Days spent gazing at the Sagrada Familia. Sunsets on the Barceloneta. Nights out on La Rambla. Barcelona is an absolutely enchanting city, and it’s no wonder that it draws so many people in.
You go there once, maybe twice. And then you start to wonder: how can I make this stay a bit more permanent?
If you’ve got sunny Barcelona skies set in your sites, you’re probably wondering what sort of jobs are actually available out there for English speakers. Not to worry! Here’s our list of jobs in Barcelona for English speakers.
English teacher
Gahdoy. When you start digging around looking for jobs abroad in general, English teaching is always the first thing that comes up. And Barcelona is no exception.
If you already have a university degree, one great option out there is to participate in the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Language Assistant program.
In this work-study program, the government of Spain will allow you to teach English in local preschools, primary schools, high schools, and even some institutions of higher education. In return for your native English services, you get a nice monthly stipend for 4 days of work per week. The contract is renewable for up to 3 years, so it’s a great way to stay in Spain for a while.
The only catch? You have to apply early with your first choice as Cataluña, and there’s a possibility you won’t be placed in Barcelona, or even in the region. So apply as soon as possible!
Copywriter
Even in Spain, native English speakers who can write are in pretty high demand. Check out LinkedIn, or even try your hand at becoming a freelance writer. You’d be surprised what sorts of writing jobs are available at startups or larger companies!
Au Pair
If you like kids and don’t mind living with a family, becoming an Au Pair in Barcelona might be another great way for you to spend anywhere from a few months to a year in the city. And they’re always in demand!
Universities
With English-language university programs becoming more and more typical throughout Europe, you might want to check local university job listings to see if you’re a fit for any of their English language or international programs. It’s worth a shot!
Translation and Interpretation
If you speak English and Spanish– or even a third language, or Catalan!– you’ll have no trouble finding work as a translator or interpreter at all sorts of larger companies. It’s also another line of work that tends to have great freelance prospects, which would allow you to live anywhere in the world you please (legal requirements allowing, of course).
Hotels, hostels, and hospitality
Another obvious industry you should start you job searching in is hospitality. Barcelona has a ton of English-speaking tourists from all over the world, and so English-speaking hotel and hostel workers are always in demand.
Random jobs
Sometimes, none of these things work out. And sometimes, it’s really hard to get a visa to stay in these more obvious industries!
My recommendation to anyone looking to move abroad, whether it be to Barcelona or elsewhere, is to diversify your skill set as much as possible and look into absolutely every avenue to a job. Sometimes, you come across jobs that require English that you would never have expected to find.
So, the bottom line: get out there, learn as much as you can, and start looking! We’ll see you in Barcelona.