The Spainwise North TEFL Jobs Fair – a Great Way to Find the Job for You in Spain

Would you like to work in Spain? The country has been a favourite destination for TEFL teachers for years – drawn by the rich history, beautiful scenery, remarkable architecture, delicious cuisine, the famous wines, and of course by the friendly people. One means for TEFL teachers to find work is by visiting job fairs, so teflhub has interviewed Stuart from Spainwise to find out more about their upcoming jobs fair in Bilbao.

1              Why should I attend the fair?

There are over 6,000 private language schools in Spain so teachers often don’t know where to start looking! The Spainwise Fair provides a unique opportunity for teachers to meet with some of the top schools in the country.

Although some private language schools in Spain may be willing to recruit via the internet and/or phone/Skype interviews (the job-seeker’s equivalent of a blind date!), most discerning teachers appreciate the unique opportunity to meet employers face-to-face which the Spainwise Jobs Fair offers. Where else would you find so many private language schools under one roof?

The seminars and presentations are also a great way of finding out more about the private language teaching sector. They provide teachers with essential background information to enable them to make more informed choices when considering employment opportunities.

2        Is the jobs fair an annual event?

Yes.  This year the event is on Saturday the 20th of May.

3        Where is it held?

In Bilbao, the address is:

IES Botikazar Bhi, Botikazar Erribera 1, 48014 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.

4              Is it easy to get to?

Bilbao is one of the easiest locations in Spain to reach, with an international airport and another within an hour’s bus journey (in Santander). With Spain’s Bus services, getting to the fair from any nearby location couldn’t be easier.

5              What type of school attends the event?

All the schools are Private English Academies from all over Spain who are members of FECEI (the national federation of Language schools) which means that the schools are all legitimate and do everything above board (pay taxes, pay social security, follow employment laws etc)

6              Do they recruit there and then?

Most employers at the fair conduct on-the-spot interviews. Obviously, because of time and space constraints, these ‘mini interviews’ are not as in-depth as a normal job interview, but many employers shortlist teachers at the fair and conduct follow-up interviews with candidates afterwards.

7              If I'm a teacher looking for work, what should I bring with me to the jobs fair?

Rather than taking along multiple copies of your CV, you can upload your CV to  Spainwise’s online database. All employers taking part in the fair will have access to the CVs in this database on the day of the fair.

8              Can you give any advice on what the schools expect the candidates to wear for the event?

Think of it like any other interview, if you want a job teaching business classes, I wouldn’t wear swimming shorts and flip flops. Smart casual is usually a safe bet as you can only make your fist impression once.

9              Does it cost anything to attend Spainwise?

No. Attendance at the fair, the workshops, the presentations, the CV-Forwarding service, etc. is ALL FREE. 

10           If I’m a non native speaker, will I still have a chance of finding a job?

Spainwise actively discourages employers from discriminating against non-native teachers. The individual requirements of each school (qualifications, experience, etc.) vary considerably so it’s a good idea to research exhibiting schools’ requirements BEFORE  you come to the fair. You can  check out the profiles of the participating schools on our website.

That sounds great, thank you.

To find out more visit www.north.spainwise.net