How to find English Teaching work/hours in Madrid

[madridinsider]

If you are looking for English Teaching work in Spain one option would be to contact all of the people who offer English teaching jobs year round for example:  
Madrid Insider's Places to teach

1). Call them to set up a face to face meeting with one of their representatives.

2). Email them your CV / Resume (with scanned ID size photo in the upper right hand corner) so they might have a copy handy for your meeting.  
(It is better to send them your CV / Resume when they are expecting it).

3). Meet with them in person to review your experience and availability.

4). Keep them up to date on your availability as it changes.
(Let them know what and where your current classes are so that if they have any new classes come up in that same area they can offer them to you).

They will call you as classes come in and the people they usually count on can not accept them.
The more people you meet with, the better your odds are of getting work, so just keep spreading the word that you are currently here in Madrid for example and available for work.

Also you can place free ads both on-line and in the published versions of the following publications, etc.
In Madrid, Broadsheet, Segundamano, Aprende Mas, Teach in Spain
Also, you should look at all of the classified sections of the above publications, etc. for job offers as there are a limited amount of English language resources and you will easily be able to see who is hiring or looking for people at any given time and sign up or remind them of your availability as they post new offers.
Rocco.

[madridinsider]

There are so many different people offering English Teaching work in Madrid from one momement to the next that it could cost you a bundle in phone calls to reach them all and set up the face to face meetings / interviews you need  in order to get hired.
Because of this high volume of people to contact, it makes sense to prioritize them based on what you might have heard about each of them, taking into consideration your work status and if they hire non EU citizens or not.
Then once you decide who you will call, it will do no harm to e-mail the rest to see if anything comes of it.

1. Everyone can teach private lessons arranged directly between you and the students.  This would be classes through flyers, free ads in Segundamano, Aprendemas, In Madrid, Teach in Spain, etc.

2. If you are an EU citizen you can apply to work with all of them.

3. If you are non-EU / illegal you can still find work without having a visa and there are still people who will hire you.  
Just make \"Do you hire non-EU teachers?\" your first question before wasting anymore time on the phone with the people you are calling.

Rocco.

[madridinsider]

When coming to Spain to live and work as a Teacher...

1. Timing:  Choose the time of when you plan to come to Spain more wisely.
- If you plan on coming to Madrid to take a teacher training and / or language course and continuing on afterwards for example you should take into consideration which months people in Spain offer the new contracts, interview for new teachers, and do the most job hiring.
There are definately some noticeable differences and you wouldn't want to come to Spain and be stuck taking your preparation courses while most of the people are doing their interviewing / hiring and then find that most of the better jobs are already taken by the time you have finished your training and can begin your search.  
You would do far better picking some slower work month(s) to do your preparation / training courses leading into the good work month(s) so that as soon as you finished your preparation / training courses you could be in the prime position to begin your job interviewing / search.

2. Bring Enough Money:  (Spain is more expensive than you think).
- No matter where you plan to go in Spain to try and live and find work bring enough money to support yourself with for 3 months to a year.
Spain is different from where you are coming from.  You will waste money just getting used to your new environment and getting used to how things are done in Spain.  (This requires some disposible income).
It also takes a while before things will start comingtogether for you in Spain.
It takes time for you to get enough hours / money or a good enough contract.
You will want to have enough money saved up before coming to Spain to afford the luxury of turning down the jobs that will take you out of the way, or will force you to run around, or pay less, etc.
There are enough work offers (in Madrid for example) that if you had enough money and savings to live off that you could put together an ideal work schedule within the course of 3 month's to a year only accepting the classes that you liked.

WARNING: If you do not come to Spain with enough money saved up to live off of and support yourself for 3 months to one year you will be forced to accept any work / jobs that come your way, which means, running around all over Spain chasing hours, lower pay, fewer hours, less stability, etc. which all leads to finding it harder to make ends meet and is a formula from frustration and disaster.

[maestrojustino]

Amigos-

Great site.  Im glad I signed up.

When considering the timing of your arrival keep in mind that Spain shuts down in August and it is very hard to find any kind of work.  If youre coming for a teaching adventure, I would recommend arriving in August to get sun and to learn your way around, but dont try to start teaching then!

MaestroJustino

[El Manco]

madridinsider (or rocco) advises...
\"You would do far better picking some slower work month(s) to do your preparation / training courses leading into the good work month(s) so that as soon as you finished your preparation / training courses you could be in the prime position to begin your job interviewing / search.\"

So I'm wondering a few things...  1. When are these slower work months, generally? I hope in Summer, as I'm planning on doing the Camino de Santiago starting early June, putting me in Madrid early July or late June....  2. What does prep/training include, and just how much is that going to cost me? Is the Summer a good time to get this over with?

Also...if anyone else is planning to be in Madrid in July, and is looking for a place to live or has one w/ vacancies...hey how's it goin! This site seems like a good way to network for stuff like that.

-El Manco

[madridinsider]

Boy did you ever come to the right place to find all of your answers... next to going directly to my website that is...
Okay.  Where to begin.
1. Some of the slower months are July, August and January.

2. There are one month Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) courses as well as CELTA courses for confidence building and teacher training for 1000 to 2000 euros.  You can find definitions for each one of these easily enough on-line if you are interested in either one.
Yes.  Summer is a great time to do this teacher training and get your official certificate if you feel that you need it.  Just remember that In Madrid the demand is so high that if you feel confident enough you can find jobs without having one.  Simultaneously, the supply of both qualified and unqualified people who are willing to teach English is very high as well which keeps the prices people are willing to pay low.  Less than half the hourly wages in Korea or Japan for example.
Anyway, certification is good for structure, confidence building, and required for many of the better, higher paying, English teaching jobs outside of Spain.

Also...July and August are great months to find long term housing in Madrid as there will be better offers than in September/October or February.
You would do best to take a short term flat / hostal 2 weeks to a month durng July and or August and really have a good look at the places in person so that you get something not only at a good price and location, but something you will be really happy with for a whole year if necessary.
For more information on housing please read through the accommodation sections of my website.
Rocco.

[cukypheffs]

Hi to all,

I live in the US, California, and I am trying to go back to Madrid and work and live there.  I have a degree in Fine Arts and about ten years of engineering Autocad experience.  Realisticaly speaking, what are my chances to find work in Spain when I am still in the US?  Is is impossible for US citizens to find jobs in Spain?  

I would appreciate any suggestions, advise, jokes, etc. etc. etc
   

[madridinsider]

Your best option all be it harder is to find a job where you are that sends you to work in Spain.  You will be much happier and it will make a world of difference.

If you can not find a job that sends you to Spain, you can just come over to Madrid during the better hiring months for English teaching, put some free ads in the local papers for private lessons, contact the agencies/academies that usually hire people year round, go on some interviews and then proceed to teach English for a while even though you are really not a teacher and really do not like it.  You can keep teaching English at different businesses in the hopes that maybe you just might meet someone at one of these businesses where you are teaching that might take a shine to you and offer you a regular Spanish job with a sponsered contract...
Unfortunately, this is what most people hope will happen, but usually does not.
You can find work once you are here, but it is usually teaching English or working in a bar or something less than what you were expecting.  Also, the pay and salaries here are very low and the rent is unusually high in comparison.
You should not come here without enough money saved up to live off of for a while or if you are not willing to squeak by teaching English until you can either start your own business or make Spanish connections that will see you through into another real career.
Rocco.  

[Stephen71]

Hey Rocco,
I am from Madrid but my husband is from Louisiana. After living in the States for four and a half years we decided to move back, in fact we already have our tickets for March 15   . I probably won't have any problems finding a job, he doesn't speak Spanish yet, so he will have problems . Our plan is for him to take the TEFL course so he can teach English while he goes to intensive Spanish clases. Do you know wich academies are better for the TEFL certificate in Madrid?. What is the average income you can make doing that?, also, what are the posibilities of getting a permanent job teaching English in a school?. Do your meet a lot of English speaking people in this courses?, I don't want him to feel homeless...also, there is an area in Madrid where you can rent with a big \"anglo\" population? .Thank you in advance!!

[madridinsider]

I would say that the Spanish classes are a good thing.  If he has never taught before and lacks organization and confidence then taking the TEFL course can help him with these things.  Even though I know, I can not tell you which teacher training is best, because I depend on all of the TEFL / CELTA and language schools to send me their clients.  The amount of money you could get from English teaching will depend on the number of hours you can get per week.
The pay per hour is anywhere from 9 euros to 18 euros an hour for business English classes.
If you are not an EU citizen the chances of getting a regular teaching job at a school are reduced.
The best bet would be to teach business English classes until you can get his paperwork in order and then try to get a contract with one of the schools after working for them doing the business classes for a while.
Yes.  100% of the people you meet taking the TEFL or Language courses speak English.
You can usually meet other English Speakers at Irish pubs or at social clubs or activities listed in the In Madrid or the Broadsheet.  You can also check at the US Embassy in Madrid for more information on this.
Rocco.

[desertyeti]

Hi Rocco,

I am a (british) trinity qualified tefl teacher with a years experience in Greece plus two summer schools in the UK. I am very interested in working in Spain but currently I don't speak the language. This is obviously something I wish to pursue while working in Spain. How important do you think it is to have knowledge of Spanish before arrival. Do employers consider it an important criteria.

Also, from your previous posts and others i am guessing that most of the recruitment for teachers occurs within Spain, face to face. Is this correct?

Would it be worth my while planning a trip to Spain over the summer to try to secure a job in September. I won't finish my current job until July.

One last thing, is the level of work similar in cities like Valencia and Barcalona as it is in Madrid?

Many Thanks for your help

Paul

[madridinsider]

Paul.

Being able to speak Spanish is not a usual requirement, but can help you from time to time especially when you wantto give one word translations as answers.  I have only heard of a few cases where it was required in order to get hired or considered that important of a criteria.
As an EU citizen you can contact some schools and try to get hired on with a contract.  As I never have tried to get a contract of work full time as a teacher I do not know the hiring schedule for these contracts.  You could check with each school that you are interested in one by one and see what they have to say about when and where to apply.
Yes.  You need to meet with all of the people here that you can face to face and then remind them of your availability periodically as it changes.
You will have to check and see if the schools or academies/agencies that you want to meet face to face with will actually be available to meet with you when you come here.  If they are on vacation in the summer when you plan on coming then you will be wasting a trip.
There is far more work in Madrid than there is in Valencia or Barcelona although as an EU citizen if someone in a smaller town was going to hire a teacher they would hire you over a non-EU or backpacker teacher.
Rocco.  

[senorcox]

Are there any schools that hire qualified teachers who are already degreed and with experience or do these individuals have to follow the same path as many have described here?  I'm not sure why some would have to take the TEFL and other courses if they have already proved themselves in a classroom.

I wouldn't mind working in Madrid as a teacher, but being already qualified, I am worried about having to do a lot of running around for no reason.

SenorCox

[whitney davies]

Hi!

I´ve been here since Feb of 2003 and when I´m asked when is the best time to do a TEFL course, my answer is definitely the  May or June courses.

Why? For two reasons, or maybe more. These courses finishes just in time for you to book your summer work in  summer camps, corporate intensive courses, one to one intensive courses, etc.  which will cover the months of July and August.

As many teachers know the usual company classes that are scheduled from Sept - June (following th school year) ends around the third week of June, when the kids leave school.

So if you  do a TEFL certificate in May or June (I prefer May!) , then you´re set to teach immediately in the end of June or start of July , getting all that teaching experience started and come September, you are more than ready to start teaching company classes that will now cover you for the whole school year from Sept to June.


Hasta pronto!


whitney

[madridinsider]

I do not agree that May or June are the best months to take theTEFL course here in Spain if you want to stay on and go to work straight away.
Not everyone would like to work at a summer camp or would want that type of experience.
July and August are the best two months to take TEFL & Spanish courses that last about 4 weeks each.
You could do the TEFL in July and then take the Spanish classes and Travel in August and be back in Madrid for example ready to start interviewing in September.
Coming in July or August will also let you get your housing sorted in the best locations in Madrid and for the best prices if you are willing to sign on until the end of December / June or for a year.  It is the best time to find places to live in Madrid.
First.  like asked above by senorcox, if you are already confident and prepared you can just start contacting all of the schools / agencies and start interviewing straight away.
Second.  If you are not prepared or confident you can take a four week teacher training course and then start contacting the schools / agencies after you finish.    Just do not waste a good teaching month doing your training as there are enough dead months in Spain that you can train in and then make yourself ready to go.

[metropolis44]

hello Madridinsider!

I recently received my TEFL certificate with a BA in Film/Media and A.A.S in fashion Management. How much money do I need to save before I get to Madrid? I have no experience teaching but I am volunteering for summer camp and signed on to tutor with a local company here in US. My goal was to get a job in Madrid for October this year or should I hold off and apply for January. Also, when do I apply for January?. I have a few friends in Spain already and will i end up bartending?? if thats the case I will learn all the drinks in Spainsh..hehe. There is also the website Madridteacher. They have job postings on there..will I even get in by applying with those companies?

thanks..hopefully you can answer my many questions:)

[MadridTeacher]

I'm MadridTeacher's webmaster metropolis44. It appears the "insider" is out, so if you don't mind, I'll answer your questions till he's in:

How much money do I need to save before I get to Madrid?

I would say play it on the safe side, no, I would say play it on the VERY safe side. I have surprise expenses every week that I hadn't counted on. Whatever it is you wanted to bring with you, double it! Then make sure you have enough for a ticket to get home again in case it all blows up in your face. However, I've always been accused of being a bit of an "ant" and the "grasshoppers" out there will tell you to play it by ear. But it's your life and you know what your tolerance or appetite for risk will stand better than I.

I have no experience teaching but I am volunteering for summer camp and signed on to tutor with a local company here in US.

I know a DOS in an important school in Madrid who got his start volunteering at Vaughan's summer camp. That's not a bad start, though it makes me worry about your money management skills.

My goal was to get a job in Madrid for October this year or should I hold off and apply for January.

Go for October rather than January is my advice. There's usually a lot more going on.

I have a few friends in Spain already and will i end up bartending?? if thats the case I will learn all the drinks in Spainsh..hehe.

Not necessarily. You may prefer bartending before the year's up though. The entry level is full of hard knocks. If you hang in there and move on to greener pastures when the time's right, it usually gets better.

There is also the website Madridteacher. They have job postings on there..will I even get in by applying with those companies?

You have as good a chance of getting on with them as any one else. There are far too many variables for me to be able to just answer "YES!" Also meaning that I don't know. But for example, so much depends on your looks and personality, and not just on your résumé, that they really have to interview you face to face. The jobs are there, but how many teachers are applying for the same ones you are? Do you have working papers? The list goes on and on. You have to make educated guesses and hedge your bets heavily.

MadridTeacher
http://www.madridteacher.com

[rob in madrid]

I would echo what Madrid Teacher said, the more cash you have the easier it will be, if for nothing else it takes time to find classes, for them to start (some start September others October) to get paid, all the while you paying rent, living costs etc.

you didn't mention if you were legal (ie working papers or not) while it is easy to find cash work there are lot of advantages to being legal, mainly you can work on contract and while the pay is lousey you can budget.

[kumargowda1983]

hello Madridinsider!

I recently received my TEFL certificate with a BA in Film/Media and A.A.S in fashion Management. How much money do I need to save before I get to Madrid? I have no experience teaching but I am volunteering for summer camp and signed on to tutor with a local company here in US. My goal was to get a job in Madrid for October this year or should I hold off and apply for January. Also, when do I apply for January?. I have a few friends in Spain already and will i end up bartending?? if thats the case I will learn all the drinks in Spainsh..hehe. There is also the website Madridteacher. They have job postings on there..will I even get in by applying with those companies?

thanks..hopefully you can answer my many questions:)
 

[myyaxian]

I know a DOS in an important school in Madrid who got his start volunteering at Vaughan's summer camp. That's not a bad start, though it makes me worry about your money management skills.