made a successful transition out here and are in our 7th year, and in the past I have always given positive replies to this type of thread. I would generally always say "go for it" as if you are successful it is a great way of life, but for people with children there are obvious risks of being unemployed or not having medical cover if you don´t have funds to fall back on.

caroll72

28-01-2012, 21:51

Elaine, you've been given some very honest advice from residents who have lived on the island for a long time.
No one is trying to put you off from following your dream, just pointing out the reality to you.
The only advice that i can add, is DO NOT break all your ties with the uk. Keep a bank account open. If you have a property, then arrange to rent it out short term, say 6 months to begin with. That way, you've always got something to go back to.
I have also seen many people come & go, a lot because they have no work, or their business has failed. Don't come out with rose tinted spectacles, for your children's sake if nothing else.
Hope it works out for you all.

Marita17

28-01-2012, 23:39

Hi - I have just moved to Tenerife but I am fairly lucky in that I am recently retired and not having to look for work/schools etc. I have found this thread very helpful even for someone in my position, so thanks everyone. I would just like to add that I agree with not cutting all ties with the UK. I see myself as 'living in Tenerife at the moment'. and I have kept a UK bank account etc - with funds enough to get me back and re-started there if i needed/wanted to do that. Good luck Elaine, I wish you well. As in anything in life - it will be what you make it, stay positive.