Work Other Than Teaching?

[jwinters83]

Hello all,
  Is it possible to find a job other than teaching english in spain?  I am a US citizen and only able to move to Spain for 6 months.  Given my time/money constraints, i am not sure if the tefl course is the appropriate course of action for me right now.  Nevertheless, I would still need some way to make a few bucks while over there.  Thanks yall, Jay

[RebeccaG]

Hello Jay --

I always maintain the thought that anything is possible. So, a short answer to your question would be \"yes\".

However you need to consider the following:

1. You won't be working legally so that narrows your choices.
2. You are working short term, which narrows your choices even more.
3. It is virtually impossible to land a job while overseas, you need to be here to get one....even more narrow.

Ask yourself what kind of work you are willing to do. Also, do you speak any Spanish?

Some ideas to help you....

- distribute marketing materials for small businesses (putting flyers on cars, walls, etc.
- working in an Irish bar (very competitive and most likely difficult to get a job if you are here only short term)
- tutoring students in English
- babysitting
- translations (if you have a good command of Spanish)

For the enterprising individual I am sure there are other ideas that simply aren't coming to mind right now. Perhaps other members will pop in and offer some suggestions.

You might also want to check out the following publications and websites:

In Madrid (free monthly newspaper in English)
Segundamano (weekly classifieds newspaper in Spanish)
LoQuo (an online community similar to Craigslist. In Spanish)
Spain Classifieds (online classifieds for Span in English).

Also, try checking out this offer.

Good luck!

-R

[Charles]

Since you did not mention going to a particular city, how about a few Barcelona related job hunting web sites?

CATALUNYA CLASSIFIED http://www.catalunya-classified.com/

BARCELONA CONNECT http://www.barcelonaconnect.com/

By the way, LOQUO and SEGUNDAMANO have Barcelona editions as well -- plus editions for cities all over Spain.

Buena suerte,

[Luciano]

Becoming a mystery shopper ...

We are actively recruiting people to provide objective and factual feedback about the quality of their experiences at local retail stores, restaurants, theatres, hotels and other public establishments in your area.

If you visit any of these types of establishments during the course of your day, you qualify. We do not ask you to go out of your way on our behalf. We offer paid meals, free entertainment/entry plus we pay for your feedback.

We describe this function as \"Mystery/Secret\" shopper, however our organization feels that this particular position offers perhaps, one of the most flexible opportunities for people of all stations in life to enjoy them selves at our expense.

Take the time right now to apply online at www.frontlinefocus.com or fill out the attached Document and return it.

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Thanks,

Luciano
 

[Charles]

I do not know anything about FRONTLINE FOCUS and they may be fine. However, to anyone who might be considering giving their identification or banking details to a mystery shopping company I suggest finding out if it is a member of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association. It is easy to search their member database via their web site http://www.mysteryshop.org/. I did not find FRONTLINE FOCUS in their database.

Here is a link to an article from a US Better Business Bureau branch about mystery shopper scams:

http://www.bbbsilicon.org/news_Jun2003.html

By the way, while mystery shopping might lead to some extra income, I doubt it is a way to support oneself.

[Charles]

Thought I'd add something to the topic of working for only 6 months. Teaching for 6 months is do-able if you start in January, because language academies generally want teachers to stay through the school year, which runs through June. I suppose another way it could work, would be to come a little later and then look for work teaching English in a summer camp. Note that most summer camps want teachers under 31 years of age.

Chao,

[arsah]

Hello, these are very nice ideas if it could be executed properly,I wish that your planning get successful.

[ahmedroshdy77]

Thanks for the job hunting sites

[DonnaHarry]

You should then search for jobs in which you have a detailed and technical knowledge and which will add to your interest.