Working in Crete. Jobs in Crete

Thinking of working in Crete or living on a Greek Island?
If you are coming to look for work and a job in Crete or Greece you'll find that the main work opportunities are seasonal or part time. A number of summer jobs are generally available between April/May to September/October.
The main areas of work in Crete and other Greek Islands for non Greeks are in tourism related businesses during the summer months.
Year-round jobs in Greece and Crete are much more elusive year-round job opportunities have always been very limited, even for locals and fluent Greek speakers.

The majority of jobs in Crete and other Greek Islands are only seasonal or part time, and low paid.... fine to keep a single person ticking over but pretty much impossible to support a family on year-round without a back-up fund.

Here are some ideas on where and how travellers and residents can find summer jobs in Crete, as well as information on professional qualifications and teaching English in Crete.

Holiday Companies / Tour Operators

British (and other nationalities) holiday companies generally take on overseas staff for working in Crete and other Greek Islands from their home country. They usually advertise, on their websites, for overseas reps and admin staff for seasonal positions in October /November for the following summer, although some companies still advertise vacancies in February, March and even later.

Occasionally part time staff are also employed locally in Crete, e.g. transfer reps.

Hotels, Catering, Bars & Shops

There are seasonal jobs to found in Crete hotels, bars, cafés, tavernas and shops.

Many North Europeans book a two week holiday at the beginning of the season and start searching the bar, café & taverna windows for ‘staff wanted’ notices. Chat to local bar and taverna owners, make connections, and they will very likely point you in the direction of places looking for staff. In the busy resorts this is the norm and hundreds of young people turn up in Crete at the start of each season to job hunt on the spot.

Hotels advertise vacancies via their websites, Facebook pages and in the local Greek papers... e.g. Haniotika Nea’ in Chania, ‘Patris’ in Heraklion and East Crete, and ‘Nea Kriti’ for Crete in general. Jobs are mostly advertised in Greek, with the occasional English advert.

For jobs in the main towns you will usually need to speak some Greek, but non-Greek speakers can usually find work in the tourist areas.

There are a number of property maintenance and management companies who take responsibility for the running and maintenance of holiday villas. There are occasional opportunities for plumbers, electricians, general handymen, gardeners, cleaners and pool cleaners, usually on a casual basis only. An internet search will provide you with details of companies.

The Greek property boom slowed down after 2011 as the Greek economy dived and mortgage lenders pulled back. Estate agents and property developers have been hard hit ten years ago they were employing teams of sales staff, whereas now many have reduced staffing levels to a minimum. There are still occasional vacancies so you may get lucky, but jobs are usually on a commission only basis.A web search for Crete property will bring up a host of local property companies & estate agents for you to contact.

Regulated professions and recognition of qualifications

Qualified professionals wishing to obtain recognition within the EU should seek advice in Greece from the following Ministry:

Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs Directorate for European Union Affairs

37, Andrea Papandreou Street, Marousi, Athens

Tel: +30 210 344 2000

Website: www.ypepth.gr

The contact point should be able to tell you whether the profession you wish to pursue is regulated in Greece and the authority which deals with the recognition of qualifications.

Note that you may well need proficiency in the Greek language for your profession in Greece and recognition of qualifications may be subject to Greek language skills.

For further help with getting qualifications recognised and translated go to any KEP Centre (citizens service centre) or a lawyer.

In Crete there are literally hundreds of "frontistiria" (private language schools) and so there is some demand for native English speakers to teach English. Many Greek school children attend a private language school in Crete, which operate after school hours. Some native English speakers work teaching English either in frontistiria or by giving private English lessons to pupils. Frontistiria are open during the school year, September to June, and usually close for 2/3 months in the summer.

EU Nationals are officially required to hold a university degree to open or teach in a 'frontistiro' language school, also all non-Greek nationals teaching English in Greece should obtain a teaching licence (some degree of fluency in Greek is required for this test)however some language schools in Crete may employ native English speakers who do not hold a degree or teaching licence.

A TEFL or TESOL certificate is useful and can greatly improve your chances of employment. Also, perhaps more importantly, you will learn how to teach English as a foreign language... which will include brushing up on your English grammar (can you distinguish the present perfect simple tense from the present perfect continuous?). Much of the ESL teaching in Greece is very heavily grammar-based as the aim is for students to acquire qualifications in the Cambridge ESOL or Michigan exams. TEFL / TESOL courses can be taken online as well as at many centres throughout the world.

Non-EU Nationals are required to obtain a work permit in advance, which must be sponsored by an employer, before applying for a teaching permit.

Information on Teachers' Certificates / Permits can be obtained from :

General Education Directorate

Ministry of Education

15 Mitropoleos Street

Athens 105 57

Tel: 210 323 0461, 210 323 0862-4

Finding a teaching job in Crete

Contact PALSO (Panhellenic Association of Language School Owners) and submit your CV by email, or post on the notice board at your local PALSO office.

Click here for PALSO FAQ for Teachers

PALSO Chania

Partheniou Kelaidi 72T

el. (0030) 28210 92622

Email: info@palso-chania.gr

PALSO Heraklion

Demokratias St.

Tel. (0030) 2810 322002

Local newspapers in Crete, such as the Haniotika Nea in Chania and Patris in Heraklion, also advertise vacancies for unfilled language teaching posts in frontistiria, particularly towards the end of August and during September. Pay is generally around 8 to 10 Euros an hour at the language schools, usually plus IKA National Insurance.

Private Lessons

Private lessons are more lucrative and English teachers can earn between €10 and €15 + an hour, although competition is fierce and in these challenging economic times many teachers are lowering their fees in order to make lessons more affordable for parents. Many established frontistirio teachers find that they are in demand to supply additional private home lessons to their language school students, and to others via word of mouth amongst parents. There are occasionally classified ads in local newspapers from those seeking a private English teacher. You could also insert an ad in the local newspapers offering your skills. However, this is generally not the most successful route as locally many people rely on personal recommendations.

In the winter months, usually between November and February, the olives and oranges are harvested. Many local farmers take on workers to help harvest their fruit, but there is a stiff competition for this type of work from migrant workers from Eastern Europe and wages are low. If you are living or staying in a village, ask the locals at the cafeneon if there are any jobs going.

- Check the Living in Crete Forum Jobs Message Board for current job vacancies in Crete

- The website www.jobincrete.com also lists current vacancies

- Read Summer Jobs in the Greek Islands article for more ideas and information on pay and working conditions.

- Many jobs are advertised by word of mouth throughout the community. Ask around and tell friends and neighbours that you are looking for work.

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