‘Incredible places and wonderful people’: Lara’s story

‘It all started with my registration on the EURES platform,’ recalls Lara. ‘It’s a simple procedure, similar to that of any other online job search platform. Basically, it involves entering your CV. You can also filter the offers you want to receive depending on the type of work.’

Lara soon received a job offer from a hotel in the Moselle valley region of Germany, although she admits that she wasn’t sure about the offer at first, because the employer wanted her to start work quickly.

‘I had nothing to lose’

Lara decided to contact a EURES Adviser at the Servicio Extremeño Público de Empleo (SEXPE) in her region of Extremadura, south-west Spain.

‘I have to say that their advice was very helpful, thanks to which many of my doubts were resolved and I was able to clarify my ideas,’ she says.

Lara’s EURES Adviser reassured her that offers registered on the EURES portal are reliable and gave her examples of people already working abroad through EURES. Lara eventually accepted the job offer, even though it meant working in a new profession.

Extremadura is a largely rural state and lacks job opportunities for young people. The region’s unemployment rate is around 25% – Spain’s average is 16% – and is estimated to be closer to 50% for the under-25 age group. With this in mind, Lara knew she had a good opportunity.

‘I had nothing to lose – in Spain, I was unemployed,’ she explains. ‘I took it as an opportunity to have the experience of living in a foreign country, and why not learn some German.’

‘The best decision I could have made’

Lara admits that it wasn’t easy to adapt to working and living in Germany. ‘More than difficult, I would describe it as strange, as at first everything seems different,’ she says.

However, Lara points out that this always happens whenever one starts a new job or goes through major change in life, and says it didn’t take her too long to get used to her new life and job.

Lara also says she feels very lucky to have such an attentive and helpful manager, who helped her find accommodation, handle bureaucratic procedures and even find a doctor.

‘Over time, I realised that accepting the job in Germany was the best decision I could have made at that time,’ she says. ‘Thanks to this work, I have had the opportunity to get to know incredible places and wonderful people that I never could have imagined.’

Personal enrichment as well as professional experience

‘In addition, I believe that this type of experience enriches you as a person – I can attest to that’, Lara says. ‘You learn to value other kinds of things, develop yourself as a person.’

‘In short, from my experience, I would highly recommend spending a period of time working abroad if you are considering it. You have so much more to gain than to lose.’

If you are inspired by Lara’s words and considering working abroad yourself, why not register on the EURES portal today? You can also keep up with the latest news from EURES Spain on their Facebook page.

Related links:

EURES portal – Juan Carlos’ story

EURES portal – Alejandra’s story

Lara’s story – original post on Facebook (in Spanish)

EURES portal

EURES Spain on Facebook

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