Ok, so my friend and I have completed our 140 hour TEFL course with i to i are are hoping to travel to somewhere in Europe to teach English. Despite the fact that I'm still very scared about going away (will I be a good teacher? is my main concern-what if I get there and become speechless in front of loads of kids or adults?! or am basically just crap at it) I think that I still need to at least try to get a job. But the problem is, I've been emailing and applying for jobs in Spain, Italy and France and I can't seem to get anywhere because a lot of times I don't get any responses or, when I do I'm told that the advertisement was an old one. Also, on more than one occasion I've been advised that it is probably better to travel out to the country I intend to teach in and hand out CVs there but is this really such a good idea? I would love some advice in what is the best way to go about this, especially if my friend and I would like to teach in the same school as each other, or at least near each other? Also, does anyone know what dates the term times of Spain, Italy and France begin please? Sorry if I've asked a lot of questions and bored anyone to tears but I really do appreciate it if someone can help us! Thank you :)
Hey thanks so much for your comments, and sorry for the late reply I've been having loads of difficulty adding my comment to Chalkboard (let's hope this works), sometimes it’s just so hard to know what to do! I’m definitely thinking of heading abroad Briona and Alix, I hope my friend and I get placed at least near each other, but thanks so much for letting me know about the term time dates, I couldn’t find that information anywhere!
And Urick, you're advice is invaluable! It's fantastic to hear about the legalities of teaching in Italy, and as for volunteering at a Church, I hadn't thought of it, thank you.
And thank you Bianca, I'll keep in touch :)
Mahalath, I’m from Northern Ireland and definitely thinking of heading abroad, as I said though it’s just so hard to know! Good luck in getting placement in Italy yourself.
And Peter, I do have a degree. Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of that, I really do appreciate it because I’m very nervous about teaching so it’s nice to hear about someone else’s experiences and you’ve helped to alleviate my worries a little, so thanks again! I think I just prefer to have the security of being closer to home in my first teaching job!
Again, thanks everyone for getting in contact and for your advice, Catherine
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Yes, Briona is right about your timing regarding Spain, but you might be lucky with companies that supply in office or private teaching. However, I should add that most companies want you to have your papers in order first, which means you at least need to have a social security number and empadronamiento. Then you can apply for an appointment for your NIE (an ID number for foreigners). When you have a certificate that says you have this appointment, you can legally work.
There are companies here that will employ you without a degree, I havn't got one, but you should legalise your TEFL cert and also bring with you any school/college/uni certificates you have, as you may well be asked to prove what it says on your CV.
The reason for this is the very high level of competition. Remember that Spain now has 23% unemployment and Italy is probably not too far behind. There are literally thousands of English teachers here, especially in Madrid, and many of them are experienced and well qualified, so if your CV doesn't immediately catch the eye of the HR department, it probably won't even get read.
Your other problem is experience - most companies/schools in Spain require a minimum of 2 years, and the only company who prefers freshers is Vaughan Syatems. They are always recruiting and will train you in their particular method... IF you pass the training they'll give you a minimum 10 week contract and provably more work afterwards. However, don't believe the hype - especially when it comes to wages, although they'll give you a minimum wage of 900€ a month.
where are you from? - if you are not from europe then it will be difficult because of your passport and visa restritions.
Do you have a degree? - again if you do not have a degree then it will be difficult to get a job.
For places like France and Italy - competition is so high that to stand a better chance at getting a job a CELTA is prefered - TEFL is usually only suitable for a job on the side or for asia, africa and south america
As for teaching itself - the best things is to enjoy it and dont put so much pressure on yourself - ive been teaching 2 years, and ive found that most just are just happy to be talking to a native speaker and to have a new person to speak to and show off their skills or just to list to... i once had an adult student say "i dont care what you teach i am just facinated to hear the british accent"
You will make mistakes, you will have terrible classes and sometimes you will think you are the worst teacher ever and have let your students down (BUT this happens to everyone, and will continue to happen - just less often - when you become a great teacher) - i have moments when i've felt like walking out of the classroom or looking at my schedule and thinking "if i dont understand this then how can i teach my students it"... but ive learnt that a good teacher is someone who likes their students and the students likes them, a person who can inspire and pass on knowledge and get the students interesting - its not about being able to stand up and talk or read from a text book and be awesome at grammar - its about engaging with your students and being interested in them
The academic year in Spain, France and Italy starts any time between mid-September and early October and runs till mid to late June. Unfortunately now is not a great time to be looking for work in Europe. You've just missed the second hiring peak (early Jan) meaning that there won't be much around till the summer jobs start in early July.
Assuming you have a passport from an EU member state, your best bet really would be to fly out to your country of choice and hand out CVs. Buy a local SIM card, print out lots of CVs (ideally with a photo on), make copies of your TEFL certificates, look up all the schools in your chosen area and simply do a CV drop. Note that because the academic year jobs have all been filled, any vacancies will probably be due to someone leaving unexpectedly so it's unlikely you and your friend would find work in the same school.
I'm looking for a teacher. get in touch with me please---bianca.tino@gmail.com
southern italy
Hi, to tide you over until someone who is more in the know chimes in, you are probably going to find jobs easiest in Spain, then Italy, then France. I'm seriously considering going to Italy after this contract, and all my research has indicated that going there and looking for a job is much better than trying online, assuming you are from the UK or Ireland.
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