Arranging to take off from work to spend a few weeks in Ibiza might be hard but once you get there and fall in lust, leaving is even harder. So you can either fly back home, get back to work, and mope around for a few days, or you can find a job on the White Isle and extend your stay, which seems to be a popular alternative.
Of course, you’re not the only one looking for work on the isle and finding a job in a competitive market can be very challenging. Perhaps most difficult, though, is simply knowing what’s out there. It’s a very personal mission to ask around, make connections, and keep yourself informed but here’s a guide to several Ibiza employment options to help you along the way.
Bartender – Ibiza has a ton of bars. Of course they all need bartenders! But keep in mind that bartending is a popular first stop for other job-hunters, too. Bartending positions can be competitive so don’t be shy when searching for employment – ask for applications everywhere. Once you do get the job, you’ll realize it’s not as easy as it looks, either. As a bartender, you’ll need to work quickly and be confident, outgoing, and enthusiastic (even during those painfully late shifts). At the same time, though, you’ll get to work in friendly environments, meet a lot of people, make around €350 a week, and get great tips – which is where most of your salary will be coming from.
Waitress – If you don’t mind being on your feet all day, waitressing can be a very enjoyable experience – you get free meals and meet a lot of people on the job – but it also requires organization, courteousness, strong smiling muscles, and of course . . . balance! Usual pay is approximately €5.50 per hour and work hours can run up to ten hours, six days a week. Waitressing, like bartending, is a popular target employment so make sure to apply to at least several restaurants and not let rejection get to you.
Public Relations – Another option for people with good interpersonal skills is PR. PR representatives work for a specific club or bar and promote by handing out fliers and talking to customers. Long hours can sometimes be tiring since you’re on your feet but you get free club passes and drinks – when you’re not busy working, that is. Pay is usually around €160-€300 a week and you didn’t hear it from us, but some say it’s better to lie about how inexperienced you are if you’re new to the job.
Driver –DJs always need to be chauffeured to and from hotels, clubs, and airports and you could be the one making a business out of it (usually about €30 per ride). The one attribute vital for employment as a driver is consistent reliability. Drivers are often required to work early mornings or late nights. One former chauffeur reminds, “you don’t finish till the club does”. On the plus side, though, you do get to spend a lot of intimate time with talented DJs and musicians.
Dancer – Dancers are usually hired to promote clubs by dancing at parties and in parades. The job is no doubt a fun one but it takes a lot of physical endurance – sometimes at difficult hours – and pay is usually around €50-€70 a shift. A warning to aspiring dancers: clubbers can often be very sleazy and try to grind and grab at dancers so make sure that’s something you can handle. A positive tip, though: if you get a job at Manumission, take it. Once experienced club dancer calls it “the ultimate prestige job for an Ibiza dancer”.
Record Plugger – Record pluggers deliver new music to bars and clubs and collect and document DJ reactions. You get paid per record (usually around €50) and in commissions so in order to make money, you really have to find a lot of work. But if you do, you get to meet a lot of celebrity DJs and listen to cool, new music. To become a record plugger, you really just need to be in the right place at the right time. You can start by asking around and talking to everyone and anyone, though. That usually gets you half way there.
Photographer – For the more artistically inclined, photography is a great employment – you get free admission to events, usually work two to four-hour shifts, and can make €350-€450 a week. But it’s not the easiest pay to make. You only get paid if your photos sell so hard work and good promotional and entrepreneurial skills are a must.
Podcaster – Writing and producing podcasts can be a good steady job once a bar or club agrees to sponsor your show but pitching your idea can be a tough process and like many other jobs on the island, requires a lot of persistence and confidence. Podcasters need to do a lot of research – which can be as social as sitting in the DJ box or as lonely as surfing the web – and make about €100 per show. If you like researching, work well on your own, and want to manage your own hours, podcasting might be worth looking into.
Freelance Writer – Freelance writers can write for magazines, websites, newspaper, and really any other type of media but like podcasters, have to be persistent in searching for work. Freelance writers should also possess good journalism skills – that means knowing what people are going to want to hear and how to get information about it. As a freelance writer, you make your own schedule, get paid per piece, and can make the job as social or anti-social as you wish. Freelance writing, podcasting, and photography are alike in that they are good options for creative people who can manage their time well and don’t need the security of a steady paycheck.
Not every job is right for everyone but if you’re outgoing, confident, and like to be around a party-heavy culture (and why else would you be in Ibiza) you’re bound to find something. Read more about working on Ibiza at Ibiza-voice.com.
Happy hunting!
