Looking for work and applying in Spain

The best-known job sites are InfoJobs, Indeed, LinkedIn, Infoempleo and Jobtoday, and the autonomous communities' sites, the government employment office (SEPE) and regional recruitment services.

• Companies also post on their own sites and shop windows.
• Many jobs work through temporary employment agencies (ETT) such as Adecco, Randstad and Manpower, which may be a step towards a contract.
• Professional associations and community clubs also provide information on jobs.
• Visit companies yourself and leave your CV at restaurants, hotels and shops, which is common.
• Tell your friends and acquaintances that you are searching, since recommendation is very important.
• Register with SEPE as a job seeker to get services and training.

The Spanish CV is concise, one to two pages, ordered from the latest, and includes your personal and contact details, and a professional photo is accepted unlike in other countries, then experience, education, languages and their level (A1–C2), skills and licences such as driving.

• Write it in Spanish without spelling mistakes, and adapt it for each job.
• The cover letter (carta de presentación) is short and explains why you suit the job.
• State your Spanish level honestly, since it will be tested in the interview.
• And attach references or work certificates if available.
• And update your LinkedIn profile in Spanish and English.
• And avoid unnecessary personal information such as marital status or religion.

For regulated professions such as medicine, nursing, engineering, law and teaching you need homologación, that is recognition of your foreign qualification by the Ministry of Education or the competent professional body, a long process that takes months so start early.

• For unregulated ones submitting your translated certificate is usually enough, and equivalencia, that is an academic equivalence, can be requested to clarify its level.
• The work permit depends on your status: EU citizens work freely, holders of residence and work permits work according to their permit type, and for others the employer submits a permit application (autorización de residencia y trabajo), or you take the roots route (arraigo) to obtain residence and then work.
• Check your status before accepting any offer, since working without a permit is an offence.

Spanish law prohibits discrimination in hiring because of origin, religion, gender, age, disability and orientation, and the employer may not ask you in the interview about pregnancy, family plans, religion or political affiliation.

• Even so, studies indicate that holders of foreign names receive fewer replies, so networks and recommendations help.
• If you feel discrimination note what happened and report to the labour inspectorate (Inspección de Trabajo), the union, the Council for the Elimination of Racial or Ethnic Discrimination or the anti-discrimination office in your town hall.
• Organisations such as Cáritas, Cruz Roja and ACCEM provide free support and training and job routes for migrants.

SEPE and the regions provide free training courses for the unemployed (formación para el empleo) including Spanish language, digital skills and in-demand trades, and you can register via your employment office.

• Recognised professional certificates (certificados de profesionalidad) are offered.
• There are programmes to train women, young people and migrants.
• If you wish to work freelance register as self-employed (autónomo) with social security and tax, and reductions for new contributors (tarifa plana) are available in the first year.
• Look for entrepreneur support centres in your town hall.
• Avoid offers that request upfront fees to guarantee a job, which is often fraud.
• And make sure your contract has official registration with social security from the first day.

How many pages is a Spanish CV usually?