a new life, or not.........

Bakerman

Active Member
hi there folks.

this is probably a common thing around this time of year but i have a decided i am not as happy as i could be with my life. A friend of mine passed away recently and it got me thinking that this could happen to anyone so you must make the most of things, i am 21 years old and have a reasonably good job as an engineer. I am a happy normal person but it eats away at me that i am doing a job which requires dedication and commitment (of which i dont think i have much) only to earn money to go out at the weekend. I live with my parents so i have money to do what i want really. Ibiza is undoubtedly the best island i have ever visited and after spending a week there the past two summers and a week this winter i am contemplating quitting my job and going for the summer with the ambition to stay abroad and live. of course this throws up a number of questions........

will i get a job?
will i earn enough to live comfortably?
will i enjoy it?
will i have enough time off to see the place like a tourist?
where will i go once the season is over?
will i get a job if it doesnt work out and have to return?

etc etc. i know i always have a place to stay here if i came back but i have the idealistic vision of going away to work and enjoying it so much i never need to return. i want to hear music when i work not pneumatic drills, i want to go walks on the beach not down a rainy street, i want to live in the sunshine surrounded by lively interesting people and i feel ibiza is the perfect place. i have no experience in bar work but i can do a bit of mixing on the decks. i dont know what jobs are available to decide if they are for me. how much does it cost to live and is there a chance of working part-time and making the most of the summer.

My mate has a house in tenerife and it occured to me that this could be the perfect place for winter. a few of my mates have mentioned to me that they would be up for it too, dunno if this makes a difference to me but i suppose it would help getting used to being away from home.

All of this is a half painted picture that requires a lot more thought but any advice would be greatly appreciated. the ONLY serious thing stopping me packing a bag now is the security i have in my job and the prospects i have with it but i keep asking myself if i can do it for another 40 years (i dont think i can). what are the ups and downs of moving abroad and working for the summer within the tourist industry?

From what i've thought about so far i've came to these conclusions......

You dont enjoy your job, in this day and age you deserve some satisfaction from it
You love ibiza and know its the perfect place for a summer
If it doesnt work out you can come back and get another job
If it does work out you'll have the time of your life and be living life to the full

I cant think of anything else stopping me, personally i dont believe in marriage and dont see myself settling down in the near future so i think this kind of life would suit me. I dont save any money that i earn so i kind of have the 'live life to the full' attitude but im being held back by a hard working career which isnt suited to me.

Any advice will help me make the biggest decision i've ever had to make. maybe i just need a reality check and get my a*se back to work!!

Anyway thanks in advance if you have any advice!
 
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Ibiza is brilliant. However, if this is something that you want to do on the long term and your friend has a house then Tenerife would be a better alternative for you as it is a year round resort and thus year round employment.
Ibiza is perfect for summer work but too short a season if you want permanent work (at least in the tourist industry).
 
****patronising advice alert****

geezamenchie said:
the ONLY serious thing stopping me packing a bag now is the security i have in my job and the prospects i have with

At 21 you're not the MD just yet, you can pick up exactly where you left off in a years time if that's how it works out.

geezamenchie said:
from what i've thought about so far i've came to these conclusions......

you dont enjoy your job, in this day and age you deserve some satisfaction from it
you love ibiza and know its the perfect place for a summer
if it doesnt work out you can come back and use your HNC to find work
if it does work out you'll have the time of your life and be living life to the full

Work until late April/early May, putting as much cash as you can behind you and then get out there and see what happens.

Working the next year in your current career, will make no difference to where you are in 40 years and what you're earning now, at 21, isn't worth trying to save out of, so it's a no-brainer.

See you some time over the summer. Mine's a San Miguel:p
 
Your questions

will i get a job? yeah probably if you go early enough in the season but as others have said this will almost certainly be within the tourist industry (whether it bars, clubs, car hire, whatever)

will i earn enough to live comfortably? when i worked over there, although it was slightly different cos i knew i'd be leaving at the end of the season, living comfortably wasn't the issue. the issue was earning enough money to live the life you couldn't have in the UK. as a worker you can get allsorts of perks, club passes, guestlist, free food and drink, etc. if you want to live a comfortable life you'd be better off staying in the UK. if you want a challenging but deeply rewarding life, ibiza is the place

will i enjoy it? if anyone is going there for the right reasons (i.e. not just going cos someone they knew once has done it and said it was good), then it is impossible not to enjoy it. You need to be aware though that you have to work your bollox off to be able to enjoy it properly.

will i have enough time off to see the place like a tourist? probably not.......you'll be too busy working, going out and making the most out of your 3 hours sleep a night.

where will i go once the season is over? two options. Many workers go to all year round resorts like canary islands and then return to ibiza in the summer. alternatively you could decide to stay on the island and use your building skills to see if you can break into that field over there. Skills in this field are much sought after, especially in construction heavy areas like ibiza, you may have to start at the bottom but this option would give you a better chance of getting an annual job, permanent residence and opportunity to have a 'proper' career. when i move to ibiza in a couple of years time, during the winter i've already decided that should i need to, one of the best ways to earn some money and keep myself busy is by doing some basic labouring, grafting, etc. many people work 24/7 during the summer so that they have enough money to survive an unemployed winter
 
thanks for taking the time to reply, its helped me very much in making a decision!

Ibiza is brilliant. However, if this is something that you want to do on the long term and your friend has a house then Tenerife would be a better alternative for you as it is a year round resort and thus year round employment.
Ibiza is perfect for summer work but too short a season if you want permanent work (at least in the tourist industry).

the whole idea though is to escape to the place i love most. i suppose i'd be looking to work there the summer and move on to working somewhere else for the winter then returning in the summer. my hope is that i enjoy it so much, im happy to continue changing jobs for a few years and living life the way it should be.

****patronising advice alert***


At 21 you're not the MD just yet, you can pick up exactly where you left off in a years time if that's how it works out.



Work until late April/early May, putting as much cash as you can behind you and then get out there and see what happens.

Working the next year in your current career, will make no difference to where you are in 40 years and what you're earning now, at 21, isn't worth trying to save out of, so it's a no-brainer.

See you some time over the summer. Mine's a San Miguel:p

all advice welcomed mate! i suppsoe your right about my full time job. i am qualified and will have 2 years experience so i suppose that is an option (hope it doent come to that!)

i reckon i could get £3000 to take away with me, i was even thinking that could last me for the summer without working and leave getting a job til i move on for the winter season somewhere else. dont know if this would be advisable.

thank, san miguels on me (hopefully!) :D


and finally grego, you make some good points about living the life you cant in the uk, thats what its all about! i do however wonder why most people return to the uk. im hoping to keep on living the life and not have to return to a job i dont enjoy. also im intrigued at the thought of using my skills and actually living in ibiza through the winter. my mate who is coming over with me is an electrician which i suppose he could utilise to.

all in all thanks for the help, greatly appreciated and its nudged me one step further to going for it! :D
 
Looking at your qualifications I'd say there was no reason to restrict your job search in Ibiza just to bar work or whatever. There's an immense amount of construction work going on here for most of the year. Some of it's big new hotels and aprartment blocks, but far more people are involved in smaller scale projects from putting in kitchens to restoring villas. The advantage is that this is year-round work.

Don't forget, the season is very short and you've got to make a living the rest of the time. I know quite a few people who work on retainer during the summer fixing problems in apartment blocks in the summer and then repairing them in the spring before the start of the season. Having said that, they often hit a gap between November and March when there's very little work.

The biggest frustration most people find when they come here is that they don't have time to enjoy Ibiza when everybody's here on holiday. That's when you're working flat out to pay for the rest of the year. And the island can feel very quiet and claustrophobic through the winter especially if you're skint. Most places shut from October to May, although that does mean you're pretty much guaranteed to bump into people you know when you do go out. I love the winters here.

The other thing to remember is getting back to Scotland out of season is an expensive nightmare. There are no direct flights to anywhere outside Spain from October to April. Last time I went back to Edinburgh it cost me nearly £200 and took nine hours.

But then, who wants to be in Scotland in the winter? I've just got back from a walk on the beach feeling warm in t-shirt and jeans.
 
Hi, Earlier in the Forum, Nick talks of construction work. Can you advise if the English HGV licence is acceptable in Ibiza.? We have heard conflicting advice. Thanks, and oh if it is any jobs goin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:)
 
geezamenchie said:
i am 21 years old and have a reasonably good job

That was me this time last year, I gave it up and everyone thought I was mad. THE single best decision I have ever made! I'm going back to work this season as well.

Get yourself out there mate. 8)
 
Well folks, sorry to resurrect an old thread but I'm happy to say I'm finally ready to move to Ibiza. I decided not long after starting this thread to go on an adventure to Australia instead and have been there ever since, my job has given me great opportunities and I've just bought a place in Ibiza and will be over for good in the next few months. Never give up on your dreams :cool:
 
Well folks, sorry to resurrect an old thread but I'm happy to say I'm finally ready to move to Ibiza. I decided not long after starting this thread to go on an adventure to Australia instead and have been there ever since, my job has given me great opportunities and I've just bought a place in Ibiza and will be over for good in the next few months. Never give up on your dreams :cool:

Congratulations mate - it sounds like your really living the dream!
 
I'm in the exact same situation....I need to be in ibiza permanently it is where I belong! My worry is meeting people that also live there year round that are of a similar age to me....be cool to chat to you about your experience with making the move :)
 
Hi Jasmin, will keep this thread up to date with the move. Just finalising the apartment at the moment, heading over next week to sort things out. Can't wait to explore in winter, if you have any questions let me know!
 
I get so excited for anyone who says they are making the move where abouts are you going to be based?
 
Alright folks, looks like I'll be heading over on Monday for a week to finalise the apartment.

Hoping to start buying the basics, any suggestions on furniture shops? Places to buy a fridge and washing machine? Somewhere to buy all the bits and bobs you need under one roof?

Thinking it might be better to use Amazon for the little things.....

cheers
 
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