Do you want to go and live in Australia, New Zealand or Canada for a while, but you are worried that your English is not good enough to find a job to help you pay for your stay? Don’t panic! We’ll show you that working abroad without being able to speak English is not an unattainable utopia.
General advice
Even though each country has its own specific characteristics, we can provide you with general advice that will be useful regardless of the destination you choose:
Take an English course to quickly improve your English proficiency
One of the best options to migrate abroad when you do not master the language is to take an English course. There are thousands of options and schools. We can help you choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences. You can either take a General English course, study an intensive course or, eventually, prepare yourself to take an official exam and obtain a diploma. You will notice incredible progress in a short time! Moreover, as your English skills improve, you will find better job opportunities.
Think about how valuable your native language is
The fact that your native language is Spanish and not another language, already gives you a competitive edge over other job applicants. Spanish is increasingly gaining prominence worldwide and you should always remember that it adds significant value to your CV. You can search for job offers requiring Spanish proficiency as a prerequisite: online classes, Spanish restaurants, au pair, etc.
Don’t get frustrated if you do not land the job of your dreams
You’ll have to keep an open mind about experimenting with jobs you may never have imagined you’d do; it’s all part of the adventure you’ve embarked on! It will surely lead you to discover skills and abilities about yourself that you were unaware of. It is very likely that in the beginning you will find jobs in which interaction with customers is non-existent or limited. Don’t worry, this will gradually change; Rome wasn’t built in a day!
Don’t be ashamed and let yourself be seen
Both to improve your English and to meet people from other cultures you will have to take a leap and stop questioning your English skills. If you want to make a living on the other side of the world, shyness is not your best travel partner. To look for a job without being able to speak English, the most effective way is to go around the city leaving CVs everywhere. Surely, they will get in touch with a person they have already seen rather than with a total stranger.
Keep a positive attitude and smile!
If you are under consideration for a job and the person who can potentially hire you sees that you are willing, eager to learn and bring a positive attitude, you’ve got a lot going for you. If you still can’t communicate the way you want to through English, maximize your resources by using body language and gestures – remember that everyone smiles in the same language!
Make local and international friendships
We all know that you will naturally make friends who speak your language and who find themselves in similar circumstances to yours. That’s our instinct, as we feel the imperious need to be understood. But don’t neglect meeting locals and people from other countries; you can’t pass up the opportunity to interact with cultures different from your own. In addition, local people are more familiar with the country’s labor market and will always be able to give you some advice or recommendations to get the job you are looking for.
What’s a great way to meet international people? Study an English course in your destination country. You will meet other students like you in class who are looking to improve their English and improve their skills. It is important to expand your circle of international friends and interact with them in English. You will see how you improve in no time!
Jobs in Australia for Spanish native speakers who do not speak English
Our assumption is that, as someone who has limited English proficiency and wants to come to Australia, you will be interested in improving your English as soon as possible. Therefore, the best option to travel across the ocean is through a student visa. This will allow you to study and work in the land of the kangaroos without having to show proficiency in the language to obtain the visa! You will be able to go to an English academy in the mornings and work in the afternoons or vice versa.
To start looking for a job you will have to adapt your CV to the Australian model. This is an essential step to take before you start your job hunt. We also recommend you have your CV reviewed by a native speaker to make sure there are no spelling mistakes.
The most common approach to get a job fast is to hand out CVs throughout businesses in the city where you are headed.
If you are interested in conducting a more thorough search, we recommend websites such as Gumtree, Seek or Indeed. These are the most popular resources to search for jobs in Australia. You can filter the results by type of job and also by keywords such as “Spanish”, in order to see the offers where Spanish language skills are required.
Work in Canada for Spanish speakers who can’t speak English
When it comes to Canadian visas, things are a little bit different. The Canadian government does not issue student visas for people travelling to Canada to study language courses.
Study permits with work authorization are only granted to students taking technical training courses offered by colleges (known as Career Programs) or university studies, which require a high level of English and/or French.
In this case, the best option would be to apply for a Working Holiday Visa. If you want to visit Canada to study a language course and work, this visa will allow you to do so without any problems. As it is a highly demanded visa, there is a limited number of them, and only certain nationalities are eligible to apply for it.
The Canadian CV format is quite similar to the Australian or New Zealand format. All Anglo-Saxon countries use a very similar design: they must be brief, graphic and without a photo.
In Canada, some of the most popular websites are: Indeed Canada, Google for Jobs, Glassdoor, Eluta or CareerBuilder.
Working in New Zealand without English skills
Similar to Australia, if your intention is to study English and work in the meantime, a student visa is an appealing option. You are allowed to study and work simultaneously for a minimum of 14 weeks and a maximum of four years. You do not have to prove your English level and all nationalities are eligible to apply. Under this visa you will be able to work 20 hours per week during the course and as many hours per week as you want during vacations.
The New Zealand CV format is almost identical to the Australian one. Easy!
Seek, Indeed and newkiwis are recommended websites to take a look at.
If you have learned about how to find a job abroad without English skills and you need further information about language courses, how to start planning your trip or which are the best cities to live in, contact us! You may also explore our blog to find a lot of useful information. We publish useful articles every week so you can start planning the adventure of a lifetime. We look forward to seeing you!
