Job Discussion Forums

[Finglish]

Hi All,

I've read that you have to be on the ground to get jobs, but any advice about where to start the job search? Madrid is my back-up plan, but I'd prefer a less expensive/busy locale. My top concern is not teaching kids - did that iin Japan and hated it. I'm a dual Finnish-Canadian citizen, so legal and have CELTA B. Is Valencia good maybe...?

Thanks for your insight guys!

P.S. Do you think they'll mind the Canadian accent?

[Moore]

If your top priority is not teaching kids then stick to Madrid or Barcelona: the market is much much smaller outside these cities, and you will be forced to take what you can get (i.e. kids / teens): Madrid's not so bad you know, and it's easy to get to pretty much anywhere from here.

I think your Canadian accent would go down well: to us Europeans it's pretty much an American accent, which is quite hard to find in combination with valid working papers like you have, so you should market it as an advantage to academies.



_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires...

[Finglish]

Hey Moore,

Thanks for the advice. I've been scouring the ads enough to see that positions in smaller cities usually require working with kids. I thought Valencia might do as I hear there's a big university there... oh well.

So if it is to be Madrid, any kernels of wisdom on which academies are better to work for (i.e. less prep required, decent hours/wages)?

And sorry to pick your brain, but any ideas where to find a private apartment I can afford? It can be tiny, but I need my own space. I've been on idealista.com, is it a good place to start?

Cheers,

Susan

[SirKirby]

Can't help much with Madrid but think it's worth noting that sites like idealista.com are bloated with scammers. If the apartment looks way too good to be true, it's a scam.

Best bet is contacts, and on an English teacher's salary we're talking flat-sharing. For that, here in Barcelona, the going rate seems to be around 350-450 euros for a room in a shared flat.

If you want an apartment of your own, again in BCN, we're talking anywhere 700-1,200 and much more, tough to afford. I imagine Madrid prices are similar, smaller towns cheaper, unless they're very touristy.

[Moore]

The news flat-wise is slightly better in Madrid: you can pick up a 1 bed for 650, though you may have to pay a 1 month agency fee (actually worth it, but just make sure it's a deal where you pay afterward when happy). A good flatshare with just one other person should be about 500 euros. Flat shares are a really good way to get started and work out where you want to live. Idealista is less scam-ey here.

In terms of good schools, they're all much of a muchness: Language Solutions are pretty good, but there are lots of smaller outfits who'll appreciate and pay a good teacher well: spread your net as wide as possible, work for 2 or three schools until you get the best deal, but the best deal is to work for yourself doing privates, so make a start on that as soon as you can: it works on word of mouth here, so it takes a while to build up.




_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires...

[SirKirby]

Note that most agencies, and private individuals, renting accommodation will charge you one, possibly two, occasionally three months rent deposit plus, in some cases, a month's agency fee so come prepared for that.

Even some flatshares charge you a month's deposit.

[Finglish]

Thanks Sir Kirby. So what's the scoop on teaching and living in Barcelona right now? I'm not a 20-year-old alcoholic backpacker, so would there be any scene there for responsible 30-somethings?

This deposit, does it go toward your future rent? Like you pay for the first three months in advance?

Thanks again Moore. How about living in the 'burbs? Is rent better out of the centre? Or is it too much of a hassle to commute?

In Japan there used to be buildings that teachers would flock to, like Tefl-ghettos. Any like that in Madrid or Barcelona?

Cheers,

Susan

[Moore]

In Madrid there's no particular area for teachers, but central and close to public transport is a must: teaching in Spain usually involves a fair bit of travel, so you don't want to be adding an extra 20 minutes each end onto journeys. Try living centrally, metro line 1 is really handy and is a good north-south backbone route.

Your deposit is supposed to be refundable at the end, although whoever is renting may hang onto a bit for post-leaving utility bills.

That said, Barcelona seems to have its fair share of sub-letters who seem to feel entitled to live for free as their flatmates pay more, and see the deposit as somehow theirs. I got the distinct impression when I lived there that there were a lot more pitfalls/scams for the unwary new arrival there than there are in Madrid, possibly due to the fact that so many people want to live there for the city-beach combination.


_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires...

[Finglish]

Hey Moore,

Okay you convinced me. I booked my ticket today and will be in Madrid on September 13th!

Now I just need a good hostel and a job. Oh boy.

I've contacted a guy named Richard Harrison as EES. Ever heard of him? He's supposed to be a recruiter for the industry. I was hoping he could hook me up with a decent school.

Thanks,

Susan

[jonniboy]

Valencia's excellent, I had a great 2 years there. A little bit more "Spanish" than the other two though it's become a lot more cosmopolitan in the last few years. With around a million people, the advantages of a city without it being too big. Cheaper, better weather, better fiestas in my humble opinion. I like Madrid as a place to visit but couldn't live there - it's too big and the lack of a beach is a major negative. Barcelona has the same disadvantages but at least has a beach.

If it's kids though that you're worried about then the big two are certainly better than Valencia on that score.

[Moore]

No idea about that Richard Harrison chap: never heard of him here in 7 years, don't know if that's a bad thing or maybe he's just new.

Anyway, good news to hear you're taking the plunge - it's a great city, trust me!



_________________________________________________________________________
...Jobs and language exchanges in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires... www.lingobongo.com

...send your c.v. around ALL the schools in Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Rome, Lisbon, Porto and Buenos Aires...

[Finglish]

Thanks Jonniboy,

So Valencia's all about kids too eh? No business schools there?

Thanks Moore,

Do you suggest I look for work in Madrid immediately (landing on the 13th), or am I safe to check out Sevilla for a couple days and still be able to find work in Madrid if I need it?

Yeah, this guy Richard Harrison has a website called EES and he advertises on some of the efl job sites. I guess there's no harm in checking it out. I know all the scam warning signs.

Cheers,

Susan

[jonniboy]