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Local Spain
14-05-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Do English speakers still have an advantage in Spain's labour market?
Knowing how to speak English well is a recognised advantage when trying to apply for a job in Spain, but is it enough to stand out still, or are there greater skills and even more linguistic abilities you must prove? Mónica Pérez, Director of Communications and Research at InfoJobs told El País that 'nowadays, languages remain an important competitive advantage in the Spanish labour market,' but she believes that in many sectors and positions, a strong grasp of the world's lingua franca no longer differentiates you from the rest of the candidates. According to Pérez, speaking English has become such an integral skill for Spaniards to have in the job market that unless you're applying for a position that needs a native English speaker with an international company, it may not really put you above everyone else. César Martínez, professor of Human Resources at Comillas Pontifical University claims that "achieving an intermediate level, equivalent to a B2, has become established as the minimum standard for maintaining a professional conversation," so many Spaniards may have this already. Apparently, many job agency professionals believe that now you have to speak a third language to have the edge over everyone else. "Speaking a third language can be a great advantage in certain markets. In short, the current labour market values multilingualism as part of a more complete and adaptable profile," Miguel Mercado, national director of Randstad Professional told El País. German, for example, continues to be highly valued for technical and industry-related fields according to the experts, while French is in high demand in services and international trade. In fact, German is one of the languages that generates the highest average salary in the job offers published on InfoJobs. There has also been growing demand in languages like Portuguese due to Brazil's importance in some sectors and Italian in fashion, design, and food industries. Languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and Japanese are also very helpful to get positions in companies that do business in Asia and the Middle East. All this would certainly suggest that English speakers are no longer viewed as something 'special' in Spain's job market anymore. Does this mean that speaking Spanish and English can't be the chief reason to get hired in Spain? According to the general manager of international education company Education First (EF) Spain, Niccolò del Monte, around 50,000 jobs in Spain remain unfilled due to a lack of English skills. He's also warned that English proficiency among young people in Spain has declined over the last ten years. In a recent study by the company, they also revealed that one-third of the jobs for professionals over 40 remain unfilled because the candidates lack sufficient English skills. This would indicate that around 90 percent of the job offers here require a high level of English and only around 33 percent of Spaniards have that. According to the study, Spaniards have a higher level of English than the French and the Italians, but worse than the Portuguese and the Germans. Del Monte also agreed though that lots of companies these days are asking for other languages as well as English. And PageGroup's managing director, José Castellanos, confirmed that ongoing training, such as learning and speaking several languages, "is essential" for advancing your career. So, if you're looking for employment in Spain and you already have English and Spanish skills, you may want to up your abilities even more and take on a third language to really put you on top. Nevertheless, your fluency in English may still be the chief reason why you land a particular position.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Edo Mapelli Mozzi's ex Dara Huang makes wry remark about her dating life after her former partner announces he's engaged to someone else
Dara Huang - the ex-fiancée of Princess Beatrice 's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi - has made a wry comment about her dating life following the news that she has split from her former partner. The 42-year-old Chinese American architect, who now lives in Chelsea, was previously dating London-based financier Filippos Kodellas de la Morena in 2020, the Daily Mail's Richard Eden revealed. However, it has since come to light that the pair went their separate ways because the investor last month announced he is engaged and set to tie the knot this summer with his new partner, Sofía Marti Marti, a businesswoman and dentist, according to Spanish magazine El Confidencial. Dara appears not to have taken the news too heavily and is back on London's dating scene, making a humorous comment to apparently confirm this. Taking to her Instagram Stories, Dara wrote, 'Just a small note for all you single ladies out there. 'Go to Mayfair on a Friday at around 5 pm because it's 99 per cent men flooding pubs'. She accompanied the comment with a photograph of a London pub brimming with punters enjoying a pint in the sunshine. It was first revealed that Dara was dating Filippos in 2020 - the same year that Beatrice and Edo tied the knot. Dara and Edo share a son, eight-year-old Wolfie, to whom Beatrice is now stepmother. The couple split in 2018, shortly before Beatrice and Edo's relationship came to light. Following their break-up, Dara found love once more with Filippos, the son of retired Greek diplomat Nasas Kodellas and a 'well-connected Spanish mother'. They were thought to have met through mutual friends after he moved to London, but chose to keep their relationship private. However, the relationship came to an end, and the investor announced his engagement to his new parter, Sofia. The couple will host their nuptials in Spain - with two wedding registries in Seville and Madrid. Filippos studied business administration and finance at Comillas Pontifical University, before moving to the UK. The bride-to-be, who is from Valencia, works in periodontics and is the founder of Babuins shoe brand. In January, Beatrice and Edo welcomed a baby girl, Athena, who was born several weeks prematurely. She is a younger sister to Sienna, three. Despite Edo going public with Beatrice very shortly after his split from Dara, the trio are on great terms, with the Harvard graduate often gushing about the royal. Recently, she said Wolfie 'has had two sets of parents trying to help him on both sides, adding 'the more, the merrier.' 'I feel lucky to have such positive people around him, who really embrace him – because it didn't have to be so easy,' she told Harper's Bazaar. Dara added: 'It's all about your point of view. I don't understand people who are divorced and then hold their children as collateral; that doesn't make any sense. 'It's about creating a happy home and lifestyle.' The respect is clearly mutual, as Wolfie was included in Buckingham Palace's official statement announcing news that Prince Andrew's daughter was expecting last year. Meanwhile Beatrice shuns the term 'stepmother' and calls herself a 'bonus mum' to Wolfie, calling it a 'great honour' to be in his life. Her own mother Sarah, Duchess of York, refers to Wolfie as a 'grandson'. This means Wolfie - who is the brother of the late Queen's great-grandchildren - lives a very luxurious lifestyle with his award-winning architect mother. Dara, who was born in Florida to Taiwanese parents, has worked for celebrities including Margot Robbie and was a head judge on Channel 4's 2023 show The Big Interiors Battle. Speaking in September to The Wick she said she feels 'really blessed' to live in London as it celebrates 'art, design, fashion, history, culture and also food'. She added that she considers herself 'global' and that she 'reads her diary every night, and 'couldn't live without her PA'. Her Instagram page shows regular getaways, including kid-friendly Disney cruises with Wolfie and her parents, as well as luxurious homes she's built, trips to spas, children's parties and gifts from Cartier. She also shares tips for buying art, and snaps of her upmarket west London home. Recent videos show her heading to beach days in the Hamptons, boat trips in Ibiza, as well as working holidays to Paris, Miami, Wisconsin and Dubai. The Harvard graduate spends most of her time building her new furniture brand, Dara Maison - which includes glam trips to Paris and the US. She became engaged to Edoardo in 2017 after the pair met in 2015. One year later, they had their son. But their relationship was short-lived and they parted ways in 2018, just weeks before rumours broke out that Edoardo and Princess Beatrice were in a relationship. When asked if it was love at first sight, she previously told Lifestyle Asia: 'He was the father of my child, and he left as quickly as he came, so I would say unfortunately it's not an instinct you can trust!' However, Edoardo is said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Dara. In recent years, Wolfie has joined the Royal Family at outings, such as the Princess of Wales's 2023 carol concert. He was pictured holding Beatrice's hand as they arrived at Westminster Abbey. Wolfie made his first official appearance with the family at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee pageant in 2022. He sat in between his father and stepmother, who refers to him as her 'bonus son', in the royal box outside Buckingham Palace. Dara's father emigrated from Taiwan to the US before he became a NASA rocket scientist. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida - where she grew up - and a masters in architecture from Harvard. She has spoken openly about being a child of immigrants on social media. In March 2022, she wrote on Instagram: 'What does an immigrant look like? My mother was an immigrant of war; leaving everything she had to flee to Taiwan. 'My father, was the only child of 7 who could afford to be educated. He immigrated to the USA on a full scholarship. 'After, he served the US government for 40 years at NASA (once part of the military) and pledged his allegiance to defend his new country. 'I am an immigrant of the United Kingdom. The values of working hard, appreciating opportunity, not taking things for granted and fighting for a better life were the values that I was taught led by the two best examples. We all received dual citizenship.' She continued: 'Immigration can be a wonderful thing; a contribution to society, a creation of new prosperity and the beginning of hope. Let's open our hearts and help those around us, at this time.' Dara established her own architecture and interior design company, Design Haus Liberty, in 2013 and later founded Vivahouse, which converts disused commercial properties into living spaces. She has worked on projects including the Tate Modern Museum in London and the Tribeca skyscraper in New York. Dara was granted British citizenship in January 2022 - she announced the news with a picture holding her new citizenship in front of a Union Flag and a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth. When her former fiancé and Beatrice announced their engagement, she told MailOnline: 'I wish the best for Edoardo and Beatrice and look forward to uniting our families.' In January 2020, a friend of the former couple told the Mail On Sunday they remain close, and that Dara still cuts Edo's hair and occasionally buys him clothes. Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie have made a number of public appearances of late - both attending the royal family's Easter service in Windsor and also spending time with teenage cancer patients during a visit to London's University Hospital.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's ex Dara Huang's split is confirmed as her former partner announces he's engaged to someone else
Dara Huang - the ex-fiancée of Princess Beatrice 's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi - has split from her partner. The Chinese-American architect, who now lives in Chelsea, was revealed by the Daily Mail's Richard Eden to be dating London-based financier Filippos Kodellas de la Morena in 2020 - the same year Beatrice and Edo tied the knot. Dara and Edo share a son, eight-year-old Wolfie, to whom Beatrice is now stepmother. The couple split in 2018, shortly before Beatrice and Edo's relationship came to light. Following their break-up, Dara, 42, found love once more with Filippos, the son of retired Greek diplomat Nasas Kodellas and a 'well-connected Spanish mother'. They were thought to have met through mutual friends after he moved to London, but chose to keep their relationship private. Last month, the investor announced he is engaged and set to tie the knot this summer with his new partner, Sofía Marti Marti, a businesswoman and dentist, according to Spanish magazine El Confidencial. The couple will host their nuptials in Spain - with two wedding registries in Seville and Madrid. Filippos studied business administration and finance at Comillas Pontifical University, before moving to the UK. The bride-to-be, who is from Valencia, works in periodontics and is the founder of Babuins shoe brand. In January, Beatrice and Edo welcomed a baby girl, Athena, who was born several weeks prematurely. She is a younger sister to Sienna, three. Despite Edo going public with Beatrice very shortly after his split from Dara, the trio are on great terms, with the Harvard graduate often gushing about the royal. Recently, she said Wolfie 'has had two sets of parents trying to help him on both sides, adding 'the more, the merrier.' 'I feel lucky to have such positive people around him, who really embrace him – because it didn't have to be so easy,' she told Harper's Bazaar. Dara added: 'It's all about your point of view. I don't understand people who are divorced and then hold their children as collateral; that doesn't make any sense. 'It's about creating a happy home and lifestyle.' The respect is clearly mutual, as Wolfie was included in Buckingham Palace's official statement announcing news that Prince Andrew's daughter was expecting last year. Meanwhile Beatrice shuns the term 'stepmother' and calls herself a 'bonus mum' to Wolfie, calling it a 'great honour' to be in his life. Her own mother Sarah, Duchess of York, refers to Wolfie as a 'grandson'. This means Wolfie - who is the brother of the late Queen's great-grandchildren - lives a very luxurious lifestyle with his award-winning architect mother. Dara, who was born in Florida to Taiwanese parents has worked for celebrities including Margot Robbie, was a head judge on Channel 4's 2023 show The Big Interiors Battle. Speaking in September to The Wick she said she feels 'really blessed' to live in London as it celebrates 'art, design, fashion, history, culture and also food'. She added that she considers herself 'global' and that she 'reads her diary every night, and 'couldn't live without her PA'. Her Instagram page shows regular getaways, including kid-friendly Disney cruises with Wolfie and her parents, as well as luxurious homes she's built, trips to spas, children's parties and gifts from Cartier. She also shares tips for buying art, and snaps of her upmarket west London home. Recent videos show her heading to beach days in the Hamptons, boat trips in Ibiza, as well as working holidays to Paris, Miami, Wisconsin and Dubai. The Harvard graduate spends most of her time building her new furniture brand, Dara Maison - which includes glam trips to Paris and the US. She became engaged to Edoardo in 2017 after the pair met in 2015. One year later, they had their son. But their relationship was short-lived and they parted ways in 2018, just weeks before rumours broke out that Edoardo and Princess Beatrice were in a relationship. When asked if it was love at first sight, she previously told Lifestyle Asia: 'He was the father of my child, and he left as quickly as he came, so I would say unfortunately it's not an instinct you can trust!' However, Edoardo is said to enjoy an amicable relationship with Dara. In recent years, Wolfie has joined the Royal Family at outings, such as the Princess of Wales's 2023 carol concert. He was pictured holding Beatrice's hand as they arrived at Westminster Abbey. Wolfie made his first official appearance with the family at the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee pageant in 2022. He sat in between his father and stepmother, who refers to him as her 'bonus son', in the royal box outside Buckingham Palace. Dara's father emigrated from Taiwan to the US before he became a NASA rocket scientist. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida - where she grew up - and a masters in architecture from Harvard. She has spoken openly about being a child of immigrants on social media. In March 2022, she wrote on Instagram: 'What does an immigrant look like? My mother was an immigrant of war; leaving everything she had to flee to Taiwan. 'My father, was the only child of 7 who could afford to be educated. He immigrated to the USA on a full scholarship. 'After, he served the US government for 40 years at NASA (once part of the military) and pledged his allegiance to defend his new country. 'I am an immigrant of the United Kingdom. The values of working hard, appreciating opportunity, not taking things for granted and fighting for a better life were the values that I was taught led by the two best examples. We all received dual citizenship.' She continued: 'Immigration can be a wonderful thing; a contribution to society, a creation of new prosperity and the beginning of hope. Let's open our hearts and help those around us, at this time.' Dara established her own architecture and interior design company, Design Haus Liberty, in 2013 and later founded Vivahouse, which converts disused commercial properties into living spaces. She has worked on projects including the Tate Modern Museum in London and the Tribeca skyscraper in New York. Dara was granted British citizenship in January 2022 - she announced the news with a picture holding her new citizenship in front of a Union Flag and a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth. When her former fiancé and Beatrice announced their engagement, she told MailOnline: 'I wish the best for Edoardo and Beatrice and look forward to uniting our families.' In January 2020, a friend of the former couple told the Mail On Sunday they remain close, and that Dara still cuts Edo's hair and occasionally buys him clothes. Princess Beatrice and her sister Eugenie have made a number of public appearances of late - both attending the royal family's Easter service in Windsor, and also spending time with teenage cancer patients during a visit to London's University Hospital.
