We are talking with Iris who emigrated to Madrid last year.

Iris, I Heard You Say that Last Year Was the Right Time to Leave for Spain, What Did You Mean by that?

Last year, after careful consideration, my employer and I parted ways. This was the perfect moment for me to take time to answer the question “what do I really want?” Living and working in Madrid is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. But when you have a busy job in the Netherlands, you don’t get around to seriously thinking about it and making concrete plans. “What now?” meant for me trying to realize my dream. So I started to delve into working in Madrid. Coincidentally, I was approached by EURES advisor Eveline at the moment I was researching this.

That’s Quite a Coincidence….

It is indeed a coincidence. Eveline was able to find me because when I registered as a job seeker with the UWV, I had indicated that I was interested in working in another European country. EURES advisors periodically approach new registrations, which is why this came together. Eveline already gave me relevant information about working in Spain and told me about the possibility of exporting my unemployment benefit to Spain for 3 months. This gave me the opportunity to look for work on-site while keeping my benefits. And searching for work on-site is useful, at least here. It gave me the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations and build a network in Madrid.

How else Did You Prepare Yourself for this Step?

I read up and talked to various people about my plan. I made contacts with people who are already in Barcelona and Madrid, because I mainly wanted to learn from those with experience. And importantly: I applied for a NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjeros) in advance, which is very similar to the Dutch BSN number and is necessary to be able to work in Spain.

Most Dutch People Settle on the Coast, but You’re in Madrid. What’s your Connection with Madrid?

It was a feeling, I’ve always felt happy in Spain and Madrid in particular. I had been there on vacation several times before. In my opinion, you also have the most job opportunities in Madrid. International organizations are mainly located here in the capital. And that’s necessary if you don’t speak Spanish well yet.

Do You Speak Spanish Well?

I spoke a little Spanish when I came here, I had taken Spanish in school and once did a language course in Valencia. The fact that I work in an international environment doesn’t help to learn Spanish. I don’t need it now either. But I do think you should speak the language well to be able to integrate, especially in Spain, because not everyone speaks English. You notice that not everyone speaks English at many institutions that you need when you live or work in Spain. Improving my Spanish is definitely something I’m still going to work on!

What Exactly Do You Do in Madrid?

I work as a performance marketing manager for an international company. They have established their marketing department in Madrid. It’s quite common for a part of a company to be located in Spain. And that also offers opportunities for job seekers who are not yet fluent in the language. At our company, the working languages are English and Spanish. My colleagues come from 13 different countries including Spain and several South American countries, which is why Spanish is also spoken.

Now that You’ve been in Madrid for some Time, Does Reality Meet your Expectations?

I had expected that I would have a good time ahead of me, I’m completely happy here and very pleased with my decision.

What Makes Madrid Attractive to You?

I’m a spontaneous person and therefore easily step out of my comfort zone, I’m learning a lot about myself here, which alone makes it a unique experience. I really like the way of life here; life takes place much more in the evening and outdoors. The quality of life is higher for me here, due to the lifestyle and the sun. Additionally, I enjoy living in a very big city with all the amenities that come with it. What makes Madrid so special for me is that I can be in the mountains within an hour. So nature is not far away.

I find working in an international environment and thereby learning about other cultures very fascinating.

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💡 EURES Netherlands helps you find a job in other EU countries. If you, like Iris, want to talk to us about your opportunities in Spain or elsewhere in Europe, contact us! You can send an email to: werken.ineuropa@uwv.nl