Job Discussion Forums

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Anyone else applied? My brother just sent off his application and should find out in April. fingers crossed he'll get it, so I have an excuse to visit! From waht I've heard they have more places than applicants.

littlelauren86 · Joined: 20 Sep 2011 Posts: 94 Location: Korea

Is that the language assistant program thing? Yea, I applied for it too. I'm really looking to go to Colombia, but I decided to ship off an application just to see if there are options.

I've been watching them, and it appears that some people all over Spain are having difficulties getting paid. Hundreds of folks haven't been paid for months.

http://vimeo.com/34014213

Grimace420 · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 88 Location: Madriz

From what I understand, it's just Catalu�a that's taking a particularly long time to pay people this year, so I wouldn't be worried about it. In Madrid we always got paid on time.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

hm, thanks. will pass the ibfo on.

littlelauren86 · Joined: 20 Sep 2011 Posts: 94 Location: Korea

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Grimace420 · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 88 Location: Madriz

That's why you don't come to Spain broke to start in these programs. I worked and saved every cent I could for a nearly a full year before coming over.

When I first worked as a language assistant in a high school in 2007 I got paid 631 euros per month (in Madrid that's absolute dirt) and as I remember it I didn't get any money for 2 months due to some problem with their system. So I was glad I had reserves and private classes.

Plus, stories of people working and not getting paid are pretty common in Spain. It's just surprising that a government department hasn't paid. It's probably just bad organization rather than a lack of money.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Grimace420 · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 88 Location: Madriz

There are just different programs that pay different amounts and I think the year I got 631 euros was the last year they paid so little. As a rule they pay people on time, but have a plan B. The country is pretty financially screwed, but the government still has money for now.

The main program in Madrid that most language assistants from North America enter is the one in bilingual schools which pays 1000 euros (used to be 1045 but you had to get a tax refund to claim all of it, so it was annoying). I also worked in that one for two years and they paid us on time from the very first month.

Regarding people leaving -- yeah, that's pretty common. Not because of money really, but because the conditions can be a bit frustrating depending on your school and the teachers you have to work with. The directors of the program asked us at one meeting how to get people to stop abandoning it midway through the year.

uspech · Joined: 25 Nov 2010 Posts: 15

can someone link me to the proper place to apply?
I tried to navigate the site recently. I set up an account, but from there I couldn't find the proper route to actually apply.
I have just emailed a cv to my contact at the embassy here in DC, but I'm not sure if that was the best way to go about it.
Any help appreciated.

uspech · Joined: 25 Nov 2010 Posts: 15

nevermind. found it...

in that case, for anyone interested, here are the instructions on how to register,etc:

http://www.educacion.gob.es/dctm/ministerio/educacion/actividad-internacional/consejerias/e.e.u.u./auxiliaresusa/annexa.pdf?documentId=0901e72b8101ef38

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Maybe I shouldn't have told my brother. He says he's now rethinking going to Spain because of the pay issues. Sigh, there goes my excuse to visit Europe.

Grimace420 · Joined: 24 Sep 2011 Posts: 88 Location: Madriz

That's a shame. I still imagine the vast majority of language assistants in Spain get paid on time and when they don't it's because the public administration and people in charge of the program are just unorganized, but not broke (yet). Generally people being paid by the central or local governments don't get screwed over by anyone, which is more than can be said for people working in private sectors.

However, my advice stands to come here with a decent emergency fund (2000 euros at least) or at the very least get someone to agree to transfer you money quickly in case of any problems. Then once you figure out what stuff costs and you get paid by your school, you can relax and make that your entertainment money. After all, if you're only going to be in Spain once in your young adult life you might as well have the most fun you can rather than living a meager existence in a shitty apartment and not getting to know the country and the rest of Europe.