Job Discussion Forums

[MattyO]

greetings everyone. I am moving to Madrid from San Francisco at the end of April and was hoping to begin lining up some living and/or working arrangements from here.

I know this may not be the best place to look for roommates/apartments, but I thought some of the more experienced readers of this forum might be able to at least point me in the right direction.
Or, maybe one of you know of a great room available???
How about a hostel? Is that my best bet, upon arrival, while I pound the pavement, looking for a place?

I do not really speak Spanish (that's why I'm moving there) but I've got Irish citizenship and 1.5 yrs experience teaching English in Tokyo. I've read how hard work can be to find in the summer months...
How about working in restaurants/bars? that's probably unrealistic, figuring my lack of language skills, right?

any advice is appreciated. I know 2 people in Madrid and I'm getting a little nervous. I can't wait to get there though!

thanks!

Matt

[Meg4]

It's pretty difficult to line up working/ living arrangements from outside of Spain. It's best to stay in a hostel temporarily when you arrive and then start looking for a place. You can look for apartments in the Segundamano newspaper www.segundamano.es or another website to check out is http://madrid.loquo.com The problem is that the advertisements are in Spanish and you'll need to speak Spanish (or find someone to help you) when you call about the places. But, it's usually not too difficult to find a room.

I don't really know anything about working in restaurants/bars here, but you could always try working in an Irish pub if your Spanish isn't great. And, since you have an EU passport it should be easier for you to find teaching hours than it is for other Americans; although it is true that the end of April probably isn't the best time to start looking. If you can't find anything you can always try private teaching/tutoring. There are ususally a bunch of children/teenagers who fail their English classes at school and whose parents want them to take extra lessons in the summer. Just hang up some signs in your neighborhood offering English classes and you should get some calls.

Good luck!

[grahamb]

Such is the staff turnover that you shouldn't have much difficulty finding a job teaching English. Copy the language academy section of the Yellow Pages, print out a couple of dozen copies of your CV (resume), put on a pair of good shoes and go boldly forth.
If you specifically want to each American English, try Berlitz and Wall Street first.
Ask about free Spanish classes when you visit prospective employers.
Regarding accommodation, you'll often find offers on language school noticeboards.
Do you have any EFL qualifications? If not, I strongly recommend that you consider doing a CELTA course.

[MattyO]

I dont have any EFL qualifications. I was thinking of taking a course. Obviously, it would help me get work, but I kinda wanted to just get started and see if I can support myself without one.

is it feasible to take some kind of course while I'm there, working part time?

thanks

Matt

[grahamb]

It can be done part-time, but I don't know which course providers offer that option. Try International House: www.ihworld.com

[Spainish]

Hey Matty0,

To my knowledge, most TEFL/CELTA courses take place in the morning and early afternoon leaving you evenings to teach/study (at least that was how mine was setup).

Though pretty much all academies to my knowledge require some form of ESL certificate, you can still find your own private classes and clients without them. Granted, people will still expect you to have some form of experience, so some fibbing may be required. I don't condone this, but I've had friends skip the whole TEFL scene and do alright. Of course you won�t have the "job security" and help finding clients as you will with academies, but you could end up making more money than you would with them.

It all depends on you. If you are the type to get up in the morning and post or hand out flyers in key parts of the city until your schedule is full, then you will have no trouble. If you prefer to go out at night, wake up a bit late and let the academies do the job hunting for you.... a certificate would be your destiny!

Spainish

[grahamb]

Yes, in theory you do have the evenings free, but you'll find yourself busy with lesson plans and assignments. I suggest you put teaching on hold - the CELTA is intensive.