Young Spaniards, Ain't Like Us.
Stability. Or, “stabilidad.” That is one of the words we’ve heard the most during our past four weeks here in wonderful Madrid. Hardly any of the American young people we talked to, whether students or young professionals, ever mentioned the word. But stability certainly makes it to the very top of the Spanish hitlist.
We interviewed many Spaniards who said they had parents who were civil servants, and many more who aspired to similar positions. Why? Stability. Working as a civil servant in Spain, called “funcionario” means employment for life. In other words, they can never be fired (Americans: gasp in unison). In a job market that many still describe as volatile, despite the economic surge of the past decade, finding definite job security is a big plus. What is more, many interviewees explain that the schedule of the civil servant is preferable to the otherwise very long Spanish workday. The average funcionario works from 8.30-2.30 pm, while the workday in the private sector often goes from 9-8 pm. The long day is a result of the siesta tradition that sets aside two hours in the afternoon for “lunch.” The problem is, many say, that as people commute farther and farther to their offices, and employers increasingly demand more, the siesta is rapidly being swallowed up by a quick meal and a return to the desk. As a result, many describe a work environment in the private sector that entails exceedingly long hours as well as job insecurity. No wonder employment for life while leaving your desk promptly at 2.30 sounds enticing.
"We're just not that competitive."
But what about advancing? the American in me moans. Becoming a civil servant also entails staying in a pretty stable position, meaning there’s not a lot of promotion in sight. Don’t these people want to become millionaires? Don’t they want three cars and a mansion and
prestige? Raised on capitalist values where success is largely measured in the size of your paycheck, I find myself struggling to understand. One Spaniard (a Business major no less!) recently told us, “We’re just not that competitive.” And perhaps that makes sense too. In America, you have to work like a maniac to remain in the middle class, and then you strive even more to make it to that coveted upper-middle-class. In Spain, the average standard of living is high enough that you don’t have to fight as much to get by. Floating somewhere in the middle seems just fine.
But maybe, just maybe, they’re on to something. To these young Spaniards, working doesn’t mean living. Living is what happens when you
stop working. In the past month we’ve experienced how social Spain really is. And let me tell you, it’s exhausting. After work there's always a drink to be had, dinner to be eaten (as the clock nears 11 pm), people to talk to and talk to and talk to. This is, above all, a hang-out culture. Spaniards truly value their personal time. And, they don’t seem as willing as to give it up as Americans are. America is a culture where work is glorified above everything. In Spain, sipping on some vino tinto and munching on a tapa wins over the computer screen any day.
Unusually unentrepreneurial?
Then again, there may be another reason behind the quest for stability. We interviewed a brilliant young entrepreneur yesterday who lamented the lack of industriousness among the young in Spain today. If you can live off the state, why not? If you can take it a little easier, good for you! But this young man, who already has two successful start-ups under his belt, thinks differently. He believes Spaniards are unusually unentrepreneurial due to the cultural heritage of Franco, when non-state-owned companies were virtually non-existent. To him, the greatest challenge Spain currently faces is leaving behind the desire for stability in favor of a more daring, more competitive and more entrepreneurial generation of young people. Is such change on the horizon?
Mañana, mañana…
- Astri
