Job Discussion Forums

[FemaleNomad]

Hello everyone-

This is going to be lengthy but I know everyone asks for details, so I'll try to put them all in...

I've been reading through hundreds of posts and have truly learned a great deal. I've noticed that many of you are teaching in Asian countries but I hope you can offer some help. I am taking a CELTA course in Barcelona in August. I have a BA in English (which doesn't mean I know how to teach grammar) and a BA in Women's Studies (which doesn't mean I burn my bra). I've studied Spanish in the Canary Islands and in Madrid (and loved both -- hated Sevilla) -- but I do not speak fluently. I plan on being in Spain from the end of July until ??? Upon completing my CELTA course (August 2007) I am willing to move around to obtain "better" employment if it is lacking in Barcelona. By "better" I mean decent wages where I might be able to put some money in savings and a place where I won't die from pollution or boredom (although I don't mind the countryside I do mind living in a grass hut). Lastly, I am a citizen of Poland (EU) although I've lived and obtained my education and BA in New Jersey (USA).

That being said...
-Will I be able to financially survive in Barcelona on a teacher's salary? (I don't drink or smoke so I won't be spending money there). I will have to pay $200 a month on loans in addition to whatever i need to pay in BCN.
-What is life like in BCN: teaching, coworkers, schools to stay away from, etc.?
-How do I get a resume/cover letter togethere -- should it be in Spanish and in English?
-How do I go about getting a job after I"m done with the course?
-Will I really be prepared to teach after the course? Is there a better way to prepare in addition to the course?
-Anything I should or shouldn't pack? I've heard that shorts are very "touristy" in BCN and the local women dont' wear them? true?
-Where can I get more information about the resident card? Do i need it to obtain employment? A bank account? Transfering money from my American bank account to Spanish bank account?
-Good websites to check out for jobs?
-Good websites about BCN in general? I've checked out Barcelona Connect and read their magazines which was helpful.

Anything else I should know? I've read through most of the posts in the Spain section and thought I'd give these questions a try here since I couldn't find answers to some of these questions.

Thank you all for your help.

[Stephen Jones]

The problem with Barcelona is everybody wants to be there. As a result there is hefty competition for what are low-paid jobs considering the cost of living (particularly accommodation).

EFL jobs are supposed to pay a minimum salary of �900 or more + Social Security, + one month holiday in Summer (some only give 9 month contracts but then you get three months dole, and more than make up the difference in privates).

Whether your Polish citizenship will be looked down on by an employer, or whether they will jump at the chance to legally employer an American I don't know.

To get a job, open a bank account or whatever you need a NIE (Foreigner's Identification Number). It's automatic, and just requires waiting in queue. There is no work permit required for EU citizens, so when you have a job contract go off and apply for the residence permit.

Beware of employers who try and scam the government and you by treating you as self-employed.

[FemaleNomad]

Thank you for your response. Is there somewhere near BCN that might be better to teach? Anywhere else in Spain? I'm not opposed to moving around.

Thanks, again.

[cubs05]

A lot of your questions are answered on the Spain forum of this site with lots of threads on salaries in Madrid and Barcelona. You may have read some, but do more digging. I would put in a search for the term "Barcelona". But here are some answers about Barcelona, from my point of view; I'm a US/German dual citizen raised in the US and here since September 2006�

1. Will I be able to financially survive in Barcelona on a teacher's salary? (I don't drink or smoke so I won't be spending money there)

Yes, you will survive, but don't expect to put a lot of money away in the bank. As you will read on this site, rents are exorbitant here in comparison to the US, with the exception of NYC. A typical studio here is at least 700� per month ($1012) and an ad for a one bedroom downtown here (Borne district) (straight from Barcelona Connect, which you mentioned) is listed at 800� + bills and for at least 4 months. Since the average pay appears to be in the neighborhood of 900-1100� per month net for 20-24 contact hours, almost everyone teaching TEFL here shares an apartment and gets a single room. Depending on the neighborhood, how many people in the apartment, size of the room, etc. it can run from 250�-500�.

I would strongly consider putting your loans on deferment/forbearance, whatever you qualify for. That $200 a month doesn't sound like a lot, but that will be eating out of your "fun" and travel money you will want if you come over here. Half the fun of doing this low paid job is the chance to travel and goof off. But you can save some money if you are a bit frugal.

2. What is life like in BCN: teaching, coworkers, schools to stay away from, etc.?

You need to do the research yourself--lots of opinions on those things. Read from the Spain and General European forums. In short, Barcelona is a great city with a diverse population and diverse culture. An international city in every sense of the word. But it is more expensive than other parts of Spain.

Generally, there are several really good schools here--when I mean "good" I mean that they pay decent, have decent facilities and supplies, and try to help their teachers to the best of their ability. I consider myself lucky to catch on with two doing Business English classes. I have heard from other teachers about several dodgy outfits here also. I once checked in the yellow pages (yes, here online at www.paginasamarillas.es) and a few other sites and counted at least 100 English schools in the Barcelona and greater area.

3. How do I get a resume/cover letter togethere -- should it be in Spanish and in English?

Many, many, many sites on the web on how to put together a cv or resume. Start with monster.com which has some advice. Otherwise, just google "resume".

As for Spanish and English, I have never submitted one that way. Typically, at least one person in an English language school speaks fluent English (sometimes only the owner, however, because staff often do not have a high level of English). In fact, dual language cv's may work against you because employers won't read your resume (employers SCAN resumes, not read them, they have too much to do) and assume you can teach Spanish. I speak from experience; I once had a phone call asking if I could teach some German classes just based on my nationality. In short, I have not found it necessary.

4. How do I go about getting a job after I"m done with the course?
Will I really be prepared to teach after the course? Is there a better way to prepare in addition to the course?

If you are doing your CELTA course with a school here (doing it with IH?), there should be a job board with listings of employers hiring at about the start of September. You sound like you are finishing your course a little earlier than that. Timing on getting a job in Spain is crucial-- and you are getting out of the course at the right time. Judging by the demand this year, you should get plenty of interviews. Though not being a native speaker will keep you from some of them. (More below)

I wouldn't worry about this right now. You will be very busy during your course. Again, this web site has tons of information on the ins and outs of the CELTA course. If you search my screen name here, you will run across a discussion about my CELTA experience in Sevilla. Near the end of your CELTA course, you will have some time and will discuss with your trainers the job search issues.

5. Will I really be prepared to teach after the course? Is there a better way to prepare in addition to the course?

You will get many different opinions to these questions, but I felt that I was much better prepared to teach after the course. Think of the CELTA course as learning how to use tools in a toolbox. You may already know what the tools are, but not how to use them.
Most schools teaching the CELTA will give you a book list to read before the course and a course prep guide. In my class some people found it useful. Again, read the commentary on this site, including my discussion on jobs in Malaga which were very difficult to find.

As for getting the job, I met a Polish born teacher raised in the States with English as a 2nd language who was working here with enough hours. But generally in Spain there is a distinct preference for native English speakers. You will have to fight against that, but you can get work here.

5. Where can I get more information about the resident card? Do i need it to obtain employment? A bank account? Transfering money from my American bank account to Spanish bank account?

The simple versions: these are complicated questions. DO THE RESEARCH YOURSELF.
a. You will not need a resident card (DNI) to teach here. You WILL need a foreigner identification number or NIE (pronounced neee-ah) to teach at most reputable schools.
The NIE may also be necessary for you to get an apartment depending on the landlord or whether they go through a rental agency. I have just heard from some new teachers that they have changed the rules on getting a NIE and it may require a written promise of employment or a contract to get one. I don't know, you need to do the research, type in "Numero de Identidad de Extranjero" and see what happens.

Most reputable schools also would like a Spanish social security number if you can get one. But frankly I wouldn't try and get one because most good schools here will apply for you. It really depends whether you want to work with or without a contract here.
That is another big kettle of fish; read in the Spanish forum.

I opened a bank account with one of the large chain banks here (La Caixa) with only my passport and no NIE. It depends on the bank and the branch. I arranged for a transfer from my Bank of America account back in the US to the bank in Malaga. It will cost you some fees on both ends and you will probably have to pay for the conversion from dollars to euros, so think carefully about that and look at your bank for details. You should also be aware that many landlords require that you deduct your rent directly from your bank account rather than pay in cash, so you may have to get a bank account. Also, some schools pay by check, and getting that check cashed here.


6. Anything I should or shouldn't pack? I've heard that shorts are very "touristy" in BCN and the local women dont' wear them? true?

Lots of advice here and other travel sites on what not to pack. I am not female, so I won't even attempt advice on what clothes to pack. As for just the question on shorts--women in Spain wear shorts in warmer weather. (Which is great for us guys!) But European men do not wear shorts unless they are doing sports activities or on the beach. (Exceptions, Germans and UK countries!) Thus, it is a dead giveaway for an American male to be walking around in sandals (with socks, arggggggggggggggh) and a baseball cap. However, at first you will be self conscious about fitting in here with the locals but I found after about 7 months in Malaga and 7 months here that now I really couldn't care less. I still routinely wear my shorts in warmer weather. Here in Barcelona, they are very tolerant of tourists as this is a tourist city and foreigners in general. (As long as you don't act like a foreign conquerer or an drunken idiot)

If you are bringing anything more complicated than an electric razor, you better check on the company website (e.g., Ipod, laptop computer) and see if they have European chargers you can get before you go.
One of the biggest problems I had here was my Acer computer had a three prong recharger plug and travel converters you buy in stores won't help you with three prong plugs! You will not find AC 120 volt plugs here unless you stay at some very expensive hotels!
Don't bother taking your checks from your bank with you here. Very, very rare to see anyone take a check here in Spain unless traveler's checks. Bring the usual credit cards if you have them.

Good websites to check out for jobs?
-Good websites about BCN in general? I've checked out Barcelona Connect and read their magazines which was helpful.

The best website I have found for jobs is www.loquo.com (in English) and is also quite good for finding apartments and rooms. Again, go to the Spain forum and if memory serves me correctly there is a long list of web sites for jobs there.
The other English monthly daily magazine here is Metropolitan magazine www.barcelona-metropolitan.com which has very good articles on culture and history of Barcelona in addition to some good practical information. By the way, many of the local TEFL teachers here write for one or both of the magazines.

After you do some research, which will take a while, if you have some specific questions you can PM me and I will try and answer them.
Good luck,
Mark

[cubs05]

I should add that getting a check cashed here is a problem that I'm glad I don't have to figure out...

[FemaleNomad]

Mark-
Thank you for your insight. I have read up quite a bit on many of the questions that I asked but I'm always interested in getting more opinions/first hand information. I have checked out www.loquo.com and read the Barcelona Connect monthly magazine - both have been helpful and I was interested in finding more sites like that.
I am from the New York City area so I'm used to high rents and high cost of living -- but I'm also used to making enough money to cover that (which I know may not be the case in BCN).

Thanks, again, for your help. I'll be sure to check your other posts.

[FemaleNomad]

I forgot:
I'm not doing the CELTA at IH -- I'm doing it at the Lewis School of Languages. I found the school through the Univ. of Cambridge website. Hopefully, they're good.

[jammish]

Or: go to korea for a year, pay off those debts, then go to barca and enjoy yourself!

[FemaleNomad]

I actually did want to do that -- but I am in the process of obtaining US citizenship and will not receive it until July or so. When I spoke to some people about Korea they told me that it was necessary to be a US citizen (or Brit, Aus, etc.) and at the time I wasn't. I had to make a decision early and because I have EU citizenship and have studied in Spain before -- I figured I'd go back. Perhaps mid-semester *January* I can make the move to Korea -- I'll have to see if that's a wise decision or if I should just stick it out a year in BCN first and then move on. Any suggestions?

[Deicide]

[QatarChic]

Hi Female nomad- I spent a year in Barcelona in the late 90s and LOVED every single second of it- that was pre EURO days though and now I understand that life is very expensive there. But don't let that put you off staying on to work in the city. As people have mentioned competition is fierce, so it'll take extra patience and time to find the job that is right for you....my advice is don't take the first one that you are offered. I can't give you advice on good/bad schools as I was on a language assistant programme...in any case this is another site which you may find useful:

http://www.laboris.net

Have you thought about working in a company using your language skills in Polish? It may come in handy you never know...and could supplement your income as a TEFL teacher. Good luck- you will have an absolute blast there

[FemaleNomad]

Thank you both for your insights and replies. I will check out the Korea boards and see what's going on.

Thank you!

Deicide-- Thanks for the compliment. I'm not 22 but will be 27 in June (an old bag by all accounts, haha).