| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Cortez Baby Reefer


Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 15
|
Post subject: Jobs in hotels |
|
|
I'm thinking restaurant/bar work in the hotel. Would you be expected to speak much Spanish in a job like this? And do hotel jobs generally come with accomodation/food? If so, is it free or do they knock some off your wages?
Reason I ask is because whenever I've been on holiday to Spain the staff always seem to stay in the hotel. Just wondered whether it was the same in Tenerife.
The other thing is, a lot of hotels have a job section on their website where you can upload your cv. Would it be worth uploading my cv on as many of these websites as I can find even though I'm in the UK? Or would they most likely just ignore them? |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:41 am
 |
|
 |
karlb Moderator



Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 3919 Location: Tenerife
|
Post subject: |
|
|
I would have to say of all the hotels I have been in, the bartenders have always been Spanish and have spoken English. Makes sense really.
I also know that most of the workers on reception can sometimes speak about 5 languages.
Not sure about accommodation, I doubt it, as I said its normally Spanish who have familys, mortgages, mouths to feed etc so why would the hotel be giving out accommodation.
I am sure a few other members will add more info.
I doubt your CV will be read but hey its free and you never know. I would. There are many other jobs in hotels apart from bar / restaurant work. _________________ Need a cleaner in South Tenerife ? Cleaning just got better... www.maid4tenerife.com
Who am I? Check out MySpaceTenerife.
The sky is not less blue because the blind man does not see it. |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 10:47 am
 |
|
 |
rob Moderator



Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 7612 Location: Tenerife
|
Post subject: Re: Jobs in hotels |
|
|
| Cortez wrote: | I'm thinking restaurant/bar work in the hotel. Would you be expected to speak much Spanish in a job like this? And do hotel jobs generally come with accomodation/food? If so, is it free or do they knock some off your wages?
Reason I ask is because whenever I've been on holiday to Spain the staff always seem to stay in the hotel. Just wondered whether it was the same in Tenerife.
The other thing is, a lot of hotels have a job section on their website where you can upload your cv. Would it be worth uploading my cv on as many of these websites as I can find even though I'm in the UK? Or would they most likely just ignore them? |
I would say forget hotels. Why would they want to employ someone who can't understand when they're told to do something? As for free accommodation/food the answer is no. A friend of mine speaks 8 languages and is a very presentable young lady. The best deal that she could get doing shift work on reception was 950 euros per month! No perks!
You'll find that most hotels either don't have websites or they are of such poor quality that they cannot be found! They certainly won't have sections for you to upload your CV. They have far more applicants than spare jobs.
I suggest that you read the announcement in the jobs section....the one that says read this before posting. It should give you an idea of what you need to do.................. Get over here. _________________ .
Who am I? Follow the myspacetenerife link under my avatar.
Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing. |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:47 pm
 |
|
 |
TenerifeSolicitors Senior Reefer



Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Club Atlantis - San Eugenio
|
Post subject: |
|
|
I wouldn't advise it either. The average wage is about 900 per month and they will expect you to work long shifts for 6 days a week. You will also be competing with Dutch, Scandinavians, Russians, Eastern Europeans and of course Spanish who speak between 4 - 8 languages, including the compulsory fluent or semi-fluent Spanish.
Despite our arrogance in the UK at being some of Europe's relatively highest earners, the moment we leave the cosy little British isles, we suddenly don't seem so highly educated, qualified or sought-after, do we!
Also I have never heard of any waiter here in Tenerife getting hotel accomodation in any half-decent hotel. Why would they need to, when there are queues of Spanish and European nationals with their own accomodation queueing up for such positions? Plus they could sell your room to a tourist for far more than they could ever factor into your salary package. _________________ Legal Solutions both in Tenerife and in England or Wales? Tenerife Solicitors can assist from our offices in San Eugenio, Tenerife and in Kent, U.K. Visit www tenerifesolicitors com |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:48 pm
 |
|
 |
Cortez Baby Reefer


Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 15
|
Post subject: |
|
|
| True, I suppose. Starting to think it's not such a good idea after all .. at least not for a while. |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:58 pm
 |
|
 |
TenerifeSolicitors Senior Reefer



Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 100 Location: Club Atlantis - San Eugenio
|
Post subject: |
|
|
By the way, sorry if our posts sound a little harsh. We are just being realistic to help everyone make the right decision. There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing the sob stories of those who came here and failed for the WRONG reasons. Ezzy did a fantastic post about two months ago on the subject, which is worth you searching for and reading.
If you do decide to take the plunge, you will find real friends on this forum who will bend over backwards to give you the advice and support that you need to maximise your chances of success  _________________ Legal Solutions both in Tenerife and in England or Wales? Tenerife Solicitors can assist from our offices in San Eugenio, Tenerife and in Kent, U.K. Visit www tenerifesolicitors com |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:20 pm
 |
|
 |
rob Moderator



Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 7612 Location: Tenerife
|
Post subject: |
|
|
It's not such a bad idea if you want to bum around enjoying the beach etc before settling down to your career. If you don't like accounting.... may I ask why on earth you're going to do it? We only live once, this isn't a practice for next time. If you're going to spend about 25 % of the next 40 years of your life working then why don't you do something that you do enjoy? Perhaps 2 or 3 years of bumming around will open your eyes to what you really want to do. _________________ .
Who am I? Follow the myspacetenerife link under my avatar.
Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old because you stop laughing. |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:29 pm
 |
|
 |
lisaloo Senior Reefer



Joined: 25 May 2007 Posts: 101 Location: Wales
|
Post subject: |
|
|
I was looking on the Don Quijote website above, there are Spanish courses that includes paid work in Hotels to help cover expenses. Costs 12oo euros but you get food and accomodation
Click the advert above for more info, its worth a look. Learn and make a little bit to get you by.
Lisaloo |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:00 pm
 |
|
 |
Cortez Baby Reefer


Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 15
|
Post subject: |
|
|
| TenerifeSolicitors wrote: | By the way, sorry if our posts sound a little harsh. We are just being realistic to help everyone make the right decision. There is nothing more heartbreaking than hearing the sob stories of those who came here and failed for the WRONG reasons. Ezzy did a fantastic post about two months ago on the subject, which is worth you searching for and reading.
If you do decide to take the plunge, you will find real friends on this forum who will bend over backwards to give you the advice and support that you need to maximise your chances of success  |
Nah it's ok, I understand you're just being realistic which is good because I'm probably thinking of the good sides of it.
I've been thinking I can get any easy job (probably long hours and crap pay) in a hotel with free accommodation and food and no bills to worry about and then just spending my days off chilling out in the sun etc!
The staff in the hotel on my last holiday in Ibiza did stay in the hotel though because one of the entertainers said so. They didn't have a hotel room that would normally be for guests but they did have somewhere to stay. They were always in the restaurant eating the food as well which was presumably free. This is where I got my ideas from that I described above!!
Also I have been researching working in Spain and a few sites have said that pay is poor but can often include accommodation. I assumed it would be the same in Tenerife.
I've read a few posts on here about "the other side" of staying in Tenerife and I think the one by Ezzy was one of them.
| rob wrote: | | It's not such a bad idea if you want to bum around enjoying the beach etc before settling down to your career. If you don't like accounting.... may I ask why on earth you're going to do it? We only live once, this isn't a practice for next time. If you're going to spend about 25 % of the next 40 years of your life working then why don't you do something that you do enjoy? Perhaps 2 or 3 years of bumming around will open your eyes to what you really want to do. |
Well, I've never known what I wanted to do as a career. I went through college and didn't know what to do at the end of it so I went to uni to essentially waste some time with the hope that I'd figure out what I wanted to by the end of it. Only lasted a year there as it wasn't for me so I had to think of something to do long term that paid well (you probably know what things are like in the UK ... pretty hard to get anywhere if you aren't earning a fair amount - especially if you're single!). Accountancy sounded like the thing! Being doing it two years now and it's not only boring but it's quite stressful (deadlines, time budgets to meet on jobs etc) and I can't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. Like you say, it's a long time to do something you don't like!
But I can't think of anything else I'd rather do that would pay enough for me to afford my own place etc so I'm a bit stuck.
| lisaloo wrote: | I was looking on the Don Quijote website above, there are Spanish courses that includes paid work in Hotels to help cover expenses. Costs 12oo euros but you get food and accomodation
Click the advert above for more info, its worth a look. Learn and make a little bit to get you by.
Lisaloo |
Cheers, I'll have a look
Edit: Just had a look. It looks good but I don't think it would be suitable for me ... "Required Spanish Level - Upper intermediate preferred" which I don't have. Also "We require that participating students have either academic coursework or work experience in tourism, leisure, hospitality management or food service." I don't have any academic qualifications or work experience in any of those areas!
The general courses looks pretty good though where you just go there to learn Spanish. |
|
Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:57 pm
 |
|
 |
jenny Senior Moderator



Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 5267
|
Post subject: |
|
|
At your age I didn't know which job I wanted to do either. I studied languages at Uni, which left me with plenty of options afterwards and also meant I could travel a bit and find work. I had reasonable computer skills too, which I guess you have. Travelling does open your eyes and you will get to meet lots of people and try out different sectors and jobs.
You could always find bar/PR work in Las Americas but be careful as most who end up there do not stay for long (at least that's what has happened with several forum members and a couple of people I knew) and don't learn any (or very little) Spanish as they are surrounded by Brits, day and night. _________________ Who am I? Find out more here: http://www.myspacetenerife.com/index.php?page=view_profile&id=17
I will make this day a happy one for I alone can determine what kind of day it will be. |
|
Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:31 pm
 |
|
 |
Cortez Baby Reefer


Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 15
|
Post subject: |
|
|
| jenny wrote: | At your age I didn't know which job I wanted to do either. I studied languages at Uni, which left me with plenty of options afterwards and also meant I could travel a bit and find work. I had reasonable computer skills too, which I guess you have. Travelling does open your eyes and you will get to meet lots of people and try out different sectors and jobs.
You could always find bar/PR work in Las Americas but be careful as most who end up there do not stay for long (at least that's what has happened with several forum members and a couple of people I knew) and don't learn any (or very little) Spanish as they are surrounded by Brits, day and night. |
Yeah I have computer skills. I actually started studying computer science at uni.
I'm going to leave it for now but I do want to end up there eventually .. maybe May time next year as it will give me a lot of time to pick up some fairly decent spanish (I hope) and my brother will have finished college by then and he is interested in doing it as well so it should be more affordable if we share accommodation.
Also being able to speak Spanish fairly well will open up a lot more job opportunities from what I've read on here and basically everywhere else!
Why do people who go to Las Americas not last long? Do they just get bored of the work or can they not afford to stay? |
|
Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:34 pm
 |
|
 |
karlb Moderator



Joined: 20 Jun 2005 Posts: 3919 Location: Tenerife
|
Post subject: |
|
|
They come with their savings which is meant to last for a few months, waste it all on partying, don't feel like working and head off back with no money all at.
Thats my guess anyhow. _________________ Need a cleaner in South Tenerife ? Cleaning just got better... www.maid4tenerife.com
Who am I? Check out MySpaceTenerife.
The sky is not less blue because the blind man does not see it. |
|
Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:29 pm
 |
|
 |
jenny Senior Moderator



Joined: 29 Aug 2005 Posts: 5267
|
Post subject: |
|
|
It's not Las Americas but more specifically Veronicas/The Strip etc. and working in the bars in these areas.
My theory: a lot get bored as they see the same people, same area (most don't leave Las Americas), day in, day out. Many are drinking etc (huge amounts) every day and some sensible ones decide that they can't carry on doing this as a) it costs a lot and b) it's very bad for their health. It's very easy to get into this lifestyle but a lot harder to get out without leaving Tenerife. As someone said: "It's a slippery slope". _________________ Who am I? Find out more here: http://www.myspacetenerife.com/index.php?page=view_profile&id=17
I will make this day a happy one for I alone can determine what kind of day it will be. |
|
Tue Sep 09, 2008 11:47 am
 |
|
 |
|