Finding a job in Spain is not easy at the moment. Unemployment in September 2012 was 4.7 million, and the number of vacancies - 1.2 million - was considerably lower than September 2011. The tourist industry has suffered badly in the recession, and there are far fewer bar jobs etc to be had on the coasts.

It is still possible to find a job, but we would not recommend moving to Spain in the expectation of finding work, or at least not without a good back-up plan in place. If you do want to find work in Spain, then it is a good idea to learn Spanish. Additionally, it is worth doing some research into the differences in pay and working practices between your country and Spain.

Working as a Nurse / Health Professional in Spain

For all permanent public sector jobs in Spain, you will need to take the oposiciones - public exams which are held every year and for which places are limited. However, you can get short-term contract work, as long as you do the following:

Get a copy of your registration certificate
Get an official translation of the above
Contact the Ministerio de Educacion Cultura y Deporte for an official certificate.
Register at the bolsa de trabajo at your local hospital

Bear in mind that the above can take up to a year

Construction

The construction industry in Spain is currently in very poor health indeed. Many large construction companies have gone bankrupt, and those that are left are not working on as many projects as they used to. There is a lot of competition for casual work, and not many jobs. It's not a good time to be looking for work in the building trade in Spain.

Catering

In tourist areas, many expats work as waiters, bar staff and cooks. The best way to get these jobs is to ask around locally, keep an eye out for posters and look in local newspapers. Jobs in the catering trade in Spain do nottend to be advertised online. Note that pay may be lower than you are used to, and start looking for work just before Easter.

Other jobs in Spain

See these pages for more information:
Au Pair Work in Spain
Teaching English in Spain
Being a Freelancer in Spain
Also see our Jobs in Spain forum

Other useful sites:

Laboris
Large Spanish employment agnecy

Spanish Yellow Pages (site in Spanish)
Select your area, find Spanish companies in your line of work, and send them a CV!