Barcelona is a melting pot of different cultures. A young vibrant city that entices the first-time visitor. Are you thinking of staying longer? Do you want to move in and find a job in Barcelona without speaking Spanish? Keep reading and find out how to land a job in Barcelona!
The Hard Truth: Without Fluent Spanish Finding A Job In Barcelona Is Pretty Difficult
Let’s be honest – finding a job in Barcelona without fluent Spanish is quite difficult.
However, it is entirely possible in fields such as IT, modelling, photography, and some other professions such as barista, english teacher, and so on.
As a rule of thumb, if you are looking for jobs in Barcelona but you don’t yet speak Spanish, you should rather spend your time on Duolingo studying Spanish.
Learning Spanish (And Catalan) Will Increase Your Chances
Spend a month or two learning Spanish. You’ll thank me later.
Even Italians and Portuguese, who learn Spanish very quickly, find it much easier to find a job once they have a good level of Spanish.
Unless you are in tech or aim at an English teacher job, go study first!
If you don’t know where to start, have a look at the first 100 words you need to learn.
Exception #1: IT Sector, Programmers & Developers Have Great Chances
If you are in the tech business, then your chances of landing a job in Barcelona are quite good.
This means you’ll probably be able to find a job quickly, even if you don’t speak Spanish.
RELATED: Free Data Science Bootcamp: Save $20K
This is because Barcelona has a fair amount of start-ups and companies that require tech talent.
Most tech companies are located near the 22@ quarter (Glories / Poblenou)
Exception #2: Language Teachers
Language teachers are another exception to the rule. They can get jobs without speaking Spanish.
Barcelona has many international schools for kids plus a growing number of language academies. They all need teachers!
Exception #3: Academic Research & Teaching
PhD, and research associates have good chances of getting jobs without Spanish.
Have a look at what are the best universities in Barcelona and apply for a research position.
Exception #4: Fashion, Modelling & Hostesses
Barcelona has a fair amount of leading modelling agencies such as View, Sight, Uno, & Traffic.
Photographers are also in demand for editorial work and even commercial. Real estate photographers also find jobs easily.
Additionally here are a decent amount of congresses and international events that require multilingual hosts and hostesses.
Freelancing: One of the best strategies to make money while you learn Spanish.
Making money on the go is entirely possible if you freelance.
Barcelona is a good city to freelance, since the costs are relatively low, and there are many opportunities to freelance locally, and internationally on the internet.
Once your command of Spanish is good enough (give it at least 3-6 months!) you can think about job-hunting.
Job-Hunting Tips: How To Find A Job In Barcelona?
Get your CV / Resume ready, in Spanish, and free of typos.
For larger corporate jobs, apply online and include a cover letter.
Learn how to write an effective CV and how to prepare a Cover Letter.
Most shops receive tens of CVs every day, but usually, for customer facing jobs, sympathy and looks count more than experience.
Visa Matters: Can I work In Barcelona?
Employers prefer hiring EU citizens, because hiring EU citizens is much easier, cheaper and requires less administration.
While working without a contract is relatively common, you should understand that it is illegal, might get you deported, and it won’t really sort your problems.
Alternatively, if you can apply for a Spanish Working Holiday Visa – if you are Canadian, Japanese, Kiwi, or Australian.
Are you looking for a job in Barcelona? What’s your profile?
