Job Discussion Forums

[spiral78]

stoth, I don't want to be harsh or disrespectful - or even a wet blanket.

But I really think that your friend, who has obviously spent significant time, energy, and money to gain a significant qualification in this specific field would very likely be doing herself a serious disservice if she goes to work illegally, for however long.

By definition, when she begins to seek long-term positions in the field, she will be dealing with people who KNOW what the situation is with non-EU member citizens working in Spain.

Maybe your current job is in a different field, and that's why no one has asked...or you're at a private language school, or got super-lucky with whomever hired you for a professional position in TEFL/TESL. I don't know, and I'm not passing any judgements here.

But I think a good friend would try to seriously dissuade a friend in this situation from going to work illegally. Maybe she could try South America for the cultural/weather/Spanish language thrill?

[stoth1972]

Good to know!

[guangho]

Let's change this question slightly....assume that the person in question IS an EU citizen. What would your advice be on the merits?

[Moore]

I would have to say, anyone that well qualified would be doing themselves quite a disservice by working here: wages are very low in Spain, in any field, not just teaching, so with an MA in TESOL I'd personally be heading for Saudi/Asia, or at least somewhere further north in the EU where wages and the teaching conditions/contracts are better.

Teaching here is massively underpaid, even by TEFL standards, job security is non-existent and it's very rare even to be paid over the summer. Qualifications, though obviously important, don't make that much of a difference here above CELTA level to your pay or job security (unless you are a qualified and experienced high school teacher, in which case you can work in private international schools, depending on the usefulness of the subjects you teach). Also, despite what they might claim, language schools here are, for the most part, pretty badly run and almost entirely lacking in any significant level of genuine pedagogical support, concentrating much more on the financial side of things in an overcrowded, cut-throat, low profit margin business environment, so even as a teaching experience the person would not benefit over-much, except to be truly grateful when they finally do move to a country where conditions for a teacher are slightly better.

I don't want to sound over-negative, I love this country and never plan to leave, but teaching here is more of a means to a different end, rather than any sort of serious career move.

Teaching in Spain is all about the language and the lifestyle, the great people and fantastic weather, but sadly not a lot to do with wages.

[stoth1972]

Yeah, I know what you're saying, Moore. Despite being really highly qualified and having taught a foundation programme in the US at a state-run university, she's also 26-too young to be considered for the good jobs in the Gulf, and still too inexperienced. She's ok w/ living month to month if she can enjoy the experience. Personally, I loved most of my classes in Spain, even if I didn't love most of my employers. If she went, it would be w/ the idea in mind that this was an exciting way to spend the year or two.

[spiral78]

I'd generally agree with Moore on this one. In the case that our 26-year-old MA holder were a Brit, for example, without debt at home, and honestly just wanted a fun gap year, well, at least that person would not be doing his/her future credibility with employers in the field.

But Spain's unlikely to be a stepping stone to a real career, except in terms of providing some useful experience for later on.

It's the same problem in the most desirable European locations - the Czech Rep's got a roughly similar situation because there is an endless stream of newbie teachers keeping standards generally low throughout the industry.

When you've invested the time, money, and energy an MA takes, you'd be doing yourself a disservice

1. to work illegally, when your future employers are, by definition, quite likely to know that you were working illegally.

2. to spend significant time working in a country that essentially doesn't offer a career route in our field that leads to a decent standard of living - unless, as Moore points out, you an afford to be there for other reasons.