Finding a job in Gran Canaria

Finding a job in Gran Canaria

A comprehensive guide on how to find a job in Gran Canaria. How to find a job in Playa del Ingles, Maspalomas, Puerto Rico and Las Palmas.

So you want a job, read our guides below to see what jobs are available and how to get them

Jobs in the north (mainly teaching)

Jobs on the South Coast (tourism, bar, PR etc.)

Taxes!

Jobs in the North (Las Palmas, Telde etc.)

Once you arrive in Gran Canaria you will find that most English speaking people in Las Palmas are teachers, so logically most of the jobs for English people are in schools. If you don’t want to be a teacher you’ll probably have to head south to find a job as there aren’t many non-school jobs on the north coast.

Teaching There are four types of teaching jobs each one requiring different qualifications and offering different pay.

1. English schools – To see a list of English schools click here. These schools, most of the time, require a PGCE however it is not unheard of for unqualified people to get jobs.  Send in your CV and see what happens. If you’re lucky they will need a teacher straight away.  Monthly salary 1200€-1400€ depending on the school and job.
2. Bilingual schools – To see a list of bilingual schools click here. These schools don’t usually require PGCE qualified teachers but a TEFL qualification helps. They pay less and working conditions aren’t as good, but you get the long holidays.  Salary approximately €1200.
3. Teaching assistant – These jobs are in the Gran Canarian state sector and are in high demand as they pay relatively well and do not require any formal qualifications – just first language English. The job is to support the Spanish English teachers.  The pay is 600€ a month working approximately 4 mornings a week. To find out more email Trevor Doble at Trevordoble@yahoo.com for more info - he often takes a while to reply though.
   
4. Language schools – To see a list of all language schools click here. Language schools pay less and the working hours can be quite unsociable however they pay well enough to live a nice life here and can be flexible with working hours if you’re lucky.  Salary/hour 9-15€.

Saturday Schools All the English Schools and the American school offer Saturday schools for children and adults. They pay very well €60-€80 9am -1pm. If you are interested contact the schools well before the course starts in October as teaching posts are rapidly filled. TEFL is preferred but it is not uncommon for non-EFL teachers to get work.

Translation If you speak two languages fluently it is worth sending out your CV to the translation companies, however jobs are not that common.

Private classes If you are a qualified TEFL teacher this will be the best way to boost your salary. Post notices in the main English bookshops, Idiomatika (Plaza Ferray and Triana) and Canary Books (Triana) and outside the University, and you’ll get classes. English teachers generally charge 15-20€ / hour.

Random work in Las Palmas Non-Spanish speaking work is hard to come by but labouring work can sometimes be found within the English community. It's not easy to come by, but leave a messsage on the jobs page and something may come up.  Other jobs that English people have had in Las Palmas include STEP / Aerobics instructor, bar work, cleaning and there was once a medical rep.

How to get work in the north

Assuming you want to teach, the only real way to get work is get yourself known. Send your CV to all the schools / language schools you're interested in and then phone them (v.important) to make sure they've received your CV. Also contact Trevor Doble on the teaching assistants scheme as there are often jobs at the start of the school year and sometimes during the year. If you want to teach private classes put posters up around your area and advertise yourself in the English bookshops Idiomatika and Canary Books and on the Internet at www.tusclasesparticulares.com.

Jobs in the south

There are plenty of jobs in the South but you will have to look for them, and as Gran Canaria is such a great place to live there are plenty of people looking. To be precise, 9000 people will be arriving and looking for work in the next year.

Websites / Press Jobs are not often advertised but before you begin your long trek around the thousands of bars in the south it is worth having a look at

• Job Centre Gran Canaria
  
• www.flourishingfuture.com
• RTN (the free English newspaper) go to www.roundtownnews.co.uk to see where to find a copy.
• Student jobs
  

PR If you think you're a good salesman with experience of any kind and you speak English, Dutch, German or any Scandinavian language your best bet is find a job as a PR. These tend to be on the street directly selling to passers by. You could be selling restaurants, bars, tours or timeshare. If you’re good you can earn good money, if you’re not you’ll soon be looking for another job! Salaries can be commission only or with a basic set wage. To find a job, the best thing you can do is go and ask. Try bars and restaurants and for timeshare jobs find a current PR on the street and ask for the personnel office.

Bar work and restaurant work There are jobs for bar staff, waiters, cooks, entertainment, bouncers and PR – they are rarely advertised and again just go around and ask. Don’t expect to make your millions this way, the minimum wage in Spain is 6.25€ and you’ll be lucky to get more than that. On average workers in the South will earn about 1050€ a month which is plenty to survive on and have a reasonably nice time.

How to get work in the south

There is work in the south of the island but there are more people looking for jobs than there are jobs, so to find work you have to stand out above the rest. Prepare a GOOD cv. Make sure it is very well prepared and sells your skills well, if you want to work in a bar make sure you have all your bar work on it. Secondly give your CV to as many places as possible by hand. Speak to the owner and try to sell yourself, it will be much easier for them to call you if they know who you are so make sure there's a photo on your CV. If you haven't heard anything for a couple of weeks visit all the bars again and let them know you're still looking for work. Also get to know people in the British community many jobs are by word of mouth and personal recommendation so if you are known you will have more chance of finding work. Beware finding a job may take a long time, so prepare yourself financially and don't blow all your savings thinking you'll get work quickly. If you have patience you will get work eventually but prepare to print out hundreds of CVs and many kilometres from place to place. While you're waiting try to learn Spanish it will really help your job opportunities. Have a look at our learning Spanish section for more info.

The best time to find work for English speakers is at Easter before the Summer season, unless you speak German or Scandinavian when the work is in the winter.

Taxes!!!!

Most jobs you get will offer you a contract and they will pay your taxes for you (about 20%). However if you are self employed or are receiving cash in hand, legally you have to pay autonomous contributions. These are about 225€ a month and cover your social security. Most people do not pay for wages they receive cash in hand and it is unlikely the tax office will catch up with you but it is illegal. For more information about being self employed see our self employed section. At the end of the year everyone has to their tax return (RENTA). See our guide on how to do your RENTA without going mad!! Jobs in the South – most employers will give 3 month rolling contracts. However, by law, after a year employers are obliged to give fixed contacts. To avoid this most employers will dismiss their staff after a year and then re-employ them 6 weeks later. For a much more detailed review of taxes and contracts and employment law have a look at our detailed tax section.

Work permits Residents of the EU do not need work permits you just need to get an NIE number (see paperwork section). For other countries outside the EU there are different laws, check with your embassy.

Your Comments If you have any ideas of where people can look for jobs or you run a business and are looking for English speaking employees, please let us know either by commenting on this ariticle or checking the jobs section of this website.