Job Discussion Forums

[daniel_hayes]

Hi,

I am currently studying an MA in English Literature in the UK (finished in a few weeks). I want to head to Spain, and hopefully live and work for some time. English teaching seems a natural fit. I have BA and MA in English Lit, am a native speaker, reliable, and honest.

I want to get a CELTA, but don't have any teaching experience (except for some volunteering with refugees in England)

So, in a very general manner, where do I stand? Spain is expensive, and my savings are not huge (but not minimal either). How long will it take me to find a decent job that pays my living expenses is my main query. I am happy to work in less popular places, and intend to get my (basic) Spanish to excellent standard.

Any advice would be greatfully received,

--Daniel

[rafaella]

The best time of year to look for a job is late August/early September when schools are recruiting for the new school year. This is probably the worst time of year to be looking (unless you are doing so with the aim of starting in September). Even if you do get something now, the long summer break is not that far away and work will dry up leaving you with rent to pay and no salary coming in.

The problem is that you don't have a teaching qualification or experience and, unfortunately, getting a recognised qualification is fairly expensive.

With that in mind, I'd say these are your options:

1) Find work at a summer camp in Spain. The requirements are often less stringent than for regular teaching work at an academy. It would enable you to get some experience and perhaps act as a way in if the school has ties with a language academy. That's far from guaranteed, though and I'm not sure whether I'd chance it unless I had a Plan B. If you want to try this route, you can find positions on tefl.com. Apart from the fact that this a rather a hit and miss approach, you will probably find your options to move on are always somewhat limited without a recognized qualification.

2) Get the CELTA qualification during the summer. There are arguments in favour of doing CELTA in the country you hope to work in but, if money is tight, the other option would be to do the course in Eastern Europe. A little research on the internet will show you that there is a huge difference between course costs in different locations but a CELTA is still a CELTA wherever you get it. You could then head for Spain at the end of the summer. This is the option I would take.

Remember you will have to allow for start up costs. Even assuming you land a job at the very beginning of September (which isn't that likely), you won't get paid until the beginning of October. Assuming you arrived at the end of August, that means you'd need to be able to support yourself for around 5 or 6 weeks until your first pay day. In all probability it will be longer as many schools don't get up and running until late September. In that budget you will have to allow not just for accommodation but also a deposit. It would be worth your while to do some research to get an idea of costs so that you can be sure you have enough money to keep you going.

I tend to think that you will need a qualification which demonstrates you know how to teach and a Master's, although a valuable qualification, doesn't do that. I hope others will be able to comment on this and whether they feel a Master's would negate the need to do the CELTA course.

[spiral78]

I tend to think that you will need a qualification which demonstrates you know how to teach and a Master's, although a valuable qualification, doesn't do that. I hope others will be able to comment on this and whether they feel a Master's would negate the need to do the CELTA course.


I have not worked in Spain, but 'my' university has partners there and we discuss hiring procedures (because we are all/have all been on hiring committees).

Rafaella is correct: an MA in Lit does not equal a teaching qualification, even an entry level CELTA sort.

An MA in TESL/TEFL or (depending on the issuing university) App. Ling (in some cases this is essentially the same qualification as an MA TESL/TEFL) will compensate.

However, an MA TESL/TEFL is usually preceeded by a CELTA or equivalent by a few years - meaning that the candidate has an actual teaching qual plus some experience plus an MA which focused on the theory and application of current language learning research.

I think rafaella's advice is absolutely solid. Ditto.

[daniel_hayes]

Many thanks for the excellent, truly 'solid' advice Rafaella and Spiral. I never assumed an MA in English Lit. would be equivalent to a CELTA/teaching experience, I was just trying to state my position clearly. However, would a BA and MA in English Lit at least look good to perspective employers (make me stand-out a little?)

One of my problems is with start-dates and CELTA courses. I might need to stay in the UK until early September (work and save some money, and do various Uni projects). Seems like September is a great time to find work, but a Celta course would take a month. If I did a Celta BEFORE looking for work, it might be October before I am done.

How about maybe doing a Celta that is attached to a school/chain of schools, and look for work in that school? Would this maybe negate the delay, and still allow me to find work in October?

But more important that all of this: what sort of jobs will I find with NO experience, but a BA, MA, and Celta? Will I be relegated to the English-mills, or might I find a productive, decent job on decent pay? IF I have to build up some experience, I am happy to go to a small town; somewhere less desirable and popular.

Thanks again,
--Daniel

[rafaella]

Hi Daniel,

I realise you weren't saying that a Master's was equivalent to CELTA, but it raised the question in my mind! Thanks to spiral for confirming the situation with regards to that.

A BA and CELTA are the qualifications most newbies will have. I'm not sure the MA will make you stand out as it's not directly relevant to the job you will be doing but, on the other hand, it proves your interest in continuing your education and development which might be valued by some employers.

The fact that you won't be able to start your CELTA until September/October is a problem. You shouldn't bank on getting a job if you don't finish the course until, say, mid/late October even if you do it with an organisation such as IH. I'm not saying it's impossible but you will almost certainly have to be less choosy or perhaps work part-time for two schools, and you should have a fallback plan in case you can't get a job.

As mentioned before, with your qualifications (and assuming you get the CELTA), you will be in pretty much the same position as most newbies in Spain but with the disadvantage of starting your search after the majority of positions have been filled.

Your first year might not be ideal in terms of school and/or location but the crucial thing is getting that first year's experience under your belt. After that it will be easier to find a better job.

You mentioned a decent salary. Newbie level salaries in Spain are pretty low at around the 1,100 Euros mark, give or take. Only you know your spending habits and whether that will be acceptable.

[SirKirby]

Agree totally with what's been said so far.

Think you should also remember that plenty of people without any teaching experience take CELTA every year and don't seem to have too much difficulty finding work.

Summer camp work (possibly in the UK?) is fairly easy to get into (especially if you can play the guitar, do sports, do theatre, etc.) and is one way of obtaining at least SOME relevant experience to go on your CV.

[daniel_hayes]

I really appreciate all the advice given on this thread. However, I think that Spain might prove the wrong choice at the moment. I have been stuck in the UK for a few years, and need to get out!!

Spain is a great country -- somewhere I can envisage living for a long time. But I need to fulfil some adventure-crazings first. So Latin America/South America seems like a good option.

For the teachers out there: would starting my career in Latin America help or hinder my future prospects? Would future employers look on it as a good or bad thing. I could get a CELTA, get my Spanish to excellent standard, and gain that invaluable experience, whilst satisfying my wandering/adventure needs.

Then, in a couple of years, I could return to the EU and teach in Spain? I'm really interested to know what people think? Sometimes, until I am set on a plan, I change my mind. But once I know the right path, I am set, and very hard to remove!

Thanks again.

[rafaella]

Working in South America wouldn't hinder your prospects in Europe. One of the appealing aspects of teaching EFL is the possibility of working in different places and there is nothing untoward about having worked in more than one country.

Of course, wherever you choose to work, your career will be what you make it. Jumping from one job to another, not completing contracts, etc (I'm not suggesting for one moment that you would act in that way) are things which are never going to look good. On the other hand, building up a good CV and references which demonstrate your reliability and ability will stand you in good stead wherever you want to go.

If you haven't already done so, I'd suggest you have a look at the relevant forums on Dave's. You'll find a lot of helpful information. Regular posters there will be able to help you further but I think I'd be right in saying that salaries are not particularly high in South America either.