Job Discussion Forums

[musicmunky]

Hey. I am looking to move to Granada next week. I have a BA degree, a weekend TEFL certificate, some teaching experience at a summer camp and a UK passport. What are the chances of finding work this time of year? End of March? I am quite strapped for cash, so I need to find work soon or will have to head home.
Does anyone know what schools will hire, or whether there is temporary work. What about finding private students?

Thanks

[spiral78]

Well, you have the right passport - but the other two elements are going to be a problem.

The standard newbie certification for the region is 100+ hours on site with supervised teaching practice on real students. Your weekend course is below the norm in the job market for this region.

The teaching year is Sept/Oct thru June. You might pick up something in March, but it'll be tough. July/August there is very little going on, and what is around has probably already been snapped up by teachers who started in Sept/Oct to tide them over.

Further, consider your start-up costs: you will have to pay a landlord a month's rent in advance + a months' rent as a security deposit (minimum - they sometimes ask for much more). Language schools pay monthly, at the end of the month worked. You will have to have enough to support yourself for AT LEAST two months without a paycheck, probably.

As for private students, well, there is an economic crisis and luxuries like language lessons are often the first thing to go...the pickings are slim these days, all over.

[jonniboy]

Even in normal circumstances, there's very little around in late March outside Madrid and Barcelona. In smaller cities, September is the main hiring period with a short window in early January.

However these are not normal circumstances, with unemployment there tipped to pass the 20% mark within the next year, now is a very bad time to move to Spain. Personally I would sit tight wherever you are and give it a shot in September 2010 by which time the economy *might* have picked up.

If you really must go there now then check out http://granada.loquo.com/cs/ofertas-de-trabajo/profesores-formacion/508 as there's a couple of places advertising there as well as people advertising for private classes who could probably give you the insider gossip. The fact that there's someone on there offering Italian classes at 7 euro an hour doesn't exactly inspire confidence, but best of luck whatever you decide to do.