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When you are unemployed, your main goal is job search.
 
This hard truth, that in the post-crisis times may have been considered an axiom, was deduced by the participants of the seminar "How to find work in Spain?" held in the city Viladecans near Barcelona.
 
It is clear that unemployed people hear such recommendations all the time and perhaps even they tell themselves that everything is just in their hands in front of the mirror every morning, but it does not become easier.
 
If it is me, so what can I do to succeed? - This is probably the most common question. It was asked at the seminar as well.
 
In Spain, more than 20% of the active population are unemployed.
 
And that's without counting illegal immigrants who have remained out of work.
 
They in particular have to rely solely on their own resources to find work in Spain, as neither Labour Exchange nor staffing agency or refresher or advanced courses can help.
 
The main rule is - perseverance - it is always rewarding. The second rule is - thorough preparation - it always pays off. And third not less important - soul-searching in the good sense, humility and flexibility.
 
The tricks and pitfalls of job searching were discussed at the seminar. The author of the book "Handbook for immigrants in Spain" - President of the Association "Berezka" Maria Belova - shared her experience.
 
I can't remember who of the great said it, that a great war always begins on paper. 
 
So, where to start:
 
1. Make up your mind where you would like to work. Be honest, variants such as "Prime Minister" or "bank manager" are not be accepted. To single out your professional suitability, I would suggest to write down in column all your professional and personal skills, even such as cooking meals and cross-stitch.
 
Then, you write in front of these skills, where they can come in handy. So you get a list of several options for your employment.
 
2. The next step is your CV. Our compatriots who come abroad usualy have higher education, sometimes not one, not counting the number of courses completed at the time.
 
In this regard, advise from experienced personnel officers - there is no need to specify all your diplomas and skills.
 
When an employer sees such an impressive list he is likely to think that you are a high-grade specialist and his small firm will hardly pay you a big salary, as the number of professional abilities of a man must be well-paid.
 
Remember the third rule of unemployed - modesty.
 
3. But the above-mentioned does not mean that you should forget about all your achievements of previous years.
 
Remember that list you made in the beginning.
 
Experts recommend to make a CV for each "job-vacancy".
 
4. Having several kinds of CV, leave your information on all Internet resources in the country or if you want in the world.
 
Usually, when registering at Web sites to find work, your e-mail is requested.
 
So please create multiple mailboxes, and register your CV for different boxes on each site.
 
So you will have not one, but 3-5-7 chance in a hundred or a thousand, that any employer will notice and find any of your CVs.
 
I do not argue, it is extremely laborious, but we agreed that if you are unempoyed, your primary activity is to find job. Needless to say, that success comes to stubborn! ..
 
When the preliminary work is done, and even artillery preparation in the form of "bombing" the Internet with your CVs is also done, let's get down to the "ground operations".
 
Spend an hour to daily visit your job center (SOC), where you are registered as unemployed.
 
Every day there is a listing of vacancies which are available today in the office of job center.
 
If you find anything suitable, contact a professional for the vacancies of the same center, to get phone number or address of job-vacancy you liked.
 
You need to be alert to the unwritten rule that there is a distribution of good jobs at the labor exchange: first come the Spanish, then those who have long been unemployed, then all the rest.
 
In other words, if you are a foreigner, and you are recently in the status of unemployed, you may be refused to provide the contacts of a future employer.
 
Do not fuss, do not swear, do not mention discrimination and human rights - it will not help.
 
The first rule of the unemployed works here - perseverance. "The water wears away a stone" is a very wise people's notice!
 
Come to office every day and every time look for a job, and every time you ask for the contacts.
 
If you are consistent and annoying, about a month or two - maybe more, maybe less - you will bother the officers so much, that they will be happy to give you the contacts, just to get rid of you at least for a week.
 
6. Order your new "working day" in such a way as to find the time to walk around the area.
 
Everyone knows the habit of the Spaniards - 10 a.m. coffee.
 
This good tradition is followed by laborers, as well as the Directors of departments.
 
From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. all of them, as if on command, put off their immediate work, calls and projects, and go to the nearest bar for a relaxing coffee.
 
According to statistics from 70 to 80% of all acquaintanceships - personal and business - are made by Spaniards in the bars.
 
Here comes the following strategy.
 
After preparatory work, you know exactly who you want to be in the coming years.
 
Spaniards are incredibly talkative, and especially with bartenders.
 
After talking with local bartenders you will find out about vacancies in the area.
 
If you are lucky you may even meet the boss or an officer of the required company.
 
And the talk heart to heart with a "random" neighbor at the bar counter could lead to interesting results in terms of job search.
 
Skills of conversation and listening skills come in handy here: less of yourself - more interest to your interlocutor - people like it.
 
Possible topics for the beginning of the conversation - for a man with a sports newspaper - football (possible phrase: "Excuse me, I see you read about yesterday's match - what's the results? I couldn't watch it"), a man with Economic Journal - Economic crisis ("sorry to bother you, I see you are a knowledgeable person, yesterday I listened to what was said in Parliament on the crisis, I did not understand, will it soon be over, what do they say?").
 
For women the questions about outfit and accessories are acceptable: "what a nice scarf / jacket / coat / bag, I have been long looking for something like this for my wife / daughter / mother / aunt / girlfriend."
 
In principle, any pertinent phrase is ok, your goal is to make a relaxed, natural and lasting friendship.
 
But in any case, do not start talking that you are concerned about the lack of work and desperate to find it here in Spain.
 
Noone likes problems, especially strangers, everyone has them, but everyone is ready to gossip on your favorite or interesting topic, or help or advice something, the Spaniards like this.
 
Also pay attention to the area where you live - bakeries, small shops - make acquaintances, let the whole region be aware of your "grief", and when they come across with vacancy, believe me, they whisper you about it.
 
This trick is called «networking» - business linkages. You must not be lazy, consider that you are a sales manager for yourself - your results depend on how hard and efficiently you do this.
 
7. Language is the main barrier to your career.
 
You can be a highly qualified professional, but if you do not speak Spanish (when it comes to Catalonia, first of all, Catalan), then your position, in spite of higher education and additional skills, is incomparably lower than a local poorly educated person with language knowledge.
 
8. Join associations. Social work often is rewarded not financially.
 
9. Another kind of social activities is volunteering.
 
It's not free, but gratuitous work. It often happens that it is "rewarded", but again, no money - depending on the organization, volunteers may be provided with restaurant receipts for meals or some clothing or other support.
 
At the same time, if the organization's leadership will see you as an active-minded person, eventually you can be employed.
 
10. NEVER and NEVER buy a job.
 
A lot of bad people grew and prospered on these schemes.
 
It is understandable that desperate people are ready to do anything, but whether it is necessary to turn into somebody's slave.
 
The usual scheme of black market work in Spain is as follows - you pay a certain amount for employer's phone and then in case of get employed you, pay half a salary to for your "good genius" who sold that phone number every month.
 
It often happens that you are fired the next day after you paid your "debt" to this illegal "staffing agency".
 
But there are even tougher situations. Over the phone the employer and person in charge of security and passport prescribe the amount needed to pay for a certain number of months.
 
A person gives his passport in gage for employer's phone number and an amount needed to pay for a certain number of months is set.
 
Usually at the end of the timing of payments, a "slave" is assigned new dues three times more than before - and you can not refuse them, because blackmailer has got your passport.
 
In general, you should remember that any attempt on your passport is a criminal offense. There is only one exception - law enforcement officers in the performance.
 
There are many more tips.
 
Every person who has ever looked for a job in Spain or any other place on Earth might have his own tips and experience how to handle this or that situation. I assume that every person has his unique scheme or strategy for this "war".
 
Nevertheless, you should keep in mind, that all the advisers give you only a fishing rod, it will be you who must go fishing.
 
I admit, you must do a great job, but even if all your efforts will not succeed, you'll get invaluable, really invaluable experience in sales.
 
Keep training, these skills may be useful for you in the future, in the nearest future.
 
In September, Russian Association "Berezka" is planning to organize a true "meeting on the Elbe" - to gather real employers from Spain, seeking workers, "on the other side" they will be met by the unemployed.