Finding a TEFL job - TESOL/TEFL/ESOL/ESL/CELTA

Working in Spain

Schools:

most teachers work in private language schools (academias de idiomas),
it is much harder o find work in state schools - they usually only employ people who have the Spanish equivalent of a B.Ed. or PGCE.
private schools (both secondary & primary) & universities do employ non-Spanish teachers, however- obviously, they tend to take on more experienced teachers who also have a good level of Spanish,
teachers typically teach a mixture of adult & young leaner classes,
you may teach specialised classes- such as English for business people or exam preparation classes,

Classes:

teachers typically teach a mixture of adult & young leaner classes,
you may teach specialised classes- such as English for business people or exam preparation classes,
some classes might be off-site: in a company's offices for example- so you may be paid travel time,

Working hours:

teaching usually fits into the following slots: 8.00 to 10.00 am, 2 to 4 pm and 6 to 9 pm. Y ou might need to start early and finish late- though not usually every day,
many schools just run classes Monday to Thursday - the Spanish often have other plans for Friday evening!
some schools have Saturday morning classes- these usually go to the new teachers the first year
most teachers work for about 25 hours a week in the classroom- obviously planning & travelling adds more time to this

Finding work in Spain

There are literally thousands of language schools in Spain and even the smallest town usually has at least one.
Most schools wait for their teachers to find them - they don't need to advertise.
This means that finding work is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
Other schools, especially the larger ones, have more formal recruitment procedures. Some will ask you do to a demonstration lesson.

The best time of year to find work is September, followed by January and June. If you are looking for a contract or full time work then September is definitely the best time. There are lots of jobs going in September, as most schools hire from October to June, except business schools who take people on all year.

Nowadays it's unrealistic to find work without a CELTA. In the past, schools in Spain would employ any native-speaker. Thankfully, levels of professionalism have increased! Beware a school that will hire you without qualifications, they may be sub-standard in other areas too.
Some schools also require a university degree although this is not universal.

Word of mouth works in Spain and so it is a good idea to get to know as many other English teachers as possible as they are often the first to hear that a job has come available. Many schools don't have the time to interview prospective teachers and so if a friend recommends you then you are in with a good chance of getting the job!

Find schools and group them by area. You can get a list of schools from the British Council, or simply from the local Yellow Pages ( Paginas Amarillas )

Start visiting schools or send out your CV. Some schools will outright reject you. Other schools will accept your CV without comment. Others will ask you for an interview. Some may even offer you work there and then!

The Internet is obviously a good way to look for work. Check out our links page.

Paperwork
As an EU citizen you can start work immediately & sort out things like getting a social security number & a national identity number in the first few weeks. This site has useful information on exactly what you need to do.

You will find that almost all of the job announcements in Spain require an EU passport. This means that for most non EU citizens the only way to teach in Spain is to do so 'under-the-table'.
There are lots of people working like this but there are also many who do manage to get their papers, but they have often done under-the-table work for a while before getting them.

Your C.V.

Experience is an advantage, even if you have only taught private or in-company classes and so it is worthwhile putting this on your CV.
prepare your CV in both Spanish and English, and include cover letters in both languages. Make sure to also bring several passport photos and transcripts , references, etc. from any schools you have attended.
If you have attended any TEFL seminars or conferences put this down, too.
Also include any useful business experience you may have - obviously this will look good for business classes
Our tutors will also act as referees - obviously employers value their opinion.

The interview

Remember that as with any job you need to give a good impression - don't forget to look clean and tidy!
Try to come across as reasonably independent - schools are often short of time and resources and so independent teachers are definitely an asset!
Try to learn a little Spanish .
Everything else is covered on the CELTA course:
exam classes
business classes
teaching different levels
language awareness
dealing with discipline problems (children's classes)
making lessons motivating
problems specific to Spanish speakers
familiarity with common coursebooks
& so on