English Speaking EMT looking for work in Tenerife. Will learn Spanish quickly

[rchawla12]

Hello Everyone!!!

I'm a 33 year old male from Miami, FL interested in moving to Tenerife. Do you know if any of the hospitals in Tenerife are hiring english speaking emergency medical technicians? Is there a demand for english speaking EMTs? I understand that there is a demand for english translators in the hospitals of Tenerife. I do not speak fluent spanish however being from Miami I do understand some basics and will be able to pick up spanish fairly quickly.

If any of you could give me some advice on this it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!!!!

rc

[casabonny]

To work in any of the hospitals here you would need to speak fluent Spanish and generally at least one other language

[rchawla12]

sounds real positive... understanding that unemployment is low and spain is going through hardship, i'm sure there are opportunities. maybe less so through federal funded institutions but im sure unemployment in spain will decrease in time. Andyfm your optimistic "fearback" has encouraged me to further seek opportunity in Tenerife....( as I jump up and down screaming "I love this island, I love this island").

[rchawla12]

excellent! i hope this forum will help give me a better outlook and planning. thanks mate

[TenerifeTeddy]

Unfortunately, because of the economic situation and rampant unemployment, there has been a move to remove most non Spanish staff from Spanish institutions and replace them with native Spanish/Canarian staff.
Many expats have lost their jobs in schools and hospitals in this way. Politicians have been actively encouraging this to happen. They can get away with it because the Canaries are an autonomous region.

As has been stated you would find it very difficult if not impossible to find employment in the state medical system particularly without fluent Spanish. This is not meant as a downer, merely a statement of the current way things are here right now.

This is not to say you should not live your dream, but just to be realistic on expectations on the job front. Welcome to the forum btw.

[Tom & Sharon]

What you should do is advertise a total life/job/house swap. Your life in Miami for someone English or Canarian in Tenerife.

Good job you're a medic, cos you might get killed in the rush!

[doreen]

Hello & welcome to the Forum.

EMT - am I right in thinking you would be ambulance based ? Many of the ambulance services are private companies here, I believe. I certainly know of one company that has just closed in Tenerife - their 14 ambulances have been sent to the mainland and the drivers/paramedics are unpaid for several months :(

You would be leaving an area with an unemployment rate of around 8% to go to another with a rate of around 33%, where you do not speak the language and where your monthly wage is unlikely to be more than $2,000.

I'm afraid it is difficult to be more positive at the moment in Spain.

[TF1]

Many Spanish qualified professionals in the health care industry have relocated to Germany and other EU Countries, as they couldn't find work in Spain.

[rchawla12]

thanks everyone for your honest review. well i'm glad that I have other options and skills that I can try to leverage to make the lifestyle change im looking for. Here's a good question- What is the perception on the canary islands of US foreign nationals and other foreigners moving in at this time? I'm sure you guys see many young people form all across the globe. Its understandable that in employment there will be a precedent set for locals over foreigners across the board from bartender to doctor....but what are the positives, or incentives for foreigners setting up shop in a Tenerife and employing locals? You know, that new neighbor that just moved in from canada and opened up that candle shop...etc...understanding times are tuff, tuff around the world. Regardless some people are sometimes lucky, adaptable, and hard working and can make it happen anywhere while adding value to their new environment. What are some of the happy endings.

- - - - - - - - - - merged double post - - - - - - - - - -

I'm going to add the latter part of my question to the general forum :)

[Tom & Sharon]

You know how the US is known as "The land of opportunity"?.....................................Well, Tenerife isn't!

[chifleta]

I'm still of a mind that it's the luck of the draw... you sound keen and eager to work, if nothing else :) ... my advice would be, as long as you have enough money tucked away to keep you going for a few months, and enough for a return flight ticket, then go for it, give it a try, if it works out, great, if it doesn't, well at least you can tick "Tenerife" off of your "places I wanted to visit before i'm too old and decrepit to do so" list LOL :D

ps there are a plentiful and varied bunch of nationalities over here, i'm sure a couple of Yanks won't make a difference (is that politically correct any more? no? oh well, I don't care lol) .....

[casabonny]

You know how the US is known as "The land of opportunity"?.....................................Well, Tenerife isn't!

Why so negative all the time?Opportunities are there, if you look hard enough and are determined enough. It will never be plain sailing and all sweetness and roses but if you never try you'll never know if you could have done it.
Is the UK really that much better , I think not but wey hey that's my opinion. Here you most certainly have to take the rough with the smooth and make the most of it and beleive you me we have had our share of rough times over the years , but we are still here , happy and for the most part healthy.

[Tom & Sharon]

Why so negative all the time?Opportunities are there, if you look hard enough and are determined enough. It will never be plain sailing and all sweetness and roses but if you never try you'll never know if you could have done it.
Is the UK really that much better , I think not but wey hey that's my opinion. Here you most certainly have to take the rough with the smooth and make the most of it and beleive you me we have had our share of rough times over the years , but we are still here , happy and for the most part healthy.

I'm not negative about Tenerife as an Island, we both absolutely love it and our home there. It is our favourite place in the whole wide world without a doubt, and I understand totally people wanting to live there. But, I truly believe that in the current economic climate, unless you have an income source from elsewhere, it is not a place to move to at the moment.

The island is full of people, hanging on by their finger nails, not knowing where their next meal is coming from, and as far as I can see it's not getting any better.

The OP is a medic in Miami. In reality, what is his/her chance of moving to Tenerife and finding a job or opportunity which will afford a better lifestyle than a decent salary in Miami, with all the job security that goes with it? I would say close to zero. That's not negativity, it's realism.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again. It's irresponsible to encourage people to give up a secure life somewhere else, when they ask about the prospect of making a living and therefore a life in Tenerife. It's a fabulous place to live, we all know that. But now is not the time to try it.

[jambo2410]

Well were taking the plunge & moving out in roughly 8weeks & gonna give it 100% to get jobs & make a living etc

[Skeggy]

I do not have the knowledge to answer your question,but last weekend I talking to a Polish Doctor in Santa Cruz who was here with her Canarian boyfriend, I asked her would she be moving to practice in Spain, she did say that Spain makes it very difficult to have her medical qualifications recognised and that it takes months as against the Uk, Holland, Denmark, who would accept her within weeks. The only reason I relate this is because of you seeking a medical related post.

[kiwiphil]

Maybe we need a poll of people who have moved to Tenerife in the past 12/24 months?

How many have got a job? Is it enough to live on? Is their job Tenerife based or are they working for an offshore company? Maybe its only the people who haven't got a job who frequent the forum?

[doreen]

Maybe we need a poll of people who have moved to Tenerife in the past 12/24 months?

How many have got a job? Is it enough to live on? Is their job Tenerife based or are they working for an offshore company? Maybe its only the people who haven't got a job who frequent the forum?

Or we could do a poll of who knows how many who have left in the last 12/24 months as they could take it no longer :)