# A Guiri doing Non-English Teaching Work



## CanaAutonomo (Feb 19, 2012)

Hello everyone!

Well, I am in the same "rut" many English teachers find themselves in. I have been teaching English for 3 years in Madrid. I hate it. I hate the instability. I hate the weird hours. I hate "the student is always right." I make nearly 3000 euros a month, but this is a job I cannot pride myself in. My family in my home country doesn't even know what I am doing here, because they think being an ESL teacher has about as much future as working for McDonald's.

So here it is- do we have hope doing non-English teaching jobs? When I mean "nothing to do with English teaching," I mean nothing to do with the entire arena. I have no interest in supervising teachers in an academy, administration with a school, logistics, nothing. 

I earn good money here, provided it's a month with not too many festivos. To earn the money I do earn, I work like an animal, starting nearly everyday at 8 am and finishing my work day at 9 pm. Imagine, waking up at 6 am to walk a dog, and by the time I drive home it's 9.30 pm.


I had a very brief education with Christie's *the famous art auction house in London, and don't know if that could lead to some sort of work in the field of art here in Madrid. They have no connections with jobs in Spain so I have to look for work myself.

I'm not dumb, of course there are set-backs. First, I hear they don't want to hire guiri's because it's a crisis and why give jobs to people who could easily get employment in their rich countries. Secondly, it's a crisis. Last, my Spanish is high intermediate and nowhere near advanced.

What do I do? Don't want to go back to Canada ( I do have a husband and life here). But I hate my life as an English Teacher and I can no longer live a lie with my family thinking I do something completely different in Spain.

Anyone have a job doing NON ENGLISH TEACHING in Madrid? Do you know of people who have regular jobs here? Do you know anyone who works in art?


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## JulyB (Jul 18, 2011)

Well, I don't have any ideas about other jobs unfortunately, as I'm an English teacher too. But I will say that 3,000 euros a month is three times what a lot of people make, so nothing at all to be ashamed of - and don't let your family tell you otherwise. A job's a job, and they should be jolly proud that you're so hardworking!

Having said that, I can understand why you're miserable and feeling burnt out. I've done hours like that before and they're brutal.


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## Grimace (Mar 30, 2010)

I know how you feel. ESL teaching does get a bit old at times. I came over here thinking I'd do it for a year . . 5 years later I'm still an English teacher with no real other options. I know how the long days feel. Why are you burning yourself out so much though? Have you got huge bills to pay or savings goals? I had a couple of years of earning really good money teaching English and saved a ton, but at the end of the second one I was burnt out and bitter and basically took a year off to recover from my negative experience. This year while I'm still teaching English, I'm on a more relaxed schedule and only have one day where I leave the house before sunrise and get home an hour before bedtime. I'd also like to have a different job, but I just don't see why a Spanish employer would favour any foreigner right now with all things being equal. From what other people tell me, there's just as much stress in "real" jobs and the pay isn't a lot better in most cases. 

Sorry, this isn't much help at all, but I do empathize with you.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Some years ago I found myself in a similar situation. Having completed a long contract I was financially able to retire, which I did, but after one year of D.I.Y. jobs around the house, I became bored and required a fresh challenge.

I had no desire to return to my previous profession, which like you at the latter end I hated. So I thought long and hard, and after a while, the penny dropped, I realized I had other, yet unused skills, I started my own business and made a packet!

You obviously are a well educated person, and are probably fluent in at least two languages, you live in the capital city, there must be other opportunities out there for you, have a big think, try and diversify, somewhere there will be a niche for you, you just have to find it,


Hepa


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## CanaAutonomo (Feb 19, 2012)

Grimace said:


> I know how you feel. ESL teaching does get a bit old at times. I came over here thinking I'd do it for a year . . 5 years later I'm still an English teacher with no real other options. I know how the long days feel. Why are you burning yourself out so much though? Have you got huge bills to pay or savings goals? I had a couple of years of earning really good money teaching English and saved a ton, but at the end of the second one I was burnt out and bitter and basically took a year off to recover from my negative experience. This year while I'm still teaching English, I'm on a more relaxed schedule and only have one day where I leave the house before sunrise and get home an hour before bedtime. I'd also like to have a different job, but I just don't see why a Spanish employer would favour any foreigner right now with all things being equal. From what other people tell me, there's just as much stress in "real" jobs and the pay isn't a lot better in most cases.
> 
> Sorry, this isn't much help at all, but I do empathize with you.


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I am so glad that you "feel me," but it's just so discouraging that I don't know any "guiri" here in Madrid that is doing anything "Non-English Teaching" related.


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## CanaAutonomo (Feb 19, 2012)

Grimace said:


> I know how you feel. ESL teaching does get a bit old at times. I came over here thinking I'd do it for a year . . 5 years later I'm still an English teacher with no real other options. I know how the long days feel. Why are you burning yourself out so much though? Have you got huge bills to pay or savings goals? I had a couple of years of earning really good money teaching English and saved a ton, but at the end of the second one I was burnt out and bitter and basically took a year off to recover from my negative experience. This year while I'm still teaching English, I'm on a more relaxed schedule and only have one day where I leave the house before sunrise and get home an hour before bedtime. I'd also like to have a different job, but I just don't see why a Spanish employer would favour any foreigner right now with all things being equal. From what other people tell me, there's just as much stress in "real" jobs and the pay isn't a lot better in most cases.
> 
> Sorry, this isn't much help at all, but I do empathize with you.


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Hi there, well I have a lot of bills to pay and especially now. I have been filing my taxes incorrectly so I will owe the Spanish government a lot of money. The question is, at the point you "hate" the job, what do you do? You still sound tolerant of the job, I hate waking up in the morning. I work at an academy that if one student complains about you *even if he or she is completely wrong, my employer doesn't care and takes the class away from you. I hate this environment "live or die by your evaluation." I think this is the tip of the iceberg for me. If I do this one more year I really question if my sanity is going to be ok.


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