Looks like me and mrs both now out of work! Advice please

mallorcajeff

Well it's seems my run of luck in Mallorca has run out. Looks like my job is ending here and the mrs as well. Great :roll:
I am 36 and need to retrain in something as I have done lots of things but am not trained in anything. My mrs will stay here in the house in Mallorca as we have a mortgage to pay. There is virtually no jobs here in Spain so I will have to go. I want to retrain in something so I have a trade. Any advice greatly appreciated. I love cooking and am pretty good, I'm thinking of doing a six week course in the uk then comings I here to try get work as a yacht chef and private villa chef. Any chefs on here would love to pick to pick your brains. I have some money aside which will keep the wolf from the door for the moment and to fund my retraining. Before I take the leap as this will have to be the last change in direction I make, is there any other trades people can recommend? I was looking into diamond drilling. A mate does it and seems to do well?
I will be selling all the bikes I. The mean time as the way things look I won't be riding any more for the foreseeable, typical just when you get settled the world kicks you in the balls again. We will have no income at all as we both work at the same place so this is a serious situation I need to find a way out of and have a family to support, any help advice would be great. Please don't suggest tours of Mallorca as it wouldn't make enough! Thanks
Jeff

Cleat Eastwood

thats a bummer - least you'll be on the dole in the sun

Wont you need some kind of health certificate too -had a mate who was a chef, all he was trained to do was preparation of food stuffs - he had full chequered kex and everything - i have a recipe for flapjacks if that'll help.

Mikey23

Don't think Spain has dole as we know it as in paying you money

mallorcajeff

It does have a bit but nothing like the gravy train in the uk. Your entitled to four months for every year you work at 80% of your salary then it goes down after a few months until you run out. Then you get evicted or commit suicide which seems popular here. I know three people that have killed themselves here ithe last six months due to the money situation in Spain, very tragic and this week in Mallorca a retired couple were going to be evicted and they killed themselves together aged 63 and 68 very tragic. Spain is a disaster zone really. I knew it would come just a matter of when. He ho, get the flapjacks out.

VTech

I really feel for you, cant you come back home ?

jam5ie76

Yacht chefs and private chefs tend to be taken from the ranks of the top Michellin rated kitchens.

If your serious about doing that then apply for a stage (work experience) somewhere excellent, preferably where the chef has some solid roots (i.e was trained by Koffman, Ramsay, Roux, MP-W).

Of course you'd be paid nothing to start and if you cut it and get an actual job that will rise to next to nothing. Stick that for a few years and then the agencies will look at you.

Sorry if thats more negative than you were looking for but to say its a labour of love is an understatement. I've been a chef for 15 years, now I'm in charge I maybe cook 5 hours from a 70 hour week. Former colleagues work as private chefs and on the boats and their kitchens are beautiful and they see the world but the money's shite and they are mostly single.

I'd look at diamond drilling buddy, best of luck.

tim_wand

Think you ve got enough cred/ envy on here to either approach one on the established road triaining camps on the
Island or offer your own with some kind of cooking school to appease the other halfs.

I know a lot of business' need capital expenditure to set up and risking your own with no certainties is scary, but you could see this as an opportuity if you played your cards right.

Even if you just offered yourself out for guided rides, you d probably get some business just from links on here.

I had nine months unemployment myself, dont rely on the Job Centre, youll find a job through your own connections and networks not them.

VTech

tim wand wrote:

Think you ve got enough cred/ envy on here to either approach one on the established road triaining camps on the
Island or offer your own with some kind of cooking school to appease the other halfs.

I know a lot of business' need capital expenditure to set up and risking your own with no certainties is scary, but you could see this as an opportuity if you played your cards right.

Even if you just offered yourself out for guided rides, you d probably get some business just from links on here.

I had nine months unemployment myself, dont rely on the Job Centre, youll find a job through your own connections and networks not them.

Thats superb advice.
There are plenty of wealthy people on the island who would be willing to tighten up those bums by cycling a few km 3 times a week and it seems your the man ! You could get paid for doing what you like.
Think about it seriously, I reckon a few weeks advertising in majorcadailybulletin and diario de mallorca should see a few clients calling, also speak to some of the spa centres as they are always looking for a new product to sell.

Yossie

Shyyyt shyttt shyyyyt - really sorry to hear. Hope that all goes well - an opportunity to branch out and try something new?

mallorcajeff

Thanks guys great advice esp from Jamie. I prefer reality not sugar coated etc. thanks.
Training rides would. Be great but not sure I can make it work financially. I mean how much would somebody pay to be shown a great ride day out etc? I can't think much as a guide but maybe I'm wrong?

Cleat Eastwood

Oh yeah and I'd change your name to MallorcaJose - you never know, they might prefer to give the jobs to locals.

VTech

mallorcajeff wrote:

Thanks guys great advice esp from Jamie. I prefer reality not sugar coated etc. thanks.
Training rides would. Be great but not sure I can make it work financially. I mean how much would somebody pay to be shown a great ride day out etc? I can't think much as a guide but maybe I'm wrong?

€40-€60 a day each or €25 an hour and with the day rates you could do groups so 4-6 in a group could easily bring in €200 a day or €1000 a week on a conservative scale.
The more exclusive you go, the more you get so I would aim at high end health spa and ladies that lunch. I think it's a winner myself. My wife is with her friends right this minute drinking the night away before they get spa'd to the hilt for the next few days, I've seen the receipts, trust me there is plenty to be earned in that game.

mallorcajeff

Thanks v tech food for thought there. Will look at the idea.
Jeff

finchy

I don't know if you'd be interested, but Spain is a HUGE market for teaching English as a foreign language. You'd need either the University of Cambridge CELTA certificate or the Trinity Certificate, both of which take 4 weeks to complete.

I don't know how much you'd need to earn out there, but you can get some idea of the salaries available here:

http://www.tefl.com/jobs/results.html?s ... =0&x=0&y=0

Bear in mind that you can make more as a private tutor or self-employed teacher and you can take the DELTA diploma after two years in the job, which generally means promotion to assistant director of studies and then director of studies positions. The careers is ladder is fairly short, but quick to climb.

The drawback is that while the market is massive, so is the number of teachers who go over there, but I presume you have lots of contacts out there who could help you out.

mallorcajeff

Thanks John food for thought will have a read, many thanks for your time on this
Jeff

finchy

You're welcome. Keep us all posted on your final decision.

mallorcajeff

Thanks for all the advice people. Seems I'm sorted. Looks like I will be keeping my job a bit longer but I have found a new job anyway and will start back end of the year. It means I can stay here in Mallorca and I will be working with bikes come later in the year. Result. Got to get the mrs sorted now.

markyone

Nice one jeff good luck

mroli

Jeff - I don't know how "plugged" in you are to the market, but I know that there are a LOT of people that have properties out in Mallorca that they rent out through agencies/privately etc. Would there be something your missus can do in relation to these things? Keeping an eye on properties/collecting mail, dealing with admin issues etc etc. I know some of these may be sorted through agencies, but some not? It may not be massively well paid, but could be a good thing to run - people like dealing with their own nationality and I know my Dad's place (Andratx) is looked after by German agents and he's always a bit nervy going out to it after a period of being away.

mallorcajeff

Thank mroli. There is a lot of villa management out here. It's well sewn up it seems but I will be playing with bikes all week come the end of the year so that will be a bit more fun. Thanks for the thought.
Jeff

ademort

Sorry to hear about your job situation. Good luck with whatever you decide to pursue, hope itall works out for you. On the work front. Have you ever thought of becoming a paint inspector, short courses and unless you are as thick as pig@hit a diploma at the end of it. It would be a start.
Ademort

colsoop

Tough break for you. Something yacht based would be a good way to go for you considering where you are currrently living. Bear in mind if the yachts get beyond a certain size then most companies will specify you getting an ENG 1 medical and STCW 95 - basic 5 day course covering sea survival, first aid training, fire fighting and personal safety and social responsibility.

How about looking after peoples yachts / motor cruisers during the quiet season.

You could run them - do basic deck work take them out for a short run etc. Then as the new season kicks in you could get the boats prepped for the owners return depending on their needs.
As a minimum you would probably need to get a RYA powerboat level 1 and 2.