Job Discussion Forums

[destiny's tot]

Hi!

I'm new here. I'd be very grateful if anyone could share any insight into prospects in Valencia for an experienced teacher. My wife and I are looking at moving out there this summer.

We're not counting on her being able to work (she's recently become seriously ill) but we have some savings. All advice (renting a flat, living costs) gratefully received.

I know Murcia and Barcelona from having worked in those cities but my knowledge of them is way out of date now. I speak fluent Spanish, have a TEFL qualification, a PGCE and about eight years of EFL experience in Mexico, Spain (Murcia - '86 to '91), UK and Germany (plus another eight years teaching Modern Foreign Languages in UK secondary schools and a year teaching in Further Education). I am also an experienced jazz musician and am hopeful that I'll find opportunities to earn from playing in bars.

I loved Murcia but don't want to go over old ground and I remember Barcelona as being great for cultural visits but simply too big and expensive a place to live. Valencia is very appealing because of its location by the sea and a its jazz scene.

I'm especially keen to hear about Berlitz as I've done their proprietary training and taught their general and business courses in Germany: only two teachers out of about fifteen were on contracts (I was one of those lucky ones).

Thanks for reading this and hope to hear from anyone who can help!

[El_Che]

as an experienced teacher with qualifications, you should have no problems finding teaching work in Valencia. the demand outstrips the supply. living in the city will be an added bonus, as many companies prefer to have teachers whom they can rely on, not those who will only spend a short time in the city. the going hourly teaching rate is anything from 10-15 euros, on average.

i would suggest that you make personal visits to teaching schools (armed with your CV). addresses can be found on the paginasamarillas.es website. of course, you will also need an NIE number and a 'numero de seguiridad social'.

with regards to earning as a jazz musician, that may be a little harder (or at least not very well paid). having said that, there is a small jazz scene in Valencia, so opportunities will no doubt arise.

in terms of property prices, these have increased dramatically. bargains can still be found, but more often than not, these will need to be reformed. for a 2-3 bedroom flat, you should expect to pay anything from a 150k euros upwards. as with any city, the more central the flat, the more you pay. since Valencia is a relatively small city, and well served by public transport (both metro and bus), it's no hardship to look on the outskirts of the city for property. in someways, these locations are better, because the city centre can get very noisy. for rent, expect to pay 450 euros a month upwards, for a 2-3 bedroom appartment.

i've relocated from the UK to Valencia, and have been here for 18 months. if you have any questions which you feel i may be able to answer, please feel free to PM me!

Good Luck.