Getting Work as a Language Teacher

Finding a job as a teacher in Spain can be a little daunting at first but with the right attitude and willingness to to do the footwork you will always find some work.

There are two routes to pursue when looking for work; teaching jobs in the established schools and private work such as “one on one” with private individuals in their homes.

The first, schools, is important for new teachers who need to work in a structured environment and want to develop their new found skills as a teacher. You will be surrounded by more experienced teachers and probably find that the school has regular workshops on teaching.

The time to look for school employment is starting July, when many of the schools begin to advertise for positions starting in September/October.

The offers are varied and can mean nothing more than a start at least with just a couple of hours a week being offered. The reason for this is that they don’t know you from Adam and therefore want to get to know you first. If you are good enough for them you can expect to be offered more hours as time goes by.

Some schools will offer you a position with a contract and paid holidays from the word go, be happy if get this type of contract!

The other way to go, also good for supplementing a small income is looking for private students.

The best approach is a business like attitude of selling a product. You dealing with people who want something from you and if they can get it for the cheapest price they will.

Set an hourly rate and stick to it! Don’t entertain any negotiating over your price – you have a product that is very useful to them and if they want the best, they must pay for it.

In Europe, prices differ according to location. In the south of Spain between 15 and 18 Euros are average prices for one hour. Often with private students 90 minutes is better and a special offer of 20 Euros for 90 minutes maybe twice a week is a good deal.

How to get students? Well, some people print posters and post them all over town – then a day later all the hard work was in vain because the bin-men tore them down. This method brings small results and honestly, the hard work of tramping around town hanging posters isn’t necessary at all.

We have the internet. You need to advertise in the free classified ads on countless sites all over the web. Use this method and if done correctly, you will receive emails and calls from lots of interested students.

Don’t underestimate the power of a free ad. With maybe ten to fifteen ads on different web-sites you will get good results. Make sure that you think about the wording you use in your advert, the title is very important. People googling for a teacher will use various phrases but if you can get a title that is close to what people type into google, then they will find your advert.

Don’t forget that after a week or two your advert has dived into the depths of computer space and is not going to be as effective as it was a week earlier. re-vamp the advert and notice the difference in results.

Don’t forget, one advert isn’t enough. Make ten or more and always keep them updated.

With a little practice and changing the wording in your adverts you will discover that you can have a steady flow of students to keep your wallet happy.