Job Discussion Forums

[MoonMonkey]

Hello,

I have been a teacher for about 5 years, UK national, with CELTA and an MA in TESOL. I have been living and working in Asia for the last 5 years which has been great, I have always managed to make/save money, and I don't mind putting the extra hours in if good work is available.

My dream has always been to live and work in Spain (for the culture/location), but I am concerned about the job market and money.

If I was to go to Spain for September 2010, am I likely to find enough work so that I am always in gainful employment, essentially still making and saving money. Or is it the situation where you can't be sure what work or income you will have from month to month?

Also, do the Spanish employers offer a contract (I guess 9 months) so you are guaranteed work and a fixed income.

Finally, what are the best job websites in Spain? The few I found (Loquo, TEFL.com, TEFL.world, professors.com) don't have that many jobs on them. Should I take this lack of vacancies as a reflection of the Spanish job market? Alternatively, there could be lots of teaching opportunities in Spain but you must simply be living there in order to find them.

Thanks very much for any help with these questions

[Moore]

Well for a start your UK passport, qualifications and experience make you ideal, so you should have no trouble finding a job here in September.

There is still plenty of work here, assuming you head for Madrid or Barcelona and not smaller cities.

You have to remember that compared to Asia, conditions, pay and stability are much worse: this is a place you either come to for a 9 month stint for a nice immersion in the language, culture and food, or else you come here for the longer term (girlfriends/wives etc.) and struggle through the summer (or get yourself off the the UK to teach summer camps). That, or you save up a nice nest egg to live off over summer, which is my favourite option: not easy to do here though, sadly.

I don't want to sound pessimistic, the work is here, but it takes a lot more effort to get a good schedule and pay, and of course you are left hanging out to dry over the summer if you work for an academy: it's important to remember that company classes here are ending earlier (end of June or even May) and re-starting later (end of September, mid October).

Private classes pay an awful lot more than academies can (basically cash in hand), but of course long-term you have to pay taxes to get into the social security system for medical cover, pensions, mortgages etc. That said, private classes go for 20� per hour cash, wheras an academy will rarely pay anything like that after tax and social security payments.

Essentially academies are being badly squeezed by the crisis (i.m.h.o. there will be a serious shakeout of the hundred of academies in Madrid and Barcelona) and the working conditions and pay they offered in the "boom" times weren't that great, so in the crisis it's even worse for them.

So in summary, come, but come with a comfy buffer of cash, and don't expect the sort of conditions that you (hopefully) enjoy over in Asia.

And don't let me put you off: I've taught in many parts of the world, including Asia, and life's way better here.



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[Mrguay84]

Hola.

May I ask what are you saving for?

Personally I'd be pleased with a job that helped me break even every month (as long as that job was in a sunnier land).

[booty]

You�ll never get rich in Spain, especially during these times of crisis. I�m not minted; never will be in Spain, but I�m just breaking even here. In fact, I�m thinking of going to Asia as there is more money and I can actually save some..
That said, life is generally good in Spain as it is relatively comfortable.
I�m currently working for IH. It doesn�t pay that well, but it�s stable as I don�t have to worry about constant cancellations and losing money during bank holidays.

[mozzar]

TBH, with the recent influx of work my academy has had (mainly telephone lessons, grr!) my job has become pretty constant. I could stay here for all of summer working a 20 hour week but have decided to try my hand at a summer camp instead and then take a few weeks off in August.

This situation maybe won�t last long but I think you can be lucky sometimes. But even with the luck you�ll still be poor.