Contents. Country Proile. An International Career in Barcelona. Visa Requirements. Labour Mobility ABC. To Start With... Self- assessment tests

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1 Contents 4 his Guide 6 Country Proile Map Country Climate Population History Religion Language Currency National Holidays Conception of Time Time Perception Appointments Business Behaviour Meeting & Greeting Dress Code Wining & Dining Use of Business Cards An International Career in Barcelona 15 Visa Requirements 37 Labour Mobility ABC 19 To Start With Self- assessment tests Management Culture Organisational Structure Hierarchy Strategy Decision Taking Process Meetings Negotiations Decisions 47 Questions to ask yourself 48 Important Sectors Top 5 companies in Spain 52 What will I earn?

2 57 61 Main Routes to Employment Key facts: Spanish graduate labour market General Advice on Job Hunting Strong employability skills for the Spanish market he Application Letter he Curriculum Vitae he Application Procedure Apprenticeships Salaries & Holidays Sample CV 85 More Information Useful Addresses Internet Sites Further Reading Expertise in Labour Mobility Career Consult Looking for Work in... Guides 95 Quiz on Spain 101 About the Author 68 A dual International Career in Madrid 102 Acknowledgements 75 Checklist for an International Move 83 Test: Successful Expat Skills

3 SPAIN 7 Country Profile Country Spain is a southern European country with a surface of square kilometres, which is 4/5 of the Iberian Peninsula. he neighbouring countries of Spain are France and Andorra in the north and Portugal in the west. Spain is encircled by water: the Mediterranean Sea on the east and south, the Gulf of Vizcaya on the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. Please note that Gibraltar, in the very south of the country, belongs to the United Kingdom. he main cities in Spain are the capital city Madrid (3.3 million inhabitants), Barcelona (1.6 million inhabitants), Valencia (0.8 million inhabitants) and Sevilla (0.7 million inhabitants). Spain consists of seventeen autonomous districts, Comunidades Autónomas, and the enclaves Ceuta and Melilla on the coast of North Africa. here are three

4 SPAIN 25 Management Culture Organisational Structure Hierarchy In Spain, most companies are still hierarchically structured, although the old mindset is changing at high speed, having its inluence also on international job seekers who now have to realise that Spain is a fast changing country demanding a lexible and open workforce. For instance the government used to take part to a rather large extent in the Spanish economical process, both through direct interest and indirect through the INI - the National Institute of Industry. However, this is, like everything else in the Spanish economy, rapidly changing. Telefonica, electricity, gas, all former state companies, which have already been privatised, and Iberia for instance will follow soon. hroughout the Spanish economy, individualism is predominant in

5 SPAIN 53 What will I earn? A high salary level does not say much about what a person can aford. A comparison of purchasing power based on net income is more useful, since it takes account of what remains after tax and social security deductions. Purchasing power, the relationship between income and the cost of your shopping basket, gives an idea of what can be bought in a certain country with a particular level of income. We also give you an indication of regular rent prices because accommodation always takes up a large part of your salary, certainly if you are looking for a short-term lease. he rent prices include all ancillary costs. Some caution is however required when directly comparing rents as the apartments may vary considerable from city to city in terms of size, comfort and location. Net pay is lowest compared to gross pay, in Frankfurt, Berlin, Warsaw, Brussels and Copenhagen, where tax and social security rates are highest. Purchasing power is highest by far in Zurich, followed by Los Angels, Chicago and Geneva. New York and London are by far the most expensive cities for renting an apartment.

6 SPAIN 57 Main Routes to Employment In the daily editions of the national newspapers El País, El Mundo, and El ABC you will ind lots of job vacancies. he Sunday editions have special inancial supplements with even more vacancy information; El País publishes Negocios (businesses), El Mundo Su Dinero (your money), and El ABC Nuevo Trabajo (new work), with information on the labour market, job vacancies, apprenticeships and volunteer work. Regional newspapers such as La Vanguardia for Catalunia, La Gaceta del Norte for the Bilbao region and Segunda Mano for Madrid, are all extremely important for their speciic region. he Internet is increasing in importance as medium to look for a job - have a look at for instance Due to the fact that all vacancies in principle need to be registered with the public employment service the Spanish job centres have a good overview of the available jobs. For information on courses, starting your own enterprise, social payments and subsidies the employment oices

7 96 SPAIN Q To Quiz test your understanding of this ELM Guide on Spain Management culture & job hunting in Spain 1. What is the most important element of the Spanish management culture? a. Team orientation. b. Hierarchy. c. Bureaucracy. d. Individualism. 2. Which fact is true about handing out business cards in Spain? a. You are not allowed to give out business cards in Spain. b. Business cards are exchanged at the beginning of a meeting. c. Business cards are exchanged with the assistant of the person in question. d. he business card is only given when a deal is struck. 3. In Spain, in comparison to other countries, meetings are not held often. If attending a business meeting in Spain in a managerial role you should do the following: a. Be an active participant in the decision making process. b. Give instructions to subordinates. c. Hold a discussion around each theme. d. he Spanish do not have business meetings.