Summer 2010 will be my tenth summer season in Mallorca so I thought I would give you the benefit of my experience on how to find and job and somewhere to live out here in Mallorca.

Summer 2010 will be our 4 summer season for The Travel Buddy. We have built ourselves a reputation as being a friend to workers out here in Magalluf. We are more than happy to give you advice on places to work, places to live, contacts; we even have a phone where you can phone home to mum and dad for free to tell them you are still alive! Workers out here stick together, we are all here to have a great life and enjoy the summer.

I receive loads of emails and messages on The Travel Buddy Mallorca Facebook about how to get a job out here in Magalluf and Palmanova. So last summer I created the Magalluf Job Centre group on Facebook and also the Magalluf Workers Accommodation Finder group. These groups are places where you can see fellow workers wanting to come out for the summer to work and find somewhere to live. Whenever we see any jobs or apartments available, we put the information on these groups so you can see it, whether you are in the UK or here already in Mallorca. When you do finally take the plunge and fly out here, we also have a jobs board in our shop where you can see what jobs there are, we also have a board for workers looking for accommodation.

The main reason for the accommodation board and Facebook group is because most workers apartments out here are priced for four people. If you come out to Magalluf on your own, you won’t be able to afford one of these apartments yourselves (normally 400e a week) but if there is you and three others then you can (100e per person) but obviously you won’t know anyone on your first day here in Mallorca!

Timing – Bars in Magalluf start to do their cleaning and painting in April time (around Easter time). Mallorca, especially Magalluf and Palmanova get busy around Easter time and then it drops off until May 1st, the official start of the summer, however most bars and restaurants stay open in that time, often making a bit of a loss for those last 2 weeks of April, but they stay open so they can hold onto their staff. In other words don’t come out in March as you will be too early, come out in May and you could be too late…

Accommodation – I would always recommend that you book 5 days / a week at some hotel or apartment complex. This means you can fly out, check into your room and then leave you cases and head out and find a job and long term accommodation. Last year it was the accommodation that was the problem. Lots of jobs but nowhere to stay. This might be happening again this year. We sell hotel rooms and apartments (remember 4 of you can stay in a 1 bedroom apartment), and in fact last year we had some people that stayed in a hotel for 2 months as it was cheaper than renting a long term apartment. Send me a message on Facebook or email before you fly out and we’ll try and get you somewhere cheap.

There are apartments for long term rent in Magalluf and Palmanova, as well as some apartments a bit further a field such as Son Caliu, El Toro, Son Ferrer etc.

The apartments in Magalluf tend to be a bit old fashioned and run down but unfortunately it’s the supply and demand thing. Landlords tend to ask for 2 months deposit for these apartments as experience has taught them that some workers don’t pay their rent and just do a runner. So if you are coming out, you need to have some money in your pocket. Last year apartments tended to be 100 euros a week per person, but don’t forget a lot of apartments will have 4 people in so you might be fighting over the bathroom in the morning…

How to find these apartments? Back in the day you had to just walk round looking up at balconies and asking randoms. Now with the internet and Facebook it can be a lot easier. Magalluf Workers Accommodation Finder as a group on Facebook will help and also Magalluf Job Centre where people are putting on their details so you can hook up. There is also one called Magalluf Workers. If you haven’t already, add us (The Travel Buddy) as a friend on Facebook where we send out details of jobs and deals we have on cheap hotels etc.

I think you need to have some money in your pocket when you come out. You will need to pay for a months deposit minimum (400e), eat and drink for a week just in case you don’t get a job straight away (150e) and don’t forget some emergency money just in case you can’t get a job and need to fly back. Just to give you a reality check – in June we had 2 couples who flew out from the UK and flew back to the UK on the same day as they couldn’t find work!!

Reality – It is hard out here, especially if it’s your first time overseas. Jobs don’t pay particully well as there are always plenty of people wanting jobs, if you’re not good enough or if you turn up late one day, then you’re outta here, there’s someone waiting behind you to fill your shoes ( flip-flops). So the pay’s not good, its long hours, everyone is on holiday and you’re just starting a 10hr

shift with no break, so why do hundred’s of people do it year after year? Because you are in the sun, because everyone is happy because they are on holiday, because you get free / cheaper drinks coz you’re a worker, because on your day off you can go scuba diving, waterparks, sunbathing, beach, 24hr bars. Can you do that in the UK?

If you have any questions, put them on the Facebook group and someone will give you an honest answer.

Good luck

Chris