How to find a job in Barcelona? The cosmopolitan city of Barcelona has been crowned Spain’s ‘most liveable’ city and is an extremely popular destination among expats. Working in Barcelona is certainly an exciting prospect, but you might still have some questions regarding the challenges of finding a job in Barcelona as an expat and how to begin your job search…
How to find a job in Barcelona
International talent in Barcelona
International talent forms a key part of Barcelona’s workforce and as an expat, you’ll find an endless variety of opportunities for people with language skills!
Barcelona has an excellent track record for attracting large multinational companies over the years and has become a destination of choice for foreign investment. It is also one of the most attractive cities for Shared Service Centres. Aside from this, Barcelona has emerged as one of the leading European cities for technology and innovation, with the start-up scene booming and many (international) entrepreneurs setting up their businesses in Barcelona.
Most expats are changing jobs during their first year abroad as they start to gain a better understanding of the job market. Aside from this, some expats only stay temporarily. For these reasons, most companies are always looking for internationals, especially when it comes to the ‘harder to source’ languages such as Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian and Swedish.
What's the best way to find companies that are hiring?
Relocating can be a life changing decision, but it can also be stressful and a little overwhelming. So, finding a job through a recruitment agency may be the best option for you, especially if you’re beginning your job search whilst still in your home country.
As already mentioned, the expat community forms a key part of Barcelona’s workforce. You´ll find many multilingual recruitment agencies in Barcelona that specialise in hiring internationals and who will help kick-start your career in Barcelona!
- Recruitment agencies have expert market knowledge and their recruiters can expose you to a large network of clients who are hiring. You’ll also get put forward for positions that you wouldn’t otherwise have heard about.
- When moving to a new country, it can be hard to figure out the local standards for your CV, salary, working hours etc.; a recruitment agency can help you with these things.
- Many agencies will also advise you on how to arrange your work permit.
You can also start your job search via job sites. By doing this, you´ll get a good overview of who’s hiring and you can also set job alerts to best suit your preferences. Using job boards can also increase your chances of being headhunted
Social Media
Thanks to expanding expat communities on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, trying to find a job via social media is relatively easy. It’s natural for expatriates to gravitate towards each other through online platforms and word-of-mouth is a very powerful source of information among the expats in Barcelona.
Approaching companies directly
How to find a job in Barcelona? Contact companies directly! Finding a strategy on how best to approach companies directly can be very effective in your job hunt if you´ve done your research. A useful tip would be to research everything you may need to know about a potential employer, especially when it comes to their workplace culture.
Make it clear what you’re looking for, set your expectations and priorities, utilise your network and customise your CV and cover letter.
How to find a job in Barcelona? Via Barcelona Expat Life!
Barcelona Expat Life job board
Find companies looking for talented expats to fill their latest roles in a range of sectors from Marketing to Customer Service on our platform.
Visit our career events
Barcelona Expat Life hosts 4-5 job fairs every year to connect job-seekers from all backgrounds with companies that are currently hiring. The job fairs are a casual way to network with major businesses in Barcelona and showcase your own talent to the job market.
Do you need help finding a job in Barcelona?
Do you need help with finding a job in Barcelona? We are happy to help you to quick start your career in Barcelona, all free of charge. Please fill in this quick questionnaire and we will contact you as soon as we find relevant career opportunities for you!
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