This
week’s guest blogger gives us the low down on her expat gripes and takes us
through the trials and tribulations of adjusting to European work habits.
Source:
Sunshine and Siestas
Moving
abroad to live and work in Southern Spain for a year brought on its own set of
challenges, even with the promise of a job, a visa and European health
insurance. I stressed over finding a place to live, setting up a bank account
and making friends, not to mention having to do it in another language. Then,
of course, there’s the later eating
hours, the different customs the lack of Anglo manners and the constant cat
calls in the street.
One of the
factors I didn’t consider was getting used to a different way of earning a
living. Six years, four jobs and a work visa later, I’m still learning to adapt
to Spanish work ethic, hours and treatment as an Anglo working in a foreign country.
Working for the Weekend (or not)
As an
American, I felt I was doomed to a thirteen-days-of-holiday existence. I had
scared myself into thinking that I’d have just one gap year to travel, learn
some Spanish and postpone my entrance to the working world by accepting an
eight-month teaching position in Seville, Spain. The North American Language
and Culture Assistant Program promised me 12 hours of work in exchange for a
student visa and 631€.
As it turned
out, I did the Goldilocks of ESL jobs:
Twelve hours
in a classroom meant loads of afternoons spent figuring out what the fuss is
behind the siesta, taking flamenco
class and tutoring for extra money. It seemed that every few weeks, we were
giving a day off for some holiday, and since they often fell in the middle of
the week, we wouldn’t be expected to return to work until the following Monday.
Called a puente, or bridge, the
“Where’s Cat going this weekend?” Too,
too little!
After three
years in the auxiliar program, as it’s
called in Spain, I began working as a first grade teacher in a private school.
Free time, planning hours and long weekends ceased to exist, and I was heavily
underpaid. Too, too much!
I’ve finally
found a balance between working and playing by taking a job at an after-school
language academy. Sleeping in, getting morning errands done and completing a
master’s degree make up my morning, rather than snotty-nosed kids. I work
part-time for a full-time salary and benefits, and still have time to pursue
other interests. It’s just right.
As I write
this post, I’m enjoying an afternoon off from teaching due to a national
holiday. All work and no play? Not for this guiri.
Source: Sunshine and Siestas
Secrets, Secrets are no Fun
Were you
ever the new kid in school? I was at age 12, and at age 22, I became the most
interesting thing happening around the bracero and in the cantina of the high
school where I worked. Coworkers whispered about me within earshot, and as soon
as word spread that I’d started dating a Spaniard, the rumor mill worked
full-time.
What’s more,
I was required to get a doctor’s note if I ever missed school. Strep throat, allergy
injections and check ups were no longer just my business, but also the business
of the director and whoever she felt like telling.
Office Politics
There’s also
something to be said about office politics and the general disorganization of
the schools I’ve worked in and the offices I’ve needed to get business done in.
Last-minute mandatory meetings, trash talking about others during work hours
and favoritism was rampant at the private school I worked at, and it drove me
insane.
And what’s
with all of the coffee breaks?! How does anyone get anything done?
Tit for Less Than Tat
Perhaps the
most difficult part of working abroad has been the difficulty in getting a visa
and struggling to make good money. Life is hard for a North American guiri, and recent changes in labor laws
mean that getting work permission and visas is extremely difficult (I got
married as a result). It’s a vicious cycle: without a work contract, you can’t
get a visa, and you can’t get a visa without a work contract. When you do get
hired, don’t expect to make the same money as you would in your home country.
There exists a term called mil euristas,
and the average salary for young workers in Seville is a mere 1000€ a month,
plus health benefits.
What’s more,
experience counts very little when it comes to job searching. Most fields
require a specific degree. Never mind that I’m a native speaker with six years
of experience giving English classes: I am very limited to where and in what I
can work, which is why I sucked it up and sign up for a master’s program
through a Spanish university. If experience is the best teacher, Spain’s got
you schooled.
Despite some
of these of the pitfalls, I’m quite happy working in Spain. I enjoy teaching
and the freedom it gives me to explore other interests, travel, and enjoy a
cold Cruzcampo beer at the end of the day. I’ve learned to separate my work
life from my home life, and now keep my mouth shut when it comes to
oversharing. As for the incessant coffee breaks? If you can’t beat them, drink
up, as they say!
About the author
Cat Gaa turned down a job at a
radio news station and turned up in Southern Spain, where she now wrangles kids
by night while blogging about life in Seville for a guiri at Sunshine and Siestas. Catch up with her on twitter and instagram at @sunshinesiestas
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