Job Discussion Forums

William Garcia · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 4

Hi,

Although I'm not in Madrid anymore, back in NYC actually doing freelance interpretation and translation jobs, I still go on the forum and my 2 cents ... they're right, re: not accepting every job offer that comes your way. There are lots of hours so choose well.

I was in Madrid in 2004, really enjoyed myself and even at that time there were lots of hours on offer. Some say there's even more of a market now so if you're thinking of teaching English in Spain, I would suggest getting some form of training because even if the demand is there, schools can spot you a mile away if you happen to be an untrained although native English teacher. No one wants to risk their business on untrained teachers I guess.

Madrid is really fun, I am planning on a short visit in Feb, although I might wait till May when the weather is just great - spring time in Madrid is awesome!

I had a real great time in Madrid, so if I get tired of the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple , maybe just maybe I'll consider heading back to Madrid!It sure is tempting because it's so much fun out there, bars, clubs, restauarnts stayed up thru to the early mornign hours, so much life in the city.

I remember there was a lot of discussion then regarding "the city that never sleeps!", from what I recall lots of people said it was Madrid and not NYC, and until you've actually experienced Madrid, you might not believe it, but yes, I knew of clubs open till 7, 8 am on a working day, like a Tuesday perhaps! Cool

Oh well ....

So yes, be choosy with your first teaching jobs, but not extremely choosy, basically go with your gut feel, ask your TEFL school for advice, suggestions, and try to start with 20, 25 hours max. Good luck and enjoy Madrid to the fullest.

Hasta luego y feliz a�o nuevo,

William

Lisa P · Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 5

Ok, so I've been teaching for close to 5 months now (still a newbie??) and it's been good so far. travel time can be a bummer but the academia was nice enough to give me 4 hours - block hours in companies so I guess it's not too bad. I work 21 hours total but with travel and prep time, its more than that. What this not so newbie wanted to share with those just considering doing their TEFL courses is that what you are told back home is not really what happens here, at least in Madrid. Before I decided on Madrid, EBC, teaching, I was anxious because I was given very negative info from the US. My reality has been ... the academies I interviewed with and eventually worked for 3 of them, did not ask me about papers nor was I offered a different salary from my EU counterparts. My roommates are EU nationals and we all earn between 16-20 euros an hour and one of my academies also employs my EU roommate and our salaries are identical. So my 2 cents .... if I believed everything I was told back in the US, stories about Americans not finding work, and all that, I would have backed off. Luckily I didn't , stuck with my instincts and I guess my curiosity for Spanish life and culture was stronger and guess what .... MY reality hasn't been bad at all, on the contrary it's been the total opposite of what I've been told!

I was working right away, no probs, the problem was more who to work for because there were too many interviews, offers, good ones, low paying ones, the whole enchilada! I think I chose well and whats imporatnt is I'm very happy with my academies, my classes and of course Madrid! I'm not a newbie in the friends' area anymore because the Spanish Ive met have become real nice friends. So this has been my reality so far, so I hope my planned year, year and a half in Spain stays cool. hasta luego.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Once again, no one says a North American can't find work in Spain (or Italy).
We are saying that you can't find LEGAL work.

Good luck. If you have even just a little bad luck, it can be quite serious as an illegal worker.

jonniboy · Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 9:44 pm Post subject:

Whitney Davies · Joined: 01 Jun 2004 Posts: 23

I guess my point was, I wanted to earn as much from teaching in Spain, and Madrid was where I found the highest pay and the best teaching jobs. In fact friends of mine who are currently teaching in Madrid are getting anywhere between 16-20 euros an hour and most work 25, 26 hours a week.

Back in 2004, I always shared an apartment and I was forking out 350 a month for my apartment which I shared with 2 others. But I was getting around 1600 euros a month at that time which I was told was good, but again I knew of others who made a lot more.

So my thing was to earn as much as I could (which I did) which allowed me to do what I originally set out to do anyway - travel Europe.

Looking back from my comfortable non teaching job here in the US, I'm glad I chose Madrid because there I was able to earn enough to travel a lot. Right now, I'm a lot better off financially but my vacation days are limited. I have more money but not enough time and flexibility. My teaching jobs in Madrid were far from being what you call highly paid but my schedule was great that I was able to amass all these unforgettable and interesting European travel experiences while working at the same time.

So there you go, I went for Madrid because as I found out I earned enough to allow me to see a lot of Europe and of course hit the Spanish beaches as well! I guess I had my priorities and Madrid was the town for me. That said, by all means, go for the city that best suits your needs. And if you like jazz, don't forget to check out the jazz festival in San Sebastian.

So for what it's worth, if travelling Europe is big on your list .... my suggestion is to get as much as you can ... backpacking, whatever, because once you get back to that non teaching job, the steady, monthly paycheck really look nice but a part of you will be wanting to get back to EFL teaching, lesser paid bt nonetheless exciting, interesting and what can I say, simply awesome! So wherever you are ..... �Que disfrutes!

Whitney

karen s · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 8

I'm not a newbie in the real sense of the word (I think!) because I studied at EBC in Buenos Aires worked there for a year so I do have some teaching experience. The job placement program I'm in is pretty good so I'm not worried on the job front but because I don't realy know Europe , I've got tons of questions. Argentina was great, affordable but I'd like to try Europe and my Spanish being good , I think Spain is where I'll acclimatize faster. I'm in touch with a possible roommate and if all works out, I'll be paying around 475 euros a month, in an apartment shared with 2 others around an area called Ciudad Universitaria. Any comments? Thanks in advance.

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

475 euros is slightly on the expensive side (400 is more normal for a room), but the area around Ciudad Universidad is nice and leafy with a university campus feel to it. It's quite handy to get to Nuevos Ministerios which is 4 stops away on the same line (line 6, the Circular) and is where the main business district is, so good if you get some in-company classes round there, which is quite easily done.

karen s · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 8

Hi,

Any other areas I should look into? I'm actually taking over from another EBC student who advertised her room on the the school's bulletin board and her details were emailed to me. Some say it's not a bad deal because if I found a place on my own, I'd have to worry about the "aval" which was pretty much the same in Buenos Aires. There they just called it by a different name "Garantia". So I don't know, maybe it's worth it? Any other suggested areas, of course I'd rather pay 400/month!

Moore · Joined: 25 Aug 2004 Posts: 730 Location: Madrid

Difficult to specify, as there are lots of nice bits, all dotted around. Central is always good, and a good metro connection is vital for an English teacher.

To give you a very crude sort of idea, try to look for things that are within the top part of the circle formed by the grey line 6.

You might want to think about booking into a hostel for a couple of weeks while you look for something: that way you can meet the people you will be living with, see what the room really looks like, and get a feel for the area you'll be living in.

When you're renting a room in a shared flat, most places will ask you for a "fianza" (deposit) of either one or two months rent: nobody should ask you for an "aval bancario" just for a shared room: if they do then look for something else, they're just for really long term rentals.

davsorresp · Joined: 03 Mar 2007 Posts: 4

Don't know if it's too late or not but this site may be useful to someone looking for a shared apartment.

http://www.compartepiso.com/listar_contactos_ofertas_compartir.php?po=3880

karen s · Joined: 10 Jul 2005 Posts: 8

hey davsorresp !

cool, meeting someone wanting to share with an English speaking roommate! Oh well, my Spanish is nt too bad really, more Argentinian Spanish though but , we'll see ... as long as I don't end up giving her free English lessons! Cool

mndking · Joined: 10 Mar 2007 Posts: 9

I'm a newbie myself, just got my cert and I can say that the EBC course was excellent and they really help you with finding a job. They put you in contact with I believe around 150 academies and because of this there will be lots of calls from several academies and of course you can teach for several but if you can work for just one school, maybe that would be better. Too many schools to work for at the start can get overwhelming. Personally I don't want too many hours because I'd like to enjoy Madrid and do some travelling. I start working this week, too soon maybe?? Actually I am looking forwrd to working, I�ll see how it goes....

j bradley · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 13

My 2 cents worth : go to as many interviews as you can, don't take the first offer that comes your way because there is a big demand for English teachers in Madrid. Ask about travel time, block hours, material, books. One thing is working for 19-20 euros an hour for a 1 hour class, with 2 hours travel time vs. 15-16 euros an hour in a company offering block hours, with you having less travel time. there are many professional and good paying language schools around, so i guess when in doubt just ask away . no harm in asking!