An increasing number of younger people are now moving to Spain, following in the footsteps of ex-pat pensioners who started the trend more than 30 years ago.

A combination of low cost flights, a barrage of "home in the sun" TV programs and general disillusionment with life in northern European countries is now bringing a new wave of work-age foreigners to the Iberian Peninsula and Spanish islands.

The lucky few secure full time employment in advance of their arrival in Spain. But the vast majority pitch up with a van load of their worldly goods, enough savings to tide them over for a few months and high hopes of finding work and a better life. Most discover the hard way that finding any kind of work (never mind interesting, well paid work) is far tougher than they imagined.

Generally speaking, wages are far lower in Spain compared with the UK and most other countries in northern Europe. And the competition to secure even the lowest-paid, most menial jobs can be fierce due to the burgeoning problem of illegal immigrants prepared to work for poor pay in bad conditions.

You're off to a good start if you're an EU citizen because you can work in Spain without a work permit and without having to apply for "residencia". Plenty of young Americans and Australians find their hopes of teaching English as a foreign language in Spain are dashed by intense competition from young Brits who don't have to overcome the same bureaucratic hurdles.

If you have no particular job prospects in mind, it's well worth getting a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course under your belt as there's a huge demand for English teachers in language schools and from private industry and individuals in Spain.

Obviously mastering Spanish will broaden your job prospects considerably. And if you can speak some German as well you'll have a good chance of finding work in estate agencies, travel companies and offices in areas popular with foreign tourists and ex-pat home owners.

If you're language skills are limited or non-existent you'll have the best chance of finding work in an area dominated by your fellow countrymen. Many Brits living in Spain prefer to rely on British trades people (mechanics, plumbers, builders etc) even though they often charge more than their Spanish counterparts. So do some thorough research on the area you intend to move to and if you plan to set up your own business targeting ex-pats try to identify a niche market. The most popular costas are saturated with British bars all more or less supplying the same thing and many of them go bust a few months after opening. So try to come up with a product or service that the local ex-pat community wants but isn't getting at the moment.

Setting up your own business can be a bureaucratic nightmare so make sure you hire a good local "gestor" or "asesor" to guide you through the quagmire. These people are experts in steering ordinary mortals (Spaniards and foreigners alike) through Spain's famously challenging obstacle course of rules, regulations and legal landmines.

Construction continues unabated along many of the costas so there's usually plenty of work in the building industry for fit young men (with contracts and social security cover provided by the bigger, reputable firms).

And if you're young, presentable and hard-working you shouldn't have any trouble finding seasonal work in the bars and restaurants which line the beachfront promenades of much of coastal Spain.