So up until this point on my blog, I’ve only talked about my travels and my experiences here in Spain. I thought it was about time that I discussed how I actually got here!
About 3 years ago, while in Madrid doing a Spanish language course, I met an Irish student who had plans to take a gap year from college and live in the north of Spain. As someone who had planned to spend a year in Spain after university, I was intrigued to know what he planned to do for the year. He explained that he had applied to a program which got him a job teaching English in a secondary school, which sounded perfect for what I wanted to do.
Fast forward to last Christmas, when I message my friend. At this stage, I’d seen what a fantastic year he’d had abroad, the evidence all over Facebook and Instagram, and was more certain than ever that I needed a gap year! He was more than happy to pass on the info to me and thoroughly recommended the program.
It was only then I actually got to know what the program was about. The idea, stemming from a European Union initiative, was to have native speakers from across the continent go to different countries and pass on their natural knowledge of their languages. They would also work as a cultural ambassador, promoting their own country and its history.
Now if you know me, you know that I love to talk, but I also love to talk about Ireland, the EU and their history. I read all this and decided to make this my number one (and basically only) option for my year abroad. The application process was pretty easy, well, it would have been easier had I not waited until the last hour to drop off my application. Thank goodness the Irish Department of Education (who dealt with my application) was close to my apartment!
For my application (for the academic year 2018-19), I needed:
- Application form (with photo)
- C.V.
- Proof of knowledge of the Spanish language
- 2 letters of recommendation
- Doctors letter of good health
- Certified copy of my transcript/degree (a degree, or working towards one, is compulsory for any country).
To be honest, the hardest part of the application was choosing the region where I wanted to go. You didn’t technically get to chose your region, but you got to choose preferences out of 3 groups. I decided Madrid was my first choice, despite my friends’ encouragement to go somewhere new in Spain (this is my 4th time in the capital…). I kind of randomly chose my other preferences, which I would not recommend because it turns out I was extremely lucky to have gotten Madrid.
Then I just had to wait and see if I got into the program. I think I applied at the start of April, which was the month of my finals. This led me to completely forgot about the application until the middle of May when I had nothing else on my mind other than my future!! After waiting and waiting, with no sign of when I would get news, I politely emailed the Department of Education in Ireland, and got the answer I wanted – I had gotten placed in Madrid!!
For the rest of the summer, I waited in anticipation for more news. I went along to an Irish information day in the Institute of Cervantes in Dublin, where an official from the Spanish government Department of Education explained to us clueless Irish what was going to happen. Nearly everyone else at this stage had received their official “nombramiento”, their school placement, detailing their school level, its location and their contact info. Only myself and the other guy heading to Madrid hadn’t received ours yet. We were told Madrid was like this, as it has the most language assistants, from the widest variety of countries.
Madrid was to become the exception to every rule. Due to the higher cost of living in the capital, we were to work 4 more hours – 16 in total (I know what a chore!), but would receive €1000/mth instead of the standard 12 hours work for €700. We were told we might also not be paid promptly the first time, due to admin setups etc, but that wasn’t a problem for me. Also, we were contracted to work an extra month more than the rest of the regions, working until the 31st June instead of the end of May. This suited me fine, more money and a longer contract sounded great, but it is something to remember if you apply to the capital.
However, I soon received my nombramiento and got in contact with my school. It turned out that my school wasn’t in Madrid, Madrid. It was in a tiny town, about two hours journey on public transport from the city centre. This threw me at first. Somehow my brain had decided Madrid = Madrid city, forgetting totally about the rest of the community. Despite the journey, I decided (and was recommended) that it was best to live in the city and commute, a decision I haven’t regretted.
Once I got to Spain, I realised that this wasn’t unusual, that most auxiliars (language assistants) had to commute at least 30 minutes each way. But the moment I knew that I would be ok was, after talking to other auxiliars, how prepared my school was and how much they wanted us to be there. Since that point, everything has been easier than it first seemed.
Even Spanish bureaucracy wasn’t as awkward as I was told it would be. I had to get a NIE, basically a number identifying me as a foreigner so they could tax me for living in Spain. As what I do is classified as a student program, and a government one at that, I don’t get taxed, and this was more to register me as living here. I also had to set up a bank account and declare myself a resident in my apartment, but again both these things were easy as I have good Spanish. I’m very lucky I’m a European with the right to live here, as the MANY Americans on this program do not have this luxury. Definitely house hunting was the hardest part in Madrid, but that’s for another post.
I suppose what I’m trying to say with this post is that I would really recommend this program. It is relatively easy to apply to (if you have the language of the country you are travelling to), provides a great routine and salary, and essentially for me, gives you time to figure your life out and to experience other countries. I hope I’ve explained everything well, and I’ve added some links below, but please comment with any questions!
From Meath to Madrid 