B2 – Upper intermediate
Having one’s own business used to be something people did post-retirement. But with the long-drawn out unemployment crisis in Spain, it has become the only option left for many. The real issue however, is how to convert these people ‘s talents and skills into a regular source of income.
Watch the video and find out if self-employment is the key to the unemployment problem in Spain.
Discuss:
1. What do you think of self-employment as a source of income? Would you consider it yourself?
2. Do you think the Spanish government is doing enough to support self-employed individuals?
3. What qualities should a self-employed individual have in order to succeed?
4. What are the pros and cons of being self-employed?
3 replies on “Spaniards Resort to Self-employment”
1. What do you think of self-employment as a source of income? Would you consider it yourself? I think self employment can be a great way to develop your career and to really feel happy doing what you like but talking about incomes, you need to have the money to invest and no one assures you you will earn enough money to live.
I love my job and I would not be brave to leave it in order to start on a new job on my own.
2. Do you think the Spanish government is doing enough to support self-employed individuals? According to what I hear from people working on their own, no, they are not doing enough. Taxes are really high and as a guy said on the video, government knows it is nice to hear they are helping but they are not really doing it.
3. What qualities should a self-employed individual have in order to succeed? First of all, he or she has to be brave enough to leave their old job. Of course, they have to be imaginative and have good ideas. Also, they need to know about finances in order to manage their own business.
4. What are the pros and cons of being self-employed? The main pro I see is that you are your own boss, you can choose your timetables and you can work in something you really like but there are also very important cons as having a lot of responsibility to make sure you can pay your employees if you have any or be very creative so you do something new that people will be interested in.
You are doing well in expressing yourself through writing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts about self-employment.
You can break up these two sentences instead of compounding into one and use the proper transition words:
Keep up the good work in your writing practice!
I work in this way for 25 years ago in the afternoon in my office as psiqyatrist. In the morning i work in a hospital of the Public Health Service, so we known the pros and cons.
In my experience is more interesting work in my office, I can organize the timetable according the needs of my patients. In the morning the administration set up my agenda and always I have to threat more than I can do it well.
In the Public Health Service I have the security of reciving a salary per month. As private psychiatrist I have to look for the patients to pay the offices´rent and get enough income.
As private psychiatrist you live almost always with risks, anxiety and afraid, but on the other hand the results with the cure of the patients are more rewardings.
In general you ear more money but you have more outlays.
I Don´t known any support from the govermment which help the self employment.