Moving from UK to Spain

[jamiereid92]

I don't really know where to post this so I've put it here

I am a level 2 qualified hairdresser, and have worked in various salons, had 4 years of training and have been working on the shop floor for past few months.

I want to see some of the world and have Spanish heritage and I want to explore that.

I just wanted to know what anyone's experience is with moving to another country, particularly from UK to Spain haha and how easy it is to get a job.

I haven't thought about it too much yet so just wanted some more info, but I am learning Spanish atm as well

Thanks for reading x

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[jade_brooke]

I'm probably not much help but my family made me move to Spain with them when I was 15, I hated living in another country, and refused to leave the house 🙈 luckily it didn't work out and we moved back a few months later, would probably be different if I was to go now but I didn't like the change at the time and felt very homesick, good luck if you decide to go for it!! Would be a great experience for you! I just wish we had gone a few years later but at that time it wasn't for me! Xx

 

[Corkrose]

I woud have a job lined up before I go to be honest. Spain is going through a recession and has a high rate of unemployment. It is not that easy to pick up jobs over there.

 

[jamiereid92]

This seems to be the general feedback I'm getting but we had a recession here a couple of years ago and I've always had a job in hairdressing.

I don't know if I'm just being naive or over optimistic, but it's something I really want to do in the next couple of year.

In gonna carry on with my Spanish, when I'm more confident I'll give it some more thought x

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[TanBird]

You'd learn Spanish MUCH more quickly if you lived in Spain...met a Spanish boyfriend...

Keep looking into it, there may be a way. I can imagine there might be seasonal hairdressing jobs in the resorts, then again that isn't really "Spain", is it?

 

[jamiereid92]

You'd learn Spanish MUCH more quickly if you lived in Spain...met a Spanish boyfriend...

Keep looking into it, there may be a way. I can imagine there might be seasonal hairdressing jobs in the resorts, then again that isn't really "Spain", is it?

I know I would learn Spanish so much quicker their, but it's catch 22! Until my I'm confident in Spanish I'm not going to be confident in working in a Spanish salon. But I'm never going to be confident in Spanish until I'm talking it on a daily basis.

And like you said it's not really Spain, just a sunnier Blackpool hahaha.

I might have a look at some Spanish salons websites, see which ones I like x

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[kamikate]

I know someone who came over from Spain, freelance therapist. She had no Spanish so just treated the expats. As a hairdresser, depends on the area, you could do the same especially if you're on the costas. Even if you do get a job in a salon, you start off with pigeon Spanish and within a month, you'll be pretty much fluent. I've had haircuts with silent hairdressers and others I can't understand what they say but it doesn't bother me. If you keep being afraid now, you may regret it for even longer.

 

[jamiereid92]

I know someone who came over from Spain, freelance therapist. She had no Spanish so just treated the expats. As a hairdresser, depends on the area, you could do the same especially if you're on the costas. Even if you do get a job in a salon, you start off with pigeon Spanish and within a month, you'll be pretty much fluent. I've had haircuts with silent hairdressers and others I can't understand what they say but it doesn't bother me. If you keep being afraid now, you may regret it for even longer.

This is true,I think it's something I need to do otherwise I'll always be thinking about it. I don't know why I have a burning desire, it's like it's calling me haha.

We have 2 Italians in our salon and they came over with very little English, now they are fluent and we can have full conversations with very little barriers.

I think It's what I need to do to become a man in a way. Atm I'm in a little bubble, I just want to burst it and make a life for myself, completely independently. I think by moving to Spain I will lose my shyness, and my insecurities which are getting in the way of my social life x

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[TanBird]

Regarding Spanish in the salon - you just need to learn "Spanish for hairdressing" - you can concentrate on the vocabulary you'd need there and become more fluent really quickly, even if just for the working environment.

When I was at Uni, the other EU country doing lots of research in my field was France. So I started learning the specialist vocabulary and talking about it in my French classes (not Uni French, adult education). Not that I ever used it to get a job in a French research institute, but it was relatively easy to learn phrases I might need).

 

[jamiereid92]

Regarding Spanish in the salon - you just need to learn "Spanish for hairdressing" - you can concentrate on the vocabulary you'd need there and become more fluent really quickly, even if just for the working environment.

When I was at Uni, the other EU country doing lots of research in my field was France. So I started learning the specialist vocabulary and talking about it in my French classes (not Uni French, adult education). Not that I ever used it to get a job in a French research institute, but it was relatively easy to learn phrases I might need).

Yes I've tried to look to see where I could learn this but haven't had any luck. So far I've been watching videos on YouTube which are amazing considering they are free.

Obviously its not going to make me fluent but I can introduce myself, and give out my telephone number hahaha x

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[TanBird]

I can introduce myself, and give out my telephone number hahaha x

...just make sure you meet a guy who's a hairdresser

Youtube is great for language learning, isn't it?

What I used to do for my "specialist French" (the Internet was just being born at this time) was think or notice what sort of phrases I would need to say and look up words I didn't know, check how to use them. I also thought about specific things about my home life at the time - like, real example "I live with 2 cats, one is tabby and one is ginger. The lady next door feeds the ginger one sardines"

This site is great for learning techniques for learning languages, and you can get some free stuff - although obviously he wants you to buy his course.
Home - Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips

One more vocabulary tip - make some labels for household items in Spanish and stick them on the items (I don't know if you have housemates who'd hate that - milk, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, shower, carpet...) Just make sure you know how they are pronounced. I could spell the word for jam in Latvian, but I could not pronounce it until a native helped me.

"Hairdressing in Spanish" into Google:
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-get-a-haircut-in-spanish/

http://foxhugh.com/spanish/105-beauty-and-hair-salons/

http://www.speakinglatino.com/getting-a-haircut/

OK, I will leave this thread now. Seems to be something I think I know about ;-)

 

[jamiereid92]

...just make sure you meet a guy who's a hairdresser

Youtube is great for language learning, isn't it?

What I used to do for my "specialist French" (the Internet was just being born at this time) was think or notice what sort of phrases I would need to say and look up words I didn't know, check how to use them. I also thought about specific things about my home life at the time - like, real example "I live with 2 cats, one is tabby and one is ginger. The lady next door feeds the ginger one sardines"

This site is great for learning techniques for learning languages, and you can get some free stuff - although obviously he wants you to buy his course.
Home - Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips

One more vocabulary tip - make some labels for household items in Spanish and stick them on the items (I don't know if you have housemates who'd hate that - milk, shampoo, toilet paper, toothpaste, shower, carpet...) Just make sure you know how they are pronounced. I could spell the word for jam in Latvian, but I could not pronounce it until a native helped me.

"Hairdressing in Spanish" into Google:
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-get-a-haircut-in-spanish/

http://foxhugh.com/spanish/105-beauty-and-hair-salons/

http://www.speakinglatino.com/getting-a-haircut/

OK, I will leave this thread now. Seems to be something I think I know about ;-)

Thank you so much that's so helpful!

I'm gonna check out all these websites thank you, and thanks for the idea of the labels!

I'm learning all the Spanish sounds, the most confusing is the V because it's pronounced like a B and LL is a soft J lol.

So do you know any Spanish or just french? x

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[kizzzy]

Mojacar is 60% British, they have more Brits in their supermarkets than Spanish. I'm sure you will manage in some places better than others, at least to start with 😊

 

[jamiereid92]

Mojacar is 60% British, they have more Brits in their supermarkets than Spanish. I'm sure you will manage in some places better than others, at least to start with 😊

I know but I don't want to rely on speaking English because there will be situations where I can't.

How long do you think it takes to be able to move there? Because we are both part of the EU do I just need my passport and the money to live there? Or do I need any visas? X

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[TanBird]

If you have savings to live on (and maybe your parents to fall back on if it all goes wrong), you could just GO.

https://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110616024338AA21gPk

The awful recession in Spain notwithstanding - it really is bad, I met a Spaniard in SE Asia who'd moved to the cheapest country he could find for 2 years because he couldn't get a job.

Could you afford a short Spanish course in Spain - even a week would give you a taste of the life?

Hablo un poco Espanol.

Well, honestly no, just holiday survival phrases - food, hotel, where is/are...?, 100g of ham and 200g of cheese, and a lettuce please ;-)

I do seem to have a natural ability for languages, though I'm lazy and never really worked at it. I'm certainly not fluent in even French, but after years of school French, Spanish is easy; a term of Spanish evening classes and then I've picked up the phrases I've needed.

If I can say "I don't speak [language]" and order coffee and beer, plus have a good guess at what I'm pointing to on a menu, it works for me.

Out of the tourist areas, you might have to make yourself understood in Spanish because no-one speaks English (been there, no emergencies thankfully, just understanding what food was on offer and the admin of campsites and train stations).

In ideal world you should move to an area with no Brits and just get on with it. Not sure how you can but do keep your eyes open - maybe a friend of a cousin of a friend knows someone...don't be afraid of it, you're young with no ties.

Oh how I wish I'd moved to a foreign country for a time years ago! I still could, and do plan to - I have no real ties, but please try it while you're younger. Language skills are never wasted; like I say, my Spanish builds on my French, Italian gets easier too.

 

[jamiereid92]

Yeah I'm gonna do it now I'm still young, no ties just family and friends here, and before I build up a big clientelle which I would loose. At the moment I have nothing to lose, but lots of excitement, experience and confidence to gain x

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