Cabinet Maker / Furniture Assembler

You cut, edge and drill melamine and MDF panels, then assemble them into wardrobes, kitchen units and shelving. A good part of the day is spent at the panel saw and edge bander, reading cut lists and checking dimensions with a tape and square. You fit hinges, drawer runners and handles, sand down rough edges and pack finished pieces for shipping. The site runs a single day shift, Monday to Friday, roughly 8am to 5pm, with the odd Saturday morning when orders pile up. Quality control is strict, so every door has to close flush and every joint has to sit tight.

At least two years on a furniture or carpentry bench

Comfortable with panel saw, edge bander and hand router

Can read a cut list and basic technical drawings

Steady with hinge boring and drawer hardware fitting

Careful with measurements, low tolerance for sloppy joints

Help with relocation and the paperwork to get you settled

Shared accommodation arranged near the workshop

Daily transport from the housing to the site

Subsidised lunch in the canteen

Paid overtime on the Saturday mornings

You start at 950 euros net a month. Once you show the foreman you can run the edge bander and assemble a full kitchen unit on your own, pay moves up to 1100 euros net. That step usually takes six to nine months, depending on how fast you pick up the machines.

The workshop is a mid-size production floor with good extraction and decent lighting, though it gets dusty and the saws are loud, so ear and eye protection are worn all day. Floors are kept clear and pallets move on trolleys, but you are on your feet and lifting panels for most of the shift. Paços de Ferreira is the furniture capital of Portugal, so there is plenty of work in the area if you settle in.