Once you’ve made the decision to move to Malaga to work, you obviously need to find a job. Like many cities in Andalusia, Malaga has high unemployment. In addition, many jobs come with low pay and/or temporary contracts making the market somewhat unstable. However, if you have solid qualifications and have plenty to offer local companies, good opportunities are available. To help you find these, read on for our top ten tips for finding a job in Malaga.
Learn Spanish
Outside Malaga city on the Costa del Sol it’s relatively easy to find a job where you don’t need to speak Spanish. In the city, however, it’s a different story and Spanish is a must for most jobs. Even if it isn’t a requirement, you’ll find that you have access to a lot more opportunities if you have a working knowledge of Spanish. Plus the ability to speak Spanish makes daily life so much easier.
Discover why Malaga makes a great place to learn Spanish.
Research the market
Sounds obvious, right? But you’d be surprised at the number of people who turn up and expect to walk into a job. Before you arrive, take a look at what’s available and what’s needed as the initial step for finding a job in Malaga.
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Prepare your CV
Every country has a different preferred CV format and style. What goes in your home country may not be OK in Malaga. Do some research into what sort of CVs employers expect to see and prepare yours accordingly. Expatica has a good guide to writing your CV Spanish-style.
Get yourself out there
Business in Spain is very much based around who you know and the same applies to job hunting in Malaga. More often than not, you’ll hear of an opening through someone you know who knows someone looking for an employee. Make networking an essential part of finding a job in Malaga. See our dedicated article on business networking in Malaga.
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Use LinkedIn
The online business network is very popular in Malaga and you’ll find a good range of employment opportunities on there. Use LinkedIn too to make connections with possible employees. And of course, keep your profile professional and bang up-to-date. Use the dual language option so that it shows in Spanish too.
Register online
Online employment portals make good places for finding a job in Malaga. There are plenty of them – see our recommended list here. Before you post, prepare your profile (in Spanish) carefully and keep it updated.
Respond quickly
If you’re actively looking for work in Malaga via online sites, don’t forget to check your notifications and messages regularly. They’re sometimes easy to miss and with them, perhaps the job of a lifetime. Respond promptly to all enquiries – even if the job doesn’t quite sound right for you, it may open up another opportunity. And it’ll get you ahead of the game – in our experience, local jobseekers tend not to reply at all… ☹
Be professional
If you’re seriously about finding a job in Malaga, you need to be professional in both attitude and appearance. You might be living in the sunshine, but smart is expected for a job interview. Locals don’t exactly shine for their punctuality, but you should arrive at least 10 minutes early.
Give yourself time
Patience is a virtue when you’re job hunting anywhere and Malaga is no exception. Give it time to get yourself known, for people to hear about you and your experience and for the right employment opportunity to come your way. It might take two months (or possibly longer) so budget for that and be patient.
Be realistic
Working conditions and salaries obviously vary widely from one company to another, but as a general rule, expect lower pay than Northern Europe. On the upside, the cost of living in Malaga is generally much cheaper so you don’t need as much money to live well.
¡Buena suerte!
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