Job hunting in Spain: the CV, the call and the contract
An unknown number rings on a Tuesday morning. A voice moves very fast — her name, a company you applied to two weeks ago — and ends on "¿tienes un momento?" You have the moment; what you do not have is the vocabulary, and by the third sentence you are saying sí, sí to questions you did not catch.
That call is the real filter, and it is predictable. Here is what comes up.
The CV Spanish employers expect
One or two pages, most recent job first, a PDF named after you. Spanish section labels: Datos personales, Formación académica, Experiencia profesional, Idiomas.
The photo surprises people: a plain head-and-shoulders shot at the top is still ordinary here — custom, not law, and some employers now prefer none. Idiomas is read closely: give a level, not a mood. Español B2 says something, nivel medio says nothing. Whether you need work authorisation depends on your nationality and residence status — a question for extranjería.
- Adjunto mi currículum para la vacante de camarero. — I attach my CV for the waiter vacancy.
- He visto vuestra oferta en InfoJobs y encaja con mi experiencia. — I saw your ad and it fits my experience.
Carta de presentación: when you need one
Send one when the ad asks, when you write to a named person, and in the public sector. On a job board the mensaje al reclutador box is your cover letter: three lines. Which post, where you saw it, two matching facts, your availability. Write in usted until the recruiter switches you to tú.
- Me dirijo a ustedes en relación con la oferta publicada en InfoJobs. — I am writing about the vacancy posted on InfoJobs.
- Cuento con experiencia en atención al cliente y manejo de caja. — I have experience in customer service and on the till.
- Tengo disponibilidad inmediata y flexibilidad horaria. — I can start immediately and I am flexible on hours.
Where the vacancies actually are
InfoJobs is the biggest general board in Spain; LinkedIn and Indeed are used more by international companies. Check the company's own Trabaja con nosotros page too. ETT — empresas de trabajo temporal — hold much of the hospitality, logistics and industrial work. Your regional servicio público de empleo and SEPE list offers; public-sector convocatorias go in the BOE and regional bulletins. In bars and shops, walking in mid-afternoon with a printed CV still works.
- ¿Estáis cogiendo gente? — Are you taking anyone on?
- Vengo a dejar el currículum, ¿con quién puedo hablar? — I have come to leave my CV; who can I talk to?
The phone screen: the first three minutes
Usually HR or an ETT: a mobile number, no warning, fast speech, tú. The questions barely vary — ¿Hablas español? ¿Qué nivel tienes? ¿Tienes autorización para trabajar en España? ¿Cuándo podrías incorporarte? And early on, ¿qué expectativas salariales tienes?
- Ahora no puedo hablar, ¿te llamo en media hora? — I cannot talk now; shall I call back in half an hour?
- Perdona, ¿me lo repites un poco más despacio? — Sorry, could you repeat that more slowly?
- Sí, sigo interesado. ¿Me cuentas más del puesto? — Yes, still interested. Tell me more about the job.
- ¿La jornada es completa o parcial? ¿El contrato, indefinido o temporal? — Full or part time? Permanent or fixed-term?
- Prefiero conocer las funciones antes de hablar de cifras. — Let me hear about the job before we talk numbers.
- ¿Cuáles son los siguientes pasos? — What are the next steps?
The interview questions you will get
Cuéntame un poco sobre ti. Not your biography — three sentences: what you do, where, what you want. Llevo cuatro años en hostelería, los dos últimos como encargado de sala en Valencia.
¿Por qué te interesa este puesto? Something specific about them.
¿Por qué dejaste tu último trabajo? Short, neutral, never critical: Buscaba un proyecto más estable.
¿Cuáles son tus puntos fuertes y tus puntos débiles? With the weakness, add what you do about it.
Ponme un ejemplo de un problema que hayas resuelto. The subjunctive after que hayas turns up constantly.
¿Tienes alguna pregunta? Always yes.
- ¿Cómo es un día normal en este puesto? ¿En qué idioma se trabaja? — What is a normal day like here? What language is the work in?
- Gracias por tu tiempo, quedo a la espera de vuestra respuesta. — Thanks for your time; I look forward to your reply.
- No me sale la palabra, pero me refiero a... — The word escapes me, but I mean...
The words in the contract
Contrato indefinido has no end date. Contrato temporal is fixed-term and must state a legal cause, por circunstancias de la producción or por sustitución. Fijo discontinuo covers seasonal work with a call-back each season. Contrato formativo is what people still call prácticas.
Período de prueba lets either side walk away without notice or compensation; its length comes from the convenio colectivo or the Estatuto de los Trabajadores. The convenio is your sector's collective agreement, often negotiated province by province: pay tables, hours, holidays, categories.
Jornada completa or parcial is full or part time; jornada partida splits the day, jornada intensiva runs straight through. Nómina is the payslip: ads quote salario bruto anual, your account receives neto. Finiquito is the settlement at the end — pay owed, untaken holidays, prorated extras — not the same as indemnización.
- ¿Qué convenio se aplica y qué categoría sería la mía? — Which collective agreement applies, and what category?
- ¿Hay período de prueba y de cuánto? — Is there a trial period, and how long?
- Antes de firmar, ¿me enviáis el contrato? — Can you send me the contract before I sign?
What employers mean by español fluido
Not a CEFR level, a shorthand, so read the ad. Imprescindible español: required, and tested on the first call. Se valorará el español: a plus, not a filter. Nivel alto: B2 upwards in practice. Bilingüe or nativo: client-facing or written work where mistakes show. The honest test is a twenty-minute call with a stranger about your own field.
- Mi español es de nivel B2 y sigo con clases. — My Spanish is B2 and I still take lessons.
- Entiendo las reuniones sin problema; escribiendo aún reviso dos veces. — I follow meetings fine; in writing I still check twice.
- Si no entiendo algo, prefiero preguntar antes que suponer. — If I do not understand, I ask rather than assume.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Spanish CV need a photo?
It is custom rather than law. A plain head-and-shoulders photo at the top is still ordinary in Spain, and it will not count against you in most sectors. Some employers now prefer CVs without one, so if the ad says anything about it, follow the ad.
What does español fluido mean in a job ad?
It is a recruiter's shorthand, not a CEFR level. Read the wording around it: imprescindible español means the level will be tested on the first phone call, while se valorará el español means it is a plus rather than a filter. In practice nivel alto starts around B2.
Do I need a carta de presentación in Spain?
Send one when the ad asks for it, when you are writing directly to a named person, and in the public sector. On a job board, the message box to the recruiter does the same job in three lines: which post, two facts that match the ad, your availability.
What is the difference between finiquito and indemnización?
Finiquito is the settlement paid when any contract ends: pay owed, holidays you did not take, prorated extra payments. Indemnización is compensation for dismissal and is not due in every case. They are separate things and can appear on the same document.
