From Gran Canaria to the North of Sweden
”EURES helped me with everything I needed to apply for the job; they have followed every step I took.” This is how Adonis from Spain managed to get a job in Sweden with the help of EURES.
The Spaniard Adonis Pino Sánchez works in the tourism business, in the summers on the Swedish island of Öland and at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi during the winters. At the age of 26, he left his homeland of Cuba and found a job in Gran Canaria, Spain. As an EU citizen, he was later able to move to Sweden. Here is his EURES story.
How did you learn about EURES and the opportunity to work in Europe?
– I learned about EURES through the website of the employment agency on the Canary Islands, and it seemed to be a very good opportunity to continue growing professionally and personally.
Can you tell a bit about why you decided to apply for a job in Sweden and how you got here?
– I have always had an interest in getting to know the Scandinavian countries. I saw a job advertisement for a position at Ekerum Resort on the EURES-portal, then I contacted EURES-advisor Daniel Bellon in the Canary Islands, and later I got in touch with Banna Thioubou at Eures at Arbetsförmedlingen in Sweden. They helped me with everything I needed to apply for the job; they have followed every step I took, and I am very grateful for their support and help. Now, I have been working as a bartender and head waiter on Öland for a couple of years, and I also work as a head waiter at the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi during the winters.
Can you tell us about how the process of moving here has been? What support have you received?
– The process was quite simple; the EURES-advisor Daniel from the Canary Islands gave me all the necessary instructions, and then I also received assistance from EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme, which covered a large part of the moving costs.
What has been the most challenging part of working here?
– Learning the Swedish language has been the major challenge for me. I love languages, but Swedish is very difficult, says Adonis, laughing. But I have decided to overcome it.
I must say, I will always be grateful to EURES; I discovered the service at a very important time, and coming here has been the most significant and best experience of my life.