life after graduation pack 2013

138
LIFE AFTER GRADUATION 2013 A guide by former students Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona August 2013

Upload: counterss

Post on 22-Oct-2015

194 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Life After Graduation June 2012

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 0

LIFE AFTER

GRADUATION

2013

A guide by former students

Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística,

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

August 2013

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB

Table of contents

Introduction 1 CVs and cover letters, 3

About using LinkedIn, 8

Interview basics, 9

Searching for work online, 11

Opportunities for further education 12 1. Professional training opportunities, 12

2. Post-graduate education options, 13

3. Master’s programs offered by the English Department, 14

4. Programs related to teaching English, 14

5. Programs related to teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language, 18

6. Programs related to business, international relations and tourism, 20

7. Programs related with translation, publishing and language, 24

8. Ongoing education when you are already teaching, 29

9. Doing post-graduate studies abroad, 30

Grants to teach and work abroad 35 1. Leonardo da Vinci and Eurodisea (internship grants), 35

2. Auxiliares de Conversación, 36

3. Profesores visitantes en EEUU y Canadá, 37

4. Fulbright lectores de español en universidades de EEUU, 42

5. Lectors i lectores de Català, 44

Teaching grant application calendar, 45

Working abroad 46 1. Looking on the internet for jobs abroad, 46

2. Finding housing and work in the UK, 47

3. Teaching in the UK, 49

4. Working as a supply teacher, 51

5. Becoming qualified if you don’t have the CAP, 52

6. Finding summer work in a UK hotel, 55

7. Living and working in China, 56

8. Living and working in India, 58

9. Teaching in Slovakia, 60

10. Teaching in the Czech Republic, 61

11. Teaching in Poland, 62

12. Teaching in Bulgaria, 63

13. Working in the tourist industry in Norway, 65

14. Living and working in Germany, 67

15. Working in New Zealand, 69

16. Working in Australia, 70

17. Working in Canada, 70

18. Working in the US with the VIF Program, 71

19. Volunteer work, 71

20. Volunteer experiences in Africa, 71

Teaching English to very young learners 77

Becoming a freelance translator 79

Working in the publishing industry 81

Business communication basics 84

1. Communicating data on the phone, 84

2. Useful telephone phrases, 86

3. Email basics, 87

Contributors to the Pack 88

Alumni reports 2012 89-136

Life After Graduation June 2012

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 1

Introduction

If you are just graduating, you haven’t appeared in this story yet, and you may prefer never to have your

name appear in future Packs. But even so, you will still be part of this story, because it is the story of a

group of people who shared a key experience when they were at the very beginning of their adulthood—

passage through the UAB English Department—and then used that experience one way or the other to

make a life for themselves and make sense of that life.

After you graduate, you will be unusual if you do not feel a sense of helplessness, bewilderment and even

panic. No matter how artificial, tedious or even meaningless your university education may have

occasionally seemed to you while you were actually going through it, university provided you with a series

of short-term objectives and responsibilities which served to structure your life. You knew what you were

supposed to do, whether it meant studying for an exam or completing a paper before a deadline. Perhaps

you were able to comply, perhaps not, but the rules and framework were clear. Now that structure is gone.

Be prepared to feel like the floor has fallen out from under your feet. Suddenly, all the choices and goals

and challenges are yours to set and face alone.

The people who contributed to this pack have all been there before and remember that feeling, so they have

decided to help show you the way ahead, hoping that thus you may avoid some of the pitfalls they fell into

and showing you through their own hard-won successes that the struggle is worth it in the end. But do not

expect absolute and eternal satisfaction, or a fulfilling and permanent job. Read the Alumni Reports, and

you will see that for the university graduate there may be no such thing.

Perhaps your family and friends will say, “Now that you are finished with university, you can settle down.”

It may prove difficult for them to understand that precisely because you are a university graduate you will

never settle down, at least not in the way they did or imagine you should. Read these Reports and you will

detect everywhere an underlying restlessness and dissatisfaction. Again and again you will read about one

of your predecessors finally getting a job they like, one that offers them a challenge, where they are

learning new skills. Yet two years later they have learned all they can with that job and are longing for

something else. This is a repeating pattern in this story.

The reason for this pattern is that what a university education gives you, far beyond any specific content

you might have learned, is an appetite for intellectual stimulation. University is a brain massage. You have

experienced the personal growth that comes to an adult when they are learning, and you will discover that

that appetite never ceases to require satisfaction. This means that life will be more complicated for you than

for your peers who have not been through university. But it will also be richer. You are more fortunate than

they are—not superior, just luckier. Because life will have more levels of texture for you. You will be able

to “see more colours”.

Though the first part of the pack provides what is intended to be practical information of all sorts, it is the

collective wisdom of the Alumni Reports at the end that you should devote most attention to. And here you

will see repeated the following messages.

1) Be flexible. Do not rule out professional avenues about which you are ignorant simply because you

don’t think you would like it. Be careful about thinking “I don’t want to teach” or “I only want to

teach”. Remember that working in business will make you a much better teacher if you return to it,

and being a teacher can give you skills that are very useful in a business context should you decide

to move in that direction. Similarly, be very careful about rejecting opportunities when they come

your way. Even a bad job can teach you a lot, such as what constitutes a “bad job”. Never impose

your own obstacles, like “Chinese is too difficult” or “I don’t want to work in an office”. Life is

going to put plenty of obstacles in your way as it is—no need to add your own.

2) Develop a sense of your own worth. Remember that a work contract is an agreement between two

equal parties under the law: the employer and the employee. Yes, equal parties. You have the right

to quit a job if it does not meet your needs just as much as they have the right to fire you if you do

not meet their needs. It is you who must decide your own value, not anyone else. This does not

mean you must insist on a great job as soon as you graduate. But you are worth a lot now, and your

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 2

value will grow steadily. It may be a good tactical move at some point in your life to accept a job

below your abilities, but if you do so, do not lose sight of your own worth. Think, “This company

is not exploiting me, I am exploiting them. When I have finished learning everything I can from

this job, I am going to find something else.”

In more practical terms, as a graduate with a language degree you may assume that you have three main

career paths: a) teaching, b) translating and c) business-related work. This is what the Alumni Reports will

tell you in this regard:

a) At the present moment, teaching is not a viable profession for a newcomer—at least not in the

sense of a full-time reasonably paid job. Even for those who graduated ten years ago, teaching in a

public secondary school was something that might happen after five years of working in language

schools, joining the public school substitution lists, passing the Opos and having enough extra

points to get a post. It was not immediate. But at present, not only are there no new openings in the

public secondary system, but the conditions for teachers are becoming significantly worse. (This

does not mean that there are not occasional opportunities in the private sector.)

b) Very, very few of your predecessors are full-time professional translators. Many have tried it but

discovered that it is not sustainable financially as a professsion—nor is it necessarily much fun.

c) About 35% of your predecessors are in jobs related to business, in which category I would include

the not insignificant number who own their own language schools. The kinds of jobs one can find

in the business community are extremely varied and can be very routine and exploitative or very

challenging and satisfiying. In the current recession, jobs in the business world will be neither very

easy to find nor very permanent. But this enforced mobility may work in your favour because

companies often provide employees with additional training and as your CV grows you will

become more and more hireable. After all, it is more cost effective for a company to take someone

who speaks English and train them in sales than take someone who knows sales and then try to

teach them English.

If you are thinking, “Great, but what do I do right now?” those who came ahead of you would probably

answer, “Prepare as best as you can for anything.” So as an immediate strategy I would suggest the

following.

1. Make sure you know how to apply for a job. This means having a CV that is attractive not only in

terms of contents but also in terms of layout. By the same token any cover email you send to a

company should show immaculate spelling and punctuation. Finally, learn how to give a strong

interview. The next pages of this Pack are devoted to these matters.

2. Having a good command of English is not enough. Develop or perfect as many auxiliary skills as

possible, by which I mean at least one more foreign language beside English and an ability to use

fully and self-confidently all the programs in the Microsoft Office—Word, Excel, PowerPoint,

Access and Publisher. This will give you an important edge over most other novice job applicants.

You can get language and computer training in many local training schools, often at very low

prices (see page 13). Start this now—don’t wait till September—so that you feel that you are

taking control of your life.

3. If you decide to pursue a post-graduate program, choose it carefully. Don’t just rush off and “do a

master’s”. Read what others say in this Pack about the programs they have taken. Weigh carefully

the strength of your interest in the particular field, the cost, the quality of the program and the

likely advantage to your professional prospects.

As a final word, let me say that almost all contributors to this pack ended their message to you with “I wish

you the best of luck”, which I have omitted in the interests of space. But they mean it, as do I and my

colleagues in the Department.

—Michael

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 3

CVs, cover letters and interviews Carol Gómez & Michael Kennedy

English-style CVs versus Europass The advice below will help you prepare a CV that is appropriate for the UK, Ireland and US. The key

to preparing a CV in this style is to make it concise and attractive. The Europass is different in style

and uses a standardized format that can be used anywhere in the European Union. Spanish Human

Resources directors tell me that both styles are acceptable here, though they admit that an English-

style CV tends to attract the eye more. You can find instructions and a template for creating a

Europass at http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae.

GENERAL ADVICE

A CV should be typed on a word-processor, well laid out, and printed on a good quality printer

(unless you email it). Use Word carefully. Do not leave extra spaces or irregularities in

formatting. Sloppiness will tell a potential recruiter that you do not pay attention to details.

Likewise, use the spell-check on your computer. Or check that the spelling is correct in some

way. This may sound obvious but if you are applying for a job requiring English even one

spelling error can send your CV into the trash.

Use bold and/or underline print for headings. But do not use lots of different font types and

sizes. Use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page.

Employers do not want to see CVs which are all written in exactly the same way. So follow the

standard CV samples, but try to make your CV your own, personal, and a little bit different.

But do not decorate it or make it extravagant. Keep it sober but attractive.

Make your CV visual. Make sure the company will automatically go to the important data in

your CV. Well organized CVs are easier to read than those which are not. If possible, make

sure your work experience and language skills appear on the first page. That goes for

anything else that constitutes one of your special strengths.

Before you apply for a particular job, research the job and the company or institution that is

offering it: their structure, products, successes, and approach. A great deal of information can

be obtained from a Google online search. Then make sure your CV highlights the skills that are

most likely to make you the successful candidate for that job. Do not automatically send out

exactly the same CV to every job.

Do not exceed two sides of a page. In fact, many professionals try to keep everything on one

side of the page, even at the price of very small type.

When you have written a first attempt at your CV, ask several other people to check it, not only

for typographical or spelling mistakes but also to suggest ways to make it better. Ask your

friends, teachers or family friends in business. What you have written may seem simple and

obvious to you but may not to an employer.

Send your documents as PDF files. A Word document can be easily modified and sometimes

the layout is disrupted if the receiving computer is using a different version of Windows.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 4

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR CV

Photo

A photo is not mandatory, and if applying for a job in the US do NOT include one. (The idea is

to ensure that people are hired because of their qualifications, not their looks.)

Keep the size modest, e.g. 2.5 X 4 cm.

Use a photo where you appear relaxed but fairly formal. Guys: wear a shirt with a collar, even if

you don’t wear a tie. You are trying to get a job, not make a statement about freedom of

expression.

Smile.

Make sure the lighting is good and the resolution appropriate.

Do not use a photo taken when you were at a party or are part of a group, or having lunch at the

farm. Do not crop a photo so that someone’s arm is around your shoulders. Take this seriously.

Personal details

Make your name prominent—more prominent than “curriculum vitae”, for example.

If you are using the CV abroad, hyphenate your two last names to avoid confusion. For

example, call yourself “Laura Ros-Balcells” instead of “Laura Ros Balcells”.

Current street address, city, country, postal code, phone number, email address, date of birth. If

it is a CV in English, please spell “address” correctly.

If you have an email address like [email protected], change it to something that is

more sober and reflects your name, such as [email protected].

Remember to include the country code for phone numbers just to show that you know that there

is a world out there.

Education

List most recent education first.

Only indicate your secondary school if your CV is very short. Every employer will assume that

you completed secondary school if you have a university degree. More importantly do NOT

include your primary education.

If you have done an internship or practicum, what company you worked for, your

responsibilities and what your learned.

If you have just finished university, include the title of your Treball de fin de grau and a one-

sentence summary that makes it sound interesting.

Work experience

List your most recent experience first.

Give job title, company name (with the business sector in parentheses if the name of the

company does not make it obvious), and the city—there is no need to write the exact street

address. Most important, indicate briefly what your responsibilities consisted of.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 5

As you acquire more types of experience, try to shape each CV for the particular job you are

applying for. In other words, include only those jobs that might have given you relevant skills.

The more experience you get, the less need to list all jobs.

Include part-time and summer jobs. “Monitor/a” in English is “children’s activities leader”

(UK) or “camp counselor” (US). Include private classes and babysitting only if you have

nothing better to put.

If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, give details—it is important. You can

even list it in a special section titled “Volunteer work”.

Languages

Specific language courses do not need to be listed, since you describe your language skills.

Give names and years for all formal language certificates, but if you are using your CV abroad,

do not mention levels or names that will not be understood abroad, e.g. “EOI level three”.

One possible formula is:

Bilingual native speaker of Spanish and Catalan

English: C2 (Cambridge First Certificate, 2003)

German: B1

Interests

Employers will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or

responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team, such as sports or music.

Only list things that help to characterize you as an individual. Do not write “Listening to music”

or “Going to the cinema”. These are universal forms of entertainment, not special interests. If

you can’t think of anything better, personalize it by writing “Listening to music, particularly hip

hop and blues” or “Reading. Favourite authors: XXX and XXX”.

Other skills

Here is a good way to describe computer skills: “User-level skills with Word, Excel and Power

Point”. Do not put “User-level skills with the Internet”—this does not make you special unless

you are someone’s grandmother.

References

It is not essential to list references on your CV. Instead, you can write “References will be

provided on request.”

However, if you do list references, give two or three names, of which one should be from a

recent place of study and another from a recent work situation.

Make sure that referees know you have listed them and are willing to give you a reference. As a

courtesy, if possible, before you send out CVs, warn referees that they may be contacted

shortly—and send them a copy of your CV to refresh their memory.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 6

Footer

Add a footer at the bottom left corner of your CV (and on the right, insert the page number—but only

if your CV is longer than one side of a page). Use Word’s “Header and footer” function from the SEE

menu to do this—it will show that you know how to use Word well.

J. Fernández-Pont (2-05) 1

The footer is useful information for you, but it also suggests that you are a person who pays close

attention to detail and systematic organisation of files. If you include month and year as in the

example, it will show that this version of your CV is up-to-date.

THE COVER LETTER (or COVERING LETTER) When sending in a CV or job application form, you must include a cover letter (which may be the

email that accompanies your CV).

Start your letter with an underline heading giving the job title you are interested in.

Start out by saying clearly what job you are interested in and why you want that particular job

with that particular employer. If you saw the job advertised, say where you saw it.

Then draw attention to one or two key points in the CV which you feel make you suited to that

particular job.

Also mention when you are available for an interview. Try to be as available here as possible.

Don’t forget to include your contact information below your name.

If you are sending a paper (as opposed to digital) covering letter: remember that your signature

should not just consist of your first name. If you are sending a PDF file, use a digital

signature. It shows that some extra dedication has been put into the letter.

The letter should not be longer than what would be one side of a page. The employer is going to

scan it, not read it.

Important Systematically keep copies of all letters, applications forms, and CVs sent, and records of

telephone calls and names of those you spoke to.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 7

Sample CV in English by a recent graduate

Curriculum Vitae

Josefina Bou-Matias

Address: Carrer Santa Clara 59, 1-1

08208 Sabadell

Barcelona, Spain

Telephone: (0034) 600 98 22 12

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: Josefina Bou Matias

Nationality: Spanish

Date of birth: 1 March 1990

Education:

2008–2013 Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain

Degree in English Language and Literature

Employment:

2013-pres. Administrative assistant, Electrodomésticos Candy, Sabadell, Spain.

Receiving phone calls from customers and suppliers, administrative jobs in

general (preparing and checking analysis certificates, invoice, order delivery,

etc.) at the export and national departments.

2010-2013 Teacher of English, Learn-Up Language School, Reus, Spain.

Teacher to primary-school, intermediate and upper-intermediate students, also

one-to-one business English classes to management staff and on various subjects

to primary and secondary-school students.

Aug. 2011 Summer camp children’s activity leader, World of Fun Camps, Puigcerdà, Spain.

Children at these camps were spoken to entirely in English.

Languages:

Bilingual native speaker of Spanish and Catalan.

English: C2 (Cambridge Advanced English exam, 2004).

German: B2

Italian: B2

Other skills: User knowledge of Word, PowerPoint and Publisher.

Have licence for and use of car and motorcycle.

Interests:

Football. Played for several teams in Sabadell. In the teen division, Captain of the Mercantile

Sports Club team when it won the first division teen category championships in 1999 and 2000.

References will be provided on request.

J. Bou-Matias (7-13)

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 8

About using LinkedIn Note that in the sample CV, the person has included the fact that they are on LinkedIn (it is

pronounced “linktin”). LinkedIn is a professionally-oriented social medium that is becoming

increasingly important. It serves as a kind of permanent advertisement for you as a professional. You

can also use it as a database of your own personal contacts.

It is important to treat LinkedIn very seriously—it is not Facebook—and remember that everything

that appears there and everyone that you are connected to form part of the profile that a recruiter will

see. And recruiters increasingly check to see if candidates have a LinkedIn profile.

So here are a few basic guidelines if you set up a profile.

Make the profile as complete as possible and make very sure there are no spelling or grammar

mistakes.

Indicate your aspirational goal, not necessarily your current job, especially if your job is not very

impressive. Remember: this is your personal advertisement, a place to call attention to your

strengths, not a place to be modest or minimize your talents.

Do it in English or bilingually.

Put in a quality photo. NEVER put up a funny or “joke” photo.

Likewise, NEVER use LinkedIn for chitchat postings. If you do that, your contacts will most likely

remove you from their connections.

Only add as connections people whose profile will add value to yours. Do NOT just add family and

friends automatically.

Add as a connection anyone you know or meet that you think MIGHT at some point be a useful

professional contact. They should be people whom you have actually met in person, though not

necessarily people that you know very well. If you are not sure whether to add them, look at their

profile: is it an impressive profile that will add value to your own? Then ask them to connect.

It is not about getting as many connections as possible, however. There should be some coherence

to the set of people you are connected to. If you are a teacher, consider carefully before connecting

to your favourite waiter.

Feel free to remove connections.

Ask people to post a recommendation on your LinkedIn profile whenever you feel comfortable

doing so.

Join groups. You can see what groups others have joined to get some ideas. Set the settings so that

you receive updates from the group only weekly, not daily. A lot of the postings will be of no

interest, but occasionally there will be something of interest. Even so, when you get tired of a

group, just leave it.

Keep your profile active, as much as possible. Your profile photo will appear in your connections’

opening page whenever you do anything, such as tweet, join a group, comment in a group or add a

connection. This will remind all your connections of your existence and show that you are active.

LinkedIn is especially important if you are in the phase of job-searching.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 9

Interview basics

Prepare for the interview extensively: review your application, go to the company or school

website and learn as much as you can about it. Anticipate the questions that they might ask you

and prepare answers.

Practise with simulated interviews until you can handle all types of questions confidently.Practise

with older family friends and tell them to try to intimidate you. Really: practise and practise.

Also be prepared to ask some questions yourself during the interview, preferably about the

company’s sector or the school’s philosophy of teaching.

Dress carefully for an interview. This does not necessarily mean super-formal. But do not dress

casually.

Be punctual, that is, make sure you are there a bit before the scheduled time so that you are not

just rushing in the door. This does not mean that your interviewer will be punctual, however. Be

prepared to wait. It is not a bad idea to bring a newspaper or novel to read that will distract you

and relax if you need to wait.

Turn off your mobile phone before you go in for the interview.

Walk into the interview with an air of confidence and professionalism. Sit straight, not too

formally but not too casually. Monitor your nervous body language like tugging on your hair.

This is something you can learn to avoid by practising. Make sure that you are relaxed enough to

smile. A smile can make s huge difference.

Listen carefully to the interviewer’s questions and answer accordingly. Don’t babble incessantly

about a related topic or answer the question you wish s/he had asked

Be yourself. If your answers are ambiguous or inconsistent, the interviewer will likely consider

you a poor candidate.

Don’t try to set conditions at this point. Some things might be negotiable after you have been

hired. But if they ask you if you are prepared to do something that you really are not, just politely

explain why not. The interviewer may just be testing your reaction. Or it may be an important

condition for the job, in which case you don’t really want it anyway.

If you are applying for a teaching job be sure to remember the names and authors of the materials

you have used in the past, and be prepared to offer a reasoned opinion about them.

Everyone has “a life”. You should neither offer up the details of it nor apologize for it if it comes

out in the interview. For example, you may not wish to mention your family in an initial

interview, because the interview is about you, not about your family. But if asked, give a polite

but limited response.

Never be negative about previous employers or jobs. No one wants to have to work with someone

who is negative. If you are negative about your former job, sooner or later you are going to be

negative about your new workplace too. In fact, never be overtly negative about anything during

an interview.

Though you can explain why you think you could be an asset to the company, it is best not to

suggest that you know ways they could improve what they do. No one wants to hire someone

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 10

who walks into a job and within a couple of weeks feels they know “what is wrong with it”.

Things are the way they are in companies and schools for reasons which are not always

immediately obvious. The rule of thumb for being new at a job is to keep your mouth shut and

learn why things are the way they are—over the course of a long time, like a year. After that time

the company might be willing to listen to suggestions from you because by then they should

know your real worth and respect your views. Or you may have discovered that your original

assessment was wrong.

Be honest. But do not say more than you need to. If you had a previous bad work experience, try

to explain it in terms of the eventual positive outcome that resulted.

Remember that a contract is a legal agreement between two equal parties: you may want the job,

but they should also want you, because you know you are worth it.

Some classic interview questions

1. Why did you choose this particular field of work?

2. Why are you interested in this particular position?

3. What do you know about this school/company?

4. What experience and skills do you believe that you bring with you?

5. What education or training have you had that qualifies you for this position?

6. What’s your current position like? What are your responsibilities in this role?

7. In your current job, how do you make sure that your work is of the highest quality?

8. What type of people do you like to have working with you?

9. If you were hiring someone for your current position, what qualities would you look for?

10. When you started your current job, which duties did you have previous experience with, and

which duties were new for you? How did you cope with them?

11. What was the best job you ever had? Why?

12. Why are you looking for a new job? Why did you leave your last job?

13. What do you like most about your present job or jobs held in the past?

14. What would you describe as your major strengths?

15. What would you say is your main weakness?

16. Have you ever been a member of a work team? Explain how you feel about working in a team

environment. Tell me about a team that you have worked on or been a part of. What did you do to

contribute to the success of the team?

17. Give me an example of what you have done in previous positions that shows initiative and

willingness to work.

18. Describe a problem you encountered on the job and how you overcame it.

19. Have you ever been asked to do something that you did not regard as part of your job, and if so,

how did you react?

20. Describe an accomplishment that you are especially proud of.

21. Describe a time when you were faced with problems and stresses that tested your skills. How did

you handle the problems?

22. Give me an example of an important goal that you set in the past. How did you go about

achieving it?

23. Give me an example of a time when you sought to educate yourself about something.

24. Tell me about a time when you had a new idea for something that was not yet being done. Tell me

about the idea. How did you go about implementing the idea?

25. Is there anything in particular that you would like a future employer to know that would aid them

in making a hiring decision?

26. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 11

Searching for work online Elaine Higa and others

Consells

Us heu de donar d’alta a les pàgines per apuntar-vos a les ofertes. L’alta sempre és gratuïta.

Després, podeu mirar l’estat de les vostres sol·licituds.

És una bona idea adjuntar el vostre CV complert en comptes d’omplir els camps donats per les

mateixes pàgines, que és molt més limitat.

Mireu cada dia les ofertes. De vegades, les ofertes es pengen per poques hores.

En comptes de Professor d’Anglès, hi ha moltes ofertes que busquen “Formadors d’Anglès”. Es

tracta d’empreses que necessiten els serveis d’un professor d’anglès per unes hores determinades.

Webs

1. www.infojobs.net

És la pàgina més coneguda i que té més ofertes.

Cerca per: Categoría: Educación-Formación / Provincia

2. www.escolacristiana.org

“Borsa de treball” Many teaching jobs in private schools

3. www.profesores.com

The name is self-explanatory.

4. www.educajob.com

Cerca per: Nivel educativo: Profesor de Idiomas / Provincia

5. www.infofeina.com

És una pàgina en català en la que pots trobar feina per comarca i fins i tot per localitat.

Cerca per: Àrea Professional: Professionals-Llicenciats Subàrea: Docència (mireu també

Traductor/Corrector/Intèrpret) Provincia/ Comarca/ Població

6. www.monster.es

Cerca per Comunitat Autònoma amb el criteri “Enseñanza”.

7. www.yaencontre.com

Cerca per: Àrea Professional: Educación y Docencia / Provincia

8. www.laboris.net

Cerca per: Categoría: Educación-Formación / Provincia

9. www.oficinaempleo.com

Categoría: Educación-Formación y Comercio Exterior/Idiomas/Traducción / Provincia

10. www.primerempleo.com

Cerca per: Professores/Monitores (sense opció de cerca per Provincia)

11. www.infoempleo.com

Cerca per: Àrea Empresa: Formación-Educación / Àrea Geogràfica

12. www.trabajos.com

Cerca per: Àrea: Ciencias Educacionales / Provincia

13. www.empleo.net

Cerca per: Perfil Professional: Formación-Educación / Provincia

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 12

Opportunities for further education

1. Professional training opportunities

Many students have taken such courses when they were between jobs. Often they are enough to

greatly expand the range of jobs for which you are qualified. They are free if you are on the dole.

Many of them are offered in an online modality.

Some of the most useful sites to find such courses are:

Generalitat de Catalunya, Empresa i Ocupació

www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/empresaiocupacio

Click on “Ocupació” and then “formació”.

Generalitat de Catalunya, Servei d’Ocupació

www.oficinadetreball.cat/socweb/opencms/socweb_es/home.html

Cambra de Comerç de Barcelona

www.cambrabcn.org/formacio

Foment del Treball Nacional

www.foment.com/formacion

If you live outside Barcelona you may also find similar sites with courses offered by the local

Chambers of Commerce (Cambras de Comerç) in smaller cities that are closer to you.

Sandra Torres’s comments: The programme of courses offered by the INEM is available

online or at the INEM offices in any location. One needs to plan in advance of course so as to

register in time and get a place in the group. They offer computer courses, language courses,

and courses on secretarial and administrative tasks, amongst others. Some of them take 2

months, others 3 and others 4 or even more. The course I took was a 365-hour intensive (5

hours per day) that covered the Microsoft Office Programmes (Word, Excel, Access and

Power Point) as well as accounting as applied to information technology.

Esther Codina’s comments: I did two online courses offered by la Cambra de Comerç de

Barcelona. The first one was focused on accountancy and it was really useful to learn new

things. Though obviously I could only learn the basics of accountancy, it was a good

introduction. I really enjoyed it because it combined practice and theory and I felt that I learnt

a lot. The second course I did was about how to start in exports, which was not as interesting

and practical as the other one. Overall, I think it was a positive experience, which let me learn

at my own pace and I was able to enjoy learning new skills.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 13

2. Post-graduate education options Tanit Carré

1. Màsters d’especialització: Estudis adreçats a persones que tenen una graduació universitària

superior. Normalment són dos cursos acadèmics.

2. Diplomatures de Postgrau: Estudis adreçats a persones que tenen una graduació universitària

superior o mitja. Habitualment és un sol curs acadèmic.

3. Cursos d’especialització: No requereixen titulació universitària. S’imparteixen dins d’un mateix

curs acadèmic.

4. Doctorat.

ES POT TROBAR INFORMACIÓ A:

1. Pàgines web de caràcter general on hi trobaràs informació del màsters que s’imparteixen a tota

Espanya. A més et proporcionen l’opció de demanar informació per telèfon o via email.

www.emagister.com

www.mastermania.com

www.educaweb.com/masters-

posgrados-doctorados/

2. Universitats

UAB www.uab.es/postgrau (o passar personalment per l’Escola de Postgrau)

UB www.giga.ub.edu/acad/npost/pub/index.php?tip=mst

UPF www.upf.edu/postgrau/masters

URL www.url.es/cont/estudis/programespostgrau.php

UOC www.url.es/estudis/masters-i-postgraus-propis UVic www.uvic.cat/mastersuniversitaris

UGirona: www.udg.edu/tabid/8438/language/ca-ES/Default.aspx

UJI (Castelló) www.uji.es/CA/infoest/estudis/postgrau/

UValencia: www.uv.es/postgrau/index.htm

Illes Balears: www.uib.es/ca/infsobre/serveis/generals/postgrau/cep/estudis_oficials.php#4

CAL TENIR EN COMPTE:

1. Habitualment es demana una entrevista personal per seleccionar els alumnes del màster o

postgrau.

2. En la majoria dels casos la data límit per les inscripcions és el 31 de Juliol. En alguns casos el

termini pot restar obert fins el mes de setembre en funció de les places disponibles.

3. Normalment es demana presentar els següents documents per a fer la inscripció:

a. Còpia del títol universitari o una acreditació

b. Còpia compulsada de l’expedient acadèmic (demanar a la secretaria de la facultat)

c. Fotos (de 4 a 6)

d. Currículum

4. A vegades es requereix fer un pagament no reembossable en el moment de formalitzar la

inscripció, que es dedueix de l’import total de la matrícula si s’admet l’alumne/a.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 14

3. Master’s programs offered by the Departament de

Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB

Remember that the department offers an official master’s degree in “Advanced English

Studies”. Just do a Google search for “Màster Oficial de Estudis Anglesos Avançats”.

Jordi Morera’s comments: The M.A. in Advanced English Studies of the department is divided in two

branches: Literature and Culture on the one hand, Linguistics on the other. In both cases it is a yearly 60-credit

course. To me, this master’s program felt like the natural continuation of the Filologia Anglesa degree, with the

added benefit of being focused exclusively on those subjects I enjoyed the most (literature). All in all, I enjoyed

the seminars and found all the subjects extremely interesting. The workload is quite demanding, though, since

there is a huge pile of reading and writing to be done, and it can be difficult to combine it with a part-time job.

However, this high standard in my opinion is a positive thing, since a large part of this M.A. consists of

preparation for the extremely competitive and demanding world of academia. Prospective students should be

aware that the professors will expect greater initiative, self-reliance and personal commitment than during the

degree. Evaluation is based exclusively on research papers and oral presentations, though the lack of exams did

not make it any easier. At the end of the course, the students have to write and present a Master’s Dissertation

and defend it in front of a jury. The Dissertation must include original research, and therefore it is a central

element of the program. My advice to future students would be to begin thinking about it from the very

beginning: finding a good topic to research is extremely difficult, and leaving it for the last minute is a recipe for

disaster. The choice of supervisor is also really important, as picking the right supervisor for your dissertation

can make a big difference for the better. Try to choose not only the best expert in the field you want to write

about, but also someone who seems genuinely passionate about it and who you think you can get along with—

you’ll be seeing him or her quite a lot.

Noelia Sánchez’s comments: This MA adds up to 60 credits. It begins in October and ends in June. All the

classes are in the afternoon. There are different modules, taught by professors specialized in different fields. The

modules provide a thorough study of different literary periods, from early periods, such as the Renaissance and

the 19th century, to Postmodernity. One of the modules is called Advanced Academic Skills, and this is

particularly useful, as it provides strategies to correctly use academic writing. Every year a Fullbright professor

teaches a module on American literature, which is really interesting. The classes are very interactive and

dynamic; student participation is strongly encouraged. The evaluation is based on essays and a final paper.

Students doing this MA are required to do a dissertation on a topic of their choice under a tutor’s supervision. I

strongly recommend this MA to those who enjoy literature and who wish to specialize in this area.

4. Programs related to teaching English

Universitat Pompeu Fabra + UOC

Màster de Formació del Professorat d’Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyament d’Idiomes (speciality in English) http://www.upf.edu/postgrau/master-secundaria/presentacio/ / Former students who have done it (though in its earlier version): Mercè Coronado, Laura Monerris, Iván

Matellanes, Àngels Oliva, Cristina Pérez, Thaïs Bayarres

Àngels’ comments: This teacher training course is very intensive. I chose it rather than the CAP because it

promised in the leaflet to be more thorough and in-depth, and it certainly delivered. It consists of two parts:

theoretical lessons Monday to Thursday during the winter and the summer terms, and a practical three-month

stay in a public school under a tutor’s supervision during the spring term.

There are many readings and assignments to do, so it is a bit tough to do it while working part time, as was

my case. However, talking to my classmates at the time, I realized that those who had never worked as teachers

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 15

were having a hard time following lessons and joining discussions, and did not seem to get much out of the first

term lessons.

The best thing about the CQP is that it opens up your scope because you see a bit of many methods and

opinions: CLIL, Communicative methods, use of CIT, assessment methods, and so on. It’s not pricey compared

to other post-graduate courses, and you get to meet many different professors and build a good network of

contacts.

Cristina’s comments: The full program adds up to 60 credits (600 hours = 20 hours/week for 30 weeks) from

October to June, and includes a four-month Practicum in a secondary school selected by the Department of

Education. An inspector/a is the person in charge of selecting the IES where you will do your Practicum.

However, she interviews you previously and you both decide on the school. Consequently, you don’t have to

panic because she takes lots of things into account such as your working timetable and the place where you live.

This course includes lots of different subjects and you have to attend class from Monday to Thursday (10–2).

Although there are some subjects that are really tough and boring, some others are very interesting. The truth is

that the three first months are very stressful because the master is very demanding but once you start the

Practicum everything changes. I am doing this course this year and I’m learning a lot about teenagers such as the

way they may behave on some occasions and how the teacher needs to react. The Practicum is when you really

learn lots of thing related to the world of teaching. The fact that you have a teacher who helps you to understand

what is going on in the high school is very useful because you can discuss all the different issues that arise while

you are teaching. It lasts 4 months so you end up feeling like a secondary teacher yourself.

I strongly recommend this course but even more the master, which is the one which covers the long

Practicum experience, because you will discover lots of things about students and about yourself that you have

never realized before.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Formació de Professorat d’Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyaments d’Idiomes http://www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/estudiar/masters-oficials/informacio-general/formacio-de-professorat-d-

educacio-secundaria-obligatoria-i-batxillerat-formacio-professional-i-ensenyaments-d-idiomes-

1096480139517.html?param1=1236065658068

Former students who have done it: Zoraida Horrillo, Ana Rueda, Montse Gómez

Montse’s comments: The Practicum lasts a total of 8 weeks.

Aside from the different assignments and papers throughout the year, at the end of the course we have to do

some exams and hand in a portfolio about the practicum, a teaching unit (students and teacher’s book) and a

Master’s Dissertation. The MD has to be defended in front of a jury.

This Master is completely incompatible with having a job. I had to give up mine, otherwise it would have

been impossible.

Universitat de Barcelona

Màster de Formació del Professorat de Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyament d’Idiomes /www.ub.edu/masteroficial/mastersecundaria/

Former student who has done it: Esther Codina

Esther’s comments: Having done other Methodology courses during the degree, this MA was sometimes a little

bit repetitive because some modules covered aspects which most students had already dealt with before.

I think that the most positive point of this master, in comparison with the CAP, is that there are two practice

periods and they are longer. In the first one, you are supposed to observe various groups in a high school,

including aula d’acollida and diversity groups, and in the second one, you are in charge of teaching students a

whole didactic unit which is designed on your own, obviously following the guidelines of their usual teacher.

I guess the organization will have improved by now and will continue improving. However, the amount of

assignments we had was really demanding and it was very difficult to have a job during the MA.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 16

Blanquerna-Universitat Ramon Llull

Màster Universitari en Professorat d'Educació Secundària

http://www.blanquerna.url.edu/web/interior.aspx?alias=fpcee.masters-

universitaris.professsecund&idf=2&id=2552

Former students who did it: Laura Crespillo, David Soler

Laura’s comments: At first I thought that it would be something repetitive from the degree or something similar

to the CAP but I have to admit that it is very interesting and I learned a lot. We studied things which can be used

in the classroom and new methodologies I haven’t heard about before. The situation in education is changing and

the master’s includes new tips for understanding where the education system is going. I could not work at the

same time, though, since there were a lot of assignments to do.

Universitat de Lleida

Màster de Formació del Professorat d’Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyament d’Idiomes (speciality in English) http://www.udl.cat/estudis/masters/secundaria.html

Andrea Gutiérrez Martínez

Andrea’s comments: When I left the UAB I took this master’s in order to become a teacher. Like some of my

classmates, I had already taken some subjects about methodology during my degree and they were similar to

some classes and topics of the master’s. For me, the program was very theoretical and we took a lot of classes

about linguistics, applied linguistics (which I think don’t have much to do with teaching) and teaching English as

a second language. However, we didn’t do so many classes on how to teach properly or how to face situations in

high schools nowadays where there’s so much diversity. I did a 10-week internship in one of the poorest areas of

my city and at first I was really afraid because I had the feeling that I knew how to prepare a unit of work but not

how to face a class of 35 students with so many problems. Fortunately, I learnt a lot from the other teachers.

They really helped me and made me realized that I wanted to become a teacher and not only teach students but

also help them as much as possible.

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya—Institut Internacional de Postgrau

Màster oficial d’Educació i TIC (e-learning) http://estudis.uoc.edu/ca/masters-universitaris/elearning-educacio-tic/presentacio

Former students who have done it: Esther Gómez, Sanae Ortiz, Àngels Bladé

Àngels’s comments: That this Master is very interesting if you are really interested in applying ICT to

education. However, don’t expect advice or examples about how to create small activities for the classroom

since this MA is about how to create and develop an e-learning project: its characteristics, design, methodology,

support and service systems, etc. and also the legal and economic aspects that are involved in this process. It is

also quite expensive, and the methodology they use is reading, debates, summaries and cooperative activities in

small groups. You must have time because it is very demanding, especially if you are not used to working

virtually with such methodology. There are three important aspects you should take into account: 1) It is very

general, that is, it not about creating activities you can apply in an English class in secondary (or primary)

education; 2) You can take the number of subjects you want/can, so you can work at the same time; 3) You

really learn how to work cooperatively in virtual environments.

Sanae’s comments: I expected to get more practical lessons instead of just readings on pedagogy, e-learning

organisation and so on. You need to devote quite a lot of time to handing in assignments on the readings you had

to read each week. I wouldn’t recommend the MA to people who like to attend lessons and are not too keen on

working online. You have to be very well and the fact that everything is online means that you have to check the

virtual campus every day. Apart from the normal assignments there were also “forums” in which you have to

discuss different topics suggested by the teacher with other classmates. I didn’t enjoy it that much as there were

many students and if you forgot to check the forum one day, you already had many contributions to read and

answer. I think this type of thing would work better in smaller groups.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 17

FUNIBER

Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language http://www.funiber.org/areas-de-conocimiento/formacion-profesorado/master-in-teaching-english-as-a-foreign-

language

Former student who has done it: Estel Planas (did it in 2010-2012)

Estel’s comments: I had a great time while studying and some of the subjects were really interesting. Although I

have to say that I did not learn much that was really new, it has been very useful to reconsider and reflect on my

performance as a teacher, to feel more confident about it and to analyse other ways of working. On the whole, it

has been positive for my career as it enabled me to get a job at the UOC, which has been enriching (in both

senses!). Moreover, doing the course with another former UAB student helped us decide to set up an online

academy (www.up2learn.com) with our own material and courses. We are working hard with it and expect to be

able to “open doors” very soon.

Besides, it was the most complete course I found when I enrolled as the rest were much shorter, which may not

be a disadvantage for some, but I was looking for a complete course. Another positive point is that, given the

scope of the course, it was good value for money. I am not saying it was cheap, though. The price was 4500 €

and they offered me a grant of 1500€ -if I remember correctly. The problem with this grant is that, with it, the

master course can not be validated to Bologna -if I want this validation, I have to pay the 1500€ back.

On the negative side, I have to say that the materials are a bit old. Just as an example; when doing a subject on

Computer Assisted Language Learning, in the introduction I read something like "the most popular search

engines are Yahoo and Altavista", I almost had a stroke!

Besides, not all the teachers are as involved as one would expect. In fact, I had some problems with one teacher

because her replies to my questions were "read the materials", which was not really helpful as I had already done

that several times. Others are a bit more helpful and motivating, of course!

Another drawback was that, although students are expected to have good mastery of the language and experience

as teachers, that was not always the case and this affected negatively the quality of the debates we held. Actually,

in many cases, there seemed to be two debates running at the same time.

Finally, I found an obsession with Communicative Language Learning that was a bit annoying. I do not have

anything to say against it, quite the opposite, but I don't like dogmas. I prefer to adapt myself to the group I have

to teach, rather than expecting them to adapt to my methodology.

So, to sum up, would I recommend it to other teachers? Yes, if they have more than two years to dedicate to it

and their motivation is high. They just have to be prepared to work a lot on their own and handle some

frustration.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 18

5. Programs related to teaching Spanish as a Foreign

Language

International House Barcelona

Curso de formación de profesores de ELE www.ihes.com/bcn/formacion/ele/index.html

Trafalgar 14, Barcelona.

Former students who have done this: Miriam Rodríguez, Maria Rosa Garrido, Carme Torras, Natàlia Ribas,

Ibana Larrubia, Alicia Montenegro, Fernando Romero, Sanae Ortiz, Samuel Rísquez, Diana Hernández, Estela

Valderrey, Núria Frías and many others.

Diana’s comments: El curso de formación de profesores de ELE de IH Barcelona viene en dos modalidades:

extensivo e intensivo, y su precio es el mismo (1.250 euros). Es muy caro, especialmente para los bolsillos de los

estudiantes. Sin embargo, es un curso de prestigio, de reconocimiento internacional y sobre todo de muy buena

calidad. Todas las personas que han hecho el curso coinciden en que es una experiencia muy valiosa.

Básicamente es un curso de formación profesional, en el que te preparan para comenzar a trabajar como

profesor de ELE. Consiste en clases teóricas que te enseñan (y te hacen reflexionar) sobre la enseñanza de

lenguas en general, y en particular sobre la enseñanza del español como lengua extranjera, y sesiones prácticas.

La teoría incluye cosas tan diversas como aspectos del manejo de la clase (organización de la pizarra, posición

del profesor, la manera de hablar), métodos de corrección de errores, la preparación de la clase, elaboración de

ejercicios, así como sesiones sobre puntos gramaticales problemáticos (por/para, subjuntivos), clases

particulares, etc.

Las sesiones prácticas consisten en preparar y dar clases a un grupo de estudiantes de español, seguidas de

sesiones de feedback donde se comentan los (muchos) errores cometidos y diversas soluciones para mejorar la

clase. Estas prácticas son la parte más recomendable – y dura – del curso. Para empezar, das clases a alumnos de

verdad, que según el nivel tienen dificultades para entender y expresarse en español, así que las prácticas te

sitúan en la realidad a la que deberás enfrentarte por tu cuenta en el futuro. Las prácticas son una oportunidad

para aplicar lo que te han ido enseñando en las clases teóricas, y te permiten comprobar las técnicas y métodos

que has ido estudiando. En las prácticas es donde realmente se aprende. Para los que tenemos una especial

sensibilidad a las críticas, las sesiones de feedback pueden llegar a ser muy duras, pero aún así son muy útiles

para tu formación como profesor/a. Al fin y al cabo, cuanto más dura sea la formación, mayor preparación

tendrás para tu vida profesional.

Una desventaja de estas sesiones prácticas es que estás obligado a preparar las clases en equipo, y

dependiendo de con quién te toque, puede dar muchos dolores de cabeza. Con las personas adecuadas puedes

contrastar ideas, pensar nuevas posibilidades y trabajar rápidamente, pero también puedes acabar discutiendo

durante horas cada punto de la clase en un infierno de frustración. A pesar de todo, la necesidad hace que al final

cedas o llegues a algún acuerdo, y sigas adelante. Además, la composición de los grupos va cambiando y

probablemente te tocará con alguien con quien puedas trabajar bien.

Una crítica que se hace frecuentemente es que en IH te enseñan un método de enseñanza bastante radical,

con una visión determinada de cómo presentar la gramática, corregir a los alumnos, y planear la clase. Los que

han hecho este curso y han comenzado a trabajar como profesores de español admiten que no siempre hace falta

seguir el método que te enseñan estrictamente:

“Desde que acabé el curso he enseñado en varios sitios y me he formado en un par de sitios más, incluyendo

el Instituto Cervantes, y puedo decir que efectivamente en IH son muy radicales con el método comunicativo,

que no todo el mundo acepta una aplicación tan radical y que de hecho en muchos casos simplemente no va a

funcionar. En cualquier caso, ya va bien que te pongan al límite y te tengas que espabilar. Sólo así estarás luego

en posición de juzgar lo que te han enseñado y decidir qué partes del método adaptas, relajas o cambias

directamente en las distintas situaciones con las que te encontrarás en tu vida profesional.” – Samuel Rísquez.

El curso intensivo: para los que prefieran hacer el intensivo en los meses de verano, el curso intensivo tiene la

ventaja de estar concentrado en un solo mes. El intensivo te obliga a concentrarte 100% en el tema, y tu

rendimiento es muy alto. Sin embargo, es de dedicación exclusiva. No te permite compaginarlo con un trabajo u

otros estudios: por la mañana asistes a las clases de teoría, por la tarde tienes prácticas y feedback, o reuniones de

grupo para preparar las clases. Es muy posible que tengas que trabajar también por la noche o en fines de

semana.

Cinta Llorente in Germany adds that you can also do an online version of this course. It takes 3.5 months.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 19

Universitat de Valencia y el Instituto Cervantes

Curso de metodolgía y didáctica del español como L2 y LE: http://postgrado.adeit-uv.es/11312040?pdf=11312040

Former student who has done it: Noemí Fernández Sánches (did it in 2011)

Noemí’s comments: This course is perfect because it introduces you how to teach Spanish in one month at a

cost of 850 euros. The postgradute course is intensive: form Monday to Friday from 9.30 to 14.00 and from 16 to

19.30 h. The teachers are Spanish and have a lot of experience. Some of them are working at different

universities in Spain but other teachers are working in universities abroad or Instituto Cervantes in Holland,

Germany, etc., or in high schools around Europe. Every single day is different in the course because every day

you have a different teacher and a different topic. In the morning you will get the theory and in the afternoon you

can practice your new knowledge with your classmates. In the course there are around 50 students and they are

different ages, from different parts of Spain and from different fields: physical education teachers, chemistry

teachers, German teachers and English teachers like you. Many of them want to work abroad as Spanish teachers

and some of them are already Spanish teachers working abroad but they want to recycle their knowledge. I f you

keep the contact with them, they can help you in future to find a job abroad because, after that course, a lot of

classmates are working abroad right now. Moreover, it is an opportunity to make new friends. You know that

after one month spending 8 hours a day in class, your classmates are your friends and you meet them to go to the

beach, to have a drink, etc. You are going to work hard in Valencia but also have fun.

During the course, you have to attend the lessons but at the end of the course you have to hand in a “Unidad

didáctica de español como lengua extranjera”. The didactic unit has to follow some specific patterns learnt

during the course you have to explain which methodology you are following and why. The final grade for the

course is Pass/Fail and you will find out as soon as they correct all the didactic units, which is around September.

I think it is quite easy for you to prepare a didactic unit in Spanish if you did this before at university. Moreover,

during the course, there are publishing companies which come to promote their books and you can get free

materials there, materials which can be very useful for your didactic unit.

It is true that finding your own accommodation in Valencia is another expense. Fortunately, Valencia is full

of students and many of them leave in July and they want to rent their rooms while they are on holiday. I posted

an advertisment in Loquo in June (one month before the course) and a lot of people sent me an email offering to

rent out their room. You can find a room which costs 250-300 euros for the whole month of July, with all costs

included and no deposit. Moreover, life in Valencia is cheaper than in Barcelona, it is full of Mercadonas and the

beach is there. (Here you have the webpage Loquo where I posted my advertisement:

http://valencia.loquo.com/cs/vivienda/compartir-piso-alq-habitacion)

If you are interested in this postgraduate course, you need to send your application form and a letter of

motivation before the 18th of June 2012. But that date is not real because the course is for only 50-60 people and

as soon as they have that number of application forms, the enrolment period is closed.

Universidad de Deusto (coordinadora del programa)

Máster Erasmus Mundus en Aprendizaje y Enseñanza del Español en Contextos Multilingües e Internacionales http://multiele.org/

Former student who is doing it: Núria Frías Jiménez

En primer lugar, hay que puntualizar que este máster tiene una duración de dos años. El primer semestre se

realiza en Bilbao mientras que el segundo es en Barcelona (las clases se hacen tanto en la UPF como en la UB).

El segundo año ya es más específico, porque se dedica el primer semestre a las prácticas en contextos

universitarios y el segundo se dedica a escribir la memoria de máster.

Formo parte de la tercera promoción de este máster y lo cierto es que este año ha habido más alumnos sin beca

(cada curso vale 4.000 euros aproximadamente) que en otras ocasiones. La beca Erasmus Mundus (que ofrece la

Unión Europea) se convoca siempre en otoño. Si no se recibe ninguna beca, se trata de un máster bastante

costoso aunque los que somos de Barcelona podemos ahorrar un poco durante el segundo semestre del primer

año, si no tenemos que contar con los gastos de alquiler, etc.

Para el segundo año hay varios destinos en Europa (Gronningen, Berlín, Reykjavík, Moscú) y fuera (Japón,

India, Brasil, Maryland [US]), aunque es cierto que pueden haber destinos más solicitados y hay que competir

por la plaza con los demás compañeros. En los destinos europeos (menos Moscú), la estancia dura todo el año

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 20

pero los que eligen ir a destinos no europeos realizan las prácticas allí pero siempre deben volver a Europa a

escribir la memoria, es un requisito obligatorio.

Como todavía no he terminado, no puedo valorar la parte más práctica del máster pero hasta ahora puedo

decir que estoy satisfecha con las asignaturas realizadas en Barcelona, más que las que hemos cursado en Bilbao.

Aquí hemos ido a observar a instituciones donde se enseña español y hemos hecho más parte práctica pero, como

digo, todavía nos falta realmente ganar experiencia en ELE en contexto universitario, una vez estemos en nuestro

país de destino.

Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)

Master Universitario de Enseñanza del Español como Segunda Lengua http://www.fundacion.uned.es/web/actividad/idcurso/98

Former student who has done it: Xavier Espejo

Xavier’s comments: This is a two-year, 80 credit, online master’s degree. It is structured in two modules with a

total of 12 courses and does not require a dissertation. It has a really hands-on approach believe it or not and it is

really engaging. The professors teaching the different courses are active teachers specialized in different fields

with lots of experience that offer you a great teaching experience and a great amount of resources to use in your

classroom. You can learn more about it by visiting the web site.

The whole degree costs € 4,100. This includes the tuition as well as all materials that are sent to you in the

mail. The WebCT portal gives you a lot of resources to complement your courses and has different sections such

as a “job center” where you can find different job position announcements in different countries. I love it and I

have learnt a lot. The professors have given me a lot of materials and ideas that I have used in my class. They

really take it very seriously to “individually” meet your needs.

Finally, some useful websites to go about looking for information regarding courses for people who want to teach Spanish to

foreigners: www.aselered.org and www.elenet.org

6. Programs related to business, international relations

and tourism

Escuela de Administración de Empresas y IL3 – Universitat de Barcelona

Curso Superior de Business Assistant – Assistant in Business Administration (online) http://www.eae-deusto.es/programa-secretariado/inicio.html?c=I10111M3008

Former student who did it: Elisabet Julià Pereña

Elisabet’s comments: The master’s cost me €2000. They send the material to your home. It consists of reading

and CDs so as to practice and at the end of every issue you have to take an online exam on the net that you can

do whenever you want. More than an exam it is just for practising. Then you have two years to finish everything

and you take the final exam in Barcelona. It has been useful to me because I am working for a maritime shipping

company.

UAB

Master in Global Business Management www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/postgraduate/master-in-international-business-management/basic-details-

1217916968009.html/param1-1727_en/param2-2004/

Student who has done it: Carolina Balada

Carolina’s comments: It is mainly focused on Marketing, but they offer an brief overview in 8-9 months of the

international business world. Cost: €4380.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 21

Universitat de Girona

European Master in Tourism Management (Master en Direcció i Planificació de Turisme)

http://www.udg.edu/tabid/8439/Default.aspx?ID=3108M1010&language=ca-ES&IDE=51

Former student who did it: Laura Bujalance

Laura’s comments: This 2-year master’s degree is offered at a public price (1,700€ / year) if you do it fully in

Girona, but now there is also the option of making it Erasmus Mundus, which means students follow a

mandatory mobility scheme through Denmark (Esbjerg), Slovenia, (Ljubliana) and Spain (Girona)

(www.emtmmaster.net). Main areas studied during the first year include cooperation and innovation in tourist

organizations, territorial tourist development, economic analysis of tourism,

image and identity of tourist destinations, legal aspects of tourism, new technologies and information systems

applied to tourism, strategy and competitiveness of tourist organizations and cultural tourism. The second year

includes a specialized training module, with different itineraries, of which I did Tourism Marketing, and a final

research project.

I enjoyed all the classes, because it was all new for me and I learned practical stuff I can relate to the

professional world. I guess the worst thing about it was that it was a relatively new degree, and there seemed to

be a lack of coordination among professors—they repeated concepts, or they gave us way too much work.

However, this was some time ago, and because I’ve been in touch with the professors, I think the schedule is

much more under control now.

The UdG has a very efficient Borsa de Treball, and many public and promotional institutions in Girona are

related to the university, so it’s easy to get a job or an intern position. I worked as an intern at the CRIIT (Centre

the Recerca i Innovació de les Indústries Turístiques), and then I spent two years working as media relations

manager at Grup Costa Brava Centre, a tourism association that helps promoting tourism and gastronomy of the

Costa Brava. Some of my classmates have had experience working at the Patronat de Turisme, the Diputació,

tourist offices, town halls, or also as interns with professors of the department carrying out research in other

areas related to tourism such as economics or psychology.

If you see yourself in the tourist sector, whether public or private, this degree offers a very broad and

interesting view of all the opportunities out there, as well as many useful tools and concepts you need to know if

you want to have a little more to offer. I also have to say that it is very demanding, so sometimes it can be hard

to combine with a full-time job. I have to add that this master’s degree, combined with the knowledge of English

(and French) gained at the UAB, earned me a very well paid position as an intern at the Spanish Tourist Office in

Toronto, where I spent two years.

ESDEN, Escuela Superior de Negocios y Tecnologías. Associated with the British Council .

Máster en Dirección y Gestión de Comercio Exterior + Cambridge International Diploma in Business www.esden.es/es/masters.asp

Former student who did it: Cristina Abánades López

Cristina’s comments: It lasts one year and is a semipresencial course (i.e. online and twelve in-class sessions).

This year I am going to Madrid, but next year it will be done in Barcelona, too. In general terms, it provides a

broad overview of how to conduct a business activity both national and internationally. It is focused on issues

such as International Marketing, Hiring and Finances. Each module is taught by a different professional. The

goal is bring it all together to finally be able to create one’s own International Marketing Plan. There is also the

possibility of doing a practicum, as well as taking advantage of the ‘Bolsa de trabajo’. A lot of different

companies collaborate with the School (e.g. L’Oreal and Billabong).

Finally, it is also important to mention the Cambridge Diploma. It is internationally recognised and you have

a book and practice exams in order to prepare yourself.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 22

idEC (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Màster en Direcció de Comunicació www.idec.upf.edu/master-en-direccion-de-comunicacion

Duració: un any acadèmic.

Former student who is doing it: Rebeca Garcia

Rebeca’s comments: This is a 9-month master degree which starts in October and ends in June. This master is

offered by idEC, which belongs to Pompeu Fabra University, and it costs 7,200 euros.

The master consists of two postgraduate programmes: the first one on Business Communication and the

second one on Communication Management. At the end you obtain the master’s degree in Communication

Management. The good thing is that you can do the first postgraduate and then you have up to three years to do

the second one. La idEC also has a Borsa de Treball and they help you find an internship in a company.

The master gives you a general overview of the business world, and it deals with subjects such as Marketing,

Web 2.0 technologies, internal and external communication, etc. At the end of each programme you have to do a

final project, which is quite demanding, but the teachers are very helpful.

Although most students come from Journalism and Communications, everybody can attend the lessons

without problems. There are two classes (one in Catalan and the other in Spanish) with 25 students per class, so

everybody has chances to participate. You have to do quite a lot of presentations, which is good because you

learn to talk in front of an audience and to be self-confident. I am learning a lot and I feel very satisfied!

Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals

Máster en Relaciones Internacionales Elisabets, 10. 08001 Barcelona

www.ibei.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=2&Itemid=3&lang=ca

Former student who has done it: Diana Gasol

Diana’s comments: The program is full-time and it lasts one year. Courses are basically about International

Politics, Economics and Law. There are also optional courses on Cooperation, International Peace and Security,

Conflict Resolution, Political Economy in different regions, etc. You have to work very hard and it is very

demanding. I think it is more difficult for people who do not have a background in Political Science, Economics

or Law. The great majority of students come from these fields. In fact, the program is mainly addressed to them.

Of course, it all depends on your motivation.

Some of the possible professional possibilities would be international analyst; to work in an international

department of a multinational firm; to work in an international organization; and a variety of possibilities that I

have not yet explored. I would say it provides you with quite a good academic background as well as a fairly

good understanding of current issues in the international sphere.

One drawback is that it is a very new program and they do not guarantee any kind of internship. They do not

have any bolsa de trabajo either. At the moment, I would say that everyone will have to look for his/her own

opportunities. They can provide you with good sources of information, though. I would recommend this master’s

program to people really interested in all topics related to International Relations, i.e. International Politics,

Economics and Public Law.

Fundació Universitària del Bages

Postgrau en Comerç Internacional i Márketing http://efc.fub.edu/index.php?lang=ca

Former student who has done it: Maria Velázquez

Maria’s comments: For me it has been very useful, it will only take you from September to June and it is a two-

day course in the afternoon. A lot of the subjects helping me at work (I’m in sales) while I was doing it, I would

strongly recommend for it people who are in the business world, or want to have a career in business. They also

offer scholarships, for which you have to take an exam in International Commerce, an English test and a

personal interview. I got one of the scholarships and they paid for 50% of the total tuition fee.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 23

ESERP Business School

Máster en Dirección de Comunicación, Relaciones Públicas y Protocolo http://www.eserp.com/es/masters-y-mba/barcelona/master-en-direccion-de-comunicacion-relaciones-publicas-y-

protocolo.html

C/ Girona 24, Barcelona

Former students who had done it: Marta Carrillo, Elena Florit

Marta’s comments: The first module deals with protocol, official events, event organization, conventions and

congresses. The second module is about internal and external communication in companies, marketing, non-

verbal communication and anything related to the press and the media (advertising) and finally Public Relations,

as part of the external communications within a company. The program is opening up several possibilities in the

business world where languages are needed and useful. For protocol English is important, but for communication

and public relations it is an absolutely essential prerequisite, and still not many people are fluent or proficient

enough to do these jobs properly. The program set up a practicum for me and then helped me get a part-time job.

Elena’s comments: I was not happy about it in the end. At first, it seems that it will be very interesting,

organised and so on, but you end up dealing with different aspects in general and with a feeling that you have not

learnt anything. Furthermore, most of my classmates complained and had the same feeling, too. The possibilities

for a practicum are not interesting and they do not offer you good perspectives for the future. For instance, the

job I found after the master was not due to a practicum through ESERP, but because I looked for it. I do not

recommend this Master to anyone. There are many other optionsr, and one should think about it carefully

because it is a considerable investment.

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya-UIB (online post-grad course)

Dirección y marketing de empresas turísticas www.uoc.edu/masters/esp/web/turismo/empresas_turisticas/postgrau/direccion_y_marketing_de_empresas_turis

ticas_uoc-uib/

Former student who has done it: Belén Sánchez

Belén’s comments: This is an 8 month online intensive postgraduate course, and I admit that I really enjoyed the

course since the topics were very interesting. At the end you get to know everything but not in detail since you

have the impression that the course is very general; it is focused on understanding how a tourist business works,

and in fact, the final project is free but related to a new business, so I chose to prepare a marketing plan for a low

cost online travel agency specialized in trips to Australia.

The online educational methodology is very flexible and dynamic in the sense that you can work at your own

pace and from home, but I still prefer the traditional face to face methodology and having direct contact with the

teacher and rest of students. For example, in the traditional methodology questions are answered immediately

(you don’t have to wait for an e-mail, as in the online mode), you can live interact with other students and learn

from discussions (you can also do this with your computer but in the end is impossible to read all the messages

and you get tired of reading, or you have no time), and you directly learn from the teacher since he/she

immediately corrects you (again, in online mode you have to wait for teacher’s availability to write an e-mail).

What I disliked most about this course was that most of the time you don’t obtain exercise feedback from

teachers, you just send the exercise on time but never receive it back corrected. In this sense, you don’t really

learn, you just do exercises and research papers but never know if they are right or wrong, or why the teacher

gives you a C instead of a B. You have to be very proactive and send e-mails to the teacher if you want to know

your mistakes, and my opinion is that they should send the corrections spontaneously. As a whole, it is a good

introductory course, but don’t start it thinking you are going to turn into an expert, you just learn general ideas

and perhaps if you combine it with a second postgraduate course it gives you a more specific learning. My

advice is that you don’t do this course if you are not familiar with online methodology or if you still prefer the

face to face educational model. Cost is ok, 2,300 euros.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 24

BES La Salle, Barcelona

MIB. Master in International Business http://www.beslasalle.net/portal/masters/area/Controller?mvchandler=portals&action=show-

screen&screen=workspace&idSection=17465&area=mba&tipo=masters

Barcelona Duració: 1 any acadèmic

Horari: Dilluns de 19h. a 22h. Divendres de 18h. a 21h. i dissabtes de 9h. a 14h.

Former student who has done it: Meritxell Caparrós

Meritxell’s comments: This is a 9-month master degree which starts every year in October and ends in July.

This master is offered by La Salle Business Engineer School, which belongs to Ramon Llull University. The

price of this master is relatively high (€9.000-10.000) but it is very similar to the prices offered by other

universities -not many in Barcelona, by the way. I only know one university –ESCI, UPF- which has a very

similar master.

The goal of the master is to cover all the areas included in the process of internationalization of small and

medium companies (PYMES). The master begins with very interesting sessions on cultural dimension. Then, it

moves on to international politics and business. All this is followed by statistics and mathematics which I have

personally found very difficult to follow. However, it is true that good Export Managers need to have a basic

command of these issues.

The master covers also Advertising, Marketing, Price policies, Distribution channels, Human resources,

Management skills, Logistics and International payments forms, amongst many other issues. The end of the

master is a Business plan, and an educational trip to one of the universities world-wide with which LA SALLE

has agreements. I know former students who visited the USA or India. This year, we are going to Shanghai. La

SALLE also has an efficient Borsa de Treball, and they help you re-orientate your professional career.

Almost all my colleagues studied Economics or Administration before taking this master (and only 1 out of

my 21 colleagues is from Spain.), so the effort that a person from Filologia Anglesa needs to make, compared

with these students, is tremendous. Everything is new, literally. So for any of you who are really interested in

working in international departments, I strongly advise you to work 5 or 6 years in private companies before

studying this specialisation.

I have to say that many things could be improved: from organization to selection of lecturers and even

students. But the overall feeling is of enormous satisfaction.

7. Programs related to translating, publishing and

language

UAB

Assessorament Lingüístic en els Mitjans Audiovisuals (UAB) or Màster en Correcció i Assessorament Lingüístic http://www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/postgrau/postgrau-en-assessorament-linguistic-en-els-mitjans-

audiovisuals/dades-basiques-1203328491238.html/param1-1654_4_ca/param2-2001/

Former student who has done it: Alba Vindel (2010-2011)

Cost: €1,800 Alba’s comments: Assessorament Lingüístic als Mitjans Audiovisuals can be done as only a postgraduate or, if

you pay a bit more and do a treball de fi de master (TFM) you get a master’s degree. However, it must be said

that it is not an official master, but a títol propi of the UAB. I decided to do this postgraduate course because I wanted to get the equivalent to the Catalan K-level

(which no longer can be obtained by sitting an exam) and I also wanted to specialize in oral texts or in texts

related to the media. Actually, the UAB organizes another postgraduate course in Correcció i Qualitat

Lingüístiques and the UB offers the postgraduate course Assessorament Lingüístic i Serveis Editorials

(http://www.ub.edu/algmse/), but both of them focus on written texts, not oral ones. The postgraduate course is structured in two types of subjects: those that are more general (which were on

Tuesday, and are common the Correcció i Qualitat Lingüístiques postgraduate course) and those that affect

directly the linguist that works in the media (which were on Friday). Attendance is compulsory, and the sessions

are 4 hours long, divided into two subjects.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 25

My opinion about the postgraduate course is that it is useful because it allows you to obtain the equivalent

to the Catalan K-level. Regarding the contents, some of the subjects are very interesting and they give you quite

a lot of information, which will be useful if you work as a proofreader or language consultant. Given the high

degree of specialization of some subjects, sometimes you may feel that they are not useful, because you know

that you never will work in a given area. And sometimes there is a subject that you are very interested in, but you

may feel that it is not sufficiently explored. All in all, I would recommend this course to anyone that knows that they want to work as a proofreader or

language consultant in the media. In the event that you feel that you are more interested in written texts, perhaps

the first of these two postgraduate courses would be more appropriate.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Roc Boronat Building (Campus de la Comunicació - Poblenou)

Màster en estudis de traducció http://www.upf.edu/postgrau/traduccio/presentacio/index.html

Former students who did it: Laura Clarasó & Núria Sabater

Cost: €3,400-3,600 euros (depending on the subjects you choose)

Laura’s comments: I studied English in UAB and on balance, I liked it, but I had always been interested in

translation. So, as soon as I ended up this degree, I decided to enroll in this Master’a on translation. In my

opinion, only one 50% of the subjects were interesting and useful. We did subjects on linguistics, interpretation

and translation (you had to choose which kind of translation you wanted to get involved in, I particularly decided

to study legal translation, but you can choose between legal, literary or scientific and technological translation).

This subject on legal translation was the most useful one, as well as the practicum. I started my internship on

April, 2012 and I finished it 3 months later (you had to work 300 hours at least). It was not really well paid, but

at least it was paid. I learned a many things related to the translation world such as the use of the typical

automatic translation programs like Trados, Workbench and so on. I also did some corrections and final eye.

Nowadays, my job has nothing to do with translation since, after the internship, I decided that it wasn’t a job for

me because basically, you have to work with new technologies and perfectly manage them. That’s why I’m

teaching English now in an English school, and I’m very glad working in there.

I would recommend this Master to everyone who is interested in translation and new technologies and who

wants to discover how this world works since mainly the internship allows you to work and get involved (300

hours at least) in the translation business. Then, if you work really hard, they can allow you to continue with the

internship or hire you at the end just like it happened to some of my classmates who are currently working in

these kinds of business.

Núria’s comments: Para entrar en el máster, los requisitos son: título de licenciado/graduado, tu CV, una carta

de motivación, nivel de inglés B2, nivel de catalán o castellano C1.

Hay tres itinerarios: investigación (para hacer luego un doctorado), académico y profesional (el que yo hice, más

enfocado para trabajar como traductor). Para los tres itinerarios se puede escoger una (obligatorio) o más de estas

especialidades: literaria, juridicoeconómica y científica (este año no se ha cursado por falta de alumnos). Yo hice

las dos primeras y en las dos aprendí mucho, y como asignatura optativa hice traducción audiovisual.

Los contenidos de este máster son: traducción en rasgos generales, herramientas tecnológicas que se usan para

traducir, cómo traducir para los diferentes campos, teoría de la traducción, lingüística aplicada a la traducción,

gestión de proyectos, etc. El único problema que he encontrado es que por el precio que pagas podrían ofertar

más asignaturas. En este link encontraréis las asignaturas más detalladas:

www.upf.edu/dtcl/formacio/postgrau/assignaturesMET.html

En el tema de las prácticas estoy muy contenta ya que estoy en una empresa donde las prácticas son remuneradas

(atención: para la mayoría de alumnos de la UPF siempre pagan las prácticas de máster, y esto es un punto muy

positivo, ya que aprendes pero a la vez recibes un sueldo). Para este itinerario las horas de prácticas son de 340

aprox. Es el itinerario con más horas pero a la vez haces menos asignaturas y el trabajo final es de sólo 20

páginas.

En general creo que podría haber aprendido más si la organización de las asignaturas estuviera mejor, pero he

visto cómo es y he traducido mucho (y ese era mi objetivo principal), y puedo decir que sí me ha gustado. Si

quieres dedicarte a esto, tienes que tener en cuenta que en España es un campo muy difícil y muy mal pagado

(pagan mejor en el norte de Europa o en países no europeos), y es una profesión solitaria (generalmente tienes

que ser autónomo para poder trabajar en esto).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 26

idEC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Máster en Edición http://www.idec.upf.edu/master-en-edicion/contenidos-academicos

Former student who is doing it: Maria Moreno

Cost: €6,900

Maria’s comments: When I finished my degree last year there was one thing I knew and that was that I wanted

to work on something I was passionate about and that was literature. I talked with Carme Font about my options

and about working in a publishing house and she told me that nowadays it’s very difficult to get into this world if

you don’t have an MA. So I enrolled in this master’s program. I found it perfect for me because as the classes are

during the evening I could work during the day. Of course it’s not cheap but with some help and money I had

been saving I decided it would be a good investment. So far it’s been very interesting and I have learnt a lot from

it. Although I haven’t been able to benefit from it because I’m already working and I couldn’t make the hours

work for me the MA is helpful in that it comes with an internship programme that lets you gain practice and start

making connections (which we are told is everything in the publishing world!). The MA deals with all the

aspects of the publishing world and all the teachers are professionals working on the field right now and they are

always available if you need to ask them questions.

UVic

Màster Universitari en Traducció Especialitzada http://www.uvic.cat/estudi/traduccio-especialitzada Former student who is doing it: Carolina Balada

Cost: €4,973

Universitat de Barcelona

Màster en Assessorament Lingüístic, Gestió del Multilingüisme i Serveis Editorials (ALGMSE) www.ub.edu/algmse/

Former student who did it or are doing it: Alba Vindel Bonet & Laura de Francisco

Alba’s comments: The postgraduate course in language policy and multilingualism management is one of the

two postgraduate courses that make up the Master in Assessorament linguístic, gestió del multilingüisme i serveis

editorials. The other postgraduate course, Assessorament linguístic i serveis editorials is equivalent to the former

K-level in Catalan, which qualifies you to proofread texts in Catalan.

The postgraduate course I have took deals mainly with issues related to language policy and management

and focuses on the situation in the Catalan domain (it is not a general perspective). You attend lessons once per

week and the classes last four hours. Over the academic year you cover different aspects of the topic, and each

session is given by some expert in the area (so you hardly see the same professor twice). On the one hand, this

structure is positive in the sense that all the professionals that come are very specialized in the topic they explain;

on the other hand, you do not have one professor that can be considered a reference and there is quite a lot of

work to do. It is also positive that the postgraduate (and also the master) includes 50 hours of pràctiques at some

company or institution related to the programme you follow.

However, the postgraduate has been redesigned for next year: it will be structured in modules and each

module will have a coordinator, you will not have to hand in exercises every week following the sessions

because some exercises will be unified according to the modules and some sessions will be done through the

campus virtual (the UB moodle platform).

In general terms, I am quite happy at having done this postgraduate: it enables you to work in public or

private institutions related to language policy and planning, and if you do the full master programme, you can

also work as a professional proofreader. I also think that the problems we encountered this year (the first year the

program was offered) will largely be solved for the next. So all in all, I would recommend it to anyone interested

in this topic.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 27

Laura’s comments: I have been doing this MA throughout all this year (2012-2013), and to be honest, it was

not what I expected although I must admit that I’m quite satisfied with having finished it. As explained above,

this MA is composed of two postgraduate studies: Assessorament Lingüístic i Serveis EditorIals and Gestió del

Multilingüisme. I was personally more interested in the former as I thought I would get a deep insight into

Catalan grammar. However, it wasn’t exactly like that as the MA didn’t offer a syllabus based on grammar and

syntactic studies but mainly on lessons of typographical issues. The module on Serveis Editorials disappointed

me very much since the lectures I received were poor in content and quite boring. Yet it is compulsory to hand in

an imaginary editorial project at the end of the module. The assessment of the module of Assessorament

linguistic is mainly done by means of exams and projects.

The postgraduate study Gestió del Multilingüisme is in general pretty interesting. Sessions are scheduled in

different modules, and each module deals with different aspects of the Catalan language, culture, economics,

law, administration, etc. The assessment consists of handing in an activity at the end of each module. The

coordinator of each module varies according to the topic you have been dealing with. The projects are meant to

be written in pairs or groups of three.

Overall, I would recommend not to take the MA but instead the postgraduate studies independently (I’d

recommend only the one on Gestió del Multilingüisme). If you take the MA as a whole, it is compulsory to hand

in and present a final project in September, so realistically enough you don’t really finish your MA until the end

of September, once you have defended it. Most of the teachers in the MA have a strong and wide knowledge of

the issues dealt in class; however, not all of them know how to get this knowledge across. To get into this MA it

is compulsory to have a degree on Catalan Philology or the Superior Certificate in Catalan (nivell D); if not, you

will have to take it throughout the course. This MA is quite demanding. The price of the master is 2.400€.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Màster en Lingüística Teòrica i Aplicada www.upf.edu/postgrau/masters/comunicacio/linguistica/presentacio/index.html

Sílvia Rustullet did the second cycle version of this program (not the Master’s)

Sílvia’s comments: I chose this linguistics program because it was more applied to new technologies.

At Pompeu Fabra, you will have to adapt to their methodology: 10 weeks of lessons and then exams, with no

pre-exam study week; trimesters instead of semesters and theoretical lessons once a week. Moreover, there were

many more projects to hand in and presentations to endure. However, once you have adapted, there are plenty of

good things. In addition to linguistics subjects like Phonetics and Pragmatics, you do Computational subjects

like Statistics, Logics or Speech Treatment. Other subjects introduce you to new fields in linguistics such as

Language Industries, Applied Linguistics or Forensic Linguistics. You also have a compulsory training period at

any company you choose. In my case, I worked in a Language Engineering company here in Barcelona. I really

enjoyed it.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Facultat de Traducció i Interpretació

Màster en Traducció Audivisual http://pagines.uab.cat/mtav/

Former students who have done it: Sílvia Anguera, Carol López, Silvia Quiles, Koré Arques, Olga Parera,

Noemí Ortego

Noemí’s comments: The master’s prepares students to work in all the different fields related to audiovisual

translation: dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, audio-description, software and videogame localization, etc. All the

teachers are talented professionals and have a lot of experience. Most of them are eager to show students the

insights of the profession and their lectures are informative and practical at the same time.

In general I am pleased with the program. However, I was disappointed that both dubbing and subtitling took

only one semester each because there is really a lot to learn. The last weeks of the master’s were filled with

lectures and while some of them were very useful, others were very repetitive. So I feel we could have used

those credits to learn how to adjust text and image in dubbing. Traditionally there has been a translator and an

‘adjustor’ but nowadays companies want someone that can do both in order to reduce expenses, but we did not

learn to do that.

Another reason for disappointment was my internship. I had to translate and subtitle the video of a conference

for the Centre de Cultura Contemporànea de Barcelona. I did it at home and I never got any feedback, so it did

not feel like an internship but more like working for free.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 28

Universitat d’Alacant

Màster Oficial de Traducció Institucional (Màster virtual) www.ua.es/dpto/trad.int/estudios/master_instit/master_instit.html

Preu Especial: 1.500 euros Former student who has done it: Núria Hernández

Núria’s comments: This master’s degree is aimed at students with a degree in Translation or Linguistics who

want to specialise in translating legal and financial texts. It is offered online by the Universitat d’Alacant (UA)

with the collaboration of the Universitat Jaume I (UJI) and the Universitat de València (UV). It is a truly

interesting sixty-credit course, which offers two possible itineraries; a professional one, which includes practical

work experience in a law firm or translation agency and a research-focused module.

There are three language combinations: Spanish/French, Spanish/German, and Spanish/English, all of which

include four common subjects, five compulsory subjects according to language pair, two optional subjects, and a

final project. In addition, students will have the chance to learn from leading researchers in their fields, as the

professors involved are extremely professional, and helpful. However, the workload per subject is considerable.

Therefore, it can be difficult to combine this course with a full-time job. Fortunately, it can be done in more than

one year. As it is a dense online course, I would only recommend it to students who have work or academic

experience in translation.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Postgrau de Traducció Jurídica http://pagines.uab.cat/traducciojuridica

Preu Especial: 2000 euros

Former student who has done it: Núria Hernández

Núria’s comments: The programme aims to provide learning and training in the field of legal translation. It is a

twenty-credit course which includes a basic introduction to the Spanish legal system, the Common Law,

translation basics, translation practice, and practical work experience in law firms or institutions. For this reason,

entrance requirements involve having earned a degree in Translation, in Linguistics or in Law. I would

recommend it to students with no previous experience in translation at all, as it highly theoretical and brief —the

time allotted per subject ranges from nine to twenty-four hours. For this reason, it is compatible with a full-time

job. Some of the lecturers involved are foremost researchers in their field from different universities, namely the

UPF, the UB, and the UJI.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 29

8. Ongoing education once you are already teaching Elaine Higa

1. Col.legi Oficial de Doctors i Llicenciats en Filosofia i Lletres i en Ciències de

Catalunya (www.cdl.cat/cursos/formacio_permanent)

Courses about teaching and preparation for Oposicions.

2. International House (www.ihes.com/bcn/tt/tefl-courses.html)

International House offers workshops throughout the year, as well as a wonderful

conference in February.

3. Associació de Professors d’Anglès de Catalunya (APAC) (www.apac.es)

APAC holds a very interesting conference in March.

4. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Spain (www.tesol-

spain.org)

TESOL-Spain also has a yearly conference, usually in March.

5. British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/ca/spain-education-teachers-corner.htm)

The British Council holds free talks and workshops for English Teachers, especially in

October.

6. Institut de Ciències de l’Educació (www.uab.es/ice)

The Institut de Ciències de l’Educació also has many courses and “Jornades” on TEFL

7. Several publishers offer talks about English Language Teaching (ELT). You need to

check their websites from time to time or even call their Barcelona delegations to see

what’s available.

Some ideas:

Oxford University Press: www.oup.com/es/educacion/oxed_eventos/

Pearson ELT: http://www.pearsonelt.com/

Burlington Books: www.burlingtonbooks.es

MacGrawHill: www.mcgraw-hill.es

IT’s magazine: www.its-online.com

MacMillan: www.macmillanelt.es/Teacher_Training.teacher-training.0.html

Cambridge University Press: www.cup.es/emea/default.asp

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 30

9. Doing post-graduate studies abroad

Doing a Master’s degree in the UK Cristina Delgado

Estoy cursando un Máster a tiempo completo en la Universidad de Manchester. Se llama MA in Post-

1900 Literatures, Theories and Cultures. Según mi experiencia, estudiar un Máster en una universidad

británica es muy duro pero también muy gratificante.

¿Por qué hacer un Máster en el extranjero?. Con un curso de postgrado, aprendes métodos de

investigación que te serán útiles si quieres empezar a labrarte una carrera académica. Además, es una

manera fantástica de adquirir un grado de especialización en la materia que has escogido. Cursarlo en

el extranjero tiene un plus de prestigio, sobre todo si quieres trabajar fuera de España, donde en

algunos casos se tiene la obligación legal de pagar sueldos acordes con el nivel de estudios. El único

caso en que NO recomendaría hacer un Máster es si realmente no tienes vocación académica. El

tema que has escogido tiene que motivarte tanto que te haga levantarte cada día y ponerte a trabajar en

él por tu cuenta, porque NADIE te vigilará. Haciendo un Máster estás “solo ante el peligro”, así que

no pierdas tiempo o dinero haciendo un Máster si lo único que quieres es simplemente llenar un hueco.

¿Qué tipo de Máster?. Existen dos tipos de Máster (taught and research masters) y los puedes cursar a

tiempo completo y a tiempo parcial. Según el grado de autonomía que quieras tener, puedes escoger

entre un taught (con asignaturas) y research (enfocado a tu propia investigación). Hacerlo a tiempo

completo significa completarlo en un año, normalmente, es decir: mucho, mucho trabajo. En cambio,

un Máster a tiempo parcial te permite estudiar y trabajar, y quizá dedicarle mucho más tiempo a cada

asignatura. También tiene la ventaja económica de que la matrícula de inscripción se paga en dos

veces. Que no te engañe la etiqueta “taught master”: básicamente, significa que tendrás asignaturas

con unas lista de lecturas inicial determinada por un profesor. Aún así, a nivel de postgrado, el nivel de

autoaprendizaje es altísimo.

¿Cómo escogerlo?. En mi caso, encontré el Máster que quería hacer en la web www.prospects.ac.uk.

Verás que muchos títulos de Máster son similares, incluso el nombre de las asignaturas que ofrecen.

Te recomiendo que indagues un poquito acerca del profesorado, el ranking del departamento con

respecto al de otras universidades, etc. Uno de los puntos fuertes de la universidad de Manchester

era que Terry Eagleton, una eminencia en el campo de la teoría de la literatura, daba clases a los

estudiantes de Máster. Pero no sólo eso: me gustaron las facilidades para escoger asignaturas de

diferentes departamentos, el interés por ciertos temas (echa un vistazo a los “reseach interests” del

profesorado o a los centros de investigación dentro del departamento), me gustó ver el número de

conferencias y seminarios que se organizaban a parte de las clases... También tienes que pensar en la

ciudad y los costes, no es lo mismo vivir en Londres que en Swansea.

Requisitos. Al no ser del Reino Unido, el papeleo burocrático es significativo -¡pero vale la pena! Ten

preparado tu expediente académico en castellano/catalán, más una traducción al inglés (te recomiendo

los servicios del SIMTRAD en www.uab-idiomes.com/simtrad.html, son rapidísimos y ofrecen

precios especiales para estudiantes de la UAB). También necesitarás dos cartas de recomendación de

profesores. Si has estado en una universidad extranjera, pídele a uno de tus profesores una carta de

recomendación: a las universidades les gusta ver que un estudiante ha hecho un buen trabajo no sólo

en casa sino también en otros sitios. Por último, tendrás que redactar una carta de motivación (no te

preocupes: hay plantillas en la web) y entregar dos trabajos de unas 3,000 palabras relacionados con el

curso que quieres hacer. En mi caso, reutilicé dos trabajos que había hecho durante la carrera para que

tuvieran una mayor relación con el Máster que quería hacer. Es posible que te pidan tener cierta

puntuación en el IELTS o en el Proficiency, pero si no tienes esos títulos en el momento de solicitar

plaza en el curso, te pueden aceptar provisionalmente y esperar a que lleguen esos resultados.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 31

Las clases. Si estuviste fuera con una beca Erasmus sabrás que en otros países el número de horas

semanales de clase es mucho menor que en España. En el caso de los cursos de postgrado, estas horas

se reducen muchísimo más (entre 6 y 2 horas semanales, según semestre), porque se considera que el

alumno debe dedicar el resto de horas a la investigación. Tendrás tiempo para todo, pero el Máster

consume muchísimo. Aún así, es maravilloso estar en grupos reducidos (máximo 10 personas) con las

que el debate va mucho más allá de lo que podría ser un “club del libro”. Prepárate para lucirte en

clase, porque no sólo esperan de ti que hayas leído los textos, sino que seas capaz de ser crítico con

ellos y demostrar que puedes pensar “outside the box”. Una de las primeras cosas que te dicen al

empezar el Master es que ahora los profesores van a aprender tanto de ti, como tu de ellos. Eso,

obviamente, es una mentira (encantadora), pero sirve para entender que ya no esperan que reproduzcas

lo que ellos digan en clase, sino que aportes tu propia visión. En mi caso, el cuerpo de estudiantes de

la universidad es tremendamente activo, y organizan muchísimos grupos de lectura, con o sin

profesores. Es una oportunidad increíble para aprender sin la presión de tener que entregar un trabajo

al final del curso.

Fuera complejos. No te dé miedo pedir plaza en una universidad extranjera. Que el inglés no sea tu

primera lengua no quiere decir que estés en inferioridad de condiciones. Te recuerdo que un hablante

nativo de inglés no tiene por qué saber más (o incluso, escribir mejor a nivel académico) que tú. A

menudo venir de otro país es una ventaja, porque inevitablemente cuentas con un bagaje cultural y, por

lo tanto, otra manera de ver las cosas. Curiosamente, los estudiantes no-británicos que hay en mi curso

son los que mejores notas están sacando.

Meritxell Simón adds: If you are planning to do a MA or PhD in the UK, I strongly recommend

www.jobs.ac.uk. All vacancies are posted there. It is worth preparing the application form well in

advance. An excellent research project that fits the research lines of a lab is crucial. Also, good letters

of recommendation help too! My advice if you are considering doing a PhD: (1) take your time to

think about your topic (you must be obsessively interested in it because it will be your best friend for

at least four years and you won’t be able to get rid of it until you finish, not even in your sleep!); (2) A

department specialized in your topic; (3) funding. You had better wait one year or two until you get

funding and a good research unit. Doing a PhD under good conditions is almost the only guarantee for

the completion of such a demanding project. Good luck!

Javier Fernández adds: MA and MRes programmes in linguistics in the UK are generally very good,

so if you wish to pursue an academic life I’d strongly recommend you give it some thought. There are

major drawbacks to living in London, however. London is an overpriced city: for example, a monthly

Oyster card (public transport) for students is around 80 quid, which is 100 euros. Obviously this is

only for zone 1&2. Rents are also very expensive: living somewhere decent can cost 500 a month –

and by that I mean double (not huge) room relatively close to the centre. So unless you have a good

scholarship, London should be the last place in the UK to consider. Sure, you could also work and

study part-time, but then be aware that you will have to pay council tax, which will cost you at least

800 a year.

I am saying all this because for some reason, people tend to equate London and UK. If you are

interested in getting an MA or MRes in Ling, and you cannot afford to spend a huge fortune, there are

very good departments all around the UK. Here I list some (note that I can only talk about linguistics, I

am rather clueless with respect to programmes in literature):

University of Essex: the linguistics department in in Colchester, 45 minutes from London by train

and 30 minutes from Stansted Airport. They have several research groups: theoretical linguistics

(both from formal and functional perspectives), applied linguistics (SLA, TEFL…), discourse

analysis, sociolinguistics… Andrew Radford is teaching there (those of you who have taken

syntax courses at UAB must know him, I am sure!)

University of Kent: also pretty close to London (as you can see, I am giving you alternatives

always thinking of those London fans!). The department of Culture and Language, and more

specifically the division of English language and linguistics offers more theoretically-based

approaches to language (they have a good Syntax Group), but they also cover L1 acquisition and

psycholinguistics.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 32

For those of you who like TEFL, check out Bristol or Lancaster, they focus pretty much on that.

Cambridge and Oxford both have amazing departments of linguistics, but a word of warning:

living there will cost you as much as living in London given that you have to pay college fees

plus tuition fees. In any case, for those Chomskyans like me, Cambridge is your option. If you

prefer a funcional approach to language, Oxford is your place, then.

If you don’t mind getting further up north I would suggest you checked out York, Newcastle and,

especially, Edinburgh. I went there for my Erasmus and the department of languages is absolutely

amazing. They work on computational linguistics and evolutionary approaches, but they have a

great Syntax/Semantics reading group. Also, for those of you who are interested in language

acquisition/language impairments, Edinburgh is worth a look!

In a nutshell: if you wish to get into an MA in Linguistics, the UK is a great place to do that, but do

not focus on London exclusively.

In terms of scholarships, once you narrow down your choices for programs, check out the

section on funding, which every department should have on their website, and you will see there are

plenty of options. Bear in mind, though, that if wish to be eligible for funding you have to apply by

January for entry in September.

Applying for a post-graduate program in the US Juan Meneses

You may be thinking about going for an MA or a PhD in the US, and that’s a great idea. And your

main concern, right now, is funding. The economic situation is bad, but don’t get discouraged, the

universities need you: they need MA and PhD students, and they need teaching assistants (TAs).

TAships (teaching assistantships) are something you really want to take a look at when considering an

MA or PhD, because you’ll be exempt from all academic fees.

Also, American universities embrace certain policies with respect to gender, ethnic and

international diversity, which means you’ll be taken into account in ways you are not in most countries

in Europe. I would say that approximately 20% of my colleagues who are TAs (teaching assistants)

are international students. Also, don’t discard being a Spanish/Catalan language Teaching Assistant

while pursuing another degree. Departments usually have agreements (e.g, Romance Languages-

English) so they can provide funding, and grad

students do that constantly.

There are fellowships and grants that you want to apply for. Give yourself plenty of time to work

on those. I’d say 6 to 12 months. And don’t get discouraged by the high degree of competition. These

are hard things to get, but if you don’t try, you will certainly not get them. The best advice I can come

up with is to seriously believe in what you want to do. This is especially important during the

interview processes. Very often, interviewers get highly underwhelmed by people that just want to go

abroad, and that’s where you really show them how great it’ll be for them to give YOU the money for

your studies/academic project..

If you intend to take a degree in English (as an academic area, that is) you will be expected to

perform as well as a native student. The equivalent would be to study Catalan or Spanish at the UAB.

But don’t let this daunt you in the least. You’ll see that making mistakes in written (or even oral)

English is not necessarily indicative of your being a non-native. Secondly, a graduate degree is just as

hard work as a ‘regular’ job, though obviously the pressure is higher. Be sure of what you want to do

and why you want to do it. Third, I would stress that the Anglo-Saxon academic tradition emphasizes

self-reliance, individual work and personal commitment, as has been encouraged in this department

for years. This implies a high degree of involvement in seminars and papers, where you’ll develop

your own distinct voice.

Finally, read through www.theprofessorisin.com. It is to my knowledge the best website to

consult all things pertaining grad school and professional life in academia.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 33

Applying for an assistantship at a US university

In many US universities, graduate students (perhaps called “post-graduate” students elsewhere) pay

for their own studies (as well as room and board) by being Assistants, which can be administrative

assistantships, research assistantships or teaching assistantships (TAs, who help teach basic

undergraduate subjects—the most common post). In other words, if you get that sort of position in

advance, you will not need to get any grants or save huge amounts of money before you go.

If you have been away from studying for a number of years, do not assume that you are at advantage.

Many US graduate programs actually prefer applicants who have been working for a while over recent

graduates, on the grounds that the former will be more focused and have more to contribute.

Deadlines for applications are generally between December and March, but you should start getting

your act together well in advance (September is not too soon). Here is what you should do if the idea

appeals to you.

1) Try to find information about 10-15 different master’s programs at US universities that might

interest you. The best way to do this is online at www.gradschools.com.

2) Get information online about each program of interest from the respective university websites and

study their application forms (which should also be available online). Then narrow down your

choice to the 3-7 universities or programs which look most interesting—and which offer TA

positions (remember that it will be strictly illegal to work in the US outside the university

context).

3) You will probably have to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and/or GRE

(Graduate Record Exam) exams, depending on the university. Find out how and where you can

do this in Catalonia, and plan to take the test(s) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

4) Apply to the programs in your short list. As part of the application process, most universities will

ask you to send 1) a personal essay, 2) your official university transcript, 3) a report from your

bank, 4) an example of a paper you wrote while at university, and 5) your TOEFL scores and

possibly also GRE scores. Deadline for application may be as early as January, so it is important

to get these documents ready before Christmas.

5) Then wait for replies, which should start to come in after February, depending on individual

university deadlines. If you are accepted in several places, weigh the offers. Some universities

may not offer TA positions. Those that do will offer different salaries.

6) Once you accept an offer, the university will send you an information pack that will enable you to

apply for a visa to the US. This process can be complicated and you should get help with it to

avoid mistakes.

If all of this sounds complicated, just ask yourself if you have anything to lose by trying!

For a site that ranks US colleges for quality, see

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankumregion_brief.php

Note: Ruth Gómez Layola was given a Teaching Assistantship at University of Maryland Baltimore

County which enabled her to do an MA in Intercultural Communication without paying for tuition.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 34

Post-graduate studies in Canada Laura Monerris Oliveras

For those of you interested in doing a post-graduate program abroad, the University of Alberta (top 5

Canadian university) has a good program in TESL at the Master’s and Doctoral levels. See

www.edpsychology.ualberta.ca/GraduatePrograms.aspx

The application deadline for a graduate program in a Canadian university, either M.A. or

Ph.D., is usually during September-December and only sometimes until February/March to start the

program the following September. Make sure you browse their programs on their websites based on

your interests first, but give priority to those universities that provide funding (e.g. scholarships,

graduate research or teaching assistantships, international tuition supplements, recruitment awards,

etc.) with their graduate programs. Being accepted at a graduate program without funding is going to

be extremely challenging due to the continuous rise in tuition fees and the cost of living (which varies

depending on the Canadian province).

Once accepted at a graduate program at a Canadian university, getting a Study Permit is pretty

easy and straightforward. During your studies, you can work on campus with your study permit, or

off-campus with a specific Work Permit for students. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/index.asp

NOTE: If you become an international Ph.D. student and complete at least two years towards

your degree, in good academic standing, you will be eligible to apply as a Skilled Worker and

become a Permanent Resident. As a Permanent Resident, you have the same rights and privileges as

a Canadian citizen, except for the right to vote. Thus, your tuition fees will become domestic (you will

stop paying international student fees) and you will not need a Study Permit or Work Permit anymore.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp

Just a few of the academic post-graduate programs abroad done by former students.

Former

student

Years

attended

University Degree Area of interest Grant

Clara Guasch 1999-2000 University of Essex Computational

Linguistics

Batista i Roca

Eva Fité 1999-2000 University of Hull, UK MA English Literature Self-financed

Maria Sabaté 2005-2006 University of Toronto,

Canada

MA Linguistic

anthropology

La Caixa

Laura Monerris 2006-2008 University of Alberta,

Canada

PhD Applied linguistics Teaching

Assistantship

Cristina

Delgado

2007-2008 University of

Manchester, UK

MA Post-1900

Literature

Self-financed

Xavier Aldana 2007-2008 Birkbeck College,

University of London

MA Modern and

Contemporary

Literature

Laia Arnaus 2008-2009 Bergische Universität

Wuppertal

PhD Bilingual language

acquisition

La Caixa/DAAD

Juan Meneses 2008-2009 Purdue University, US PhD Literature La Caixa

Meritxell Simón 2006-2012 Université Paris IV-

Sorbonne

PhD Literature/Women’s

Studies

French government

grant

Aida Ribot 2011-

present

University of California

at San Diego

MA Linguistic

Anthropology

Javier

Fernñandez

2011-

present

University College

London

MA Research in Syntax La Caixa

Yúlia

Kovalchuk

2011-2012 Queen Mary

University, London

MA Literature grant

Ruth Gómez 2012-2014 University of Maryland

Baltimore County, USA

MA Intercultural

communication

Teaching

Assistantship

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 35

Grants to teach and work abroad

1. Leonardo da Vinci and Eurodisea (internship grants)

All the information about these two grants as well as application forms can be found online at:

Eurodysee: www.eurodyssee.eu/es/que-es-eurodisea.html

Leonardo: www.uab.es/servlet/Satellite/programas-de-movilidad-e-intercambio/leonardo-da-

vinci/becas-euroaccion-1096482016588.html

Former student Carol López was awarded one of these grants and worked for several months in Wales

in a job related to translation and publishing. Elena Díez went to Italy (and from there to Egypt).

Sandra Torres got one and worked for the UN in Vienna. Rebeca García got one to work in Italy. Most

recently, Paula Jiménez was employed in France.

Elena’s comments: I applied at the Oficina de Treball: very easy, just basic information about studies

and work experience, preferences of countries in Europe to work in and fields of work preferred. The

first year I heard nothing from them. So after a year I renewed the application (compulsory step if you

want to keep on the database). Three months later I was offered the chance to go through a couple of

interviews to go and work in Torino, Italy. I passed, which meant 3 months there: a 1-month intensive

course in Italian and then a 2-month internship in the field I chose (Development NGO), a total of 9

weeks working 35h/40h a week. It was not paid for but they offered accommodation (a flat

downtown), a public transportation pass for the 3 months, a ticket to Italy and back, and €6 pocket

money per day. So I learnt Italian and got work experience abroad without getting paid, but getting

much more than I would have if I had done it here in Spain. Moreover, it opened the doors to further

work opportunities.

Projecte Euracció

Information about this similar program as well as the application form is available at:

http://www.uab.es/treball-campus (Look under “Beques Euroacció”)

CARACTERÍSTIQUES GENERALS DE LES BEQUES

L’estada es pot realitzar a partir del febrer de 2009 i la durada de l’estada és de 14 setmanes

L’import de la beca és de 2.600€ per persona beneficiària, quantitat que podrà variar en funció del país d’acollida.

La beca inclou:

• 13 setmanes de pràctiques (la primera setmana d’estada és d’adaptació)

• Cerca de l’empresa, sinó ho ha fet el/la sol·licitant

• Preparació lingüística personalitzada, al Servei de Llengües de la UAB, de l’idioma que s’utilitza al país de destinació

• Despeses del viatge (anada i tornada) al país de destinació

• Assegurança de viatge i de malaltia

• Despeses d’allotjament

• Ajut per a manutenció

• Tutorització durant les pràctiques

• Gestió

El projecte Euroacció compta amb socis de acollida que s’encarregaran de trobar una empresa adient que respongui a les

expectatives de cadascun dels beneficiaris.Per a les estades de l’any 2009, hi ha socis d’acollida a Alemanya, Austria, França,

Grècia, Itàlia, Polònia, Portugal, Regne Unit i República Txeca.

You can also by yourself find a company that is prepared to let you do an internship, and then request

the grant.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 36

2. Auxiliares de conversación

http://www.mecd.gob.es/educacion-mecd/areas-educacion/actividad-

internacional/convocatorias-trabajo-formacion/para-espanoles.html

Students in their last year of university can apply, though in general successful applicants have had

several years of teaching experience—even if just in language schools. The International House course

in teaching Spanish is excellent preparation for this.

NOTE: Even if you are not on the official selection list which appear in June—or even the waiting

list—you might be called. Several of the people listed below were called in September because the

selected candidates had decided not to go.

Former students who have been awarded this grant (though not necessarily accepted it):

2002-2004: Laura Monerris

2005-2006: Mariona Salvador, Júlia Fradera

2006-2007: Núria Tuda, Ibana Larrubia, Ingrid Villanova

2007-2008: Marta Soria, Samuel Rísquez, Meritxell Simón, Pablo Ortigosa, Mercè Guixà, Anna Pascual

2008-2009: Irene Cuenca, Aloma Breu, Alba Gómez, Sanae Ortiz, Noemí Fernández, Olga Herrera, Iria Crespo,

Laura Viader, Ester Mundo

2009-2010: Christina Martín, Alícia Carreras, Susana Padrosa, Rafa Gallego

2010-2011: Adrià de Gràcia, Meritxell Ballús

2011-2012: Adriana Boada, Núria Frias, Meritxell Ballús, Cristina Estanol

2012-2103: Vanessa Dachs, Marina Checa, Verónica Ruiz, Neus Luna

2013-2014: Pere Borrull

You can read what many of these people write in the Alumni Reports section of this pack. Their

experiences have been universally positive.

Basic information:

a) Càrrec: Auxiliar de conversa d’espanyol, col·laborant amb el professor titular d’espanyol en un

centre docent.

b) Tasques: Pràctiques de conversa d’espanyol amb els alumnes d’espanyol del centre, col·laborant

activament en el seu aprenentatge de l’idioma així com en la seva coneixença de la cultura i

tradicions d’Espanya. Estats Units i Canadà: de 16 a 20 hores setmanals. Resta de països: 12 hores

setmanals.

c) Països de destí: Àustria (10 places), Bèlgica (7), Canadà (3), Estats Units (37), França (435),

Irlanda (12), Itàlia (15), Nova Zelanda (3), Regne Unit (350), República Federal d’Alemanya (100).

d) Requisits:

Nacionalitat espanyola

Ser estudiant d’últim curs o tenir el títol d’una de les següents titulacions: Filologia Alemanya,

Filologia Francesa, Filologia Anglesa, Filologia Italiana, d’acord amb l’idioma del país

sol·licitat. També Traducció i Interpretació o Magisteri amb especialitat de llengua

estrangera.

IMPORTANT: En el cas d’Estats Units i Canadà només hi poden participar llicenciats. En el

cas de França, s’accepten estudiants d’últim curs o llicenciats de qualsevol titulació

d’humanitats, sempre hi quan al·leguin coneixements de la llengua del país de destí.

g) Durada del programa: 1 any.

It is true that competition for these positions have increased greatly as a result of the recession.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 37

3. Profesores visitantes en EEUU y Canadá

www.educacion.es/horizontales/servicios/profesores/convocatorias/espanoles/visitantes-EEUU-

canada.html

For experienced teachers only, because you will be teaching full-time in the US public school system.

However, once you get adjusted, this grant represents a real professional option because it is a well-

paid full-time job that can lead to a permanent position and will qualify you to teach at US-style

international schools all over the world. Former students who have been awarded this grant: Meritxell

Pons (04-05), Xavier Espejo (04-07), Júlia Fradera (05-06), Mercè Guixa (07-10), Sanae Ortiz (08-11,

13-14), Núria Tuda (13-14), and Ana Rueda (13-14).

a) Funció/Treball: Professor titular d’espanyol a nivell de primària o de secundària en un centre

docent.

b) Tasques: Les pròpies d’un professor d’espanyol en un institut. Preparar i donar classes a alumnes

que estudien espanyol com a primera llengua estrangera. Implica involucrar-se plenament en el

sistema educatiu nord-americà, amb la possibilitat d’impartir altres assignatures de tipus optatiu.

c) Requisits generals:

Nacionalitat Espanyola

Domini de l’anglès tant oral com escrit, i del Francès si es sol·licita plaça a Canadà.

Tenir alguna d’aquestes titulacions: Títol de llicenciat i el CAP (Curs d’Aptitud Pedagògica)

O Títol de mestre

A més pot ser que els diferents estats demanin uns requisits específics com el carnet de

conduir, o tres anys d’experiència docent, etc.

e) Procediment i termini de la presentació de la sol·licitud:

El candidat seleccionarà plaça a Canadà o Estats Units. Dins d’Estats Units seleccionarà una

demarcació (zona) i un estat de preferència (Exemple: Demarcació Nord-est, Nova York). Tot això

quedarà indicat a la sol·licitud que obtindrà a la pàgina web del MEC i que omplirà degudament.

Llavors, enviarà la sol·licitud i tota la documentació que l’acompanya (CV, certificat acadèmic,

certificat metge…) al MEC. Una vegada enviada tota la documentació, el candidat rebrà un

missatge per correu electrònic per confirmar que s’ha rebut.

Tota la documentació s’ha de fer arribar o enviar per correu al MEC abans del dia 15 de

desembre. Si s’envia per correu postal, és important que la segellin i li posin data, per confirmar

que s’envia dins del termini convingut.

Posteriorment (uns dos mesos més tard) sortirà a la pàgina web del MEC una primera llista

d’admesos i exclosos al programa i els motius.

Una vegada s’entra a la llista d’admesos, només cal passar les proves que tenen lloc a Madrid

el més d’abril. Aquestes proves consisteixen en una entrevista personal i en alguns estats, una petita

prova escrita que normalment consisteix en una redacció, per valorar el nivell de domini de

l’idioma. Les proves les realitzen les autoritats educatives de cada estat. El procés de selecció final

dels candidats, que el duen a terme les autoritats educatives nord-americanes, es fa en funció del

resultat d’aquestes proves. La llista definitiva de seleccionats es publica al BOE i a la pàgina web

del MEC cap a finals del mes d’abril.

Els candidats seleccionats, les respectives comissions i els districtes escolars acordaran la

manera i la data per a formular la contractació del candidat.

g) Durada del programa: Aquest programa ofereix un contracte com a professor titular durant un

any, prorrogable fins a un màxim de tres anys.

h) Horari lectiu i retribucions: L’horari lectiu pot variar lleugerament a cada centre docent, però

normalment és aproximadament de dilluns a divendres de 8:00 del matí a les 13:00 o 14:00 de la

tarda.

En quant a la retribució, és d’entre els 30.000 i els 70.000 dòlars anuals, que equivalen a uns 25,000

i uns 50,000 euros anuals.

i) Nº de places: 500

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 38

On being a Visiting Teacher in the US

Comments by Mercè Guixà

At the time I graduated, I had already been accepted in the Visiting Teachers Program in the US, so I knew

that my first experience after graduation would be teaching in Oakland, California. The best aspect of this

program is that it gives you the opportunity to fully develop yourself as an educator in a completely

different education system setting. And I say fully, because you are hired under the same conditions as if

you were a US teacher. It is very challenging and it means a HUGE amount of work but it is an amazing

experience. Also, the salary is good and it allows you to live well, travel and save.

The selection process is slow and it takes a few months. You apply between November and December but

you do not know if you have got the position until the interviews have taken place, usually May. Once you

are accepted you need to be ready to leave two months later. You have no chance to get to the interviews if

you do not fulfill the requisites they list in the application form. Lots of people apply for it and they are

quite demanding in this aspect. Interviews are held by different school district representatives looking for a

particular teacher profile. This varies depending on the available positions they have and the type of state or

district you are applying for.

Once you get the position, the program guides and helps you with all the legal issues that the US requires

from foreign visitors. After your arrival, they also provide you some guidance and preparation to start

working in US schools. It is important to know that we are given the positions that American teachers—

who can choose—refuse to take. I’m talking about schools which are located in unstable neighbourhoods.

We work with socially and economically disadvantaged communities. Teaching here is a completely

different experience, tough and highly demanding but exciting and very rewarding at the same time. The

first year may be especially challenging but it is really worth it in the long term.

For this reason, I would not personally recommend this program to those people who only want to spend a

single year abroad. Coming here involves a big personal and economic investment.

I have just finished my fourth year here and it’s been a really good year. I cleared my California teacher

credentials last year, the Multiple Subjects and the Crosscultural Bilingual Credential. So now I’m

considered a highly qualified teacher. This is a requirement if you want to continue working in the country

after the third year. The length of Profesores visitantes program is 3 years as it is also the J1 visa we get in

order to come here to teach. Once the program is over and the J1 visa expires, you still have the option to

continue in the school, as long as the school district agrees to sponsor the new H1B visa. This is a long and

costly process. Personally, it has not been easy but I really wanted to continue working here so I went for it.

I got my H1B last November and I’m really pleased! I have become tenured in the district, which gives me

stability in the midst of the current economic crisis (you become tenured on your fourth year in the district).

Also, I will be able to teach here for three more years with my new visa.

The state of California is cutting lots of funds in Education and it’s been a year with many lay-offs. It is not

easy to keep your job here either, especially if you are a first or second year teacher but now that I have

acquired a little seniority I feel that I need to take advantage of it. This is such a great experience and I am

constantly growing both professionally and personally. I still don’t see myself staying here for good but for

now I think it is one of the best options, especially looking at the economic situation back in Spain.

Oakland school district is not offering any positions to Profesores Visitantes teachers for the next school

year 2011-12 due to the economic crisis. I think only some districts in south California are offering a few

positions right now. However, I believe this will change in the future once the situation gets better because

bilingual teachers are highly needed in this area.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 39

Comments by Sanae Ortiz

The selection process

The selection process might be a bit stressful but I’m sure anyone having finished the degree in English

Studies will be easily hired. The selection process consists of two parts, an English exam in order to prove

your English language proficiency and a job interview that takes place on a different day. Be prepared to

travel to Madrid several times for a few months. The exam has three parts. First, there is a grammar

multiple choice that has to be completed in a short amount of time (no time for going through the exam

twice). The second part is a writing (easy enough after having done millions of essays for Llengua Anglesa

I and II), and finally a third part involves having a conversation with someone. They ask you questions

related to your motivation for going to the US—that sort of thing.

Why is the US hiring so many Spanish teachers?

First of all, the US has a shortage of certified bilingual teachers, especially in elementary education. You

can also be hired for a high school but the chances are low. There are a lot of Spanish speakers in the US.

Nevertheless, only a few are certified and have a good command of written Spanish language. You will see

many teachers that cannot spell words right. Apparently, the “Profesores Visitantes” program also recruits

in other countries such as Puerto Rico and Mexico, but the Spaniards have proved to be better prepared and

more likely to meet the high expectations and requirements of the schools here, and so the schools are very

interested in hiring us.

The Latino impact on education

The Latino population in the US is quite large. In Chicago, where I live, the Mexican population is

considerable in comparison to other minorities. In my school, for instance, 98% of the students are

Mexican. Parents have the right to choose whether they want their child to attend regular or bilingual

education. If in a school there is a certain percentage of a minority, it is the duty of the school to provide

bilingual education in both English and Spanish. However, the amount of English input the children get is

small, since the backbone of the curriculum is entirely in Spanish with the exception of Math and Science,

which are taught in English through mini-lessons that hit the important content vocabulary children need to

know. The idea is for children to acquire good academic competence in their L1, that is, a good grounding

in content areas in their native language in order to build on their previous knowledge through the L2.

Being a bilingual teacher is harder than being a regular teacher. You need to design lesson plans that take

into account both languages. However, it is also an advantage because schools are in need of us and there

aren’t many bilingual teachers. In my district they are getting rid of many regular teachers for next year,

due to staff layoffs. On the other hand, they are keeping all bilingual teachers.

Differences between teaching ESL to Spanish kids and Mexican kids

It is not easy to teach these kids English. They have a very good pronunciation but they lack lots of

academic vocabulary. Everyday language or grammar is not taught, and academic language is taught

instead. They write English by ear, which is completely different from what happens to kids in Spain. The

latter are normally good at spelling, bad at pronunciation.

Be prepared for the shock

If you decide to come to work as a teacher here, be prepared to work extra hours and attend million of

meetings, workshops and conferences. It is really hard at the beginning but as the months go by, especially

after February, things start to roll smooth. You have to learn a whole new system of work:

The principal is the law, anything he/she says has to be done (at least this is how it works in my

school),

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 40

Decorate, decorate, decorate. In the US they love decorating classrooms with the students’ work

as well as reference walls made by the teacher. This is what they call “rich print environment”.

3rd and 4th grade teachers are especially stressed out. They have some state exams called ISAT and

both students and teachers are under pressure since the schools get different amounts of money

depending on the results of these tests. The problem is that teachers start to teach to the exam

rather than what they should really be teaching.

There is little studying by book. Everything is based on reasoning, and memorisation is done

using kinaesthetic learning (learning with movement).

No grammar whatsoever is taught. Students have little knowledge of what an adjective, noun or

adverb is.

Formal observations will take place over at least three years. Your job contract renewal is based

on these formal observations. The principal or someone from the district comes to evaluate your

teaching. Then you get feedback on it. You get observed at least three times in a year. It is a

nuisance but it is useful in order to know what they expect from you as a teacher and how the

principal likes the lesson to be taught. Do not worry about them too much; you have to do really

bad for them not to renew your contract. Normally all Spaniards get renewed.

Reading and writing are extremely important. There is one full hour for reading workshop and

another for writing. Students have different reading levels and books for them to work with have

to be at their level. In 2nd grade writing (7 year old kids), children learn how to write narrative,

persuasive and expository essays (very different from Spain!)

Americans work a lot. Don’t be surprised to see workmates going to school on the weekends or

volunteering to do things for the school. You are to some extent obliged to do it sometimes but do

not take it as something you must always do. Your personal life is also important. Do the extra

work now and then, because they like to see that you are engaged in the school affairs.

Can I stay longer than 3 years?

Yes, you can. After your 3 year visiting program, you may be offered a tenured position by the school and

you would be able to apply for a longer visa without the sponsorship of the MEC. This means that you will

exit the program to be a regular employee. Schools are in need of us, so many schools will consider hiring

you for more than 3 years.

It is a good option to pursue a teaching career here in the US. Each year of experience (whether here or

from your previous experience in Spain) counts in order to help you move up the salary scale. With our

degree and one year of experience you get about $42,000 a year before tax.

Economic recession

Note that there is economic recession in the US, like everywhere else, and some districts that participated in

the program last year to recruit Spanish teachers, are not doing so for the coming year. So there might be

fewer positions available this year. My distict, like many around the area, did not go to Spain to recruit this

year 2010-11 because of the bad economy. All the regular teachers (not bilingual) of three years of

experience or less have been laid off. I have two years of experience here only but the fact that I am

bilingual has helped me keep my job. Other districts have adopted more severe measures and are laying

off also bilingual teachers. As you well know the situation in Spain is no better and this means that more

people are trying to apply for different grants and programs to get out of Spain. This has happened with the

Profesores Visitantes Program this year. The number of candidates has tripled and the number of vacancies

has been reduced to a third. So there has been fierce competition among candidates. Since most of the

vacancies are for elementary education districts are now giving preference to those candidates that hold a

Magisterio degree. I had to take a test to become “highly qualified” for elementary education this year since

I am qualified in Secondary Education not Elementary. There have been some problems with our Spanish

degree this year so be prepared to take some tests while you are here and want to stay longer than a year.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 41

The American Lifestyle

As I said before, Americans live for their jobs. In my school, most people tend to follow the same pattern.

They get married young: most of the girls in their mid twenties are already married or engaged. They are so

much in debt (mortgages and loans) that they are in need of working a lot in order to get money. Some

teachers even have two jobs. But don’t worry: I can assure you that you will have enough to live on your

salary and be able to travel quite a lot.

I live in Elgin, which is 45-minutes ride from Chicago. The suburbs are quite boring, and there is not much

to do. You can always go to Chicago the weekends, though. There are always things going on there. The

city offers a wide range of museums, concerts, cinemas, parks, art exhibits and so on.

Unless you live in a big city, you will certainly need a car. I have not driven more in my life as I’m doing

now. The bad news is that you get less exercise and you might put some weight on! There are gyms open

24 hours, so there’s no excuse!

My first year experience

My first year was hard but it got better over time. I teach bilingual 2nd grade. My kids are mostly American-

born but from Mexican parents with a low socioeconomic status. My students are very low and I have

struggled a lot with them. I have kids with learning problems and for your first year of teaching, it is a bit

too much. Luckily, two months ago I got an assistant to help me with these kids, and since then I have been

less stressed out. Mexican parents work a lot in this country and can hardly take care of their children

properly. This is shown in their kids’ performance in school. However, both Mexican parents and students

have a lot respect for their teacher and this makes everything easier.

Everyone agrees that the first year is the worst. Everything has to be done from the scratch, you don’t have

materials, you don’t know the curriculum, you are not familiar with the system, and so on. The second year

is relatively easier and I can already see, although the year has not finished yet, that next year will be much

easier, so I’m thinking of staying another year. There are many reasons why I want to stay here.

The US is great for travelling; you can get cheap national flights as well as international flights to

Central and South America.

You earn enough money to live well and travel, something you would not dream of in Spain.

You learn new methodologies and strategies that you can apply to your future teaching in Spain or

anywhere you go.

You can save some money.

You get to know a new country.

Working with children is very rewarding. They cheer your up when you feel down. On other

occasions, you would kill them (just kidding!).

My second year experience

Your second year experience will be much easier. All the materials are already done, you know the system,

the curriculum etc. It is definitely worth the first year’s suffering and work. I had a huge class this year (29

students) and it seems that the ratio in the classes is going to increase for next year because of the budget

cuts that the educational system has suffered. They are talking about classes of 35 students or so. One of the

things that caught us Spaniards off guard was the sudden problem with our certification from Spain that

was supposed to be valid for the three years of the Profesores Visitantes Program. I and many other

Spaniards who were teaching Elementary but did not hold an Elementary teaching degree were required to

take a test to become highly qualified. The test is called Basic Skills which is not difficult but very long. It

has Reading, Grammar, Math and Writing and you need to pass all parts with a grade of 240 out of 300. I

passed it but if I wanted to stay longer then I’d have to start thinking about taking other tests next year, not

to mention the paperwork for getting the next visa H1B. Now I’m starting to believe people that have been

here a long time when warned me not to get too comfortable here because it is easy to get used to the life

here. Good job, good salary, prospects of jumping the salary scale etc. It is definitely a good experience

that I would recommend to everyone.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 42

4. Fulbright lectores de español en universidades de

EEUU www.fulbright.es/programas/programa-espanol/lectores-de-espanol/2012-2013

The selection process is competitive. Former students who have been awarded this grant: Tanit Carré

(07-08), Auba Llompart (08-09), Alba Adell (12-13).

a) Dotació de la beca: 4.000 US$ en concepte de despeses generals i de viatge. Les universitats

contribueixen amb un quantitat que pot variar entre 250 i 500 dòlars mensuals. Amés, les

universitats també proporcionen allotjament i manutenció en el propi campus, i finalment hi ha

l’assegurança mèdic i d’accident.

b) Duració de la beca: 1 curs acadèmic. No es pot renovar.

c) Procés de selecció: El Comitè de Selecció estarà format per representats de les delegacions

espanyola i nord-americana de la Comissió Fulbright. Els sol·licitants que hagin obtingut una nota

favorable en la avaluació i passat el procés de selecció, seran convocats amb suficient antelació

per a realitzar les proves d’anglès i l’entrevista personal a Madrid.

d) Informació: www.fulbright.es o al Servei d’Informació Acadèmica de la Comissió

E-mail: [email protected] Tels.: 91 702 70 00/ 91 319 11 26

On being a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Comments by Tanit Carré Cardona

Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania (2007-2008)

La experiencia como lectora fue muy buena. En el ámbito personal la experiencia está siendo

relevante. Primero, debo decir que tuve mucha suerte con mis compañeras de casa, otras lectoras, que

hicieron que la convivencia fuera muy agradable. A parte de esto, el contacto con la sociedad

americana fue muy gratificante. Pude llegar a conocer a la gente, adentrarme y adaptarme a su cultura

y apreciarla en muchos aspectos. Algunos profesores del campus nos han ofrecido su ayuda y

hospitalidad. Por ejemplo, el primer mes estuvimos yendo a la iglesia cada domingo con una pareja

que son profesores en la universidad. Fue una experiencia inolvidable.

Como profesora el hecho de enfrentarme con un grupo grande (25 alumnos) fue todo un reto. Al

mismo tiempo hay que considerar que la asignatura era obligatoria, por lo tanto, no todos los

estudiantes estaban motivados. Con la ayuda de la lectora argentina, podimos superar la mayoría de las

situaciones referentes a la clase. Ambas habíamos asistido previamente a clases de metodología y

también teníamos bastante experiencia. Por lo tanto, preparar las clases juntas fue bastante ameno.

Tuvimos que preparar material de todo tipo para hacer las clases lo mas dinámicas y comunicativas

posibles. Ejemplos de ello han sido la utilización de presentaciones Power Point, clases de baile,

anuncios y telenovelas encontradas en YouTube, role plays, juegos de competición como el dictado en

carrera o gymcanas. La verdad es que nos lo solemos pasar bastante bien tanto preparando como

dando la clase, aunque la preparación lleva su tiempo.

Mis responsabilidades como lectora eran varias. Como especificaban en mi Terms of Agreement, en

el primer semestre di una clase de nivel 103, estudiantes que habían tenido algunos estudios básicos de

español en el instituto. Además, con Romina dábamos la parte de conversación de una clase de nivel

300. Eran 6 grupos de 4 alumnos y la clase era de media hora. En ella analizábamos la película que

veían en clase, organizábamos debates o otros juegos. Por otra parte, a nivel más informal, cada jueves

participábamos en las Language Tables, donde a la hora de comer los estudiantes de todos los niveles

podían reunirse con nosotras y comer mientras hablábamos con ellos en español.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 43

También Romina y yo decidimos participar en las actividades organizadas por el club HOLA

(Hispanic Organization for Latino Awareness), como el Latino Symposium, Pre-Gala Dinner,

International Food Night, Gala Dance, etc. En estas actividades solíamos ayudar en la preparación de

comidas, decoración, recepción de conferenciantes y venta de libros de éstos. Para terminar, este

semestre conseguimos organizar una cena del departamento que nos gustaría se implantara como una

tradición de cara al futuro para poder encontrarnos en un ambiente informal y sin prisas. La verdad es

que salió muy bien y algunos profesores ya se han animado a hacer una el próximo semestre.

Fuera de lo estrictamente acordado en el contrato, colaboré en diseñar y dar un curso sobre España

junto con una profesora del departamento, ocupándome de un bloque dedicado a las zonas de habla

catalana (Valencia, Cataluña y Baleares) y preparando actividades sobre la historia y cultura de estas

zonas. A lo largo de este curso también veremos la situación del estrecho de Gibraltar, el País Vasco y

Galicia.

Por lo que respecta a las asignaturas, hice Metodología y American Literature and Culture. La

asignatura de metodología fue un requerimiento de la jefa de departamento y coordinadora. Solo

éramos las tres lectoras como alumnas y la clase se basaba en leer un libro sobre la aplicación del

método comunicativo en clase y comentarlo. Algunas veces aprovechábamos la hora para hablar de

nuestras clases, ya que nos fuimos turnando para observarnos mutuamente y llevar a cabo el feedback

pertinente. Este curso no fue nada nuevo para mí, las ideas del libro ya las había estudiando

previamente y también había hecho observaciones y feedback. Sin embargo, la segunda, fue realmente

muy instructiva. Las clases no se basaban solo en ver películas, sino que analizamos la sociedad

americana desde el punto de vista de las minorías o grupos sujetos a discriminación (African-

Americans, homosexuales, mujeres, latinos, asiáticos, etc.). Discutimos de muchas maneras diferentes

temas sobre la raza, los prejuicios, los abusos, etc.

Comments by Auba Llompart

Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon (2008-2009)

I have been in Oregon, in the United States, for two months now and this is one of the most interesting

experiences I have ever had! I am working at Pacific University of Oregon as a Teaching Assistant,

and my job here is not only to teach the Spanish language to American students but also to teach them

some cultural aspects of Spain. I am in charge of two language laboratories, in which students have to

put into practice what they learn in their Spanish class; two language tables, which are for students to

improve their speaking skills; and, once a week, I have to prepare a cultural evening. For example, I

can show movies or teach them how to cook some Spanish traditional dish. Moreover, I am also

auditing some courses, which makes my stay here a good studying experience too, and complements

what I learnt at the UAB.

I am living on campus and it is very interesting for me to see how different it is from the UAB.

Students are very active and they are always organizing activities, parties, and all kinds of events on

campus, which is a bit surprising and it seemed rather childish to me at first, but I am getting used to it

now and it is actually a lot of fun. Another thing which I like about this program is that we have to

attend workshops in other parts of the US, which is a great opportunity for travelling and meeting

other Teaching Assistants from many different parts of the world. Before going to Oregon I went to

Indiana for a pre-orientation week, and in December we are going to Washington D.C.!

I strongly recommend this experience to anyone! Don’t be afraid to go abroad! Integration is much

easier than it seems. In my case, I have not felt lonely or homesick at all during these first two months.

Right from the very first day, people were extremely friendly and helpful. Of course I have had some

culture shock! But it is also interesting and enriching to see things you do not fully agree with, and

which are different from those in your home country. I really think that more Europeans should go to

the United States (and vice versa!).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 44

5. Lectors i lectores de Català www.llull.cat/_cat/_convocatories/lectors.shtml?seccio=tramits&subseccio=lector)

Requisits a) Ser ciutadans comunitaris.

b) Estar en possessió del títol de llicenciatura (preferentment en Filologia Catalana).

c) Estar en possessió del Certificat de nivell superior de català o equivalent, per al supòsit en què la

persona aspirant no sigui llicenciada en Filologia Catalana.

d) Acreditar coneixements de l’idioma oficial del país de destinació (anglès, francès, alemany o italià).

Sol·licituds

Les sol·licituds formalitzades d’acord amb el model d’instància que consta a l’annex 4 d’aquesta

convocatòria s’hauran d’adreçar al/a la director/a de l’Institut Ramon Llull mitjançant la seva

presentació al Registre de l’Institut Ramon Llull (Diputació 279, baixos, 08007 Barcelona).

Els impresos de sol·licitud normalitzats es podran obtenir a l’Institut Ramon Llull o a través del web

de l’Institut –www.llull.com–.

Sites: Universitat de Massachussets (US), Universitat de Georgetown (US), Universitat de Provença

(França), Universitat de Paris 8, Universitat de Tolosa (França), Universitat de Széged (Hongria),

Universitat de Trento, Universitat de Venècia, Universitat de Bristol, Universitat de Cardiff,

Universitat de Durham, Universitat de Newcastle.

Most sites have different specific preferences, such as doctoral studies or a knowledge of Catalan

literature.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 45

Teaching grant application calendar

If you are interested in any of these grants, it is important to keep checking the appropriate website

every day about a month before the application period opened in previous years, because as you can

see below, with the exception of the Fulbright grant, the application period varies considerably

from one year to the next.

Grant

Requirements for

2011-

12

for

2012-

13

for

2013-

14

MEC Auxiliares de conversación de lengua española http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/catalogo-servicios/profesores/convocatorias/espanoles/exterior/auxiliares-conversacion.html

Be in the last year of your Degree or have a Llicenciatura in English, Spanish, or a Degree in Translation.

USA and Canada: only with

a Llicenciatura.

9 Dec 2010 – 3 Jan 2011

22 Dec 2011 – 10 Jan 2012

15 Dec 2012 – 17 Jan 2013

MEC Profesores visitantes en centros escolares, EEUU y Canadá http://www.mecd.gob.es/servicios-al-ciudadano-mecd/catalogo-servicios/profesores/convocatorias/espanoles/exterior/visitantes-EEUU-canada.html

Substantial teaching

experience

Spanish nationality

Excellent command of

English

Degree (preferably Spanish or English) and CAP, or Degree of “mestre educació primària” (specialized in English)

9 Dec 2010 – 27 Dec 2010

23 Dec 2011 – 29 Dec 2011

20 Dec 2012 – 22 Jan 2013

Fulbright lectores de español de español en universidades de EEUU http://www.fulbright.es/convocatorias/ver/1404/lectores-de-espanol/2014-2015

Spanish nationality

Degree in English or Spanish

TOEFL (550)

Language teaching

experience

12 April 2011 – 17 May 2011 (for 2012-2013)

22 March 2012 – 26 April 2012 For 2013-2014

29 May 2013 – 29 June 2013 For 2014-2015

Lectors i lectores de

català www.llull.cat

EU citizen

University degree

(preferably Catalan Phil.)

Nivell superior en català

19 May 2011 – 3 June 2011

15 May 2012 – 30 May 2012

2 May 2013 – 15 May 2013

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 46

Working abroad 1. Looking on the internet for jobs abroad Mònica Salvador, Adela Mena & Esther Piqué

United Kingdom

www.hotrecruit.co.uk (temporary jobs)

jobsearch.monster.co.uk

www.jobserve.com

www.workthing.com

www.anyworkanywhere.com (summer jobs)

www.guardian.co.uk/jobs (The Guardian)

www.telegraph.co.uk (The Daily Telegraph)

www.independent.co.uk (The Independent)

www.tes.co.uk (published every Friday, includes advertisements for teaching posts)

For jobs where Spanish is required or desirable, type “Spanish” in the space for keywords.

Ireland www.fas.ie (official website)

www.nixers.com

www.irelandjobs.ie

www.irishjobs.ie

Germany www.monster.de

www.jobs.de

www.jobpilot.de

www.jobsuche.de

www.jobware.de

www.jobcafe.de

www.jobrobot.de

www.germanien.net

For writing a CV:

www.mmcberatung-heikomell.de

www.focus.msn.de/jobs

Also visit the websites of the cities or universities in Germany where you would like to go.

Sites that Elena Diez and Núria Curto found useful for finding work abroad:

http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu

http://ec.europa.eu/eures/main.jsp?acro=job&lang=en&catId=7576&parentCategory=7576

www.jobsuche-regional.de

www.jobworld.de

www.bremen.de (for jobs in the city of Bremen)

www.sueddeutsche.com (Sueddeutsche Zeitung—jobs in southern Germany)

www.rheinmainclick.de (jobs in the Main/Rhein areas)

www.mvweb.de (jobs in northeastern Germany)

www.praktika.de (internships)

www.randstad.de (temporary employment agency)

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 47

2. Finding housing and work in the UK Carme Valls & Anabel Arcos

Where to go?

If you are planning to go to Britain for a year or longer to get a job, I would recommend that you go to

big cities or towns that have a university, such as London, Edinburgh or Dublin, to name just the

typical ones.

ADVANTAGES

more job offers of different sorts (as an administrative assistant, a teacher, a waiter, a barman,

a sales advisor, secretary, etc.).

more chances to meet people from different parts of the world.

more possibilities of continuing with your education by enrolling in part-time or evening

courses and meeting other students.

lots of cultural events going on regularly.

DISADVANTAGES

lots of foreigners who are also looking for a temporary or permanent jobs (Spaniards are to be

found everywhere), which means that there is considerable competition to find a job,

especially in the peak seasons such as summer or Easter.

How to find accommodation?

There are basically two ways to find a room or flat to rent: 1) search on the net or 2) go to cafeterias or

university buildings where there are usually lots of ads from both students and professionals. It is

almost guaranteed that within the first week you will find a room to rent.

Two good free web pages where you can find lots of ads in different cities of the UK are:

www.gumtree.co.uk (I really like this one)

www.clickflatshare.co.uk

www.easyroommate.com

Points to bear in mind:

The UK is quite expensive in terms of room and flat rentals. In Edinburgh, for example, a

room can cost you from £300 to £370 a month, without including the bills and Council Tax.

For most flats, you do not sign a contract; everything is just a verbal agreement.

You will usually have to pay a deposit (one month’s rent) and the first month’s rent at the

same time. Therefore, be prepared to pay around £600 or more at once!

In Edinburgh, you can basically find three different types of rooms to rent; I would guess in

the rest of the UK the situation is more or less the same. The first one is to live with your

landlord and his/her family or partner, the second one is to live with students and the third one

is to live with professionals. Some student flats do not want a professional as a flatmate

because of Council Tax reasons (students do not pay CT), but it depends.

Whatever choice you make, I would recommend renting a room in a flat that has a living room

or some sort of place in common where you can socialise with your flatmates. I found that in

Edinburgh there were several flats that did not have a sitting room or a big kitchen in common

where you can meet your flatmates and speak to them, which I found a bit depressing.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 48

About living in London (by Gemma Serra):

Good places to find flats: www.moveflat.co.uk & www.gumtree.co.uk

You need something like 4 or 5 weeks rent as a deposit for normal flatshares and then the

first month of rent. So you need around £800 to £1000 up front. However, prices depend a

lot on the area, number of people in the house and size of the room.

Average price of a room for a month can go from £300 to £500 plus bills.

Besides normal water bills (£400 a year to share), gas & electricity bills (around £300 a

year to share), all UK residents have to pay council tax, which varies depending on the

council area you live in and the size of your house. Because I live in Richmond, which is

rather expensive (but the location & quality of life is great) we pay £200 among three people.

However, when I used to live in Tooting, we paid £70/month among 4 or 5 of us.

A TV licence costs £130 a year and then you need to add cable or satellite fees if you

want to see a decent number of channels!

How to find a job?

There are different ways to find a job.

Web pages: there are hundreds of web pages where you can register your CV and look for

vacancies in the UK and apply directly to them, but the best are www.tes.co.uk,

www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk, www.reed.co.uk, www.eurolondon.com, www.alsit.com,

www.jobsite.com or www.gumtree.com. You can look for jobs by language, industry/sector

and location. Once you have uploaded your CV on one of those websites, many other job

agencies contact you offering jobs.

Recruitment agencies such as Kelly Services, Select Appointments, Addecco or Quantum (to

name just a few). It is a good idea to do a recruitment agencies “tour” and hand in your CV and

ask for the type of vacancies they have alive at the moment. The good thing about them is that

once they have found you a job (probably temporary for 1 to 3 months), they try hard to find

you another one (temporary as well) if you have proved to be a good employee. The bad point

is that you never have a stable job. But this means you may end up with experience in different

sectors and learn new things from the different jobs!

At least in Edinburgh, the Council (city government) had lots of job vacancies for learning

assistants in primary or secondary schools, library assistants, or administrative assistants,

among other things. Have a look at the following web page

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/CEC/Jobs/Jobs_List.jsp I applied for lots of positions as a learning

and teaching assistant and was called for an interview only once and was not successful.

However, I do think foreigners with a good command of English and some teaching experience

have a good chance of getting a job from the Council of Edinburgh.

Finally, the other option is to hand in your CV at shops, restaurants, language schools, pubs,

etc. This was actually the first thing I did once I arrived in Edinburgh and, believe or not, I was

never contacted! I think it was partly because of the large number of people looking for a job in

September here in Edinburgh. But no one even called me for a possible interview! However, I

know of some people who were indeed contacted and got a job through this approach.

If you happen to find a job this last way, make sure that you get a contract and all the paperwork

sorted out within the first 2 weeks. I know of some people who were cheated and only paid after

having quit the job.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 49

Before going back to Spain

With your first paycheck, you will see that your salary is much lower than you expected. Taxes in the

UK are quite high, about 20% of your gross salary and National Insurance can be between 8 -11%.

However, depending on how much you have earned, you can reclaim part of your tax money once you

are about to leave the country. You need to go to the Inland Revenue office and fill in an application

form. You can either have this money sent to you in your home in Spain (by cheque) or have it paid

into a UK account. This process is quite slow and will probably take a long time but you can be sure

that in the end you will have your tax money back. So you could say it is a method of saving!

3. Teaching in the UK Míriam Rodríguez & Silvia Imbernón

If you want to be a teacher in the UK, you will need to obtain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). This is

required to work as a teacher in both Primary and Secondary schools — though you may be able to

work in Independent Schools or as an assistant teacher.

Before 31 March 2012, the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) was the governing body

issuing QTS certificates. However, from 1 April 2012, the Teaching Agency, a new executive agency

of the Department for Education (DfE), will be the body responsible for awarding the QTS (Qualified

Teacher Status).

More information about this to be found at

www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/traininganddevelopment/qts/b00204081/award-of-qts/training

Please note the GTCE Teacher Enquiry Service has now closed. If you have a query or need

information or guidance about the award of QTS or a query regarding your own QTS, please contact:

Teaching Agency

Department for Education

53-55 Butts Road

Earlsdon Park

Coventry

CV1 3BH

UK

To get an idea of what MIGHT be required, the following documents were previously needed when

applying for the QTS through the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE):

1. Application Form (to be found on the webpage)

2. Proof of nationality (e.g. photocopy of your passport)

3. Photocopy of your teacher training qualification certificate (i.e. CAP)

4. Certified translation of the teacher training qualification certificate (i.e. CAP)

5. Photocopy of your degree certificate.

6. Certified translation of your degree certificate.

You can translate the documents yourself and then find a former UAB teacher to add an authentication

statement and Departmental stamp. (Michael has sample translations that you can modify to suit your

own data.)

You will probably also need to get your Certificat d’Antecedents Penals since this is extremely

important to work with children. You can download this document, called Formulari 790, from the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 50

Ministeri de Justícia website. Then take it with you to the Ministeri de Justicia in Barcelona. Be aware

that the payment has to be done beforehand. Visit the website or call 012 for detailed information.

Then you will also have to make sure your document is “apostillado” which is basically an official

stamp they put on the back side of your Certificat d’Antecedents Penals. They usually do it in the

Ministeri de Justicia, but ask anyways once you are there just in case you have to go to the Palau de

Justicia to get it, as it used to be.

IMPORTANT: Please note that the documents listed above are only an indication of what could be

requested. For a list of the correct documents make sure you contact the teaching agency to have

them ready BEFORE coming to the UK.

By doing all this before coming to the UK, you will make your life easier from the beginning, since

the whole “finding a job” procedure will be faster.

Here is a list of just a few of the many agencies that find work for supply teachers. Most of them will

be more than happy to have an interview with you if you say that you are waiting for your QTS and

confirm that you have your Penals.

www.twrecruitment.com

www.randstadeducation.co.uk

[email protected]

www.limetreeproducts.com

www.classroomteachers.co.uk

www.dream-education.co.uk

www.gsleducation.com

www.teachuk.co.uk

www.soloeducation.com

www.msmjobs.co.uk

There are other web pages where you can look for jobs offered directly by schools. Here are some of

them: www.tes.co.uk (I really recommend this one)

www.tda.gov.uk/Home/Recruit/becomingateacher/lookingforajob/leavacancies.aspx?loc=london

www.teachernet.gov.uk

www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachinginengland/index.cfm

With websites, just select what kind of job you are looking for and the areas you are willing to work.

They show you the vacancies as well as what you need to do to apply for the jobs.

If you want to work as a Spanish teacher, doing the course in the International House is going to be

very helpful, not only because it is a good course but also because it is has a good reputation in

language schools here.

Also, start studying French intensively. In England, they have one teacher for Modern Foreign

Languages, so if you only know Spanish it will be quite difficult to find a job. It is necessary to have a

second language, preferably French or also German.

And if you want to start working in September, consider sending your CV and application forms the

previous February or March.

www.itnteachers.com

www.kellyeducation.co.uk

www.keystone-jobs.co.uk

www.markeducation.co.uk

www.masterlock.co.uk

www.soseducation.co.uk

www.roc-education.co.uk

www.quaygroup.uk.com

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 51

4. Working as a supply teacher Anabel Arcos

There are advantages of working as a supply teacher, such as flexibility (you chose which days you

want to work), the different range of students you get to teach, experience and the many things you get

to learn from the schools, staff, students, etc. But there are also disadvantages like the uncertainty of

not knowing how many days you are going to be teaching a week or how much income you'll have in

your bank account at the end of the month. Also, there are very busy periods like, for example, during

OFSTED inspections because all teachers are busy getting ready for the inspections, and very

quite months, such as January and the weeks before and after the midterm holidays since all teachers

make sure they don’t miss a day of work. My advice is to keep your options open and take anything

the agency offers you at the beginning. This may mean a lot of travelling but even UK qualified

teachers encounter on overage 9 to 12 months of supply work before finding a permanent job. So, try

not to be disappointed if you find yourselves doing temporary work for a long period. This might be

inconvenient but in the long run it’s what will give you the widest experience of UK teaching, since

you are going to be teaching in every environment, to all ages.

I’m registered with 9 different agencies but it has only been Tradewind Recruitment and Randstad

Education that have been giving me the most work. When you register with an agency, they usually

ask you to bring the following documents:

1. Passport or ID

2. Valid Visa (if required)

3. Overseas Police Check (Certificat d’Antecedents Penals) from every country you’ve lived in for

more than 6 months.

4. Enhanced CRB Check (most recent): You must get one in order to be able to work at schools. The

first Agency you apply with will help you to get it. It is the same as an Overseas Police Check but

within the UK. You sometimes need to show it at schools when you work there for the first time.

5. Proof of Address: They usually ask for 2 proofs of address such as a utility bill (gas, electric,

water), bank statement, telephone bill, etc. They must be issued within 3 months.

6. Original or Certified copies of ALL Qualifications (Degree/ Certificate/ QTS): Make sure your

certificates are translated. If you are ever asked, be aware that a “Llicenciatura en Filologia

Anglesa” is compared to a British Bachelors (Honours) Degree in English. This is very important

to know since they will propably ask you what the equivalent tittle of your degree in the UK is.

7. References: You will need to provide the contact details of your last two places of work to get

references from your previous employers. This is standard practice in the UK and essential to start

working.

The sooner you have all the documents above sorted out, the sooner you will be able to start working.

Primary and Secondary Teaching You may find yourself teaching in both Primary and Secondary Schools, even if you are only trained

in one of the two. You may be lucky and find that the agencies offer you work in Secondary schools

from the beginning; just tell them that you are available to teach in both Primary and Secondary

schools, but make sure you let them know which your priority is. However if you find yourself out of

work for a long period, keep your options open. If you are offered Primary work, bear in mind that you

will need to teach from Literacy to Maths, Science to PE, but you don’t necessarily have to refuse it.

You might not feel confident doing this, especially for those who are Secondary trained, but you

should be able to adapt yourself appropriately and the more you do, the more your confidence will

grow. This will also benefit you as a supply teacher as the Agency will recognise that you can do more

work and may well contact you more often because of it.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 52

Remuneration If you are working in and around London as a supply teacher for an agency you will find yourself

earning around £120 to £150 (gross) per day. It is likely that you start by earning £120, which after

taxes and National Insurance leaves you with approximately £100, depending on the agency you are

working for and the payment method they use. Some agencies use a payroll contractor that helps to

reduce the amount of tax you pay on your income. Depending on how much you earn during your time

in the UK you might be able to claim taxes back. I would recommend you to visit the following

website before coming to the UK:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/index.htm

This is a great website for details about information on taxes and income. It also tells you about how to

claim any taxes back if you are eligible among many other useful topics such as housing and

employment.

One main thing to bear in mind as a Supply Teacher: it is unpredictable. You can’t always be sure that

you will get work and is therefore not the most suitable way to sustain your daily life. It’s definitely a

good idea to have some savings before you decide to move to the UK, just in case there are quiet

periods and work is scarce. If you are fortunate enough to receive regular work then generally, in and

around London, by working 3 days a week as a teacher for an agency, you will be able to live

comfortably, paying all your bills, rent and food. If you want to really enjoy yourself, just make sure

you work a 4th or even 5th day every week!

5. Becoming qualified if you don’t have the CAP Ibana Larrubia & Raül Jiménez

Hay dos opciones: en ambas es importante dominar dos lenguas extranjeras, no sólo el español.

Hacer un PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) This is a prestigious teaching qualification in England and it enables you to teach in English

secondary schools. It is a 10 month-course roughly. I began in late August 2009 and finished in mid

June 2010.

There are lots of universities that offer the PGCE and there are PGCEs for all subject areas. Our

area is MFL (Modern Foreign Languages). I did my PGCE with the University of Cumbria which has

a partnership with Universitat de Barcelona. Every year the University of Cumbria PGCE leaders

come to Barcelona and interview the candidates. As far as I am know they don’t have a fixed number

of candidates to choose from so you may be selected if you meet the requirements they are seeking.

Which requirements do you have to meet? As you will be doing a PGCE in languages they wish

you are able to offer at least two main languages. The three main languages in secondary schools in

England are French, Spanish and German. The current situation is that German is losing ground—

many schools that in the past offered German have changed to Spanish. However, French remains in

first position. So work on your French because if you can offer Spanish and French (even at a basic

level) you will be fine in the selection process. You will have more chances to be hired if you can

teach two languages. In England they are looking for a languages teacher rather than a Spanish

teacher, a French teacher or a German teacher.

The PGCE will provide you with a greater perspective of the English educational system. You’ll

be doing your teaching practice in two schools over the year. You will get to know how schools are

organised and what the teachers’ responsibilities are beyond the classroom. Teaching is quite a

demanding profession in England. All PGCE students receive a bursary. Your university will give you

further details on this.

Websites of interest:

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 53

- tda.gov.uk

- http://www.cumbria.ac.uk/home.aspx (University of Cumbria webpage)

- Universitat de Barcelona, Department de Filologia Hispánica

[N.B. Silvia Moreno obtained her PCGE through the University of Chester.]

Hacer un GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme) Es un año de prácticas remuneradas en un colegio. Se combinan las clases en el colegio de

lunes a jueves con las clases en la universidad los viernes. El estudiante tiene un mentor en la

universidad y otro mentor en el colegio. El GTP requiere dedicación absoluta por lo que se

recomienda no tener otro trabajo. El sueldo es de unos £14.000 al año dependiendo de las

responsabilidades, experiencia y ubicación de la escuela. Y también hay distintas formas de

financiación del GTP. Para más información sobre ayudas, consultar: www.studentsupport.co.uk

En el colegio, el estudiante empieza haciendo observaciones, luego colaboraciones y finalmente

está a cargo de lecciones enteras. Al principio suelen ser 4 lecciones a la semana y al final pueden ser

10 lecciones semanales o más. Al final del año se adquiere NQT (New Qualified Teacher) estatus por

el cual el estudiante está habilitado para enseñar.

Para hacer el GTP se puede responder a un anuncio para el GTP programme (en periódicos o webs de

trabajo) o hacer la petición directamente a un proveedor de GTP como por ejemplo CILT.

Para información general sobre GTP, consultar:

www.tda.gov.uk/Recruit/thetrainingprocess/typesofcourse/gtp.aspx

CILT/ British Council GTP Es un curso de GTP especial que organiza CILT en colaboración con British Council.

No hay limite de edad

Hay un curso introductorio de 2 semanas en julio.

Un año de prácticas en un colegio

14 sesiones en CILT los viernes.

Sueldo de £14.000 (profesor sin cualificar)

Consultar : www.britishcouncil.org/learning-graduate-teacher-programme

www.cilt.org.uk/training

Plazo de solicitud: 31 de marzo

Entrevista con CILT en mayo

Entrevista con los colegios en junio (en principio CILT recluta colegios y los colegios eligen

al estudiante. Si el estudiante quiere hacer prácticas en el colegio donde ya está trabajando,

debe hacer la petición al jefe de estudios de lenguas modernas y el colegio debe ponerse en

contacto con CILT.)

CILT, the Nacional Centre for Languages

20 Bedfordbury, London WC2N 4LB

Telf. 020 7379 5101

e-mail:[email protected]

website: www.cilt.org.uk

For advice on the CILT/British Council GTP, the number is 020 7379 5101 ext.261. E-mail:

[email protected]

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 54

Other addresses of interest

TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools)

Teaching info line: 0845 600 0991

E-mail:[email protected]

Website: www.tda.gov.uk

The TDA is the government agency for information about teaching in the UK. The Teaching

Information Line is a useful source of information and advice on all matters related to Initial Teacher

Education.

Graduate Teacher Training Registry (GTTR)

Rosehill, New Barn Lane,

Cheltenham, GL52 3LZ

Tel: 0870 112 2205

Website: www.gttr.ac.uk

The GTTR handles applications to PGCE and some SCITT courses in England and Wales, and

produces a handbook to assist with selection.

British Council

World Links and Partnerships

Education and Training Group

British Council

10 Sping Gardens, London SW1A 2BN

Tel 020 7389 4447

e-mail: teachers. programmes@ britishcouncil.org

website:www. Britishcouncil.org/ learning-graduate-teacher-programme.htm

The British council manages Foreign Language Assistants’ Programme and handles applications for

CILT / British Council GTP scheme for native speakers of French, German and Spanish.

Alba Miquel adds:

A couple of non-teaching related contacts which might be useful in London: ICIC London (Institut

Català d’Indústries Culturals) and Copca. Their aim is to advise Catalan companies, so they’re not

going to get anyone a job, but the people working there are really kind and they’ve given me some

helpful tips on getting information and contacts:

www.gencat.cat/cultura/icic/internacional

and www.copca.com

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 55

6. Finding summer work in a UK hotel Sabrina Ferré

Working in a hotel is sometimes hard but it is great! You meet a lot of people, you can work

as a waitress, receptionist or housekeeper, and the hotel provides food and accommodation.

www.anyworkanywhere.com is a website where you can find all kinds of work in many

different countries (and not just Europe), though most of its jobs are in the UK. The

advantage is that you apply for the job directly to the workplace rather than through an

agency or website. You can find the description of the job, how long you can work there,

and even how much you are going to be paid. Moreover, you can also see whether the

workplace provides accommodation or not. (This is very important.)

If you don’t want to apply for a job through this website, take note of all the places you

are interested in and email or phone them directly. The phone is always better but you

will need to email them your CV.

The second option is going to a travel agency which offers a program on ‘working

abroad’. This is the easiest because they will find you a job and accommodation for you.

But it has also its disadvantages. First of all, it will cost you about €600, and there is no

guarantee that if you pay they will find a job for you. Another disadvantage of travel

agencies is that in most of the cases you cannot choose the place you will work. One

travel agency that offers you this program is ASATEJ Barcelona at Rambles 140, 5º C.

There is one very important advantage in going to a travel agency like ASATEJ. A lot of

travel agencies work with the English company TWIN and they offer you a certificate

called ‘Work Travel Experience Certificate’ and it is an official Cambridge certificate

(like the First Certificate, Advanced, and Proficiency), which is good for your CV.

However, if a hotel is satisfied with your work, it will give you a reference, and references

are as important as any certificate if you want to get a job abroad again the following

summer, for example. Getting a second hotel job will be easier once you have a good

reference.

The third option is to simply surf the Internet, choose a geographic area you like, search

for hotels located there and email all of them asking if they need more staff. You will

almost certainly get an answer from some of them.

It is important to start looking online in March. This is when most hotels are hiring for

the summer.

It is a good idea to apply to many places simultaneously. Then if several of them offer a

position, choose the one that offers the best job.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 56

7. Living and working in China Alba Avellaneda Canals & José Manuel Cabello Cotán

China has been growing very fast over the last decades, and since the Olympic games in 2008, China

has a lot of job opportunities for foreigners who want to go there and teach foreign languages,

especially English. In the biggest cities, there are plenty of English schools that offer jobs teaching

English to small groups of kids or families that want private classes for their children. However, most

of the time they want native English speakers. For non-native speakers two things can happen: one is

that they pay you less money than they would pay a native speaker (usually 11 - 16€ per hour); or,

they wait to find a native speaker first, but if they can’t, then they hire. Nonetheless, this tendency to

prefer native English speakers will depend on the location. That is, in big cities such as Beijing or

Shanghai, which are quite cosmopolitan and therefore have a large number of foreign residents, they

will have little trouble finding native English teachers. But China is huge and there are many

“unknown” places where there are no foreigners at all. So in such places non-natives can work as an

English teacher even without a proper degree and if their English is not that good. Sometimes schools

just want their teachers to have a “Western face”. And I am not talking about schools or language

academies, but also about bigger institutions such as colleges or universities.

In terms of teaching Spanish as a foreign language, opportunities are more limited for the moment.

However, the number of people who want to learn Spanish right now is growing. There are more and

more universities offering Spanish language courses and opening Spanish Departments. At the

moment, you do not need to have a PhD to become a university Spanish teacher in most places in

China, because China lacks Spanish native teachers so the required qualifications for the teachers are

not high. A master’s degree is enough and, in some cases, even just a university degree will suffice.

Spanish is an attractive language for China for several reasons, one of them (apart from the fact that it

is one of the most spoken languages in the world) being the fact that China is trading more and more

with Latin America. At the university I was working last year [José Manuel writes] the number of

students of English, Japanese, Korean and Spanish was increasing very quickly, while interest in

German, French and Russian was decreasing. Many of my students left the university before they

finished the degree because they were already offered jobs in companies where Spanish was required

(most of these companies are in Guangdong province, Southeastern China, famous for trading). This

will give you an idea of how important Spanish is becoming in China.

There are also some job offers to act as extras in films. Also, if you are a woman, you may be able to

get work as a hostess at conferences or public ceremonies. Foreigners attract Chinese people and they

give more prestige to the place. If you come here to work I suggest you check out these two websites:

www.aecid.es/web/es/becas and hispanismo.cervantes.es/empleos.asp.

Money: If you teach Spanish at a university, the avarage salary is between 4000 and

5000 yuans (which is more or less 410 - 510 euros) per month, but they will give you accommodation

and medical insurance and usually also pay for your flight from Spain to China. This may sound like a

low salary, but it is enough to live here. You may also be able to negotiate to earn more on the basis of

your experience or skills. Remember that the Chinese love to negotiate and bargain!

Cost of living: Life in China is very cheap. You can eat at a normal restaurant for 1.5€, so sometimes

it is cheaper to eat out than to cook for yourself. A night at a hostel can cost as little as 6€. (Hostels in

China are really good! The first time my friends told me to sleep in a hostel, I was a little bit afraid of

what I might find, but in fact it is often difficult to tell the difference between a normal hotel and a

hostel, which can sometimes offer better facilities despite being cheaper.) Public transportation costs

at most 0.22€. In addition, taxis are really cheap and you can find them everywhere. And clothes are

very cheap too if you know how to bargain: shoes (like Converse, Adidas or Nike) and designer

clothes for 10€. Nevertheless, although China in general is cheap, you have to be careful and know

where to go shopping. The stuff you find in little shops or street markets is cheap, but if you go to

normal supermarkets and shopping malls everything is more expensive and, depending on the product,

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 57

it can be as expensive as in Europe. You have to bear in mind that while “rich” people in China

constitute a relatively small minority, but that still means more than 200 million people, which is

enough to make such high prices possible for this country.

Housing: If you come on your own, the best thing you can do is first decide which area you want to

live, and then, try to go to every agency you find (usually they are all in the same street). At the

beginning they will probably show you flats that you would never think existed, but don’t panic!

Middle class or even prosperous families can also live there. Then, when you start explaining what

you really want, they find something suitable for you. For example, I’m sharing a duplex apartment

with 4 bedrooms, big living room, kitchen, bathroom, toilet, terrace for more or less 160€ per person. I

would love of an apartment like this in Barcelona with such a good price! Nevertheless, it is better to

have a Chinese friend who can help you to talk with the agency. There are some cities where you also

have to pay to the police extra for renting.

Language: If you thought that in Spain we are very bad at speaking foreign languages, you have to

come to China. Communication will be a big issue: very few people can speak English. In the biggest

cities such as Beijing or Shanghai you can find young people who can speak English, but if you go

somewhere else you can’t communicate with anyone if you don’t speak the language. Even in Hong

Kong it is not unusual to ask a question in English and receive no answer. In addition, do not expect to

have, for example, the menu in a restaurant or the stops of the buses in English. Instead, you will only

find Chinese characters (I repeat that in the big cities this is different, at least in the tourist and

centrally situated areas of the city). Of course, this situation is changing since the government has

realised how important English is for the development of the country and is starting to make important

efforts. So I would strongy recommend that you take a course in Chinese before or after you arrive. Do

not expect to speak it in a year, the main difficulty being pronunciation and the tones. During your first

year of Chinese lessons, you just get used to the tones and learn some basic communication skills. It is

actually during the second year that you more or less understand and speak the language.

However, many foreign teachers arrive in China without knowing a single word of Chinese, and they

still manage to learn it.

Safety: Believe it or not, China is a very safe country, especially for foreigners and especially in areas

where foreigners are uncommon. The Chinese are generally quiet and innocent people. What is more,

people usually treat you really kindly when they see you are a foreigner. It is relatively safe to walk

around late in the night alone almost anywhere. The government is very serious about this, so any sort

of aggression is severely punished here, especially if you are a foreigner (although—like anywhere—

even if they are foreigners women have to be more careful). In addition, you are unlikely to be cheated

over prices when shopping or taking taxis. You have to bear in mind that there are many places where

foreigners are rare, so they have not even thought about this idea of tricking tourists. Obviously, in the

cosmopolitan cities the situation is different and you have to be careful.

There is a blog for those who want to go and live in Asia, where you can ask for or find information of

all kinds (work, housing, etc.). It was very useful for us, especially before arriving and during the first

few days we were here: www.expat-blog.com/es/directorio/asia

Getting there: Flying to China is not as expensive as one might think. If you book the ticket in

advance you can find offers for 550€ to Beijing or Shanghai. Most of the largest companies fly to

China, but the cheapest one right now is Aeroflot (Russian airlines).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 58

8. Living and working in India Diana Hernández

How to get a job in India?

If you follow sites like todoele.net, you have access to publications of job offers for Spanish teachers

and other language-related jobs all over the world. I had been applying for jobs abroad as a Spanish

teacher for more than a year before an offer was published on January 2013 for New Delhi, specifying

an interest in Latin American teachers. I applied, I received a reply requesting an interview and I was

offered the position two weeks later. What helped me get the job? Previous experience teaching

Spanish (although my experience with groups was limited), a good command of English, and the fact

that I was one of the few Latin American applicants who covered the requirements.

Which jobs are best in India?

Employment visas for India normally require a minimum yearly salary of USD 25,000, with the

exception of “(a) Ethnic cooks, (b) Language teachers (other than English language teachers) /

translators and (c) Staff working for the concerned Embassy/High Commission in India.” Which

means language teachers and translators can expect to be paid Indian salaries. However, the amount

will depend on each school / company. Instituto Cervantes might be a better option than private

language institutes. Also, private schools offer a much better salary than Spanish institutes, about

50,000 rupees a month. Working for a company could also be a higher paying option, but the

conditions will vary greatly from one company to another.

Visa Requirements

You need to get an offer of employment to get an employment visa, the only way to work legally in

the country. Please note that employment visas can only be extended by your current employer. If you

want to change jobs, you’ll need to go back to your country to get a new employment visa. Once in the

country, an E-visa can only be changed to a) medical visa, or b) an X visa, in the event of marriage to

an Indian national. Neither of these visas will allow you to work legally in the country.

(More info at www.immigration.ind.in/)

How are the working conditions in India?

Speaking from my personal experience in the Spanish institute I'm working in, working conditions are

tough and demanding. The economic crisis in Spain has made Spanish teachers from Spain readily

available (and disposable), and therefore employers have less need to keep us happy. I work in the

institute six hours daily for six days a week, including weekends. I also get assigned extra work, such

as translations or – very occasionally – interpretations, which in some cases have been month-long or

week-long projects and have taken up all of my free time. Some teachers are assigned to in-company

classes, which require hours of transport stuck in Indian traffic. We have one month of paid vacation

offered at the end of the 12-month contract, with only the possibility of 2-3 day “casual leaves” before

that. The school has a “guesthouse” for foreign teachers, which saves money on rent and saves us the

hassle of arranging our own housing. It also means, however, that someone might be sent to live in

your bedroom without hardly any warning and definitely without asking for your permission. The

work itself – teaching Spanish in group or private classes – is fun, although you have to adapt to their

curriculum, the class schedules and their way of teaching, which requires a frequent use of English.

My salary is more or less 400€/month, although I regularly make a bit more than that, thanks to the

extra work (translations, interpretations, extra teaching hours). Combined with a thrifty lifestyle,

avoiding expensive clubs or restaurants, buying cheap clothes, cooking at home, etc. it's allowing me

to save 50% or more of my earnings.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 59

Working conditions, salaries, etc. will vary from school to school and company to company, especially

for foreigners, but in general, hard work for little pay, late hours, 10-hour workdays, very few holidays

(forget about puentes) and rude, greedy bosses seem to be the norm in India.

And what about living in India?

Living in India has its own compensations and complications. The food is great, the city is very green,

the clothes are cheap and pretty, the culture is fascinating... But many things make it a hard country to

live in: the traffic, noise and pollution, the dirty streets, a sharp division between rich and poor, a

disregard for the suffering of others, traditional gender inequality, the constant stares of men

(especially hard for women), and the very hot, humid weather, coupled with rainy months where

streets flood and going anywhere turns into a challenge. Expect a long-lasting culture shock, from

dealing with bureaucracy and vendors to work culture, dating culture, and language learning methods.

For more information and questions, you can e-mail me at [email protected]. Also, if

you are considering work at INSTITUTO HISPANIA in India, please feel free to contact me for

information and an insider’s perspective.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 60

9. Teaching in Slovakia David Checa Gómez

In Bratislava, where I live, both English and Spanish are becoming more and more trendy and teachers

are needed.

Work. If you come to Slovakia you will not find yourself unemployed for long. For finding work in

Slovakia, the most important website is www.profesia.sk. This website is also in English and is

basically like infojobs. You can choose region, occupation and so on. A quick look at the website will

show you how many offers there are for English teachers. Spanish is also in great demand, with

opportunities in language schools, some bilingual schools which offer a third language, usually

Spanish or German, or private lessons. directory.spectator.sk also has a directory of language

schools.

Schools generally want teachers for the full year. The regular school year starts the first week of

September, but the best time to look for teaching work is in June. Classes in the summer (June-

August) will depend on demand. When I started out, I was teaching at a high school, and they

only asked me for my degree certificate—I needed nothing like the CAP or any certificate to prove

that I was a qualified Spanish teacher. In my experience, when you apply to work at a school, you are

interviewed (in English or Spanish), and then if they are interested, you may have to prepare a mock

lesson with students or teachers.

Many foreigners are working for multinational companies because they need English or in some cases

Spanish teachers or simply Spanish-speakers. These multinational companies usually give you the

specific training you will need to work for them.

Money. If you teach Spanish, as a native speaker you get more money than a Slovak. The average

salary is €600 gross and I earn €1000/month working around 10 hours per day, depending on the

month, because I teach private lessons and so on. In other words, with a bit of luck and time you can

make a good living. In language schools, wages vary considerably (as usual) but typically pay 8 – 12

euros gross per lesson (usually the lesson is 45 min. but can be 60 min.)

Cost of living. Though the salaries may sound low to you, bear in mind that for the moment the cost

of living is also lower than in any country in Western Europe. Though Bratislava is getting expensive,

yesterday some people told me that they were renting a room in a flat for around €220. So renting a

whole flat might cost around €550, depending on the part of town. Public transport costs about 45 euro

cents. Cheap hostels or hotels cost €12-40/night in Bratislava. You can eat well for relatively little

money, even if you eat out. Soup + starter will cost about 4 euros. A drink costs about 1.10 euro. Yes,

beer is cheap!

Housing. For housing information, search www.reality.sk/foreign/eng/detailsearch.aspx. You can

read it in English or German.

Language. Many people speak English or German, especially young people, so language will not

really be a problem.

Getting there. Try Ryan Air or Easyjet for cheap fares. The farther in advance you book, the cheaper

the fare is likely to be, i.e. 6 months in advance, if possible. Remember, Bratislava is very close to

Vienna.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 61

10. Teaching in the Czech Republic Dani de Rueda Garzón

There is a great demand for English and an increasing demand for Spanish in the Czech Republic.

Work: Language might be a problem when finding jobs in the Czech Republic but I managed to find

several language schools by doing the following: go to http://www.seznam.cz/ and type “jazyková

škola” and the city you want to go to. You will find an extensive list of language schools so the only

thing you have to do is send a curriculum to the ones you are interested in.

I worked in Brno for ASCHOOL and AMIGAS. ASCHOOL was a great language school since they

have a library full of teaching materials, an excellent methodologist who every two weeks offers very

useful teaching seminars, a big office to work in and share opinions with other teachers. The

atmosphere was simply great. You will probably have to prepare a mock lesson and show that you

know something about methodology so it’s wise to do a training course on teaching, whether for

teaching English or Spanish because, however good they are, the courses taught at the UAB are not

enough.

I suggest you start looking for the job very early and contact the language schools in person before

September. Then you will be able to find many Spanish courses that need teachers. I appeared at the

schools relatively late (15 September) but still managed to find many English courses and a few in

Spanish. There are also many big companies like IBM who need native speakers to answer calls from

customers and you don’t need much of a curriculum for that since they provide the training.

Money: The situation of teachers here seems the contrary of Spain since language school teachers get

really a lot of money. I got 160-200 crowns (25 crowns is 1 euro) for 45 minutes of class, and classes

often lasted an hour and a half. That is a lot of money here: people usually get 16,000- 17,000 crowns

(640-680 €) per month for working 8 hours per day. I got 13,000 or 14,000 per month and I didn’t

work more than 18 hours per week every month (that is about 4 hours per day plus the time of

preparation of the classes which is included in the salary). I personally got paid for the hours I do, so if

I fell ill for a week and coudn’t do the classes I did not get paid for that week.

Cost of living: Prices in the Czech Republic are comparatively lower than in Spain, but if you live in

big cities the prices will be obviously a bit higher than in the rest of the cities. Renting a room in a

shared flat should cost you less than 160 € per month without internet, and you can even share a room

(here it is not unusual for students to share bedrooms) with someone, which should cost you around 80

or 100 € per month.

I suggest trying to work in Brno since it is the second biggest city in the Czech Republic after Prague

and although it is not very big, it might be interesting enough for one year at least. Everyone here says

one lives much better here than in Prague, I guess because of the tourists, the cost of living, etc. Brno

is quiet and pleasant, one can go everywhere on trams and buses (they’ve got an excellent

transportation system). You can get a 3- month transportation ticket for about 2000 crowns (80 €).

Language: Here young people usually know some English and some German, and older people know

German. I haven’t had many problems in communicating with people in my everyday life. Otherwise

you can always try to learn Czech!

Getting there: The cheapest and easy way is to travel to Viena or Prague and from there take a bus. I

suggest you try with www.studentagency.cz. Rayanair might also have direct flights to Brno from

Girona if you decide to go there.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 62

11. Teaching in Poland Danny Hidalgo Brenes

Just as it is different to work in Gelida than in Barcelona, I cannot generalise about working in Poland.

I have no idea what it’s like working in Warsaw or Krakow, but I can tell you about my experience

working in Torun, a small city half-way between Warsaw and Gdansk.

Teaching: If you have finished your degree in English studies and you intend to move here in order to

teach English, my advice is: DON’T COME TO TORUN! Torun has a university which provides

around a hundred English teachers yearly. Torun’s population is around 208,000 inhabitants, so the

proportion of English teachers per citizen is quite high, and the chances of getting a job as an English

teacher are very low in Torun and also in the surrounding towns. Their English is excellent so

competition is fierce and survival difficult, because Polish teachers have the advantage that they speak

Polish.

However, if you intend to teach Spanish things change, since you’re a native speaker. The average

salary is around 30zl (4zl=1€ approx.) per 45-minute class, which is quite a good income by Polish

standards. On the other hand, come prepared from home as most schools don’t have any materials for

teaching Spanish. In most cases, you will be in charge of designing the whole course, finding and

selecting materials for the activities, preparing your class and finally teaching it, which if you’re

inexperienced is quite stressful and time-consuming.

Working conditions: So far I think I have worked in all possible ways, from illegally uninsured to

legally contracted with health insurance (like our social security). However, there are different types of

legal contracts, some of them include health insurance some other don’t; in that case it is the worker

who has to pay for any illness or medical issue and these services are quite expensive. For legal

working, a NIP is required (fiscal identification number).

Cost of living: Prices here are low compared to Barcelona. However, once you are paid in zlotys this

cheapness obviously disappears. The average monthly salary here is around 2,000 zl (€500), though in

other cities such as Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan, or Lódz this can go up to 5,000. Some prices:

A carton of milk is around €0.50

Half a litre of beer –€1 (in a bar) €0.70 (in a supermarket)

1 kg of sausages around €3

Housing: Renting a flat is around 600-800 zl (€150-200). Renting a room costs around 250-300 zl

(€60-72) plus sharing bills. It is also advisable to know the area you are going to live in, as there are

certainly some dangerous neighbourhoods that should be avoided.

Language: Although young people usually speak English, it is very difficult to communicate and get

help in this language on a daily basis. In most public institutions or public services like trains or buses

stations, no one speaks English at all. So ordinary life may be extremely difficult if you don’t speak

Polish (as in my case). Therefore, a crash-course in Polish would be helpful before moving here;

otherwise, make sure to have friends who can help you when needed.

Getting around: The Polish transport network is obsolete to say the least. Few motorways exist, and

roads are poorly maintained. Trains are old, uncomfortable, slow and often delayed.

Getting there: There are several air companies flying to Poland. However, the cheapest flights can be

booked through Ryanair and Wizzair. If you book in advance and are not picky with the dates you can

get a very low fare for a round trip.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 63

12. Teaching in Bulgaria Marta Ros Montañá

I have recently started working as a Spanish teacher at the Instituto Bilingüe Miguel de

Cervantes in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. In Bulgaria, bilingual high schools are a type of

schools in which 13-year-old students do a whole year of introduction to a foreign language,

in this case Spanish. During this year they only learn this language and nothing else, meaning

that it takes them an extra year to graduate. After this intensive year, they go on with 8th, 9th,

10th, 11th and 12th grades, studying all the usual high school subjects in Spanish (except for

Maths, Science and Bulgarian language).

Looking for work: Usually there is demand for language teachers in Sofia, either in public

schools or in private academies, if one does not mind an average-low salary.The best moment

to look for teaching jobs here is before the academic year starts, that is, during summer, but

throughout the year teachers are needed to cover for sick or absent teachers. In my case I was

very lucky: I gave my CV to this school, and the next day they called me with an offer. But

ordinarily it could take you months before you receive an offer.

These are the main job-searching websites in Bulgaria:

http://www.jobs.bg/

http://www.jobtiger.bg/

Consejeria de Educación en Sofia:

http://www.mec.es/sgci/bg/es/home/index.shtml

Instituto Cervantes de Sofia:

http://www.sofia.cervantes.es/es/cursos_espanol/estudiantes_espanol/material

es_didacticos.htm

Teaching conditions: A teacher's salary is quite low, but it is enough to get by as the cost of

living is also low. In order to supplement my low salary, I will do some private lessons, which

are very well paid—around €15 euro for a 90 minute lesson, which is a small fortune here.

Other facts: Bulgarian high schools work in intensive shifts, either in the morning (7:30am to

12:30am) or in the afternoon (13:30 to 19:30). Something that might seem strange to a

Catalan is that Bulgarians do not do puentes as in Spain. If there is a holiday on a Thursday,

for instance, in order to have that Friday off they need to have worked the previous Saturday.

Also important for teachers: Bulgarians adore bureaucracy. Absolutely everything, from a

substitution to student absences, has to be written down and signed, and many copies given to

different people.

Getting here: Since Bulgaria belongs to the EU there is no need to get a visa. Spaniards can

travel here with just an ID.

The best way to travel to Bulgaria is by plane, using either Bulgaria Air or WizzAir, both of

which have direct flights from Barcelona which last about 3 hours 45 min. Other companies

such as Lufthansa, Alitalia, Czech Airlines, Malev and AirFrance also travel to Bulgaria, but

they stop in other countries first.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 64

Once at the airport of Sofia, the best way to get to the city is by taxi. Taxies are incredibly

cheap here. For example, an average ride from the airport to the city centre is about 7 leva (=

€3.5).

Money: The currency in Bulgaria is the Lev (1lv = 0.50 euro). As far as I know, there is still

no way to exchange levas outside Bulgaria, so it has to be done at the airport. When I arrived

for the first time, credit cards were not used, in fact many people did not have one. Nowadays

many shops accept them if the sum is over 20 leva (10 euro), but small shops still keep their

money in plastic boxes and accept only cash.

Cost of Living: Bulgaria is cheap for groceries, but imports such as shoes, clothes, electronic

gadgets and so on can be really expensive. It is very cheap as well to eat in restaurants. One

can have a 3-course meal for 4-5 euro, depending on the place.

Health services: The Bulgarian public health system is not the best in the world, and

hospitals look really creepy (dirty, old, very communist-like). However, one can go to a

personal doctor by paying only about 1.5 leva per visit and unless one has a serious illness,

they are doctors, after all.

Language: Bulgarian has been a challenge for me for the last few years, but like all languages

it can be learned. The alphabet is Cyrillic, and as Slavic languages have nothing in common

with the Romance ones, it is difficult, but there are many courses in Bulgarian as a foreign

language. I have taken three at the Sofia University Kliment Ohridski, where I studied

alongside Erasmus students from all over Europe.

Weather: Winters in Sofia are really, really cold, reaching -20 degrees in January-February.

By contrast, between June and September temperatures can reach 35-40 degrees.

Public transport: In Sofia there are buses, trolleys, tram, a few lines of subway,

and marshrutkas, which are a kind of small van which stops by request at any point of the

way. Tickets cost 0.50 - 1 lev (0.25 – 0.50 euro) in buses and trams, and twice as much

in marshrutkas. They are all usually quite dirty, old and creepy, but usually with the right

combination you can get to any part of the city.

Leisure: In Sofia there are cinemas, theatres, opera, expositions, museums, all of them really

affordable. Cinemas have an advantage for foreigners: most films are in the original English

version with Bulgarian subtitles, so they are easy to follow.

For nature lovers, Bulgaria is full of amazingly beautiful mountains, woods, lakes and fields,

and guided excursions are usually cheap.

Summing up, nobody will get rich teaching in Bulgaria, but given the situation in Spain I

think it is better to have a modest job abroad than nothing at all in Spain.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 65

13. Working in the tourist industry in Norway Carlos Verge Ferré

If you are considering Scandinavia as an option, and specially Norway, I would definitely recommend

that you look for a job within the tourist industry. The reasons are undisputable: the large workforce

needed, the relative importance of having some previous experience, and the indulgence regarding

your Norwegian language skills. Demand is high during the whole year, especially at the beginning of

the seasons, April for summer and October for winter. Summer sees the arrival of hordes of tourists

looking for some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world; winter, on the other hand, is the time

for Norwegians to go skiing, turning mountain resorts into thriving places in need of staff.

Hotels, campsites and wooden cabins (an institution in Scandinavia) are good targets when looking for

a job—there are thousands of them spread all over the country. However, don’t rule out other more

innovative possibilities: work in an ice-hotel that melts when the summer comes, be a crew member in

Hurtigruten, the 100 year-old coastal cruise, guide tourists on dog-sledges or over cracking glaciers,

drive a quad or a snow-scooter or become a northern lights hunter (with a bunch of tourists at your

back, of course).

Cost of living and housing: The cost of living in Norway is outrageous. It always comes as a shock,

no matter how prepared you are, and is a really serious difficulty for those looking for a job in Norway

from Norway itself. That is why I strongly recommend that you already have your job set before

travelling to the country. If that is not your case, if you are the “knock-on-the-door” type and you find

yourself unemployed in Norway for a while, try to hold out as much as you can. Remember that even

the worst paid job will easily allow you to cope with the cost of living, and remember the crazy prices

for alcohol and tobacco will make you contemplate abstinence as something other than an option.

Expect to pay 10 Euros for a beer, and from 500 Euros a month for a bedroom in a shared apartment in

the capital or in other cities in the country. A one-course meal at the restaurant can easily amount to 50

Euros, drinks not included, nor coffee or desert. Prices for fruits and vegetables are ridiculous as most

of them are imported products. Again, a job within the hotel business will help you to solve both food

and accommodation problems since meals and apartment/room are provided by the companies.

Language: If you speak German, you are likely to learn Norwegian quite fast—a few months will

suffice—and you will probably understand the written basics from your first landing at the airport.

Otherwise, don’t worry, because everybody in the country speaks perfect English. Try to learn the

language if you want to stay in Norway for a long period of time or if you want to improve your

working status; Norway is a very young nation and its inhabitants are very proud of their land and

their language: you can be expected to speak only English when working as a waiter, but you will be

required some kind of language mastering when applying for other jobs with different responsibility,

for example teaching. And above all, don’t think of Norwegian as a waste of time: it opens up for

working possibilities in both Denmark and Sweden, since the three languages are highly mutual

intelligible.

Work permit: Norway does not belong to the EU area, but it is a member of the Schengen treaty.

That allows any Spaniard to travel to Norway and work there uninterruptedly. Once you get into the

country and within a period of three months, you will have to register yourself at the nearest police

station. This procedure does not limit your job search and you will be free to travel all over the country

in search of a job no matter where you registered. Processes are straightforward, in a way we are not

used in Spain. By the way, do not even think about working off the books in Norway; their level of

seriousness about it is extreme.

How to find a job? The most widely used internet webpage is nav.no. It belongs to the state work

department. You will have to register your CV like in so many other similar web pages. Nav.no is also

available in English. Another popular web page is finn.no. Offers in this one are usually posted in

Norwegian, so you will need to have some patience or narrow your search with words like “Spanish”

or “English”. Jobzone.no is a third option worth a look, though its offers are only listed in Norwegian

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 66

and Swedish. Come what may, when looking for a job within the tourist industry, try to contact the

employer directly; it is usually quicker and it gives better results.

A tip from my last Norwegian job: I made a trip through Google maps to some unknown tiny

Norwegian locations I had never heard of. I chose them randomly; I could well have chosen some

others further north or further south. After that, I checked whether those locations had some kind of

hotel or accommodation, and once I found out they had them, I googled the accommodation name, I

got the contact address and I sent my CV to the owners. Deals are commonly made over the internet

and they can be trusted. Sometimes, contracts are even sent online for you to sign and send back.

Interviews are rare; at the most they consist of a few words spoken on the phone, but be aware

references that on the CV are always required… and they are always contacted.

Your chances to get a job will increase the further north you travel and the farther from the big

cities you are, above all if you have no experience in the hotel field. Big hotel chains in the cities will

usually hire trained native waiters, while small family-owned businesses in the countryside will be

packed with temporary, inexperienced students. Don’t be afraid to go north or spend some time in a

tiny village. Some of them lie amidst Middle Earth-like landscapes. Your life can be very different

from what you are used to in Barcelona, but once you get a liking for fishing, canoeing, climbing or

mountain biking, you’ll have a hard time leaving.

What can I expect from Norway?

Do not expect Norway to be as cold as you imagined. It is a land of never-ending forests,

waterfalls, lakes and mountains, but not the land of ice. Despite its latitude, the Gulf Stream

softens the Norwegian climate, making its winters resemble those of New York or Boston.

Summers are mild, but they can be hot as well, especially in the south.

If you enjoy nature, you are lucky: the range of outdoor activities in the country and the

possibilities for engaging in any of them are simply outstanding.

Do not expect to see people raining from the windows every now and then. Most Norwegians live

very happy lives away from the problems the mortals in other nations go through. Norwegians

have huge state support and enormous benefits exist for the workers, retired people, students and

single mothers.

This one is true: days during the winter are short—or simply don’t exist at all in the north of the

country- which is a good excuse to spend Christmas in Spain—but then they are long in the

summer and the sun does not set.

Not everything is fabulous in Norway. Coffee tastes awful and serious non-sensationalist press

does not exist at all. Mosquitoes are huge, really annoying and, from June to September, found

everywhere where there is a source of water. Taxes are scandalous and you might expect to pay, at

least, the 36% of your salary. Rules cannot be broken and sometimes they can seem to make no

sense (for example, you will have to pay for an appointment at the hair-dresser or at the mechanic

even if you didn’t show up!). For a Spaniard, the constraints and strictness of society and laws can

be daunting at first. For more lax societies, like the Mediterranean ones, many rules can be

perceived as freedom-threatening. Nordic control may seem abusive and one can feel trapped at

times. And there’s a certain detachment from the problems of the world; a certain feeling things

happen in another sphere. Some advice: don’t try to fight against the others’ disdain; it simply

doesn’t work. Worse than anything, some extreme right-wing attitudes are on the increase, making

the Populist Party the second most voted option at the elections.

Money: But for those who manage to adapt to Norwegian society, or simply don’t care, the country

offers good job opportunities, possibilities to develop a career and good wages. When working as a

waiter in a hotel, you can be expected to receive around 150 crowns/hour (gross), around 19 Euros,

plus some extra crowns for night shifts, weekends and national holidays. Bearing in mind that food

and accommodation are included in your contract, the amount of money you can save is considerable.

A basic salary will prove not only to be much higher than in Spain, but also to be rational and

proportionate, with a good balance between earnings, taxes, expenses and savings. All that wrapped in

seven-hour continuous shifts, a formula unknown in Spain, something that allows you to have the

most precious of all commodities: time.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 67

14. Living and working in Germany Laura Buitrago Barroso & Meritxell Ballús

This might seem like a somewhat pessimistic opinion about moving to Germany at the moment, but I

would just like to picture what the real situation is like, and thus maybe partly remove that idealized

idea that most Spaniards have about the country. It is true that Germany may be a pioneer country,

which can manage to better handle a situation of economic crisis, but that does not mean it can offer a

solution for every country that is bankrupt. It might therefore become a bittersweet experience to just

move to Germany, for those whose main objective is just to escape the financial situation in Spain.

Some truths about the country are that they are looking for people, also Spaniards in particular, who

come and work here. However, they are looking for people with training and skills, professionals who

are specialized in very specific fields, such as engineers. For such people, it might not be that relevant

to know German very well, since they might have to do a very specific task, which does not require a

very good command of the language. This is, however, the great minority. Most of the Spaniards I

have randomly seen/met, came here without having a clue about the language, the country or the work

situation itself, thinking that they could just take a one-month language course in German, with it be

able to “chapurrear” the language and then work as a waiter, just to give an example. This does not

work! Of course, you might just be lucky (I have seen such cases), but in general it is not the best idea,

especially at the very moment, when everyone is doing the same. German takes years to learn. I started

learning it when I was 14 and it is still not perfect!

Germany is not like England, especially London, where you can just go and work as anything (as in

“easy-to-get” jobs, such as waiter, sales person, etc.). Germans want successful, qualified people for

everything! (It sucks, I know) Even to work in a supermarket you have to have done an “Ausbildung”

(apprenticeship, vocational training)!

So my advice is if you really want to come and work in Germany, first learn the language in Spain, at

least get to level B1-B2, which is not much (I had level B1 when I first came to Berlin three years ago

and I could hardly manage to understand people and have a normal conversation) and then keep

improving it here. A good option would be to get a grant/internship already organized from Spain and

do it here. I did an internship thanks to the European programme Leonardo Da Vinci and it was very

useful, it helped me introduce myself in the German labour market.

Of course I can only speak about the situation in Berlin, since I have only lived here, but what I have

said above speaks for the whole Germany. Though it is the capital, Berlin is at the same time the

poorest city in the country and therefore has the highest unemployment rate. You can see lots of

homeless people around. Most of the people who come here just think of Berlin as the capital, the cool

city, the place to party 24/7, and it is like that of course, if you come as a tourist, but it is probably not

THE place to make a living.

Working: For those who want to teach Spanish in Germany, I cannot really tell, what the situation is

like. I do have a couple of friends who are doing it, but do not really know if the demand is high or

not. What I do know, through two friends of mine who have done it, is that the Instituto Cervantes

offers twice a year (in February and September) a two-month course to prepare people to become

teachers of Spanish. You get an official certificate and are able to teach, but of course have some

limitations in comparison to people who have done a degree in that. The course is pretty cheap, around

€300. Just have a look at the website, the course is called D.E.L.E:

http://www.cervantes.de/nueva/de/ueber-uns/das-instituto.php

As for websites to find “easy jobs”, try www.promotionbasis.de, especially to work as a waiter,

hostess, flyer promoter, and the like. Promotion is very common in Berlin, especially as a student job

and for foreigners, whose mother tongue is different than German, since your task is generally to

approach tourists. It is normally well paid and flexible. A nice possibility to get started! Learning the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 68

language by doing. Of course, even for such “easy jobs”, you need a pretty good command of German,

since knowing just English is not usually enough. Germany is not precisely like other northern

countries, where English is spoken everywhere; not all Germans can speak fluent English, especially

middle-aged or elderly people.

Just another tip is to find Spanish companies/chains, which usually want/do not mind having Spanish

workers, which makes the company even more representative of Spain.

The translation field, in which I am personally interested, is oversaturated, because there are too many

translators, and we are consequently not well paid. I work as a proofreader from home, thanks to the

Leonardo grant, but I cannot make a living of it. I randomly saw some time ago that the publishing

company Cornelsen offers internships for qualified English linguists.

Cost of living: Life in any city in Germany is pretty expensive. However, Berlin is very cheap. Food,

eating out, shopping and partying is in general a lot cheaper than in Barcelona. Nonetheless, transport

is very expensive, for which reason many people go by bike, myself too! Single ticket: €2.30, one

week ticket: €27, monthly ticket: over €70. Of course if you are a student you get a discount.

As for finding accommodation, it is not that easy. If you are a student, you are allowed to live in

dorms, which tends to be cheaper. However, you normally need to be enrolled at university/school or

in some cases do a language course. Non-students tend to live in shared flats (WG =

Wohngemeinschaft), which is the easiest, cheapest option. The prices have risen a bit since last year,

but still, an average monthly price for a shared flat is €250-300 (at the cheapest), utilities included.

The general difficulty with finding a shared flat is that many hosts want people who at least can

manage to have a conversation in German. If you only speak English, it gets difficult, though not

impossible! Another difficulty is that everyone wants to move to Berlin, which makes the demand here

higher than the supply, so you often find yourself in a “mass casting” instead of an individual

interview, when visiting a flat. The most well-known websites to find a flat are www.wg-gesucht.de

and http://www.studenten-wg.de/ Once you find a WG or Wohnung (flat) you need to register with

the town council and the formality is called “Anmeldung”.

Salaries: Salaries tend to be better than in Spain, very generally speaking. In my case, working at

Desigual as a sales woman, I earn a bit more money here than doing the same in Spain. The promotion

field is not bad, since you are freelance and therefore pay no taxes unless you earn a lot of money. As

for other fields, I cannot really tell.

Getting here: The cheapest flights Barcelona–Berlin tend to be on Easyjet. Vueling is now new in this

route and also has nice prices. AirBerlin is expensive, but you might find nice deals. There is a website

which looks for the cheapest flight options: www.billigefluege.de

Studying: Study in Germany is in general very cheap in comparison to Spain. You can do a Master’s

Degree for as low as €1000. In most cities, you pay around €500/semester in fees, plus less than €300

for things like a monthly transport ticket, student ID and a couple more things. So taking into account

that a master’s will take you two years, you can study for a total of €2500-3000 Euros. In Berlin it is a

lot better, you pay no addition feels (i.e. no €500)! And as noted, if you are a student you get lots of

discounts everywhere.

For information about post-graduate programs in Germany, see

www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-programmes/07535.es.html

Meritxell Ballús adds: It is very important to speak German if you want to live in this country. The

Goethe Institut in Barcelona offers good courses to prepare yourself and then be examined before

coming here. See http://www.goethe.de/ins/es/bar/deindex.htm?wt_sc=barcelona

Once you are here, the Volkshochschule (popular university) offers cheap German courses from A1-

C1. I was also able to teach Spanish there giving Spanish lessons (see http://www.vhs.de).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 69

15. Working in New Zealand Marta Heredia

Life in New Zealand is very quiet. Auckland and Wellington are the 2 main cities in the North Island

and Christchurch and Queenstown are the 2 main ones in the South Island. Life is very peaceful and

quiet in both islands and the landscapes are amazing. Cities have nothing to see but once you are out

you discover paradise. Furthermore, if you like hiking, walking, skiing, bungee jumping, kayaking,

parachuting and so on, New Zealand has it all.

Teaching: If you want to come and work in New Zealand as a teacher you need to follow a number of

steps. First of all you need to get all the degrees, diplomas and certificates translated into English. This

includes translating also the diplomas you have from school and high school. You also need to get

translated a police clearance record. Basically, any papers that may help you to get registered as a

teacher in New Zealand have to be translated into English. Furthermore, in order to teach in New

Zealand it is compulsory to take the IELTS exam. It has to be the academic one and you need to score

a minimum of a 7.0 in each part of the test. Once you have all these, you need to send all the

documents to the NZQA: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ They will match your studies from Spain to the

ones here in New Zealand. This process costs around 400 euros and it takes around 2-3 months. The

NZQA will make a report on your qualifications and you will have to send this report plus all the rest

of the papers to the New Zealand Teachers Council: http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/. In New

Zealand you need to be registered in order to teach.

This process costs around 150 euros and it takes 6 weeks.

Once you get your provisional card you will be able to teach. However, as you might all know, to be

able to work in New Zealand you need to have a work permit. It is a little bit difficult to get one, either

you get a job offer, you ask for the working holiday (which alllows you to work only 6 months in a

year) or you can ask for guidance at immigration so they can help you out.

So far I have done a substitution job in a school and I might start working for Unitec: Institute

of Technology as a Spanish teacher. I also work in a language school. So, once you have the degree

and the papers it is quite easy to find a job. Furthermore, if anyone who has magisterio wants to come,

there are many offers in primary schools. It is a little bit more difficult if you want to do Spanish

because it’s more specific, but there are offers in the market.

Housing: To find an apartment or a house (kiwis live mainly in the suburbs, in the city center there are

mainly foreigners) you might check 2 webpages: www.nzflatmate.co.nz and www.trademe.co.nz and

also in the NZ Herald.

Getting here: There are different companies that fly to New Zealand. You can check Air New

Zealand, Korean Air, Fly Emirates, Singapour Airlines, China Air, Lufthansa and many others.

Cost of living: New Zealand currency is New Zealand dollars. Life is not very expensive if you

compare it with the one in Barcelona. However, things like tobacco and alcohol are very expensive.

Also, forget about Jamon Iberico and similar, because New Zealand has a very strict policy if it comes

to food from overseas and you won’t be allowed to bring any type of food. However, you can find

some cheap accommodation. There are different options available if you don’t want to spend a lot of

money in housing because people offer a room in exchange of some work. Once you have a job, even

if it’s not teaching but just working in a bar, it is enough to pay all the expenses. If you go to Australia,

even though salaries are better the cost of living is enormous.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 70

16. Working in Australia Alba Carmona Giralt

Citizens of almost all the European Union countries can obtain a Working Holiday Visa which allows

them to work in Australia for a year, and only costs around AUD 250. However, Spanish citizens

cannot get this visa as easily as citizens of other countries. You can apply for it once or twice a year

and few people get it. So if you want to go to Australia with this visa you not only need to apply in

advance but also get a lot of information about the application process.

Another possibility is to get first hired by a company here because if they sponsor you, you can get a

Working Holiday Visa.

If you are studying here and have a Student Visa you are allowed to work 20 hours a week.

All the information about visas is in the website: http://www.immi.gov.au/

I didn’t have time to apply for one of these visas, so I arrived here in Sydney, Australia, in late

December on a Tourist Visa. This means that I will have to leave the country every three months.

The cost of living in Sydney is extremely expensive, so I thought that aupairing for a family would be

the best solution for me. After three days of searching on www.aupairworld.com, I found a family. I

am now working between 30 and 35 hours/week, earning around AUD250/week. Moreover, they pay

for all my food and accommodation (room, toilet and kitchen). Once I had that for sure, I tried to find

something else. So now on Tuesdays I do reading groups at a local school and also organise some

Spanish lessons.

I must say that Australia is a good place to be right now. If you want to work, there are plenty of job

offers and much better paid than in Spain. The Asian economy is keeping the Australian economy

really strong, so salaries here are really high. Simple jobs, such as bar attendant and waiter, are paid

AUD22 per hour.

17. Working in Canada Laura Monerris Oliveras

1) If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, you can obtain a Working Holiday Visa. This

will allow you to experience Canada, without many restrictions on the type of job, location

and time, for up to a year. Be aware that the number of applications processed each year is

limited.

As a Spanish citizen, you may participate in the International Experience Canada

program only twice and each time under a different category. There are three categories:

working holiday, young professional and international co-op (internship). See

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/spain-

espagne/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx?view=d

2) If you obtain a valid offer of employment from a Canadian employer, you will be able to

apply for a Work permit, for the duration of your contract. See

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp

If you want this job opportunity to become a more “permanent” situation to allow you to

immigrate and get established in Canada, you may be eligible to apply as a Skilled Worker

and become a Permanent Resident. With such a status, you will enjoy the same rights and

privileges as a Canadian citizen, except for the right to vote. See

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/apply-who.asp

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 71

18. Working in the US with the VIF Program www.vifprogram.com

Former students who have done it it: Mariona Salvador (2006-2008), Felix Comella (2007-2010).

This is a private organisation that places foreign teachers in public schools in several US states.

Teachers from Spain typically teach Spanish to English-speakers or English to Spanish-speakers (our

veterans recommend the latter). Teachers are given good orientation and support by the program and

may participate for 1-3 years. The salary is based on that state’s public school salary scale, so it will be

very good and even excellent if you have a lot of prior experience.

19. Volunteer work

If you not sure what you really want to do, do volunteer work these organizations can help you decide

what you are really interested in—and let you develop your foreign language skills. It’s probably the

best time of your life to try something like this.

Secretaria General de Joventut de la Generalitat de Catalunya (C/ Calàbria, 147. BCN)

www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/Joventut

Service Civil International, SCI (Carrer del Carme, 95) www.sci-cat.org

Barcelona Voluntària (C/ Pelai, 44) www.barcelonavoluntaria.org

Asociación WAFAE (www.wafae.org/cms) Wafae needs teachers of Catalan and Spanish as

well as activity leaders for immigrant children. It also sometimes organises summer work

camps in Morocco.

Camps de treball internacionals COCAT (Calabria 120, baixos, Barcelona) www.cocat.org

Work camps all over the world, lasting from two weeks to six months. Activities range from

environmental work or archeological excavation to construction work or summer camps for

children. You pay a single participation fee and your travel expenses, but then food and

lodging is covered when you are at the site. English is the language used at most sites.

Registration period is mid-March to mid-November.

Servei Voluntari Europeu (www6.gencat.net/joventut/catala/sgj/internacional/accio2.htm)

Associació Sociocultural La Formiga www.laformiga.org/ (C/ Elkano 74 baixos (metro L3

Poble Sec) 08004 Barcelona Telèfon:93 443 82 07) Teaches Catalan and Spanish to

immigrants.

20. Volunteer experiences in Africa

Christian Justicia and Annaïs Vázquez

Even before finishing the degree we had been thinking about volunteering in Africa. As we progressed

towards the end of the degree, we looked for some NGOs that could offer an interesting project to be

involved with. We thought our experience as teachers of English and camp activity leaders for

children or teenagers would be of interest, but we were open to other kinds of jobs too. It was also

important for us that the NGO could help us financially; we wanted to volunteer for a year more or

less, and we had heard that for a long stay some NGOs financed all the costs. But in the end we could

not find a NGO that would assume the costs. In fact, we found lots of NGOs in which you had to pay a

lot of money up front in order to be able to work for free.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 72

However, we finally found an NGO called CCONG that, though it did not give us any financial

assistance, did not force us to pay high costs for volunteering, just the basic ones. Besides, CCONG

said they would let us work as English teachers and anything else related to education that we might

come up with once we were in West Africa. We agreed to go to a little village in Mali called Hombori.

The NGO had been working there for several years and the director of the NGO was highly popular in

the village for having constructed a school there and having promoted fish farming and other things.

He said that just by virtue of the fact that we were coming through CCONG all the locals there would

be very nice to us. With the financial help of family, friends and institutions (including the UAB

Department of English), we decided to go to Hombori and spend six months as teachers and/or

children’s activities leaders.

We arrived and Hombori and soon we suffered from the heat, new food habits and lack of cold drinks.

However, we were very enthusiastic about starting our classes since all the children and teenagers we

met around the village were very happy about our presence there. After a couple of misunderstandings

that made us spend two weeks doing nothing, we started teaching classes of Spanish for teenagers and

English for children. Soon we realized the huge difficulties involved in teaching there, largely due to

cultural reasons. We were white and had a very fun attitude. The local teachers there were very serious

and respected people, nothing to do with the image we projected. Being a white person meant being

almost an alien, and all the children stared at us as if we were something unique. If you add our natural

fun attitude to that, the response of the students was a mixture of fascination and extreme amusement.

In addition, most of the children did not have notebooks or pens and did not attend class every day.

Furthermore, when we were in class there was a constant flow of children of all ages coming into the

classroom and jumping through the window. They were all very excited because there were some

white people teaching in a very strange way. All of this was a huge challenge for us. Sometimes, for

no apparent reason, class did not happen at all, and we were never warned the day before. We learned

that in the traditional areas of Africa, such as Hombori, there was no sense of distant future; they lived

according to an everlasting present. It was a good attitude, but it was hard for us to adjust to.

We asked for some advice from the only teacher and person that spoke English there, a young man

that could understand our way of thinking better than the rest. He basically said that we should do

language drills very often, and provide all the input very slowly. We carried on with the classes, but

our dissatisfaction persisted. We felt that we were making huge efforts to make them learn, yet seeing

little in the way of results. Nevertheless, after watching things with more perspective, we came to the

conclusion that the physical and cultural conditions there made things difficult in themselves, and our

way of teaching was something that they were not used to. Besides, in observing the other classes

there, we realized that the common way of teaching was the typical one that prevailed in the Western

world 70 years ago. We found ourselves in a world in transition from the educational point of view.

They were abandoning an “Islamic” and traditional way of educating, that is, based on the teacher and

his or her straightforward explanations as the base of education), and adopting a more modern and

“Western” one. Hombori was a village in a rural area; these new influences were becoming felt only

slowly and in a very dysfunctional way. Whether this process is morally right or wrong is another

matter, too complex to be discussed here. At any rate, almost all the children ended up speaking the

basic introductory sentences in English that we taught them. Any time they saw us they said anything

they remembered from class as if it was a game.

Apart from the odyssey of trying to teach and the difficult living conditions, there was something that

really complicated our stay in Hombori: the family we lodged with. I could write a book about what

happened with them but I’ll summarize it by saying that they were only concerned with the money we

paid to live with them, not much by our standards but a lot by theirs. And our ways of considering the

world were totally different, at an emotional level. This made living side by side very difficult. They

were not the family that our NGO had described. So we called the director of the program and

described our disappointment. Though we liked Hombori and our volunteering in the school, it was an

exhausting thing, and the fact that the family was bullying us all the time when we were paying them a

lot of money made matters unsustainable. We said that we wanted to leave and quit our volunteering.

This was at the beginning of January. So our director proposed that we go to Ouagadougou, the capital

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 73

of Burkina Faso, where there was an association of handicapped people in which we could continue

teaching. He said that he felt sorry for what had happened and that it was a pity to leave that way, and

he even proposed to pay for the costs of the bus and the visas to compensate us. We thought about it

and finally accepted.

In Ouagadougou we found a much more comfortable place to live; less heat and a lot of fruit and

vegetables available, apart from a lot of “boutiques” in which we could buy cold drinks and chocolate.

In the association we found a lot of friendly handicapped people that were very anxious to start

working with us. We had two tasks: classes of English and Spanish for adults, and stimulation for

handicapped children. The latter ended up being our favorite thing to do; we fell in love with those

handicapped children that laughed instantly at anything we did with them. We carried out some

exercises of stimulation, which meant playing with them by showing them colors, or making them

grasp some sponge balls and putting them in a basket. We also tried to follow up the progress of some

handicapped children in their homes or at school. Their disabilities were physical, psychological or

often both. All the children were very specific in their needs, and working with them required a lot of

energy, but we loved it.

The classes of English and Spanish were very difficult to carry out; a lot of people came to learn, but

some were illiterate, some others knew some English or Spanish and others knew a lot of either one or

the other. They came all together in one class and attendance was very irregular. Whenever I could I

split the class in two because it was crazy to teach English with so many different levels in one group.

As I have already noted, these adversities were considered natural in Africa, and we had to adapt

ourselves to that. It was strange, because we were adapting ourselves to becoming relaxed and calm,

and we were not used to it.

Everything went fine. We carried out our activities with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and I think that

the results were good. Besides, all the citizens of Ouagadougou were the nicest people in the world,

even more than in Hombori. Their nobility was something that came more from their childish

innocence that from conscious attitude. We should stress that we spent our whole volunteering

experience among the “lowest classes”, who still do not have a Western way of seeing the world.

Being a Western volunteer in such a situation means thinking about the millions of things that could

be easily done to improve things there. But soon, you perceive that Africans worry very little about

everything, and trying to tell them to start worrying is really complicated. They are used to living in a

very simplistic way physically, mentally and emotionally. We did not tell them how to do things, we

just did what we thought might help them and if they wanted to learn from our way of working and

living, it was up to them. It must be remembered also that the Western society is being implanted there

principally through its darker sides, like the urge to get rich, the cult of physical appearance and

obsession with electronic devices. When we arrived there and tried to tell them that we did not care

about that, and that there were other things more profound to consider, they did not believe us or

simply did not understand us. I insist on saying that everything is very complex to explain. Anyhow,

sooner or later they will have to face life the way we do it, more or less. Fortunately or not, their

model of society is becoming a Westernized one.

In the end, we returned home very happy about our experience, with all the smiles of the children we

have been with in our minds, and hoping that our work there might prove useful for their future. It was

a truly worthwhile experience, and we strongly recommend it.

Judit Besora Tondo (written in 2011)

I started thinking about what I wanted to do after graduating during my last year at university. I had

been to South Africa the previous summer volunteering with an NGO, and the experience had proved

very rewarding, so I wanted to do something in that direction. I contacted the NGO I had worked with

and told them that I would like to spend one year teaching English somewhere in Africa. They got me

in contact with another NGO in South Africa who suggested we could start a project to give extra-

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 74

curricular English classes in a township called Khayelitsha. English, they told me, was a basic tool to

get a job there and most people did not speak it fluently.

I did not have the means to pay for a year living in South Africa and to fund the project, so I started

looking into ways to make money. I spend the summer working at a campground at the seaside and

devoted my spare time to organizing fund-raising events. I made a webpage where I explained the

project and, helped by friends and family, I organized concerts in my town and talks around the

province. I also wrote a dossier explaining my project and contacted companies and public institutions

that I thought might be willing to contribute. I calculated that I needed to get together roughly 7500€

in four months. At times it seemed impossible, but eventually I got the sum (and even a little more)

and, very proud of myself, left for South Africa.

When I got to Khayelitsha everything that could go wrong did. Everything the NGO had promised me

(accommodation, a building where I could teach, hundreds of students who had supposedly already

enrolled for the classes, etc.) turned out to be just a huge lie. This did not discourage me, however. I

thought I would just have to start from scratch and look for everything myself. But during my first

days there I realized most people spoke English, if not perfectly, at least fluently enough to hold a

conversation. I told the NGO that I could not see the need for free English classes there, to which they

rapidly agreed. They said I should forget about teaching English and we should use the money I had

raised to start up a project to clean the township’s trash bins (it sounds like a joke, but, sadly, I’m

being completely serious). I considered their suggestion, but decided it made no sense because it

would not be self-sustainable in any way (once we ran out of my money, the project would die out).

So I said I would not do it. Fed up, disappointed and frustrated I tried to think positively again and

look for solutions instead of regret my luck. I thought that there had to be a place in the country where

my project made sense, so I decided to spend some time looking for that place. I left the township and

set up my base-camp in a hostel in Cape Town. I got in touch with other NGOs and started visiting

other places where I could work. But then the real nightmare started. The NGO in Khayelitsha said the

money I had raised in Spain belonged to them, and I said that that money was for my project. I was

sure that all the donors would agree with me on that. Among other very nasty things, the NGO

contacted donors saying that I had been doing fraudulent stuff and they threatened to take legal action

against me. I contacted a lawyer and, to make a long story short, the NGO blackmailed me until I was

forced to leave the country to save my ass—and the money for the project.

So two weeks after leaving for South Africa for a year, I was back home, completely devastated and

unable to believe that an NGO could do something like this. For the following few months I had no

idea what to do. One side of me thought I should not give up and I should try again, but the other side

told me I should just stop thinking about helping others and start helping myself. I started looking for a

job in Catalonia without much success, until some three months later I got a really good job offer. At

that point I had to make a tough decision. I knew that if I took the job, it would mean the end of my

African dream. The night before signing the contract I could not sleep. The next morning I got up and

contacted Christian and Annaïs (two former students who I knew were volunteering in West Africa).

That very same day I went to talk to the president of the NGO they worked for, told the company that

had hired me I could not take the job and I booked a plane ticket for Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso.

I have been here since April working in an association for handicapped people. I teach English and

Spanish, I help five deaf kids study and try to stimulate children with mental and physical disabilities.

My work is very different from what I thought I would be doing when I first planned my year in

Africa, but it is proving nonetheless well worth it. Apart from the teaching and stimulating I am trying

to use the money I raised (and my time) to improve people’s lives here. I am setting up a course on

traditional African music and if everything goes according to plan we will already be able to offer

small concerts by the end of the year. I am also planning on setting up free courses at the association

so that its members can find a way to make a living by knitting and sewing, hair-dressing, making

African jewelry, growing vegetables, making furniture, and anything else they are willing to learn.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 75

After two months here I can say I am for sure one of the happiest persons walking on planet Earth at

the moment. Burkina is an amazing country and it is a pleasure to work with and for its people. I still

do not know how much of what I plan I will eventually achieve (surely also here there will be

obstacles to overcome), but I am really looking forward to finding out.

Ruth Gómez Layola

I had always wanted to go to Africa with an NGO since I was a child. Last year I started to think about

it seriously and I decided to start looking for an NGO which looked interesting. I finally found an

association from Figueres called Children of Africa which seemed reliable. I thought it was very

important to find an NGO which could help you at any time, before and during your stay abroad.

Many people are sceptical about the real work NGOs say they do and the fact that you cannot see

where the money goes and to whom. When I saw and read the website and all the information I found

about Children of Africa I realised it was reliable a 100%. None of the people working for the

association was getting paid at all and all the money was for the people in Kenya. The volunteers had

to pay for the flight ourselves and once we were there we just had to pay for some food and transport.

In the autumn I sent in my application to go to Kenya for the following August. I had already talked to

the president and she put me in contact with other volunteers that were going there in August as well. I

bought the flight with two other girls who were also flying from Barcelona. I was very excited because

I had been in contact with all the volunteers and the association itself via e-mail for the preceding

months. We were all informed about every necessary step we needed to follow before getting there

and also when we arrived to the country. We were also told about all the things we needed to bring.

We organised some charity events to raise money before going to our destination. I was vaccinated

and packed my bags and finally flew to Kenya.

Once we got there the president of the association and some volunteers were waiting for as at the

airport. This was extremely important since the country was completely unknown to me. The president

was very kind with us and she explained us all the things we needed to do before getting to the village.

She went with us to buy everything that was necessary and we changed our money there as well. I

found it very safe to be there in the middle of the chaotic city of Mombasa with a person helping us in

every little thing. I realise now how important this simple action was, supporting the newcomers in our

first day in an absolutely different world for us.

I felt the cultural shock but I got used to it easily. The thing is that I had imagined the worst and when

I was there I realised it was not that bad. When we arrived at the little village of Tsunza we were all

welcomed by the kids there who helped us to carry our luggage. It was from the very first moment that

I realised it was the best experience I would have in my life. People in Tsunza were all very

welcoming and nice to all of us. They showed us the accommodation for the volunteers which was a

hut that we had to share with one of the families. I did not find it was going to be difficult for me to

spend a month living there and it was not. I quickly got used to the food habits although the first days I

was a bit hungry. People from Tsunza used to cook for us and we used to eat all together. They also

taught us how to cook typical Kenyan food. I really got on very fast with all the volunteers and the

people from the village. They were all very easy-going and we had no coexistence problems in the

whole month I spent there.

The president of the association was there giving us advice about any single thing we needed and she

told us we were free to organise our days there however we like. We decided to organise a class

timetable and we started teaching the kids some English, music and Spanish. They were all very happy

and interested in everything we did. It was the month of holiday for them and we spent almost the

whole day with the children. We encouraged them to study hard and we used to give them homework

every day for them to practice and improve their skills for their return to school in September. The

relationship with all of them was amazing. The teenagers I taught there are the best pupils I have ever

had. They were very interested and eager to learn. Even the small ones were incredibly eager to learn

more and more new things. I can guarantee that teaching there was a very rewarding experience to me.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 76

Apart from the lessons we also played with the children as they were not used to it. Playing time was

like a reward for their everyday work at class and at home studying and doing the homework. While

we showed them many games and songs they showed us local songs and dances as well. There were

many projects taking place there and I helped with the ones I could as well. I finished painting the

library that was built there for them to have a studying area and I helped to organise all the material we

brought for it. I also painted a new kitchen that was built for them to cook in healthier conditions and a

workshop that was going to be open for them to learn new jobs and crafts. We also organised a

football league and talks about AIDS. People in Tsunza were very positive about it all and they took

an active part in everything. There was a sponsoring program as well. We went to the city to buy all

the material for the sponsored kids and we gave it to them. I realised at that moment that sponsoring

was truly effective and that all the money sponsors had sent to the association reached their kids.

People there were very grateful to us and the point is that at the same time we were helping them they

were actually helping us as well. Only seeing their smiles when they had almost nothing, it was one of

the things about being there that made the greatest impression on me and it taught many values to us. I

really think this experience as a volunteer has changed me. I have realised that many material things

we think here to be indispensable to us are not even necessary at all and I have learnt that you can be

happy without anything. Actually, I can say I was for sure one of the happiest persons on Earth after

having been in a volunteer experience like that.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 77

Teaching English to very young learners Thanks to Elisabet Pladevall & Virginia Moreno

Teaching very young learners is a completely different profession from teaching adults or teens. Some

of you may find yourselves suddenly asked to do it without having had any proper training. The

following advice is intended to give you a very superficial orientation in the event of such an

emergency—it is not intended to be used as a comprehensive guide.

Routine is very important. Always follow the same sequence of activities. Example: 1) story-time

2) colouring time 3) puppet time 4) song and dance time

Begin with the same little ceremony and always end with another little ceremony. Make up your

own little rhyme and actions for these ceremonies, e.g. “Turn around and 123, touch your head

and touch your knee, touch the floor and touch the sky, now it’s time to say goodbye.” The

function is to mark opening and closure of the class. Before the closing make sure that everyone is

attentive and does the closing together.

Use different parts of the classroom for different activities. One corner is the story corner, another

is the colour corner, this is the weather wall, etc. That way kids when you move to a story corner

they will be ready for a story. Kids need a lot of “signposting” to help them follow routines.

An alternative is to put on different items, like a different hat, for different activities. When the

teacher puts on the story hat, they know it’s story time.

Repeat activities a lot. They like and need this (unlike adults). Do a lot of repeating. Read the

same story several days in a row.

Get them to interact as much as you can (within their linguistic means). Ask them questions for

which they know the answers: “What’s the monkey’s name?” Read or tell the same story several

days in a row, always asking the same questions.

Use your body and physical gestures for EVERYTHING.

Give them very short model dialogs that they can memorize easily. For example: At the market: Good morning.

Good morning.

How much are the potatoes?

Three euros.

Thank you.

Goodbye.

Teach them basic classroom phrases from the beginning. “Good morning.” “May I go to the

bathroom, please?” (whatever they typically need to say). But if they are tired and need to go to

the bathroom and can’t remember the English, let them speak their native language.

One way to deal with translation is to use puppets. The puppet will speak their language and you

speak English. So you can say something in English to the puppet and then the puppet will address

the students in their own language and explain what you just said.

Find an alternative to “Please be quiet!” like “123, listen to me” (point to ears and yourself).

Find books and tapes/CDs of English rhymes for little children. You can order many online from

Amazon.co.uk. Some possibilities:

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 78

Wee Sing Children’s Songs and Fingerplays with CD (Audio) (Wee Sing (Paperback))

Pamela Conn Beall, Susan Hagen Nipp (Price Stern Sloan

Move Over Mother Goose: Finger Plays, Action Verses and Funny Rhymes by Ruth I. Dowell,

Concetta C. Scott (Gryphon House)

Get yourself a set of children’s books in English. Amazon will give you suggestion lists for

young learners. It is best if the text is simple, but you can ignore complex text and tell your

own simplified version. However, always tell it exactly the same way, and interact with

students as you go. Some classics: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (for very small kids)

Curious George takes a job (or any other Curious George book)

Goodnight moon

Where the wild things are

Stories featuring Madeline (various)

Stories featuring Babar (various)

The Gruffalo

Any of the many books by Dr. Seuss

Any of the many books by Richard Scarry

Any version of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes (these are a good length for little kids)

Don’t teach them things they are unlikely to be learning at school in their native language

classes. If you can parallel what they are doing in their native language classes, so much the

better.

Do lots of physical activities that have them move and point and touch and repeat.

Get them to do what you want by carefully showing how to do it while speaking in English so

that they can see what you are doing and don’t need to understand everything of what you are

saying.

They also like to do tasks in small groups of three or four. Colouring or cutting and pasting,

for example. That way they have room for a bit more independence.

Don’t expect little kids to learn much. The most they will get out of the class will be slightly

greater comprehension later in life—but only if they continue to go to English classes. With

little kids, foreign language acquisition is “easy come, easy go”.

Resource books:

Teaching Languages to Young Learners (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) by Lynne

Cameron (Cambridge University Press)

Very Young Learners (Resource Books for Teachers S.) by Vanessa Reilly, Sheila M. Ward

(Oxford University Press)

Young Learners (Resource Books for Teachers S.) by Sarah Phillips, Alan Maley (Oxford

University Press)

The Primary English Teacher’s Guide (Penguin English Guides) by Gail Ellis, Jean Brewster,

Denis Girard (Cambridge University Press)

You may be able to find useful resources at these websites: www.billybear4kids.com,

www.eslkidstuff.com, and www.learnenglish.org.uk.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 79

Becoming a freelance translator Víctor Rodríguez Casafont

Becoming a freelance translator is quite a long task that requires considerable patience.

Should any of you want to become a freelancer, I would strongly recommend doing a postgraduate

course in translation. That way you will be able to enrol in any of the associations for translators

available in Spain (see www.atic.cc). English philology students who do not have a postgraduate

degree or 5 years of experience translating will not be accepted.

The next step is to decide what type of translation are you willing to do (the main possibilities are

technical, scientific, literary and legal translation). Your income will vary depending on the type of

translation you choose, and most probably you will need some type of additional training and/or

education in the target field. For example, you will need to read technical or legal books in order to get

yourself accustomed to the vocabulary you will work with. Customers are very, very demanding.

It is also very important that you consider translating from another language apart from English.

There are millions of translators worldwide and this has two major consequences: on the one hand,

you will have to lower your rates quite a lot in order to compete with South American translators, who

usually work much cheaper than we do; and on the other hand, there are so many English-Spanish

translators, that finding work is getting more difficult every day. I would recommend learning

German, Japanese or Chinese (no joke!).

Also, you will need to familiarise yourself with some of the translation tools available in the market.

These tools consist of the so-called “Translation Memories” (translation tools which “remember” all

translated sentences and give automatic translations whenever the same sentence is repeated later on in

the file). They are very helpful to speed up your work and they are definitely necessary to get

competitive rates. (Your customers will require you to apply discounts on the repeated segments!)

Explaining these tools in full depth would be too space-consuming here, so if you are interested, visit

some of the following websites:

www.star-group.net

www.trados.com

www.translationzone.com

www.proz.com

www.translatorscafe.com.

Once you have got familiar with some of these translation tools, you will face the greatest problem:

lack of experience. Finding customers is very difficult if you do not have enough experience; most

translation agencies make it a prerequisite for accepting résumés that the translator has 5 or more years

of experience, and even then they usually require a translation test before including you in their

database. Also, experience is very important for yourself: at first it is very easy to produce translations

that are too direct, i.e. they are more like an English text written in Spanish than a Spanish text, and

your goal will be to write texts which sound totally native in Spanish.

Of course you can practice at home, and the best way to achieve this goal is to review your

translations two or three times once they are finished and make all necessary adaptations. You will be

amazed at the number of sentences you will modify slightly in order to make them sound “more

Spanish”. This sounds very obvious, but I myself have found that it is more difficult than it seems.

The best option is to try to get into a translation agency as a permanent for three or four years and

then decide if you want to become a freelancer or if you’d rather not take the risk.

Before deciding to go freelance, I would recommend that you first build up quite a wide client

portfolio. (It took me about 4 years of translating nights and weekends before I reached that point.)

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 80

Most agencies will not send you regular jobs till you’ve been working with them for approximately a

year, and also, at first you will have to lower your rates quite a bit. I would recommend starting with a

word rate not less than €0.035 (although most South American translators work for €0.02–€0.025—at

that rate, you would have to work too many hours for this job to be profitable). And I would not

recommend that you become a freelancer till you can earn a gross income of at the very least

€1500/month.

In order to become a freelancer (which is just like any other “autónomo” in Spain), you will need to go

to the Treasury Office and the Social Security Office. There you can get all the information you need

to become a translator, what you must do, and everything you must pay for. For more information, see

the following link:

www.atic.cc/preguntes.htm

Note item 11: “Què he de fer per treballar com a traductor autònom?” There is a very useful .pdf

“dossier” available here.

Arantza Elosua adds: If you want to become a professional translator, you generally need a

specialisation, which you can gain by doing a specialised postgrad translation program or by having

equivalent working experience (as full-time worker only).

In order to become a member of any Chartered Institute (which I highly recommend), you need

references from two mentors at least, and a Master’s is always a good idea for linguists (if you are an

engineer wanting to translate about engineering, you do not need it, as you make up with the

specialised knowledge).

The Col·legi Oficial de Llicenciats en Filosofia i Lletres i en Ciències posts a webpage that lists

recommended fees for translating and proofreading. However, you should probably regard these rates

as the ideal high end of what you can expect to charge, especially when you are just beginning.

See www.cdl.cat/serveis/honoraris_professionals

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 81

Working in the publishing industry Carme Font & Alicia Carreras

Carme’s comments:

If you love literature and writing, if you are an avid reader, are interested in culture and have a creative

slant, publishing might be the right thing for you. As in other fields of endeavor, beginnings are never

easy and it may take some time (from six months to two years) before you land in relatively safe

haven. Also beware that working for publishers does not mean that you will translate or edit first-rate

authors, that you will socialize with big shots in literature or that you will receive a substantial cheque

for your first novel. It is a highly competitive career which requires a series of less glamorous

activities: negotiating contracts and foreign rights, organizing budgets, drawing up marketing plans,

scheduling marketing campaigns, working under very tight deadlines, laying out texts and negotiating

your niche in bookshops.

If you definitely want to have a hand in this area, the first thing to do after graduation is enrolling in a

master’s program related to publishing. Some of these program are very expensive (like the one in

Pompeu Fabra University), and others are more modest in their approach. Paying more does not

necessarily mean receiving a better training, so my advice would be to pick a course you can afford

which at the same time offers a complete look inside the different trades in the publishing sector.

After your master’s, whether this entails practicums or not, send your CV and cover letter to as many

small, medium and large publishing houses and literary agencies you can. Send it both to their Human

Resources departments AND to specific publishers by name. You will need to call to remind them of

your existence and your willingness to work with them. Your CV should highlight the following

items: your degree in Philology, your Master’s, your practicum hours or final master project, as well

as the languages you write and speak. If you know the rudiments of electronic design and lay-out, for

example, that’s a bonus for you.

Many publishers are eager to hire young graduates because they can pay them less than senior workers

and because they can teach them the trade. Publishing is still a trade in the old sense of the word: you

learn it while you are working. Usually, you are first hired as an “junior editor”. If you are much more

interested in a particular aspect of the trade, you have the option of working FOR publishers, and

becoming a freelancer. These are some of the most common trades.

Translation. A word of caution here: translating books is a fascinating but difficult job, and it takes

several years before you are given quality literature to translate. Good translators are nearly always

good writers. So you have to demonstrate the following abilities as a translator:

a) A command of the language/s you translate from. I recommend you be able to translate from

two or three languages (no more): English, French or German (there’s a shortage of good

German translators) and any other language, preferably an “exotic” one (why not Russian,

Chinese, Arabic or Portuguese?). You must connect in a creative way with the text and shape

it into your mother tongue.

b) A command of the language you translate into. ALWAYS translate into your mother tongue.

MAKE SURE that your Spanish and Catalan are impeccable, that you don’t make mistakes

and that your discourse is rich in style and resources.

c) An ability to adapt to your publishers’ needs. I always knew, from a very tender age, that I

wanted to work with books and literature. I love writing, reading, translating, researching and

teaching literature. This is my life and my passion, and this has allowed me to endure all sorts

of obstacles and disappointments before I could forge myself a specific name in the Spanish

publishing industry (sorry for the sermon). I say this because, before you come to translate

English classical authors and writing prefaces, you will be asked to translate all kinds of

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 82

fiction and non-fiction works from self-help books to cooking manuals, political biographies,

books on fine arts, traveling guides and prenatal textbooks. You should be prepared for the

best and for the worst. But remember that every project is a stepping-stone to demonstrate

your ability as a writer and translator. Eventually, you will be entrusted with high-quality

projects.

d) An ability to meet deadlines. Publishers are obsessed with deadlines. Welcome to the real

world! You have to meet deadlines, without excuses.

e) An ability to manage your projects and your finances. As a freelancer, you have to keep track

of your finances, taxes and clients.

f) You are normally paid 8-10 euros per 2,100-spaces page.

Reading. Reading for publishers (becoming a “lector/a”) means that a publisher gives you books and

manuscripts to read. You are asked to write a report on each book/manuscript and be able to form a

literary and a commercial opinion. Some books are good from a literary viewpoint, but are a poor

commercial investment. This requires the following abilities:

a) You need to enroll first in a “Professional Reading” course. Some of them are on-line.

b) You need to read in several languages (English, French and German, preferably), apart from

Catalan and Spanish, of course.

c) You need to read fast and well (several books per week).

d) You need to be acquainted with literary trends, home and abroad.

e) You need to assess a book/manuscript taking into account both its literary and its

commercial value.

Correction and proof-reading. Some freelancers specialize in correcting and proof-reading texts

from publishers. Usually, manuscripts and texts go through a long and tedious correction process.

Good style proofreaders, for example, are difficult to find. First you need to enroll in a proofreading

course (some of these are online), and demonstrate your absolute command of the Spanish/Catalan

language, apart from a fine eye for detail.

There are other jobs for freelancers, like becoming a freelance publisher.

If you need help and advice in order to begin your career in this sector, you can contact me at

[email protected]

Alicia’s comments:

Yo trabajo en Difusión, una editorial de lenguas que, si has hecho el curso de ELE de la IH, ya

conocerás. No hacemos literatura (aunque me gustaría muchísimo!), pero yo hice antes unas prácticas

en Cabaret VOltaire, una editorial de lite mayoritariamente francesa, muy bonitos.

El funcionamiento de estas dos es muy distinto entre si. En Cabaret Voltaire se hacían novelas y

ensayos, y se trataba de una editorial pequeña, independiente, por lo que sólo había un editor principal

y otro que trabajaba en sus ratos libres. Por eso, se suelen todavía servir de becarios para sacarles

trabajo durante una temporada, como hice yo. El ritmo era bastante tranquilo, sacan unos 8 títulos al

año, y más que nada era controlar un poco el Indesign, y comunicarte con las editoriales francesas para

negociar los derechos, etc., además de un poco de “prensa y comunicación”, contactar a críticos,

enviarles nuestros libros, mirar en sus blogs, saber qué saca la competencia, etc. Fue muy bonito pero,

claro, como becaria se me quedó corto. Eso es todo lo que puedo decir de editoriales de literatura.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 83

En cuanto a las de lenguas, es otro mundo. Para mí, más entretenido y con más posibilidades, aunque

sí que echo de menos no tener literatura. Y aquí, ya no son dos o tres editores, sino 30 o o 50 o 100, o

más, depende de la editorial. Ser editor de libros de texto significa coordinar un proyecto, digamos, de

inglés o de ELE o de francés, para cierto nivel del marco, y ser responsable de todo el proceso, desde

un inicio hasta su entrega en imprenta, es decir, contactar y gestionar diseño, maquetación, autores,

correctores, traductores a veces, documentalistas... haces un poco de todo. Planteas unidades

didácticas con un hilo temático, te reúnes con los autores y se discuten los contenidos, luego el editor

recibe los manuscritos y los pasa a la maqueta, retoca, elimina o pide más contenidos, escogiendo las

fotos de bancos de imágenes, la tipografía, colores, buscando derechos de textos o citas en fuentes

diversas, etc... en fin, tocas un poco de todo y todo el mundo pasa por ti, lo cual es muy divertido pero

también muy estresante. Las fechas “deadine” suelen ser muy apretadas, todos solemos hacer horas

extras de vez en cuando para acabar el proyecto, y todo recae sobre ti, en menor o mayor medida. Pese

a todo, es un trabajo muy bonito, aunque, como siempre en este mundo, mal pagado. Si te quieres

dedicar a la edición, hay que tener eso en cuenta también.

En relación a los cursos, mira, yo hice el máster de “Creació literària” de la UPF, que era más de

escribir, pero en el que había dos asignaturas o tres de crítica, el oficio del libro y el mundo editorial, y

te enseñaban los signos de corrección, un poco todo el funcionamiento interno, etc, aunque sin

profundizar. Eso sí, como hice las prácticas voluntarias en la pequeña editorial, entendí un poco más

todo. Lo normal es hacer el máster de edición directamente, el de la UPF-IDEC (pero es muy caro), o

el de la UAB.

También es interesante el de “libro digital” de la UOC, de hecho me estoy planteando si hacerlo en

algún momento, ya que la edición tiende inevitablemente al proceso de digitalización de los libros

(que nosotros ya hacemos en la editorial). Si te inicias en el mundo, creo que es una buena opción, ya

que ahora y cada vez más, el perfil que se busca/rá es el de alguien con capacidad crítica-humanista

(un filólogo, traductor) pero con conocimientos técnicos (páginas web, blogs, lenguaje html, xml, e-

books, etc.). Otra opción es el de “gestión de contenidos digitales”, también muy buscado ahora, pero

se aleja un poco de la edición en si, que es lo más atractivo, en mi opinión.

Si no quieres pagar un máster, aunque creo que para dedicarte quizá es lo más apropiado, hay cursos

sueltos de corrección, de edición, etc, en cibernarium de Barcelona activa (gratis, cortos, no muy

especializados en el ámbito), o en Editrain, que es la página del gremio, y suele ofrecer formación

continua a los que ya trabajan en edición pero también a desempleados. Todavía no he podido cursar

ninguno, pero me gustaría mucho. Si no, he escuchado hablar de Cálamo & Cran, aunque ya son

escuelas privadas, supongo que es caro, No sé, échale un vistazo a todo a ver qué te parece. Ah,

también, claro, es una muy buena opción probar los centros cívicos de Barcelona, que suelen ofrecer

cursos de Indesign, el programa de maquetación que seguramente te piden en cualquier editorial.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 84

Business communication basics

If you find yourself in a business-related job, you might find the following pages useful.

1. Communicating data on the phone

The alphabet

Be especially careful to pronounce these letters right: A/E/I/Y J/G B/V K/Q H

If you use proper names to clarify, make sure your listener will understand, e.g. don’t say “V for

Valladolid” unless the other person is familiar with the name Valladolid.

The NATO spelling alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India,

Juliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform,

Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

Punctuation marks

: colon ; semi-colon , comma - dash or hyphen

. in text “full-stop” or “period” . in numbers “point” . in email addresses “dot”

’ apostrophe “open quotes ”close quotes (open parentheses )close parentheses

CAPITAL LETTERS (or upper case)/small letters (or lower case)

new line space _ underscore / slash or stroke

Numbers

1. The conventions for the use of commas and points are reversed relative to most European usage:

two thousand dollars = $2,000.00

2. Numbers to the right of the decimal point are read individually, not as tens and hundreds: 42.39 =

“forty-two point three nine”

3. In isolation, 0 is read as “zero” or “nought” or “oh”

4. Before decimal fractions, we do not necessarily say “nought” or “zero”: 0.67 = “point six seven”

5. We say and after “hundred”: “Two hundred and ten thousand, four hundred and three.”

6. We don’t say “three millions of dollars”. We say “three million dollars”

7. In US usage, a “billion” means a thousand million, not a million million

8. Currency symbols are written before the quantity but read afterwards: €400 = “four hundred

euros”

9. In amounts of money, we often don’t say “point”. For example, €14.60 = “fourteen euros and

sixty cents” or “fourteen euros sixty” or “fourteen sixty”

Examples

1,432.69 “one thousand four hundred and thirty two point six nine”

€3.5m “three point five million Euros” or “three and a half million Euros”

Phone numbers

1. We read them in groups of two, three or four, with pauses between

2. We don’t read phone numbers as tens or hundreds.

WRONG: twenty-four ninety-three sixty-six. RIGHT: two four nine---three six six.

3. Double numbers may be read as such, e.g. 44 “double-four”

4. If there is a country code, we usually describe it as such

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 85

Example:

34-937-303031

“Country code three-four for Spain [pause] then nine-three-seven [pause] three-oh-three [pause]

oh-three-one”

Dates

There is variation in the way they are written

1. 7 January 2006

2. January 7th, 2006

3. 7/1/06

4. 1/7/06 (US system)

a. On the phone, this date can be read as “January seventh two-thousand-six” or “seven January two-

thousand-six” or “the seventh of January two-thousand-six”.

b. In face-to-face conversation, we prefer “January seventh two-thousand-six” or “the seventh of

January two-thousand-six”.

Times

16.30 (or 16:30 in the US) can be read as

1) “four-thirty PM”

2) “half past four PM”

3) “sixteen-thirty” (especially on the phone)

16.27 is read as

1) “sixteen-twenty-seven”

2) “twenty-seven past four”

16.45 can be read as

2) “sixteen-forty-five”

3) “a quarter to five (PM)”

4) “fifteen to five”

Email addresses or websites 1) @ is “at”

2) . is “dot”

3) _ underscore or underline

4) domain names may be read as acronyms, but make sure they will be understood. For example,

if you read .es as “dot es”, an English speaker will write “.s”.

In all cases, it’s a good idea to confirm that the information has been correctly received

1) by repeating the dictation

“OK, so let me repeat that number/ that name/ that address/ the whole thing…”

2) by requesting that the other party confirm.

“OK, so could I ask you to read that back to me?”

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 86

2. Useful telephone phrases

Making a call

Hello. This is ____. Hola. Soy ____

Could you put me through to ____, please? ¿Me puede pasar a ____?

Could I speak to ____, please? ¿Puedo hablar con ____?

I’d like to ____. Me gustaría ____.

How’s everything going? ¿Como va todo?

Do you know when he’ll/she’ll be back? ¿Sabe cuando volverá?

When will I be able to reach him/her? ¿Cuando puedo encontrarle?

Well… (≠ good. Use it to hesitate.) Bueno…

Could I leave a message, please? ¿Puedo dejar un recado?

Ready? ¿Preparado/a?

Would you like me to spell/repeat that? ¿Quiere que lo repita/deletree?

Have you got that? ¿Lo ha cogido?

Would you read that back to me, please? ¿Me lo puede repetir?[para confirmar]

That’s right. Exacto.

That’s all. Nada más

That’s OK/Never mind. I’ll call back later. Es igual. Ya llamaré luego.

Great. Muy bien.

Thank you. Bye. Gracias. Adios.

Receiving a call

Hold on. /Just a minute, please. Espere./ Un momento, por favor.

I’ll put you through (to____). Ahoro le paso (a ____).

Speaking. Yo mismo—soy yo

Who’s calling, please? ¿Quien llama? ¿De parte de quien?

What can I do for you?/ How can I help you? ¿Como puedo ayudarle?

(I’m afraid) he’s/she’s busy right now. (Me parece que) está ocupado/a en estos momentos.

He’s/she’s not in at the moment/today. No está en este momento /hoy.

She’ll/He’ll be right back. Vloverá pronto.

Shall I have him/her call you back? ¿Quiere que le pida que le llame?

She’ll/He’ll call you as soon as she/he gets back. Llamará tan pronto como vuelva.

Could I have your name again, please? Me repite su nombre por favor?

Could you spell that, please? Me lo puedes deletrear por favor?

He/She should be back at __ o’clock/ Volverá a las__ /dentro de__ minutos

Would you like to leave a message? ¿Quiere dejar un recado?

OK, go ahead. [to begin a dictation] Sí, diga.

Let’s see…. A ver...

Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Perdon, no le he entendido.

Got that. Vale, ya lo tengo. De acuerdo.

Yes... I see...OK...Good...Fine...Right…etc. Ya, ya, si, vale, de acuerdo, si...

The thing is, … Es que…

Sorry. Could you speak a bit slower/louder, please? Podría hablar un poco más despacio/ fuerte?

I’ll make sure that ____ gets your message. Ya me encargaré de que ____ reciba su recado.

Listen, I’m really busy at the moment. Oiga, estoy ocupadísimo/a en este momento.

Can I call you back in two minutes? Te puedo volver a llamar dentro de dos minutos?

Thanks for calling. Gracias por llamar.

I’m afraid you’ve got a wrong number. Me parece que se ha equivocado de número, ¿eh?

Have a nice weekend! Buen fin de semana.

You too! Tú también.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 87

3. Email basics Based on Paul Emmerson’s Email English (Macmillan 2004)

IMPORTANT Sp. “un mail” = Eng. “an email” If an English-speakers says, “I’ll mail it,” they

mean they will send it by paper post (correu normal). If they mean electronic mail, they’ll say,

“I’ll email /:/ it.”

English “mail” is noncountable. “You have some mail.”

“Mail” is often referred to as “snailmail” (because it is slow relative to email).

When you receive an attachment by email, it is always a good idea to immediately confirm

receipt.

We don’t write “Here you have the report” or “Here you are the report.” We write “Here is the

report.” (We use “Here you are” or “Here you go” when with speak, but note that we do not

include the object.)

We don’t write “I have attached you the report.” We write “I have attached the report.”

Formal or neutral style Informal style

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms Sanders [you don’t know the

person]

Dear Claudia [you know the person]

Hi Claudia

Hello Claudia

Claudia

Thank you for your email of 7 March Thanks for your email.

Further to your last email, …

In reply to your last email

Re your email

I apologise for not having contacted you sooner. Sorry I haven’t written sooner.

I am writing with regard to your delivery, …

I am writing in connection with…

Regarding your delivery, …

We would like to point out that… Please note that…

I’m writing to let you know that… I just wanted to say that…

I’m writing to confirm that…

We are able to confirm that…

Just a quick note to confirm that…

I am delighted to tell you that… Good news!

We regret to inform you that… Unfortunately,… /I’m afraid that….

Please find attached the documentation you

requested.

I’ve attached the documentation you asked for.

I’m sending you the report as an attachment.

I have attached the report as a PDF file.

Here is the report.

Could you give me some information about…?

I would like to know…

I’m interested in finding out…

Can you tell me a bit more about…?

I’d like to know…

Please send me…

I’d be grateful if you could…

I wonder if you could…

Would it be possible for you to…?

Could you…?

Would you mind [gerund]?

Thank you in advance for your help in this matter. Many thanks in advance.

I will discuss the matter with…

I will investigate the matter and…

I’ll talk if over with…

I’ll look into it and…

I will contact you again shortly. I’ll get back to you ASAP.

I’ll let you know ASAP.

I will forward your email to… I’ll forward this to…

Would you like me to…?

Let me know if you would like me to…

Shall I…?

Do you want me to…?

Thank you for your help.

Many thanks indeed for [gerund or noun]

Many thanks for…[gerund or noun]

Do not hesitate to contact us again if you require

further information

Please feel free to contact me if you have any

questions/require further clarification.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Just call me if you have any questions.

My direct phone line is… My number is…

I am looking forward to [gerund or noun] Looking forward to [gerund or noun]

Give my regards to… Say hi to…

Best wishes

Best regards

See you soon./Talk to you soon.

Bye for now.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 88

Contributors to Alumni Reports 2013 or other parts of the LAG pack

2012

Manuel Arnedo Sánchez

Meritxell Baz García Laia Castañón Abad

Sofia Chtchepetova

Yvette Corominas Plans

Pau Donay López

Laura Dorado Martorell

Ruth Gómez Layola

Maliki Konteh

Neus Luna Barrabés Estel Mandri Martínez

Jordi Morera Herrero

Núria Sabater Liesa

Adriana Soto Corominas

2011

Maya Ávila Martínez

Ariadna Boada Riera Jorgina Bolde Farelo

Alba Carmona Giralt

Antonella Cittanti Ostrowicz

Cristina Cusidó Bayó

Núria Frías Jiménez

Daniel Hidalgo Brenes

Vanesa Juárez Paris Javier Fernández Sánchez

Josep Antoni Jiménez Velázquez

Jeehye Kim

Marc López Martínez

Aida Marin Mora

María Mercedes Márquez Hernández

Sara Martín Ruiz

Maria Moreno Herrero Laura Moreno González

Silvia Moreno Silvestre

Francisca Osorio Troncoso

Ksenia Ouzioumova

Silvia Pèlach Roca

Mireia Pla Bosch

Aida Ribot Bencomo

Laura Romero Sastre Noelia Sánchez Campos

Glòria Tost Gascó

2010

Alba Álvarez Holgado

Meritxell Ballús Antonell

Judit Besora Tondo Carmen Cavia Garrido

Adrià de Gracia Ortiz

Paula Denari

Carles Güell Bou

Mireia Ilarri González

Paula Jiménez Martínez

Christian Justicia Sánchez

Cristina Pardo Valls David Soler Ortínez

Oleksiy Zarubin

2009

Zara Aguilar Torra

Anabel Arcos Coca

Sònia Barroso Sàez Anna Bernal Díaz

Àngels Bladé Castells

Guillem Blasco Garriga

Carles Brosel i Oliu

Laura Buitrago Barroso

Ana Isabella Byrne Bellorín

Mireia Cañadell Monton

Ester Cervero Martín Esther Codina Potrony

Laura Crespillo González

Cristina Estanol Hugas

Miguel Ángel Fuentes Arjona Laura Izquierdo Torres

Elisabet Julià Pereña

Marta Madrid Ribas

Núria Marco Rodríguez

Àngela Masià Sola

Noemí Ortego Jódar

Verónica Paez Fuentes

Olga Parera Bosch Ariadna Puig Cabeza

Alexandra Tejero Canal

Alba Torres Álvarez

Annaïs Vázquez Vega

Isabel Vila Casas

Teresa Maria Xiqués García

2008 Cristina Abánades López

Alba Avellaneda Canals

José Manuel Cabello Cotán

Silvia Cerezo Jiménez

Irene Cuenca Sánchez

Daniel de Rueda Garzón

Carol Gómez López Mariela González Gómez

Aaron Herrero Hidalga

Cinta Llorente del Àguila

Cristina Martín Parareda

Carolina Padrosa Trias

Marta Ros Montañá

Carlos Verge Ferré

Anna Vidal Calbet

2007

Xavier Aldana Reyes

Laia Arnaus Gil

Koré Arques Burgos

Carolina Balada Pérez

David Checa Gómez

Mónica Cordero Peñas Belinda Costa Olivares

Cristina Delgado García

Vanessa Fernández del Viso Román

Rafa Gallego García

Cristina García-Verdugo González

Mercè Guixà Casellas

Marta Heredia Rodríguez Núria Hernández Castillo

Diana-Aurora Hernández García

Auba Llompart Pons

Virginia Moreno González

Alfonso Olmedo

Pablo Ortigosa Pastor

Sanae Ortiz Nakamura

Jordi Pagès Espuña Cristina Pérez Padilla

Iolanda Reig Malé

Samuel Rísquez Aguado

Sílvia Suárez Carrión

Ana Tallon

2006 Laura Bujalance Planigumà

Natàlia Casal Fernández

Noemí Fernández Sánchez

Sabrina Ferré Julià

Rebeca García Jimeno

María Rosa Garrido Sardà

Sílvia Garriga Galobardes

Montse Gómez Laredo Judit González López

Silvia Imbernón Ramírez

Raül Jiménez Justo

Juan Meneses Naranjo Núria Navidad Navidad

Mónica San José Martín

Laura Viader Roger

2005

Marta Carrillo

Judit Espinosa Marsal

Elaine Higa Zoraida Horrillo Godino

Susana Pérez Martínez

Ana Belén Sánchez Montero

2004

Maite Caicedo Valentí

Tanit Carré Cardona

Arantza Elosua Francia Ibana Larrubia Rovira

Miriam Rodríguez López

Maria Sabaté Dalmau

Mariona Salvador Jaumà

Juanjo Sánchez Belmonte

Meritxell Simón Martín

Sandra Torres Mensat Carme Valls Anguera

Maria Velázquez González-Nicolás

2003

Elisabeth Castillo Fàbrega

Eva González Berruezo

Mamen Hidalgo Villén

Iván Matellanes Fresnadillo Estel Planas Pascual

Elisabet Pladevall Ballester

Núria Tuda Carro

2002

Diana Gasol Nykvist

Susan Hernández Hernández

Josep Jutglar Company Masha Kubyshina Salvado

Eduardo Martínez Timón

Alba Miquel

Laura Monerris Oliveras

Esther Piqué Coll

Víctor Rodríguez Casafont

Mònica Salvador

2001

Cecilio Alarcón Ortiz

Teresa Aulí Llinàs

Tània Garriga Luzón

Rosana Martínez Fernández

2000 Miriam Urgellés Coll

1999

Eva Fité Martínez

Òscar Ros Joven

1997 Adela Mena García

1995

Carme Font Paz

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 89

Alumni reports 2013 Many thanks to all contributors. This pack was compiled by Michael Kennedy-Scanlon. If you detect any errors or omissions,

please accept my apologies and inform me of them immediately at [email protected].

2012 Manuel Arnedo Sánchez

I began looking for a job last summer as a recent

graduate. I wasn’t very lucky, maybe because summer

positions were already taken or rather due to the huge

recession we’re currently experiencing. Therefore, I tried

to survive by teaching individual private classes which I

found both among acquaintances and on the internet. At

first this may sound a bit awkward but I found it

challenging as well as rewarding: I truly improved my

teaching skills and what is more, I developed a powerful

creativity (I created my own lesson plans). My client list

was becoming so positive that I even thought about

becoming self-employed officially.

I learnt how to create a webpage and I created

www.englinea.com, a site where I often upload my own

lesson plans (so that I have them ready to use in

classroom with a projector).

From September to December I worked in an

academy named Northon School, where I taught both

children and adults. I had a great time and experience

there, but I found a more appropriate position for me in

Maristes la Immaculada, a school in Barcelona where I

still am. Although it’s only 8 hours per week, I’m

combining this job with the individual private classes,

with which I get by in these tough times.

One of my main objectives after I finished my major

was to get a Master’s degree. During my last academic

year in the U.S., I was lucky to study subjects from a

field called Literature and the Mind, and I would love to

expand my knowledge on that but I haven’t found

anything related to it here. However there is a Master’s

program offered by the UPF, “Creación Literaria”,

which I want to do when I get the chance (that is, the

money). Meanwhile, I am taking some free University

courses online from www.coursera.org.

Meritxell Baz García

I have not had many changes from my former life as

a student. I continue working in a language school as an

English and Japanese teacher. But there is not much

work in a language school and I really think we should

start considering going to another country. I would also

really like to do a master’s in literature, but I still have to

save some money for that.

It is true, though, that I have published a book (that

is, I had to pay to have it published) thanks to the

encouragement of David Owen, and I have participated in

some literary competitions. For the moment I am the only

one selling my book because I still have to pay the ISBN

and the Depósito legal which I hope to pay by the end of

July and I will try to start selling in my town and see how

it works. In the meanwhile, I have been selling it through

my Facebook so if anyone is interested I can send

it through the mail or in person if they are from

Barcelona. I am very happy because all the people who

have read it really liked it so I can consider myself a

lucky person. Three chapters are available in my blog at

alotroladomb.blogspot.com and the webpage is on

facebook: www.facebook.com/meritxellbaz. I try to offer

contests on a regular basis the prize for which is a free

book. So feel free to participate!

Laia Castañón Abad

When I started studying English Philology I knew

for certain two things only: I wanted to go on an Erasmus

year and I didn’t want to be an English teacher. Now, five

years later, I’m working as an English teacher and did not

go abroad on an Erasmus year for financial reasons.

When I graduated last year I suddenly felt very lost:

I had a well-paid weekend job, but after four years I was

fed up with it. Instead of waiting to be sure of what I

really wanted and thinking things through, I decided to

try my luck and go to England to work as an au pair, so I

looked for a host family in the website www.aupair-

world.net. Many people are very lucky with their

experience on this website, but that was not my case as I

was made to work more than agreed and not much with

the kids. So after a very short time there I came back

home. I felt like a failure, I was jobless and I had the

feeling I’d be a “ni-ni” even if I already had a degree.

Then I sent my CV to a few places and less than a

week later I had two job offers as a part-time English

teacher. Not the job of my dreams, for sure, but over the

last months I’ve gained perspective about my life and

I’ve been able to enjoy lots of free time. During this time

I’ve also been studying Norwegian, as I found I needed

some sort of intellectual challenge after so many years in

the educational system. Now I intend to study the UAB’s

MA in Advanced English Studies (Literature & Cultural

Studies) which probably won’t help me much to find a

job right now, but I know it is what I really want to do.

Sofia Chtchepetova

When I graduated I decided to live in Canada for a

while. It all started when I came to Toronto on exchange

in the last year of university. The exchange experience

was great, I loved the people and the city. So I said why

not try working here for a year? I applied for a Work on

Holiday Visa which I got in two months and then I

started the job hunting. I applied for all kinds of jobs,

even the ones I did not believe I would ever get. I had

many interviews in one month and I finally got the job I

currently have. I am a Bilingual Emergency Assistance

Specialist at Zurich (a travel insurance company). Did I

ever imagine myself working in an insurance company

after graduating in English Studies? Of course not! I

basically got the job because I speak several languages

and I have some experience in customer service. I did not

need any insurance experience since they give you

intensive training about the basics of travel insurance.

I like the position because it is challenging at times

and there is always something new to learn but most

importantly the pay is quite good. Since going back to

Spain right now is not the best option, I applied for the

Young Professional Visa for next year and for now I am

staying in Canada. Toronto is one of the most

multicultural cities in the world with about 50% of the

population being foreign-born and it is also one of the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 90

world’s safest big cities to live in. My plan is to go back

to school in a couple of years but for now I just want to

get some work experience and save up some money.

Yvette Corominas Plans

Some months before graduating, I started planning

my next move. I wanted to go abroad since I thought my

Erasmus did not provide me with a real idea of what

living abroad meant, and also I wanted to challenge

myself. I loved my Erasmus in London, but I was willing

to push my limits further. Europe was out of question

since it felt like home, so I decided to go to China.

It all started when I decided to start studying

Chinese. I thought it would be a good idea to spend a

month in China doing a language course, but soon I

realized it was not what I needed. I contacted an agency

called Travel Work. They help you find internships

around the world, but it is quite pricy, to be honest. I had

to pay about 1,400 euro to get an interview with a school

in China. I was successful and got a five-month

internship in Shanghai Experimental School CIE. And

eventually, this internship became a two-year contract to

teach English, Spanish and help in the students’ affairs

office—which basically means making timetables,

scheduling exams and some other very basic stuff.

Although Travel Work gave me this huge

opportunity to make a living in Shanghai, I would not

recommend this agency to anyone. During the five

months I was an intern, I got interviewed by the police

several times and they refused to extend my visa. To cut a

long story short, Travel Work told me I should get an F-

visa to go to China. A couple of weeks after I got there, I

realized that it was not a legal visa if you were getting

paid. Although there were no documents showing it, I did

receive a salary from school and that attracted the

attention of the police. The Travel Work agency in

Shanghai told me I should lie to the Police and under no

circumstances should I let them know about the agency. I

decided not to contact the agency any more and get a

legal contract directly with the school.

Pau Donay López

I graduated after many years of struggling with my

degree and just a couple of months before finishing it, I

already got a job teaching in a language school in

Castellbisbal. It is far away from home but, fortunately, I

bought a small motorbike which makes transport cheaper.

My bosses are quite good, every single euro I earn pays

contributions to social security in 12 payments and, what

is best, even in August and December I receive all of my

salary. This is the current situation you will find when

working in language schools, working in the afternoons

with a low salary and earning part of it under the counter

so the bosses make sure you are going to teach even if

you get ill.

Nevertheless, I am trying to apply for work as a

translator. The handicap is that I have no experience. So I

have decided to get training in translation. There are

many master’s degree programs in translation but if you

don’t have the time or the money, there is a company

called ‘Cálamo & Cran’ that offers many courses on

translation and editing even online and, more

importantly, practicums. Prices are reasonable.

If there is advice I can give you for college and

everyday life is stay hungry. Stay Hungry for your

dreams, for job opportunities, for getting what you

deserve. Times are difficult but you should not sell your

soul to the devil. I have seen friends or even my partner

with university degrees and working for free for some

unscrupolous business owners who are taking advantage

of other people’s situation. Remember, you and I have

been studying for many years and we have made many

sacrifices to get our degrees. ‘No’ and ‘I had enough’ are

powerful words which can lead you being fired but the

world is too big to not find anything else better.

Laura Dorado Martorell

After I graduated, I returned to Palma, my

birthplace. I wasn’t sure what to do next, and so I decided

to take sort of a ‘gap year’ to think about what I really

wanted to do. I wanted to take up a new foreign language,

and I decided to start learning German since it’s quite

popular and useful here in Mallorca. I took several

intensive courses on a monthly basis, from October to

April, and in May I took the official examination offered

by the Goethe Institut for the B1 level.

At the same time, the language school for which I

work during the summer as a group leader at summer

camps abroad offered me a group to teach but it was far

from home, they didn’t pay for gas, and I was only going

to earn €9/h. That’s when I decided to start something on

my own: I talked to a couple of friends, former teachers

and relatives, who recommended me as a private English

teacher and it went really well. I had on average two kids

a day, in the afternoons, who came to my house and since

I am a college graduate I was able to charge €15/h. This

money gave me the opportunity both to save and to spend

on my leisure, and not to ask my parents for more.

During this time, a concertada school called me for

an interview to fill a substitute position, but when I was

doing the interview they realized I didn’t have the

CAP/MPF and so they did without me (even though it

wasn’t on my CV, they had called me anyway).

And so after a year doing all these little things, I

decided that it was best for me to take the CAP/MPF, get

it over with and then decide what to do next year. So I’ve

applied to do it at the Universitat de les Illes Balears and

I’m waiting to see whether I’ve been accepted. The next

step will probably be to do a MA abroad, though I’m not

sure yet what or where, but I still have this year to figure

that out.

Ruth Gómez Layola

In the autumn before I graduated I applied to be a

Teaching Assistant at the University of Maryland

Baltimore County in order to be funded for their Master’s

in Intercultural Communication program (that’s right, I

don’t have to pay any tuition costs). So here I am, doing

the master’s while teaching Spanish to a class of 30

undergraduates. The program I'm in is really good but

they expect so much from me! That's a bit scary.

Graduate programs seem very serious here. I need at least

a B in each course, which scares me a bit. I'm taking my

first course in intercultural communication and it is

interesting to see how the things that we read and discuss

in class are what we are experiencing every day! I'm

taking a teaching foreign languages' course as it is

compulsory for TAs and I am learning a lot. I also

decided to follow the ESOL track and after taking 4

courses in that I'll be able to have the certificate. The

course I'm doing from that program is also very helpful

for my Spanish classes.

I must confess that the first months in the US were

very tough. I experienced a very big culture shock, not

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 91

least because you need a car for everything. And I think I

am on my way to becoming a workaholic!

Maliki Konteh

As an English Philology graduate in 2012, you can

predict my likely career in recession-struck Spain: either

underpaid English teaching at some language school or

unemployment. I felt I was about to bang my head on a

brick wall if I stayed. I was either out for a silent killer,

by not going any further in my professional/academic

career while getting underpaid or sudden death on the 6.3

million breadline.

I did my final year at the University of Birmingham

and was free to stay longer as I had no need to take any

modules at the UAB. Hence, I stayed over the summer

and worked at the London 2012 Olympics and applied for

an MA at the same university where I had done my

Erasmus. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do it in the end as I

had no cash for the fees, so I had to defer my offer for the

following year. Now, I was left with £5000 to raise

before September 2013 on a minimum wage job; it never

happened.

Finally, I had to bail myself out with a last minute

plan: teaching Spanish in the UK’s mainstream schools.

For that you need the ‘CAP’ from here or you take a

state-funded PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in

Education) there. There’s loads of routes into that but the

best one I reckon is school direct, you get school

experience from the word go, and you also get your

PGCE certificate, allowing you to teach worldwide,

including in mainstream Spanish schools when the

recession wanes. Most importantly, you get paid from the

day you start training (up to £2000 x month) and

employment prospects are very good considering that you

are a native Spanish teacher. Especially for those doing it

through school direct, since they just keep you and

employ you after your training.

For more information about getting the PGCE, see

www.education.gov.uk/get-into-teaching/subjects-age-

groups/teach-mfl/teach-spanish.aspx

Neus Luna Barrabés

While I was finishing my degree, I heard about the

Auxiliares de Conversación grant. I did not have much of

an idea of what I wanted to do once I finished my degree

and I thought that a year abroad would help me decide

what to do in the future and whether I enjoyed teaching

or not, and so I applied for the grant.

When I graduated in summer 2012, I was told that I

was the first on the stand-by list to go to Australia, and so

I would have to wait and see if one of the people that had

been given the grant would reject it. While I was waiting

I worked as an English teacher in a language school in

my hometown and kept thinking about all the options I

had if I didn’t get the job in Australia. I have always been

very passionate about phonetics and, even though I knew

that that was a difficult path to follow, doing an MA in

phonetics was one of the options I had in mind.

In the autumn they called me saying that a person had

rejected the grant and so I would be going to Australia on

January. I spent most of autumn doing paperwork. Before

leaving to Australia,Juli Cebrian offered me the

opportunity to work with him from home. It was an

amazing opportunity and I learnt a lot.

I have been here in Melbourne, Australia for 5

months and I am really enjoying my experience here. I

am learning lots of things about teaching,yet working in a

primary school confirmed my previous thoughts that I do

not like teaching that much and that I would love to study

more about phonetics. I am now looking for MAs in

phonetics that I could do and I spend my spare time in the

library reading about the topic so once I get back home I

will be prepared to study again.

Estel Mandri Martínez

As soon as I graduated I applied for an MA program

in Public Relations at the London College of

Communications – University of the Arts. I really

recommend this course for those of you who would like

to start a career in business. I chose the communications

path since having good foreign language skills is crucial.

We live in a globalised world in which being able to

communicate in several languages gives you huge

advantage for business. I speak French and Italian and I

am going to start with Chinese as soon as I finish my

thesis!

This MA is a full-time one year course. It is a bit

expensive (7,500 pounds) but London is THE place to

study PR, since they treat PR as business

communications and not as part of Advertising and

Marketing. Moreover, even if it is a full-time course

don’t panic! You will be able to work at the same time

since you only have lectures 3 days a week. Living in

London is very expensive but I managed to find a job

here (not the job of my dreams but a job that paid the

bills). It did take forever to find one, though. Most

company’s selection processes last up to two months! So

I decided to apply for a job in Zara, where the policy is to

employ at least 70% Spaniards. It was a bit frustrating to

be working in a retail job with a degree, but then I said to

myself: “Come on, you just need to pay your bills and a

better job will come once you have your master’s!” And

it wasn’t that bad in the end, because I met a lot of

amazing people from all over the globe and I was even

promoted.

Jordi Morera Herrero

I was a latecomer to university, beginning my

degree when I was 33. It was a bit of a leap in the dark,

motivated primarily by the opportunity to finally pursue

those matters that had always interested me the most, and

I must admit that I enjoyed (almost) every second of it. I

finished my degree last year, and immediately afterwards

I enrolled in the official master’s degree in Advanced

English Studies: Literature and Culture, offered by the

department. My personal circumstances made it quite

demanding time-wise, but since doing something you

enjoy is never a chore, and sleep is overrated anyways, I

made it through and now I’m writing my M.A.

dissertation.

Simultaneously I’ve been taking my first tentative

steps towards the kind of jobs that attract me the most,

with the hope of being able to someday switch my career,

abandon my old, badly paid and extremely boring day job

and make a better living for my family and me. To that

effect, I have written literary reviews for a digital

magazine, exploring the opportunities offered by the

publishing industry, and right now I’m negotiating the

working conditions for a job as a translator in a small

publishing house. From next year onwards, I also intend

to advance farther along the academic road by pursuing a

PhD in English Literature at the UAB.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 92

Adriana Soto Corominas

When I finished college I felt the pressure of not

knowing what to do, but this only lasted for a short while.

I knew I was not exactly fond of teaching, so getting into

that was not my priority. On the other hand, I was very

interested in linguistics, in which I specialized during the

last years of degree.

In my last year of philology, one of my professors,

who is part of this group, told me they were looking for

somebody for that position temporarily. I immediately

told her I was interested and after being interviewed, I

was hired (temporarily). It was a great experience. In

October, Grial, which is an inter-university research

group, hired me as a linguist and this soon became an

invaluable experience from which I have been learning a

lot. I combined this job with teaching English part-time,

like most of us do. In addition, I have occasionally helped

some linguists out as their research assistant. Some of the

tasks I have had to carry out are data recording,

transcription or analysis. This has not always been

financially compensated, of course, but it has been

extremely enriching and rewarding in many other ways. I

have gained a lot of experience in this field, I have also

known many interesting people and I have found out

what it is what I really want to do: linguistics, namely.

At the beginning of 2013 I was awarded a

scholarship by the University of Western Ontario, in

Canada, to pursue a Master’s Degree in Hispanic

Linguistics. This MA focuses on many aspects of

linguistics in Spanish. The reason why I will be working

on Spanish and not English is quite straightforward: in

America, a scholarship for Hispanic Linguistics is

significantly less competitive than one for Linguistics.

Because of this MA, I will be moving to Canada this July

for two years, hopefully.

2011 Maya Ávila

I started teaching in English academies a year before

finishing my studies. The truth is that I never dreamed of

becoming a teacher, but I can’t really complain. Currently

I work for two English academies, Fiac in Sabadell and

Mary’s Language School in Cerdanyola. Most of my

students (I teach all levels) are amazing, the money is not

bad ( I earn about €1300/month) and I have mornings free

to do whatever I want. Also, I occasionally do some

translations for my boyfriend’s company. However, as I

said before, I’m not planning on teaching all my life, and

that’s why I keep studying languages. Last Saturday I did

the exam to obtain the Nivell C of Catalan and I am also

studying French. I’m learning quite fast, and I hope I’ll

be able to get level C soon.

I’m aware that I’m very lucky to have two jobs

while many people can’t find one. My advice for the

newly graduated is to look for opportunities abroad. If I

weren’t tied by affective (my boyfriend) and economic

(my mortgage) bonds here, I would do it. Believe me, I

arrived here alone from Mexico with $1000 in my pocket,

and now (economic crisis and all) I can say that I am

happy. But I still want more, and that’s why I’ll keep

studying and sending out CVs.

My working situation this year is pretty much the

same as the previous year. Recently I applied for a job at

the UAB English Department but, sadly, I was rejected (I

presume it was due to my lack of post-graduate studies).

That dismisssal has encouraged me to carry on with my

education and my plan is to start an MA program this

coming school year. Since I haven’t really been able to

find a course that suits my working hours (and since I

can’t afford to stop working) my plan is to look for an

online MA, in a good university; preferably a French one,

since I want to improve my knowledge of that language.

What I’ve learned this year is: always take

something positive from the recruiting processes, even if

you’re not taken. When possible, try and ask the recruiter

what the weak points of your application were, so you

can do it better next time!

Ariadna Boada Riera My life after graduation and after an Erasmus year

in Berlin hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be.

After graduating in 2011, I got a grant to work as a

Spanish assistant (Auxiliares de Conversación) overseas.

I worked about 20 hours a week in Washington

International School in Washington DC. It was an

amazing experience, which I totally recommend to all of

you who love teaching and kids. It was a great

opportunity to learn new methodologies and get teaching

experience in a different education system. I had different

duties and responsibilities at school, such as presenting

relevant aspects, celebrations and traditions of the

Spanish and Catalan culture, telling tales to kindergarten

kids, helping the teachers and the Spanish coordinator,

going to the fieldtrips as a chaperone, etc.

I was also able to work with the different grades at

school (from Kindergarten to 5th grade), which was really

interesting since I could learn from all the teachers and

get new and different teaching ideas. The atmosphere at

school was lively and the school community was really

kind and nice to me. As for the accommodation, I stayed

with a host family from the school. They were lovely and

helped me feel like home from the very first day! I also

had the opportunity to travel a lot around the USA, which

made my experience more enjoyable! I just have thankful

words for what future brought me that year. In summer 2012 I came back to reality and after

giving it some thought, I decided to study the Master’s

degree “Formació del Professorat de Secundària

Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i

Ensenyament d’Idiomes” at the UB. I have to say that I

am happy with my decision now that the academic year is

over but I am not really satisfied with the organisation of

the master’s. We had too many problems throughout the

course, which made my classmates and me lose the

positive attitude and energy we had at the beginning. If I

could go back in time, I would probably do it online since

sometimes I had the feeling that I was wasting my time

(lack of organisation, lack of purpose in some courses,

etc.)! And this feeling is not just personal, as it was

shared by almost all the students in my class. And now here I am, sending my curriculum vitae to

schools, hotels, companies, etc., and hoping to get a job

somewhere soon.

Jorgina Bolde Farelo I have been living in Copenhagen for three years

now, and I feel much better than when I first moved in

2010. With studies and stable job, I have gained a routine

and structure in my life, which makes me feel better yet

not perfect in Copenhagen.

In February 2012, I got accepted to study a Master

in English studies at Copenhagen University (Faculty of

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 93

Humanities in Amager)., which differs greatly from what

I was used to at UAB. At UAB, we are very used to many

classes per week where the teacher gives lectures with

limited interaction and class discussion. However, in

Denmark there is another culture. Here, students are

included as a resource in the classes and they participate

actively with questions and comments to the teacher (It

looks like students are the ones who teach the lesson).

The teacher likewise asks many questions in class and

expects the students to raise their hands and discuss

internally in groups.

However, in Denmark there are significantly fewer

classes and I have experienced only having 2 courses per

semester (each course equivalent to 2 hours per

week/15ECTS). Students are on the other hand expected

to study and read a lot although not all materials are

reviewed. I would like to add that there is a wide range of

courses offered by the University (from British,

American to Australian studies).

I am currently reading and studying for my Master

thesis, which takes around 6 months, meaning that I will

graduate in February 2014. At the same time, I am

working in a company (I have a student

job/studentermedhjaelper), in which I can decide more or

less when and how many hours I want to work. Acquiring

a decent job in Denmark is very hard as many companies

or job placements require a relatively good command of

Danish. Through the free Danish lessons offered by the

Danish government to foreigners, who have a social

security number, I have reached a level of Danish that

enables me to work in Danish and live well. Apart from

that, the University offers an annual grant, which I have

been lucky to receive the three years.

What happens after graduating, I do not know, but

my time in Denmark has shown that with a lot of hard

work, persistence and a bit of luck you can manage to

create a good life. However, you definitely have to be

patient with everything as the good things do not come to

you overnight.

Alba Carmona Giralt

When I graduated from college, I realized that I

needed to travel and see the world. My Erasmus stay in

London was only the beginning. So I worked for four

months as an English teacher in Girona, and then I

packed my bags and moved to Australia. Everything was

perfect, but it was a risky decision, since I only had a

tourist visa and the chances of getting a decent job were

very remote.

I worked as an Aupair in Sydney for 8 months, and

every 3 months I had to leave the country. So this, as bad

as it sounds, was a chance for me to travel to countries

such as Thailand and New Zealand. While in Australia,

apart from surfing, I applied for the MSc in International

Business that the School of Management of Barcelona

(BSM) offers. Although this master costs about 15,000

euros, it is like an investment, since it may open a lot of

doors to the future.

In September 2012 I started studying business. It

was a big change for me and I had to work really hard for

the whole school year, but it was really rewarding. I

learned a lot and I am currently (August 2013) doing a

trainee program/internship with a company called

LAKME. It is a manufacturer of hair care products that

operates in over 80 different countries. I am working in

the export department, as an Assistant for the European

market. This internship will last for 6 months and it is

divided in 3 different projects. The one I am doing now is

focused on the Baltic Countries. I need to develop a

market research and find the best way to open a new

market in Estonia and increase our sales in Lithuania.

This gives me the chance to travel to these countries in

September.

This is a little bit what I am doing now, and I would

like to encourage you to keep working hard and never

stop learning. I know we are in a big recession, but

people who complain and are full of negativity will never

achieve their goals. Things will not come to you. You

have to make things happen.

Antonella Cittanti Ostrowicz I always thought that having a degree was important,

but the truth is that when I finally got mine I felt lost,

disillusioned and like just one more in a million. The

feeling already started during the last year of my degree

while I worked as an extracurricular teacher. None of my

previous working experiences had upset me as much as

those months did. For this reason, when I graduated I

decided I did not want to work as a teacher (at least for

the next few years).

My job hunt was quite discouraging at first and

made me feel worthless, but I got lucky when I applied

for a job in the private health area. As I had to pay my

tuition fees by myself, I worked at Sanitat Respon, which

belongs partly to the state. So I had the experience and

the knowledge of many languages. I was hired and have

been working already for ten months. Right now I am not

considering registering for any courses. I am enjoying my

family, my life and the long list of books I have compiled

during my years of degree. It gets better once you start

discovering your priorities and not going crazy while you

try to figure out what you want to do with your life. So

don’t feel depressed, search for things that might interest

you and explore!

Cristina Cusidó Bayo I graduated when I finished my Erasmus year in

Vienna and did not really know what to do next. It was

clear for me that I did not want to go back to Barcelona. I

had a thirst for adventure and just wanted to continue (in

a clearly different way) the life I had started in Vienna.

However, I had no money after my Erasmus and

unfortunately my family could not support me to continue

my adventure, so I had to go back home. Back in

Barcelona it took me a couple of months to set a couple

of goals. The first one was to get money so that I could

go abroad again and the second was how and where to

continue my studies, as it was clear for me that I wanted

to continue studying. I found jobs very easily, so I didn’t

really feel the recession, fortunately. All the time I was in

Barcelona I had a job and it was I who quit it to go

abroad, in February. I decided to study my M.A. in Saarland, Germany.

This is the smallest region of Germany but has lots to

offer, especially to students. We are on the border with

France and Luxembourg so it’s kind of multicultural and

one can easily get to these other two countries for work

or pleasure. I decided to go there for personal reasons and

also because when I was in Vienna I was engaged in a

project with the University of Saarland and Bradley

University from the US. During the project I met some

professors from Saarland and others from Vienna

lecturing in Saarland and they encouraged me to go there

to do my master’s. The professors’ encouragement and

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 94

my growing interest in Cultural and Transcultural Studies

helped me decide about my academic future. The master’s is called “English, American and

Anglophone Studies” and you can choose your point of

interest, For example I’m taking courses only from

American lit and culture and transcultural courses. I hope

I can start Spanish next October. From the second subject

you only take 27 ETCS, which is 4-5 courses, so not that

much. And this is usually in German whereas in the

English Department everything’s in English. However, in

order to be accepted to German Universities you must

have some kind of certificate to prove your German

language competency. I had level C1, a certificate I

gained at the University of Vienna. I think they ask for at

least level B2. Doing a master’s in Germany is quite different from

doing it in Spain. In the first place, it’s nearly free. I paid

only €153 for the whole semester and with this money I

got my transport ticket for the whole region. When it

comes to academic issues, here you need much more

initiative and do more independent work than in Spain

and there are a wider variety of courses. Professors have

more freedom and usually courses are not repeated term

after term, so there are new courses with new insights

every semester. When it comes to the working opportunities at

University level, after what I’ve seen so far, there are

many more possibilities, if one networks properly. It’s

not such a closed system as in Spain and of course they

offer many more financial resources (in general, in

Germany there are no unpaid internships, for

instance). Fairly soon I started working as an English and

Spanish teacher at a Volkhochschule, which is equivalent

to an Escola Oficial d’Idiomes. It’s a well paid job and

well recognized as well. Moreover, I teach some private

lessons and with the money I get I can pay for my rent

and my expenses (I work only 12 hours a week). In

Germany having a university degree gives you many

more opportunities than in Spain. When it comes to the living expenses, like

everywhere in the world, if you live in an important city

such as Munich or Cologne the prices go up but here in

Saarbrücken, which would be comparable to Girona, in

terms of the size and student atmosphere, flats are really

cheap. In a shared flat, a room costs between €200-300 or

a small one room flat is €300 with costs, which is not

much. Food is cheaper than in Spain, and the quality is

not that bad. In fact, some time ago there were statistics

published where it was stated that Germany was the

European country where the shopping cart was the

cheapest.

This year I am still working as an English teacher

and I was offered a place as a HiWi and tutor by a

professor so I am part of her team doing research and

teaching supporting classes for undergraduate and

graduate students. Being a HiWi means that you are a

research assistant for a professor and do research for

his/her future courses (as here the courses change every

semester), prepare trips for the students, help students to

understand what was not clear in the Prof’s lectures and

help them to write their seminar papers and prepare their

oral presentations. This semester I’ll be done with all my

courses and next semester I’ll be writing my M.A. thesis,

for which I have already started my research.

Vanessa Dachs Parras

First of all, I must say that you are lucky because

your passion for languages has led you to choose the

degree in English and being a philologist has opened

many doors to me after finishing University.

My first experience was working in the MMVV, the

Mercat de la Música Viva de Vic, as a language hostess

at the airport, since the local government needed a person

who had a good command of languages in order to

receive music groups and their professionals from

different countries. The interesting thing is that when

doing this work you have the opportunity to meet people

and make contacts. I say ‘this work’ because I have

worked at the airport for 11 years and I am still working

for the festival.

Then the same company hired me to work in a

language summer camp but before that, I got the official

certificate to be a children’s activity leader. After having

some experience in this field, I decided to get the official

certificate in summer camp management and when doing

the course I met the person who would later become my

boss. I taught English and other subjects in his language

school for 3 years and that helped me build my self-

confidence.

After that, I quit the job because I wanted to go to

Australia to study and work for 3 months and when I

came back from ‘Down Under’ I ended up in another

language school for 2 years. You will probably be

wondering why only 2 years? Because I decided again to

work and study abroad: this time it was Italy’s turn. I

spent 3 and a half months in Rome; a beautiful city, by

the way!

Once I finished my experience in Italy I ended up in

another language school where I taught for 3 years and I

had the opportunity to translate texts. Everything was

great until I realized that I wanted a change of scenery in

my life and the Spanish Teacher Assistant grant from the

Spanish Embassy was a very good option to go abroad

again, and work in a public school. I returned from the

USA a week ago and it was an awesome experience in all

respects since I learned how the American education

works and what their culture is like, and my English is

even better!

A couple of days ago I had an interview with a

person I met in Australia and I am part of his wonderful

new project called ‘Vámonos Australia’! I am very

excited and I know it will not be easy, but the greater the

effort, the greater the reward.

In conclusion, as you can see the world takes many

turns and you never know where you will end up. My

advice is clear: just follow your dreams, believe in

yourself and you will get good and surprising results!

Laura de Francisco Torres

By the time I finished my degree two years ago, I

had worked in different places. During most of my degree

I worked as an English teacher with young learners, teens

and adults in British House, a language school in Rubí (I

worked there for four years). Then I worked in a school

in Barcelona as an English teacher of extracurricular

classes (basically primària) and I’ve been working there

during the current academic year. Last summer, I worked

for Kids&us with very young learners (children aged 4-6)

as an instructor in a summer school. This summer it’s

going to be pretty much the same.

During all these years, I’ve tried to combine work

and education. I really think it’s important to keep

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 95

updated and active as much as possible, especially now

that we’re still young, although I know this may be hard

since the economic crisis doesn’t help much. As a result,

I took classes in German for two years and attended a

language school to get the Proficiency Certificate.

Therefore, it wasn’t until this year that I decided to do an

MA (the Màster en Assessorament Lingüístic, Gestió del

Multilingüisme i Serveis Editorials, described in the

Further Education secction of this pack). The truth is that

I didn’t know what to do at all so I preferred to wait until

I had no doubts about what I wanted to study.

Javier Fernández Sánchez

My short postgraduate experience may help those

who wish to have a place in the academic world. In the

last year of my B.A. I applied for a La Caixa scholarship

aimed at graduating students who intend to pursue

postgraduate studies at European universities. I wanted to

go to University College London (UCL) because they

offered a highly specialised Master’s in Research (which

is similar to an M.A. but entry requirements are usually

more demanding) in Syntactic Theory. The La Caixa

scholarship is very prestigious and generous, which is

why it is extremely competitive (but so is academia!).

Getting the scholarship enabled me to study at UCL, an

otherwise difficult option (you may know how expensive

housing, transport or tuition fees are in London). The

experience was well worth the effort, though!

I read my M. Res Thesis in September 2012 and

since December 2012 I hold a fully-funded, four-year

PhD position at the Centre de Lingüística Teòrica here at

the UAB. The paying institution is the Ministerio de

Economía y Competitividad, and my scholarship is called

FPI. The experience here is absolutely wonderful. I mean

let’s face it, PhD life is everything but easy and comfy:

salaries are not very high (especially in the current

economic context, where R&D is so ill treated, let alone

R&D within the humanities and social sciences!) and the

work load is inmense. However, I am being paid for

doing research on what I like the most, I get to travel to

present my own papers at conferences, I am allowed to

stay as a visiting student at any university I want and I

constantly meet new people with similar interests from

around the world which, to me, really pays off.

So in sum, if doing research is your thing and you

like the academic world, explore the funding possibilities

that governments and private institutions have to offer

and enjoy!

Nuria Frías Jiménez

Last year I worked as a Spanish Language Assistant

in Scotland. I have been told that they are not going to

hire any LA in the area I was located next year, so I am

afraid the number of assistants in general has also

decreased. We were only 8 Spanish in Scotland, which is

not really a big number and that’s why we were a lot on

the media during last year.

Spanish assistants work both with the British

Council and la Consejería de Educación of the Spanish

Consulate (located in Edinburgh). I was very happy with

both institutions because we had the chance of doing

extra activities with them that you can add to your CV

later on (the ones with la Consejería count as training

hours and are signed and stamped by the Spanish

Consulate, so it’s quite official!). For example, the BC

asked us to do a project with whichever class we wanted

(mine was the filming of how to bake a Roscón de Reyes

for Christmas time). And from the Consejería we took

part in an immersion day for higher-level pupils and a

PowerPoint presentation on Spanish language and culture

for A levels.

The problem with Scotland (apart from the weather,

of course!) is that you cannot choose a particular region.

In my case, I lived and worked in Inverclyde, on the west

coast of Scotland (close to Glasgow). Even though you

cannot compare living there with living in either Glasgow

or Edinburgh, people were very nice in our schools and

you felt at home. The location was pretty good for

visiting some Western islands. They also helped us with

accommodation and banking. I guess that is the good

thing about being in a small community. But again, your

final destination is something you cannot really choose

and it still counts as work (you definitely save more

money in small communities than living in big cities).

Considering that there are less assistants every year, you

must feel lucky to have been selected!

It could happen that you are asked to work in

primary schools, but the syllabus there is more informal

and you do not normally have a Spanish teacher with

you. So in some ways you have more liberty to do what

you want. I do not know the background of the future

assistants but my degree was in both Spanish and English

so I was interested in teaching Spanish as a foreign

language. Even if your plan is to teach English, this is

still a great way to gain teaching experience.

As for extending your stay, the BC persuades the

schools not to renew the LA contract because that means

fewer people will be able to take your position. It is

almost impossible to renew if you happen to work in a

state school but I know about some people that have been

able to stay in their public/boarding schools. Others have

decided to take a post-graduate in Teaching at a Scottish

university, as you cannot be a Teacher of Spanish if you

don’t hold the similar CAP from there. In Scotland it is

still important to know other foreign languages, as those

positions are usually for Spanish/French or German.

Now I’m doing a post-graduate program called

Máster Erasmus Mundus en Aprendizaje y Enseñanza del

Español en Contextos Multilingües e Internacionales

(described in the Further Education section of this pack).

I am now in Barcelona because the classes of the second

semester take place here but during the first semester I

was studying in Bilbao. At the end of August I’ll be

leaving for Iceland as I’ll do my teaching practice there. I

wasn’t expecting to continue studying after my year as a

language assistant but it was difficult to find a proper job

so I decided to take a post-grad instead.

Josep Antoni Jiménez Velázquez

I have been teaching English for nine years now.

However, in the last few years, I have been ‘forced’ to

become a self-employed teacher. The days when one

single school or academy could supply you with loads of

well-paid teaching hours are gone. Or maybe they can

offer you those hours but they are not interested in having

to pay your social security and other taxes. Becoming a

self-employed teacher solves the problem for them. The

bad news: the monthly fee for self-employed

professionals in Spain is outragingly high—more than

€250, and this payment usually becomes troublesome

during those months in which teaching drops to its lowest

(July, August, and months including long holidays, such

as Christmas or Easter).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 96

The good news: you may work for as many schools

and academies as you want at a time, and you can

complement your salary with private lessons. Also,

language teaching is a VAT-exempt task, so you will not

have to present the usual VAT statement every three

months. Another advantage is that you can actually sign a

contract with another company and thus become their

employee, and remain a self-employed professional at the

same time.

Actually, I have been in the Generalitat’s llista de

professors interins with the speciality of Spanish

language and literature for five years now, but I have

never been contacted to fill in a vacancy. I considered

signing up with the speciality of English language and

literature, but the alternative is not so appealing anymore.

I have had the opportunity to teach students of all

ages—from four-year-olds to retired people—ranging

from beginner to FCE level. Future candidates, make

really sure teaching is really what you want to do. It can

be a very rewarding dedication, but it definitely is an

exhausting job. Do not jump into teaching just because

you have a good command of English and people tell you

“that is something you could do”: being good at English

is not a reason to become a teacher—just a requirement.

It will not turn you into a teacher overnight. Working

hard every day will... maybe.

Jeehye Kim

After graduating, I moved to Madrid in order to

work for LG Electronics in the TV Department as the

assistant of the Product Manager. It is true that knowing

languages, especially Korean, gave me a huge advantage

when it came to being selected, but my command of

English and a course that I took at Foment Formació in

Barcelona in “Marketing Strategies” were really

positively considered by the interviewer.

Some of my duties were: controlling the budget and

the samples stores of the department, drafting daily,

weekly and monthly reports and presentations for the

Manager, taking care of my superior’s personal

duties, controlling purchase orders and deliveries from

the TV factory in Poland, Korea and Europe, etc.

I worked there for a year, and then I quit and was

hired by Cheil Spain (a Samsung Agency) in the Events

Department as the assistant to the Events Executive, and

my task is supervising important events (like the Mobile

World Congress) for Samsung Electronics.

In sum, throughout my short labour experience I am

aware of the fact that English is essential, and it is also

important to know an unusual language (like Russian,

Chinese, etc.) and doing courses no matter whether they

are master’s degrees or short courses.

Marc López Martínez

Right before graduating, I was hired for a job in a

shipping company. This would at first last for the

summer. When it was over my contract was extended for

two more months. Unfortunately the contract then

expired and I had to walk the streets hunting for a job. I

had never before found myself in a situation in which I

had nothing to do but to build my own timetable with

whatever job or courses I could find. For about six

months I looked for work and took some UOC online

courses.

As the next summer arrived, I knew it was the

moment for me to find a job. During the time I had spent

sitting around without putting much effort into my

search, I did meet some big fish. Then I realized the

world turns around faster than I thought. I started

working in a summer school in Barcelona only for the

sake of it. This, however, happened to be much more

important than I could ever imagine.

Being employed put me back in the working wheel.

After spending a busy summer I accepted another crappy

job in an English school. This would at least pay for the

German course I had just signed up for. Four months

later, two more offers came to me. These were more like

to what I had been looking for. It was probably luck or

the wheel effect. All that mattered was that I was

properly employed.

After this long professional trip, I have come to

know working not only gives you some income at the end

of the month, it also helps you broaden your mind and

meet new people. Now, two years after graduation, I am

about to start a Master’s in Multimedia Design while I

teach English in the afternoon. I still have a long way to

go.

Aida Marin Mora

While studying at UAB I was working as an English

teacher at a language school, which was great at that time

because I could earn some money and I still had time to

focus on my studies. However, once I finished the degree

I started to panic because I had too much free time. I

applied for several grants such as Auxiliar de

conversación, but I didn’t get any of them, which was

very disappointing too.

I found some interesting courses for unemployed

people at www.oficinadetreball.cat, and I decided to

enroll in one on Human Resources. At that time I wasn’t

sure if I wanted to be an English teacher, so I thought it

might be good for me to try something different which

could enable me to work in different fields and where I

could still use English.

Just after some months I got a phone call from

another language school and I started to work in the

mornings teaching English in different companies. I had

to quit the course, but it was worth it since I really

enjoyed teaching business people.

By the end of the course I felt kind of stuck in

Barcelona so I decided to leave Spain. I came to Dublin

last summer and started working as an au pair while

doing the Máster de Profesores de Secundaria online

(offered by the UNIR). Last February I started my

internship at a school here in Dublin, and I left the

family. I’ve already been at the school for 4 months so far

and now they have offered me a job working during their

summer camp.

María Mercedes Márquez Hernández

I started my degree in Philology not wanting to be a

teacher and I graduated in 2011 dreading the world of

teaching. But inevitably as a novice in the labor world, I

began to look for a job as a teacher. At first it was quite

difficult because some language schools ask for

experience, but I was lucky to find a part-time job at a

language school in Cerdanyola. My experience was

positive and encouraging. I started to discover that

teaching was something that I actually enjoyed.

Nonetheless, after a whole year struggling with

commuting problems, I decided to look for another job in

Barcelona, closer to my home.

Surprisingly, it was not difficult to get job

interviews. I was offered different part-time jobs in

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 97

different schools, but I wanted a full-time job in teaching,

which may sound utopian. I finally had an interview for a

full-time job, but it was not a complete success.

Apparently I was the youngest and most inexperienced

teacher that had been interviewed so far, but three days

later I was told that the job was mine. I have been

teaching for one year already and my view of teaching

has changed dramatically. I love teaching and I want to

continue to do so for the coming years.

Drawbacks? A lot of work in and outside the school,

a lot of pressure to follow the teaching method and to

meet the expectations of the directors of the school. A

positive side? Learning, gaining experience. This is not

about teaching English, it is about dealing with people,

students, bosses, pressure, stress, yourself. The salary is

not the best there can be, but for a beginner it is not so

bad either.

My advice? Even if you think teaching is not for

you, do not be reluctant to try it, you may be wrong.

Different jobs open different doors, and they allow you to

check or cross out what you want or not want to do. I

cannot consider studying or going abroad right now, so I

will probably be teaching in the same school for a couple

of years more. However, there is always room for new

future experiences.

Sara Martín Ruiz While finishing English Philology, I started another

degree at the UAB: Teoria de la literatura i literatura

comparada. It was not really what I was expecting—too

much theory and too little literature, in my opinion.

However, I decided to spend one more year there

and finish that second degree. After that, I decided to do a

Master’s in Textual and Cultural Studies offered by the

University of Zaragoza. The Master’s, like any other

Master’s right now, I think, was quite disappointing for

me in the sense of not learning many new things.

However, I had a few really good teachers who made

up for the whole course.

Right now I’m working on my MA dissertation on

postcolonial Irish literature, and after that I will start my

PhD on postcolonial literature—I still have to decide the

geographical area. The economic and job situation at the

moment is quite awful, so I think the best I can do is to

continue studying and preparing myself as much as I

can for when it gets better. If instead of that the

apocalypse comes, at least I’ll be a satisfied zombie,

having done what I thought was the best for me.

Laura Moreno González

Right after I finished my degree I moved to London

without a moment’s hesitation. At first I stayed at the

London School of Economics halls near Farrington. They

have cheap rooms available right before the students

move in for their new year so if you plan to go to London

and want to stay in a nice cheap room in the summer,

have a look at their website After that, while looking at

pages such as gumtree.com and spareroom.com, I found a

room in a nice house in East London, I found a nice flat

from a private landlord. Agencies are OK when you just

move to the city (they can help you out with the area and

have different flats and rooms available for you) but in

the long term a private landlord will be easier (and

cheaper!) for you.

Since I moved, I’ve worked in many different jobs

but, funnily enough, I always ended up working on the

phone, whether it was charity work or doing telephone

surveys. I found most of the jobs through

www.reed.co.uk, www.jobsite.com or www.gumtree.co

m. Once you have uploaded your CV on one of those

websites, many other job agencies contact you offering

jobs. So after three months changing from one company

to another, one of those job agencies (www.alsit.com)

contacted me and told me that they needed a native

Spanish speaker. The interview process was quite easy. I

first did one on the phone, just as a quick explanation of

my CV, then I did two interviews in person and got the

job.

I started working as an Event Coordinator at

Intercall in Croydon. This position means that I

coordinate conferences on the phone for banks and other

big companies such as RBS or Deutsche Bank. I’ve been

working there for a year and a half so far. I am now also

responsible for the Event bookings from both the

Croydon and Gloucester offices that the company has in

the UK. Thanks to this position I have also been working

with the Web Conferencing Department, which deals

with the webcasts and video calls from our clients.

Because of that and my interest for the new technologies

I decided to start an online course on Web Design. I got a

great offer thanks to a website called Groupon.

Hopefully, this will open new doors to a future job

position and the start of a new career.

Maria Moreno Herrero While I was doing my degree the only thing I

thought I knew for sure was that I did not want to teach.

While at university literature was what I enjoyed the most

and I wanted to work in something related to it. After I

finished my degree a couple of years ago I did a Master’s

Degree in Publishing to steer my career in that direction

but I think I had a romanticised view of the field and the

degree was a bit of a let-down.

Because it was almost impossible to find work in

that field I found myself teaching. I started with some

classes here and there and now I spend my whole day

from place to place. I teach extra-curricular English at

Maristes La Immaculada in Barcelona and then I work

with ACTIVA, a company that works with schools

throughout Spain. During the school year I’m at Col.legi

Shalom, where I teach curricular and extra-curricular

English to Kindergarten and Primary children and now

during the summer I’m doing Urban Camps at Col.legi

Jesús María in Barcelona. I’m enjoying this immensely

and I’m considering doing the Grado de Meastro en

Educación Primaria online through UNIR. I’m finding

that working with small children is very rewarding and

there is never a dull moment with them! I’m also working

with adults; in the morning I teach in-company classes to

businessman in a company in Barcelona and in the late

afternoon after I finish from school I work at a language

school where I teach a Beginner’s course for adults.

My experience clearly shows that what you think

you are going to be doing (or want to do) and what you

end up doing are not always one and the same. I had clear

ideas about my future and thought teaching was not for

me and now (though I have not forgotten my passion for

literature) I’m really enjoying what I do and I’m learning

a lot every day. My teaching schedule also allows me to

collaborate with the cultural magazine El Bombín

Cuadrado, for which I translate some of its numbers into

English and also write articles about literature.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 98

Silvia Moreno Silvestre

After graduating, I moved to England and started job

hunting here, but it didn’t take long until I realised that it

was also difficult to find a job here. I ended up searching

for all sorts of jobs, without a focus—a big mistake!

Finally, I took some time to think about what I

should concentrate on and after some research I realised

that the best option was to take a teaching course here in

England (the PGCE, similar to CAP in Spain but more

practical), as you get a bursary which allows you to live

here (you can also get a loan!). I did this at the University

of Chester last year. You can also do the GTP, which is

more school based and allows you to earn more money as

you are basically working in schools (with help from

teachers)

There are quite a few Modern Foreign Language

teaching jobs here, due to a new government policy that

has introduced the EBAC (languages until 16),

which hadn’t been in place until a couple of years ago.

Spanish is also being preferred by students to French and

German now so there is a bit of a shortage of new

Spanish teachers, as the traditional career path as an MFL

teacher here was to teach French and some German.

I was lucky and found a job during my training.

Most of the people I trained with have eventually found

jobs as well, even if they are temporary, such as covering

for maternity leaves, at least they are gaining experience

in the field. I think when looking for a job it is important

to keep a positive outlook (however hard it is!).

I found it is also important to think openly of what

your options are (whether in Spain or abroad). I never

thought when I started studying at university that I’d end

up being a teacher. When I was in secondary school I

always said to my mother “I don’t want to be a teacher!”

Now I am a secondary school teacher and although it was

stressful at first (I was sent to some rough schools and I

am not exactly an authoritative person), I have now found

the right school for me and I am enjoying being a teacher.

So I think it’s important not to close yourself and say “I

will only do this job” as you never really know if you’ll

enjoy something until you give it a go.

María Francisca Osorio Troncoso

After graduating in June 2011, I worked as a Course

Leader in Oxford for the company EF. I spent a month

organizing and leading activities for teenage students.

After that, I worked for a month at RACC as a

telemarketing phone operator.

In August that year, I decided to go back to Chile

after spending the last six years in Europe. I started

teaching Business English in different companies. I also

worked as a Tour Guide in Santiago and in the Fifth V

Region. Those were seasonal jobs, so after a while, I

found a steady job as Press Assistant at the Taipei

Economic and Cultural Office.

While I was working there, I started learning

Chinese at the Confucius Institute. I got a scholarship

from the Institute, so I’m going to learn Chinese for a

month at the Nanjing University in August 2013.

In September 2012 I moved to New Zealand with a

working holiday visa. It wasn’t that easy to get a job,

basically because I didn’t want to do fruitpicking or

cleaning (typical jobs for working holiday visa holders).

In the end, I found a job as Quality Control at Heinz

Wattie’s. I worked there for seven months.

However, I’m moving again in ten days, this time to

Australia. I’m going with a working holiday visa as well,

so I’m very excited, and hoping to have a great

experience there.

Ksenia Ouziomova I was still working in a small private language

school, when I graduated. I worked only 3-4 hours a day,

so my salary wasn’t high. When I finished university I

thought that I needed to find a more serious job with a

higher salary. I started to look and in December I was

called for two interviews. The former was to be a Team

Assistant at real estate agency Engel & Völkers, and the

latter one was with Mango for the position of Russian-

Spanish-English translator for Development Department.

It was quite attractive, so no wonder I was very happy.

After having had three interviews (with HHRR and

managers of Mango) and done several tests on

translation, they told me I was the perfect candidate and

that the job was mine for sure. However, later I received

a call and I was told that the senior manager preferred to

take an intern, so she can be paid less, of course. So I

took the former job. Team Assistant was not a bad job, but you had to do

all kinds of things: administrative duties, translation, etc.,

and the salary was very low. I also didn’t like the

timetable, because it was from 10 to 7 and it took me

almost 2 hours to get there, so I spent the whole day

either on transport or working. However, I think it was

being constantly told what to do is that I hated most. I

realized that I couldn’t be someone’s secretary with my

character and knowledge. For me it’s almost painful to

answer “I’m a secretary”, when somebody asks me what I

am, so I always add, “but I’m also a Russian and English

teacher”. So I wouldn’t be lying if I said that I almost lost

the meaning of life. However, bad situations make you move and think,

so I realized that if my life from now on was going to be

mostly working, then I needed to get a job that I was

going to love. Therefore, I decided to find a new job,

where I would have either more time or more money.

More and more I’m hearing from here and there that

there’s nothing to do in Spain anymore and it is a great

experience to go abroad to live and work. Well, I already

had that experience: my mother and I left everything in

Russia and started a new life in Spain. It was as hard as

hell for a 15-year-old teenager, but I worked hard and

achieved a lot, so I don’t want to move anymore and start

everything from the beginning. I have a boyfriend and we

bought a flat, and someday I want to get married and

have children, so I don’t want to go and live somewhere

far away. So I spent a year trying to get a job with Mango,

starting by applying for translating positions. I was then

offered all kinds of positions in different departments.

After the failure of my first try, the HR woman liked me

and called me every time a vacancy appeared. I went to

around 10 or 12 interviews, with a particular test in each

one: languages, maths, logic, response and aptitude tests,

etc., but each time there was something that did not fit in

the profile they were searching for. The worst thing was

lying and inventing excuses for my ex boss, each time I

needed to go to an interview. I’m proud of having been so

persistent and I have learnt a lot from each interview. At

first, I got upset, but finally I treated going to interviews

as a new hobby. I only knew that I was not going to stay

with the real estate agency for longer than a year. And,

indeed, after a year, I had that final call, offering me my

current position.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 99

So now I’m working in Mango Customer Service, in

the Head Office, located in Palau Solitá i Plegamans. We

do not answer clients’ calls (we have a call center for

that), but mainly work with stores from all around the

world and also deal with the most difficult customers’

issues. Working in Mango is not my utmost goal in life,

but it is a good job for recession time and for my CV. I

have some personal projects in mind, so I’m going to

study Psychology at the UOC and I really hope that

someday I’m going to live a life, built and shaped as I

want and stop working for others.

Silvia Pèlach Roca

I finished my degree at the VU in Amsterdam. Since

I always wanted to spent some time in the UK, and now I

had a very exciting excuse (bf) I discovered that in the

UK they require a diploma called CELTA, so after much

consideration I decided to apply Oxford House College in

London. I had an interview over skype and they accepted

me! So I did the CELTA when I came to London in

October, a full time course that lasted a month.

Then the plan was to look for a temporary job. I did

this through www.monster.co.uk, creating a profile, and

updating and uploading my CV. I did the same

with www.reed.co.uk/ abd

www.multilingualvacancies.com, among other sites. That

was after going for an appointment to get a “national

insurance number” which you need that to work legally

in the UK and every serious company will ask for it. I

registered with the National Health Service and opened a

bank account (for which you need a proof of address).

Housing is expensive. We pay around £350 each,

utilities included, for a big room and balcony at a house

with four other housemates, and to be honest I’m more

than pleased to pay what I pay for what I’ve got. You

have to be careful because London is full of places you

don’t really want to live in, so check out the area before

deciding on taking a place. Also check the deposit: we

had to chip in £400 each and a minimum of 6 months

stay. We found the house on www.gumtree.co.uk.

As for the job hunting, every day I applied to about

10 jobs by just typing “Spanish speaker” into the job

sites. Sometimes I didn’t even know what I was applying

for, but I didn’t care! To be honest, I was pretty stressed

out, but after two weeks I finally got a call and they

interviewed me the following Monday. After English

tests, and IQ tests, and two interviews, I got the job. It is

with a serious international company that works in

market research, and I’d be working in the department

where they get products from all over the world. My job

consists of translating from Spanish, French and now

even Portuguese and Italian to English. It’s Monday to

Friday 9-5, and I get around £1300 a month after tax, we

work with targets so according to your performance and

quality you get more or less money.

The company is very funky, and I work with people

from all over the world, something I really enjoyed in

Amsterdam, and now it is the same but in a working

environment. I was promoted last January, and now I’m a

Proofreader/Assistant Editor; I have to give feedback to

my colleagues, check the grammar, punctuation, and

make sure that everything follows the in-house style

guidelines, as well as recognising a big list of marketing

claims. With this job I get to work about three days a

week from home, and even though I really enjoy the

office, working from home gives me much more free

time and therefore I’m more relaxed. We also have

flexitime, which means that I can start work at 7.30-

10am and finish at 3.30-6pm. So overall everything has

changed slightly for the better!

Mireia Pla Bosch

I graduated in English and Spanish Philology in

2011. I never had any doubt about my vocation for

teaching and I was sure I wanted to become a second

language teacher, teaching English to Spanish students.

When I was just graduated I panicked, as usual. I felt

an urge to start working in something useful for my

career and also as means of experimentation. I did not

want to do a master’s until I knew the exact direction I

wanted to give to my professional career. So I spent my

first year working through a language company which

offered me several positions in different schools, teaching

English to ESO students in private schools, and also

teaching some extraescolares. I spent that year talking

and listening to everyone’s experience to broaden my

thoughts about the future.

While working, I enrolled myself in the course

offered by the International House, Formación de

Profesores de ELE, and that made the difference. I

discovered a new world I had never considered before.

Immediately after finishing the course I found a job at a

private language school in Barcelona and I have been

working there for a year now. I love my current job

because I work in my home town and every day at work

we create a multinational environment which makes my

job very interesting. Moreover, I am a native speaker and

that is so much valuated by the companies and the

students. The only but important disadvantage is that

working as a Spanish teacher for foreigners in Spain is

very complicated since it is a seasonal job; there is huge

demand in summer but very little the rest of the year. My

future plans are to study the Master offered by the UB in

Formación de Profesores de ELE and then probably

emigrate.

Aida Ribot Bencomo

Since I graduated in English Philology in 2011, I

have been studying in a PhD program in Linguistic

Anthropology at the University of California, San Diego

(UCSD). I am also teaching Spanish grammar and

conversation courses at the Linguistics Department at

UCSD. This is the only way to fully fund my studies at a

US university whenever there are no scholarships

available.

During my last years at UAB I discovered some

fields of research that became interesting to me. I started

reading articles and went to some international

conferences. This gave me a sense of the topics that were

primarily more interesting and of those that were not.

This is an enriching experience if you plan on doing

research—or at least if you feel it might be of any

interest—because you start meeting students and

professors and they can tell you about their own

experiences.

Since I started the program, I have learned theory,

methodologies and practices regarding the field of

anthropology and linguistics. There area a large number

of seminars, colloquiums, and workshops about

everything and at all times in the department and outside

it. These opportunities are an added value to the academic

life because they provide an interdisciplinary approach to

the topics, and a more relaxed and enjoyable environment

for the learning process.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 100

During my first and second years at UCSD I

presented some papers at different national and

international conferences, something that is pursued from

the very beginning within the US departments. These

conferences are useful both academically and

professionally, and in my case, they gave me a strong

base for the development of a MA thesis, which is

required in most PhD programs in the US. The thesis is

also an opportunity for publication in one of the main

journals of the field.

Laura Romero Sastre

I graduated in 2011 after spending a year in

Edinburgh on an Erasmus exchange. I’m from Mallorca

but I studied the whole degree (Filologia Anglesa &

Catalana) at the UAB. After graduation, I studied the old

CAP, now a Master en Formació del Professorat. The

MA was just OK, I suppose it depends on every

university, and UIB is not the best place to do it. Last

October I came to Barcelona again and started my job-

hunting. I spent two months on the dole and then found a

job as an English teacher in Big Ben Acadèmia d’Idiomes

from January until the end of June (2013). It was a great

experience as I taught almost every kind of level: from 8

years old to retired people or Upper-Intermediate. They

don’t pay you for summer holidays, but instead, you can

teach in the July intensive courses or just wait for them to

call you again in September and start working again with

a new contract in October, as I will. It’s a pity that you

don’t have a salary during summer, but they pay very

well the rest of the time. Now, I’m trying to get a job for

this three month break in Mallorca as a children’s

activities leader. Failing that, I’ll have mandatory

holidays.

Noelia Sánchez Campos

The year after graduating I did the MA in Advanced

English Studies offered by the English Department of the

UAB. One of the things I enjoyed about the MA was the

fact that the classes are really interactive, which gives the

students the opportunity to share their ideas about the

different literary texts in very active way. Overall, the

MA was a positive experience, as it allowed me to

expand my knowledge on English and American

literature and to analyze literature from different

perspectives.

I am currently enrolled in the PhD programme and

doing my thesis on eighteenth-century literature. This is

my first year as a PhD student, and the programme has

been very satisfactory.

As for my professional life, since September 2012 I

have been working as an English teacher at Mary’s

Language School, in Cerdanyola del Vallès. I have taught

students at different levels, from children and teenagers

to adults. My experience in this language school has been

tremendously rewarding. In this job, in the day-to-day

classes, I have learned new teaching methodologies that

have allowed me to grow as a teacher. The working

environment is really nice; all my workmates are very

supportive and the team spirit is very much felt.

Gloria Tost Gascó

I sent my curriculum to many schools a couple of

months before I finished my master’s for secondary

school education at the UAB and a few weeks later I got

a call from a private school that needed a substitute

teacher, Escola Garbí in Esplugues. I went for the

interview and got the job. Then I got a job in July at the

EOI Manresa teaching level 4 for teachers. I worked very

hard but the students were very happy with the course.

Because I had no job in a school yet for September, I

took a job in a language school in Ripollet in the

afternoons to be on the safe side. But in September I got a

job in a school as a substitute teacher for the whole year

(they didn’t tell me at the time it would be for the whole

year, so I carried on with both jobs) a Les Dominiques de

l’Ensenyament.

So this year I taught the 4th year of ESO and 1st and

2nd years of Batxillerat. I have to say it was a very tough

experience, not so much for the students whom I had

expected to be difficult at times but because of the board

of directors who were very hard on me no matter what

and favoured the students who are the customers in all

situations. I have to say it was the hardest time of my life

by far for a long time but I learnt to deal with it; I took

two courses of Raiki, I learnt how to do meditation and

how to connect or disconnect of things at will through

thoughts, finding inner peace and happiness. But also

very important, I learnt how to defend myself and stand

up for what I think is right and to be indifferent to

falsehood so it would stop hurting so much.

They couldn’t take me this July in EOI Manresa as

they had no desdoblament this year for me, but I was

fortunate to get a job at the EOI Guinardó, and really it is

intensive but also a breath of fresh air after teaching

teenagers. The good news however is that last week I

went for an interview for a job in a school, a full time job

with a permanent position and on Friday they confirmed

they want me to start next September. I am over the moon

with this news, it really is a good job, full time and

permanent (obviously they have to like me etc.)

By the way, my master’s thesis was published this

year by the UAB—see

revistes.uab.cat/jtl3/article/view/495/558.

2010 Alba Álvarez Holgado

As I said in the last report, I worked in a language

school without any kind of contract while I was doing the

degree and I still worked there one more year after I

graduated. Last year, I finished the MA in English

teaching, which was the former CAP certificate, at

Blanquerna. It was really a waste of time apart from the

practicum, which was a wonderful experience. I realized I

enjoyed teaching and overcame some fears I had.

However, the course ended and the Borsa d'Interins

didn’t open for new teachers to apply.

Last summer I got a job in another language school.

That time I got a contract but at the end of the summer

the man in charge disappeared without paying our

salaries. So the academic year started with me and other

workers suing the company. The whole legal matter

hasn’t been resolved yet. It has been a nightmare.

I’ve been in thousands of job interviews but no

success yet. I'm still doing private classes, though.

Positive side: I've learnt a lot about contracts and legal

issues! These are tough times but we must keep going.

I am engaged now in two literary projects: a website

and a book of poems. None of these things is related to

English or teaching but they keep me going and are a

good way of exploring new oportunities. And I’m having

a good time.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 101

You should not get stuck with one thing. If you like

teaching, that is wonderful but keep looking for other

ways to make yourself grow and keep you active because

the whole teaching world is really tough. My last piece of

advice is to join a workers’ union, especially if you are in

the Sector No Reglada (language schools mainly).

There’s a lot of mamoneo out there and you have to be

protected legally in some way.

Meritxell Ballús

I applied for the Auxiliares de conversación grant in

Germany. I was very lucky and first obtained a position

to work as a Spanish language assistant in a bilingual

school in Hamburg and during the second year I was in a

professional school in Weiden, Bavaria. Apart from

improving my level of German, I found the whole

experience really satisfactory and interesting, especially

my relationship with colleagues at the school. I

encourage everyone to spend some time abroad and have

contact with the locals and its culture while developing

the language skills. Due to personal reasons, I decided to

stay in Germany and since June 2012 I have been

working in the sales department of an international

company. I also combine this with Spanish lessons in an

adult education center.

Carmen Cavia Garrido

I’ve been working in a review academy for about

nine months and I feel really good so far. I work 27 hours

weekly, but only from Monday to Friday, which is great.

The job involves not only teaching English, but also

helping students with parts of the language they find most

difficult to deal with. My contract ends at the end of June

but I’ve just been informed that I will become permanent

from that time onwards, which is something I didn’t

expect, taking into account that this academy has just

been open for about two years. In my view, the key to its

success is to have two hard-working young entrepreneurs

who listen carefully to each employee’s opinions and

ideas and take them seriously. Moreover, next year I´ll be

able to also teach German due to the demand for this

language, which satisfies me since I’ve never had this

opportunity before. The only downside I find is the

timetable since I have to work mostly middays,

afternoons and evenings. However, the application for the

SOC courses will change this and in the near future I’ll

be mostly working from mornings till afternoons.

Adrià de Gracia Ortiz

After graduating I was awarded an Auxiliares de

Conversación grant to go the US, so I spent half of 2010

and half of 2011 working as a Spanish and Math assistant

teacher in Arlington, Virginia. Once that grant was over I

came back to Spain and found a job at Maristes school

where I have been working as an English teacher for kids

aged 7, 9, 10, 14 and some adults. Since I knew that I

wanted to leave Spain, while I was working I applied for

two possible ways that would help me do that. One was

to apply for a Lectorado de Español which consists of

teaching Spanish as a foreign language in a university

and there are tons of them, but they have to have a

position available because you can extend your stay up to

three years. The second was to apply for an MA program

in Denmark and I got it! So I am leaving for Copenhagen

to do an MA in English Studies at Copenhagen

University with an itinerary focused on Teaching English

in the Danish Upper Secondary School.

Paola Denari When I was attending my last year at university I

knew that I needed to gain some work experience if I

wanted to add some extra attractiveness to my CV.

Therefore, I was lucky that one of my classmates left a

vacancy available in the English school where she was

working and recommended me to the owner of the

school. As I was still going to university I did not want to

work full-time and I started with a few hours every day.

That way, not only did my boss get to know me, but I

also gained some experience teaching, from 7-year-old

children to adults. Besides, I had to teach different levels

and I discovered that I really enjoyed interacting with

people even though one of the most difficult things was

the management of the classroom. In contrast, this makes

the classes different every day even though you are

always teaching English.

On the other hand, when I finished university I knew

that I had to keep on studying, especially since the

language that I am teaching is not my mother tongue. As

a result, I decided to apply for a TEFL course at

International House. Despite my university degree in

English, they asked me to take an official Cambridge

exam that confirmed my command of the language. Then,

as I have always loved learning English I continue

studying it to get prepared for the PCE. After two years

of practice, I sat for the proficiency exam last June and I

passed it. I was on cloud nine, but I decided to put off

attending a TEFL course because I wanted to change

jobs.

In addition, last year I had applied for the Grundtvig

grant to take a course in teaching methods during the

summer in Ireland and I got it. The course was

outstanding and I really enjoyed sharing teaching

experience with English teachers from all over the world.

Therefore, when I came back I had new ideas which I

wanted to put into practice and I knew that at my English

school I wouldn’t be able to do so. That’s why before

starting last school year I went to different English

schools in Barcelona and I left my CV wherever they let

me. Why do I say so? In most cases, they just accepted

native English speakers and this is the only thing I can’t

change, my place of birth. To my surprise, one school

called me even though its requirement was that I had to

tell a white lie, which was that I was from Dublin if my

students asked me. All in all, I’ve just finished teaching at

that school and I disliked not being able to be myself,

although at the same time the experience taught me

different ways to communicate with my students, such as

miming, drawing and so on. In the end, it was the longest

Pictionary game I’d ever played and my students still

believed I was from Ireland and asked me to be their

teacher the next year. However, I don’t want to go on

lying and of course, I won’t accept this offer.

Moreover, I’ve also finished my fourth year at the

same afternoon school and my timetable was very busy,

from 5 pm to 10 pm, without including the preparation of

classes and corrections of exercises in the mornings. Due

to the economic crisis, I cannot complain about my

current situation. I had two jobs and some students at

home, I am still extremely motivated and my students and

their parents are delighted with me because I care about

them. Nevertheless, I have been sending some CVs and

I’m looking forward to being part of a dynamic updated

school which offers me the opportunity to create and try

new things next year.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 102

Carles Güell i Bou

After graduating in English Philology from UAB, I

spent a couple of years working part-time in a small

private academy in Vic, Barcelona. After my second

year I decided to set foot on an adventure abroad and,

after taking a course on Teaching Spanish as a Foreign

Language, I moved to London to look for a job as a

Spanish teacher. After few weeks sending CVs to literally

every advertisement I could find, I got a call from

London Southeast University, an institution which

through an agreement with Heilongjang International

University was looking for foreign language teachers to

work in Harbin, northeast China.

I knew very little about the city, in spite of being a

huge metropolis of around 10 million people. Harbin is

known in China for its harsh winters, which can reach

temperatures of below 40 degrees. It is for that reason

that the wages in that university were significantly higher

than in other cities. They were making a strong effort to

hire foreign teachers, offering programs in English,

Spanish and French.

One of the things that surprised me most was the

lack of organization (last-minute paperwork, lack of

information, etc.). Chinese bureaucracy was for me the

greatest cultural shock when I arrived. It is hard for

foreigners to try to modify the structure of the courses,

often stuck in old-fashioned Chinese teaching methods,

and even though they like welcoming foreign teachers

(mostly as a way to show off that they have money to hire

them) they are reluctant to undertake changes.

However, teaching in China is proving to be a

wonderful experience, in spite of occasional problems,

something I could never have dreamed of when I finished

my education in Spain, considering the economic

framework.

Mireia Ilarri

I was young and innocent, and I decided to start

Filologia Anglesa taking for granted that I was not going

to spend more than four years at college to become a

teacher. In my third year at Lletres, I started working in

different language schools and I realized that I enjoyed

teaching; in my fourth I took my second degree:

Magisteri Llengües estrangeres.

Once I was done with both degrees, I faced reality:

the work situation in our country is horrifying: no matter

how many years you spend at college, there is no future

around. I took the decision: I needed to run away from

here. I opened my mind and started to submit resumes all

over the world: from Russia, to China, the States, Dubai,

etc. I used a lot of sites, but the most useful one was

www.learn4good.com/. There you can find offers from

all over the world! You apply to the offers by creating an

account, the schools get your resume and get back to you.

It was from learn4good that my current job, a public

high school in Massachusetts, USA, contacted me, asking

me for my CV (maximum 2 pages) in English; copies of

my college transcripts; a letter of intent; and three letters

of recommendation in English or with a translation

attached. I sent everything to them, we did two interviews

using Skype (and they interviewed one of my references

by Skype too), and they hired me!

The most annoying thing was the paperwork to get

my visa (J1- allows you to be in the States for 3 years): I

“had to” get married (my boyfriend, current husband,

came with me), pay around €400 and go to Madrid (you

need to do an interview at the US Embassy). It proved

worth it, though.

So now I am the Latin Teacher at Hudson High

School. Yes, the Latin teacher. I took Latin when I was at

secondary school, and never think about it again (well,

only in the first year of English Philology, when I took

German and I understood what the declensions are used

for). They hired me because of my English and my

degree on teacher training (magisteri), and, of course,

because I am Spanish and they can use me as the Spanish

teacher in the future (and I know much more Latin than

they ever will!). Next year I am going to be in charge of

Latin (again) and of one of the groups for Spanish 3.

The good points about this job are that it is really

well-paid (I am earning about $3000 per month), I am

learning a lot (both English and good teaching practices)

and it is proving to be a great personal experience. The

drawbacks are that there is no curriculum for Latin, so I

am planning and teaching at the same time. And also the

classes here are 90 minutes long (try to imagine having to

keep teenagers working for such a long period of time).

Life in the States is very different compared to

Europe. I am living in a tiny town in Massachusetts, and

living in NY, Chicago or LA would probably be better.

However, it is great to be immersed in an English

speaking country, and I am learning about the culture at

the same time. Contrary to the popular myth, you can find

whatever food you need in the US. And I have the

opportunity to travel around (NYC, Boston, Montreal,

Salem, Plymouth... I think of Historia i Cultura way too

much haha!).

The downsides are that you need the car FOR

EVERYTHING, you cannot talk about politics or religion

(hot topics there!), and you have to get up at 6, have

lunch at 12, get dinner at 6 and go to sleep at 9 or 10.

Also, people don’t generally walk, so the streets are

empty. And finally, Americans seem to be very open and

ready to help you, but they are really individualistic, so

although they always smile, they don’t show what they

are really thinking.

Paula Jiménez Fernández

I finished my studies while on an Erasmus three

years ago. As soon as I went back to Barcelona, I found a

job as an English teacher in a language school and last

year I worked in a private school teaching a kind of extra

English hour a day.

However, I started to be more interested in social

work than in teaching. So in 2011, I went to India as a

volunteer. I worked as a teacher in a nursery school and

helped teenagers in reading, speaking and writing

English. I only stayed for a month. Then, I decided to

take a course related to NGOs and volunteering. The

course was offered by VOLPA (and after it you can work

as a volunteer for two years in a developing country

through a project). I also took a course on volunteering in

Catalonia.

Both courses were pretty cheap and dynamic.

In addition, once I finished my degree, I started a two-

year-course on Dubbing and Acting. I was always

interested in it and I decided to do it after university. The

problem is that it is really expensive even though the

people at the Escola de Doblatge de Barcelona are very

kind and you can pay it in installments.

As I said before, last year I was teaching in a private

school. I lost my job due to an illness (I was on sick

leave). I didn’t know what to do. But in October 2012,

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 103

Treball Campus called me because I had asked for a

Leonardo Da Vinci Grant in 2011 and there was a

vacancy for going to Lyon, France. I didn’t have a great

level of French, but I decided to go. I worked in a

European Organization for two months, Maison de

l’Europe et des Européens. I improved my French and I

learnt new cultural administrative tasks. Once I finished, I

saw an offer to work in an internship in Grenoble, France,

in a Theater Center. I applied for it and thanks to my

dubbing/acting experience, my English and French level,

I got it.

Now, I’m still in France. This grant is called

Eurodysee, and it’s a six-month internship. It’s the first

time I’ve worked in a cultural and artistic association and

I’m really happy. I decided not to be a teacher and I’m

trying to get a job related to acting. You may think it’s

kind of impossible to live through art. Although it’s

difficult, in France, Germany and the UK, people are

more concerned about art as a professional career.

So please be optimistic! The job situation is horrible

(we all know that) but I really think that by having more

than one goal we can have a chance. Note that having

another language is important too, even if French,

German or Chinese are not as popular as English.

The Leonardo and Eurodysee grants may be a good

way of starting a new career abroad. Here are some

useful websites:

India-Volunteering: http://www.laiafoundation.org/

VOLPA: www.volpa.org/index.php?option=com

_content &view=category&layout=blog&id=4&

Itemid=15&lang=ca

PAC: http://pasaporteparalacooperacion.org/

Dubbing: www.escueladoblajebarcelona.com/

And remember that “English Studies” need not be

only related to teaching!

Cristina Pardo Valls I finished my English degree during my Erasmus

year at Leicester. The truth is that after one year living in

Leicester and having one of the greatest years in my life,

going back to “reality” was very difficult, especially

because I met fantastic people I still have contact with. In

summer, and in Terrassa, my home town, I started

sending CVs online to job ads in both Barcelona and

London. I applied first to teach English in language

schools in Terrassa, but as the search did not go well. I

decided to apply for any kind of job, but got no replies.

The next step was to think that since I had a degree in

English and if I remained in Barcelona the possibilities of

losing my fluency in English were high, and I was

starting my job search from zero, so it was time to go to

live to London, where I lived two years and a half.

The truth is that finding a job in London according

to what one has studied is very difficult from the very

beginning. After being sales advisor at a fashion

company, French Connection UK, I decided to grow up

professionally speaking and I got a job at Zara UK, where

I worked as Department Responsible for almost one year.

My goal in London was to work for important fashion

companies, so I did my best and tried to have the work

experience required to apply to get internal internships or

being promoted with time even in the same store or

joining the head office. While I worked all that time I

took different internships and did different fashion

courses. Even though it is difficult to combine work and

studies, if you have the chance and can manage to do it is

going to be worthwhile for your CV and job experience.

In fact, I say so because I took all the internships in my

days off at work and holidays, a big effort.

But in March this present year, after a period

thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of

coming back home, especially considering the “bad

times” that Spain is going through nowadays, I decided to

come back definitively to Barcelona. The truth is that I

took the decision to come back and I thought that finding

a job was going to be easy, due to my job experience

abroad. I have to say that I have done a lot of interviews

during these 3 months, and finally I have got a job. It is

not a job I thought to get, within a fashion company, for

which I applied and did many interviews, but in a bank.

Having international experience and knowing languages

were the two main reasons I got the job. I will be working

in a bank office answering international calls.

Three years ago around this time, when my Erasmus

program and English degree were almost finished, I had

no idea of where I would live and what kind of job I

would be doing. I think how my life has changed since I

finished my Erasmus, I am very proud of all I have done,

worked and lived abroad, and the personal decision taken

to start from zero my life again at home and definitely.

As I learnt some time ago, everything takes time and it is

not easy (especially living abroad without your family

and friends), but always one has to think that by doing

things step by step and day by day, never surrender and

try to find the job you like!

David Soler Ortínez

Since my graduation in 2010, my academic,

personal and professional experience has been always

related to education and literature. In 2011, I did the

master’s degree Formació de Professorat in Blanquerna

(Universitat Ramon Llull) and there I became interested

in education. Therefore, I decided to study it in depth and

I enrolled in the research itinerary of another education

master’s degree (Màster Universitari en Lideratge en la

Transformació Socioeducativa). Meanwhile, at the end of

2011, a professor at Blanquerna proposed that I work

with her team at ESADE (Universitat Ramon Llull) as a

Research Consultant in the Educational Innovation

Department. (I am afraid that neither of these masters’

degrees is being offered now.)

In September 2012, once I passed the research

itinerary of my second master’s degree, I enrolled in a

Ph.D. program. Thus, I am now a Ph.D. student and I

have chosen to base my research on educational

innovation and CLIL. Last year, I was also accepted as a

Member of the Research Group on Language and

Intercultural Competence in Teaching and Learning

Languages (CILCEAL - Blanquerna).

Regarding my personal experience, since graduation

I have published a book of poetry entitled Ara que no em

veus, Ed. Témenos - ISBN: 97884904512, having won

the 17th Narcís Saguer Prize in 2011. I have also written

several short stories and some articles about literature.

Oleksiy Zarubin Though I was born in Ukraine, I’ve been living

in Catalonia for 11 years already. I am proud to have

done a degree in English. Many people think that this

degree is totally useless and there are no opportunities

and no perspectives for the future life. This is not true.

After finishing my degree I immediately found a job

as an interpreter in a hospital. This is the best job I’ve

done in my life for the moment because I really felt

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 104

fulfilled because I helped people—basically patients who

often required immediate help of the doctor. There were

people from all over the world but the languages I mostly

worked with were English, German, French, Italian and

Russian. The job was also quite well-paid, around €1400

net, working 6 hours a day (and also 12 hours on

Saturday or Sunday every week—which was not very

difficult because I really enjoyed the job). It is a pity that

this job is only available during the summer.

Afterwards, I stayed in the same place working in

administration. The salary was not as good as the

previous one (around only €1000 net/mo) and the job was

really boring. So I changed to a customer service job at

Noel Alimentaria involved with exporting Catalan meat

products. This job was really stressful and the days were

very intense. It was not very well paid but at least it was

interesting and very dynamic. For a while I was quite

happy with the job.

Lately, I have had some more changes in my life.

Now I’m back working in the private unit of the Hospital

de Palamós (the place I used to work at formerly). Since I

did not get any feedback or promotion from my former

company after two years, I accepted this offer because I

was offered a better salary, more responsibilities and a

better job in general. I am the Area Manager providing

private healthcare services to customers in Russia, Italy

and France.

2009

Zara Aguilar Torra

During the five years I spent at the UAB I was not

sure what I wanted to do after graduating, but I knew I

did not want to become a teacher. I had been in Limerick,

Ireland, for a year as an Erasmus student, and in my 5th

year I did the practicum at the Euncet (Escola

Universitària de Negocis de CaixaTerrassa) doing some

translation in the administrative offices of the university.

I also registered in some modules offered by the

Translation Faculty at the UAB because I thought having

some training and practice in translating might be worth

it.

Back then, getting the CAP was easier than now

because it used to be a 4-month course that consisted of

two modules and an internship, and its cost was €500, but

since I didn’t want to become a teacher, I didn’t take the

CAP course. To be honest, at the end of my last year I

was very worried—even scared—about what I was going

to do because I had never had a real job besides being a

private teacher of English or a substitute teacher for a few

days at my old school in Barcelona.

Fortunately, a friend of mine was the secretary at a

school in Barcelona (Princess Margaret School) and told

me they were looking for teachers for the evening

acadèmia. Although I didn’t like the idea of being a

teacher, I gave it a try and after an interview, I started

working there. At first, I was a little lost due to my

extremely short experience, but after three years there, I

have learnt a lot and see the teaching job from a different

perspective.

Before I started the third year in the acadèmia, I

registered for the MA Estudis Anglesos Avançats:

Adquisició del llenguatge I multilingüisme at the UAB. I

did so because a professor of the university recommended

it to me and I thought it might be a way of acquiring

some knowledge and skills that would allow me to find a

new job, away from teaching. I took the modules of the

MA in two years. The first year was chaotic: in

September I was offered a job as a substitute teacher at

the Escola Virolai for three months, in October I also

started the MA classes, so I had to do both things at the

same time, and in November I started working at the

Princess Margaret School as well. That was for three

months, but for the whole year, working and studying at

the same time was too much for me, so I decided I would

not work during the second year of the MA, I’d only

teach private English lessons. I was lucky to have 6

different students during the year.

Right now, I still have two students and I’m

finishing my MA thesis which focuses on the acquisition

of English pragmatics in children with Asperger

Syndrome. For that purpose, I’ve also taken a course at

the Associació d’Espectre Autista de Catalunya and have

been working as a volunteer at their esplai. To make all

this work with the MA useful, I’m considering working

with the association to start a pilot English course

adapted to the needs of these children for next September,

and I will also work again at the Princess Margaret

School acadèmia.

Anabel Arcos Coca After I finished my degree, I worked for a year at a

private school teaching not only English language but

also Computing in English and Business English to FP

students. Then, I moved to London and lived there for

two years. Before moving there, I applied for

the Auxiliares de Conversación grant but did not get it.

Once in London, I did the International House Spanish

Teacher Training course in July. It was a very intensive

course but I highly recommend it. However, it was

useless for me as I didn’t find a job as a Spanish teacher.

During those two years in London, I struggled in

terms of finding a teaching job there. I signed up with

some teaching agencies but only did some supply work at

primary and secondary schools. I wasn’t able to find a

long term job so I ended up working at a local nursery

school. It was quite frustrating.

Last year, I moved back to Barcelona and despite

my lack of teaching success in London, having spent

some time living and working abroad helped me a lot

when looking for a teaching job here. For the past year

I’ve had three jobs at the same time; online tutor and

English teacher at both an English school and an Escola

Concertada. They’ve all asked me to continue after the

summer holiday so I guess I’ve been very lucky.

Sònia Barroso Saez

I finished my degree four years ago and for three

years I have been on the interins list. At the moment I am

living in Donostia working part-time in a language

school. As you may know, the working conditions of

language schools are not very good though it is enough

for me to live by myself.

As for my expectations, when I finished the degree I

was fed-up with studying and working part-time in

language schools. So I wanted to get a regular job and be

able to take courses I was interested in. In addition, it was

clear for me I didn’t want to work abroad. I had lived in

Ireland some years ago and despite being a great

experience, it was quite tough to start in a new place.

However, the situation was quite frustrating. I wanted to

grow, evolve and my career was getting worse working in

a language school 7 hours a week. I had to do something.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 105

So, to motivate myself, I took a course in

international social volunteering and started studying

Basque since the Basque Country became a destination to

go. I knew some people there and I liked the place a lot.

And I have been here since two years ago, studying

Basque in the morning and working in the afternoon. In

my free time I work on a case of the death penalty for

International Amnesty by translating letters and

coordinating actions with other countries which are

working on it too.

As you can see, I have not accomplished my

expectations but I I am learning a lot, and meeting

extraordinary people. Advice: “Always look on the

bright side of life”. Every cloud has a silver lining!

Anna Bernal Díaz

During the last two years before graduating, I had

been teaching kids at a language school in Mollet, where

I live. I soon realized that I liked the job but that I needed

some training, so I took the CAP (Certificat d’Aptitud

Pedagògica) at the UAB. I then joined the borsa

d’interins in order to work at a state school and, luckily, I

started working at a primary school the following

October.

I devoted academic years to teaching young

children, at both the language school and primary schools

in the Maresme and Vallès Oriental, and I gained a lot of

experience. The schools were all very different, with

pupils from all backgrounds, and I worked not only as an

English teacher, but also as a tutor in one of the schools

too. I have to admit that it was very rewarding in a

number of ways, basically because I was constantly

planning and adapting material to meet the needs of my

students.

I started teaching adults too in 2011 and I realized

that I liked them even more than children! So, last

summer I took the Spanish teacher training course at

International House Barcelona. I really enjoyed the

course and, although I haven’t worked as a Spanish

teacher yet, it helps me with my adults’ groups.

I knew that being on the lists is not a fairly secure

job nowadays and unfortunately, Spanish education

system is getting worse and the ongoing job situations for

those who are on the lists is very poor. So, as I expected,

last academic year 2012-2013 I was not called from the

lists until May 2013! What we all need is a steady

income, so in September I started working more hours at

the language school.

The truth is that since I finished the dregree I have

always been working and although the working

conditions are not always the best, English teachers are

somehow required. I am now teaching kids, teenagers and

adults at the language school and I am quite happy with

it. However, I sometimes consider the idea of trying new

skills.

Àngels Bladé Castel

Having finished the degree, the first months were

really stressful because I couldn’t get any jobs. I sent my

CV to many private schools and I also joined the borsa d’

interins. However, as you may know, it does not run

much—at least in Terres de l’Ebre and Tarragona. As

time passed, I began to realise that that year I would not

get work, at least in public schools. I also constantly

checked those websites with job offers. I did eventually

get a one-month substitution at a private school.

That November I decided to take a virtual Master’s

program (“Educació i TIC”) offered by the UOC. I

wanted to continue my studies because I had the feeling

that I was wasting my time.

Finally, I got a part time job at the Universitat

Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona. I have been working as an

English teacher at the Language Service Department for

three years now. The experience has been fantastic! At

the same time, I have been taking some courses so as to

be more prepared and improve my CV.

Since it is just a part time job at the URV, I have

also taught in other schools: “Oral English” (language

assistant) in ESO in the previous private school for two

years, English for Academic Purposes (Arts and Crafts)

in Cicles Formatius, and also a substitution for the

Department of Catalan at the URV.

To sum up, don’t despair! If you can’t get a job, you

should take advantage of that time and continue studying

and trying those opportunities that come to you. Sooner

or later you will get something.

Guillem Blasco Garriga Even before I had finished my degree I already

knew that I would be working as a language assistant

at Charterhouse School in the county of Surrey,

England. I went there with a one-year contract and I have

just finished my fourth year and I am staying another one.

Some of you may think that it is time to change and do

other things and so on and I may agree. However, during

these four years I have done a distance learning MA and I

will start another one next year. Being a language

assistant allows you to work and study (online) at the

same time (at least in my current situation).

The main role of a language assistant is to train your

students to pass the oral part of their exams (IGCSE for

the 4th ESO students & Pre-U, which would be like some

kind of selectivitat). In my particular case, I was given

the Spanish department syllabus with the topics that

teachers cover in class. My task is to design exam-like

activities concerning the topic they are dealing with in

class.

My advice: do not hesitate to apply for everything

there is out there—you never know where your future

may lie.

Carles Brosel i Oliu

After graduating in any degree a period begins

where, usually, the student does not know whether to

continue studying or to look for an adequate job. In my

case, after having completed Filologia Anglesa I knew I

wanted to continue my university education, and so I

graduated in Filologia Catalana (2011) and in the

postgraduate studies of Correcció i Qualitat Lingüística

(PCQL) and Assessorament Lingüístic en els Mitjans

Audiovisuals (PALMA) (2012, as I could do both at the

same time); all of them at the UAB. I am now writing the

thesis for the Màster en Correcció i Assessorament

Lingüístic. I actually improved my mother tongue,

Catalan, up to an almost perfect level (the old K-level) in

these postgraduate courses.

After these studies I hoped to work full-time as a

proofreader of Catalan in written press, radios, publishing

houses and so on. Nevertheless, the situation in this field

is complicated, so I only had two very different

internships in 2012, one for each postgraduate course, in

the Institut d’Estudis Catalans—Servei de Producció

Editorial—and with Ràdio Sabadell 94.6. Internships are

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 106

always interesting experiences where you learn a lot

because you are working together with qualified

professionals.

After finishing university last July, I did not find a

job related to proofreading in Barcelona or the

surrounding area, so I went back home, the Cerdanya.

During the second half of 2012 I took the opportunity to

update my qualifications in first aid and lifeguarding, and

I worked teaching private lessons of English and as a

lifeguard too, especially on the weekends.

With the arrival of 2013 I combined the work as a

lifeguard with varied experiences in a language academy:

extracurricular lessons of French and English to seven-

year-old children, English lessons to all levels and ages

and a Summer Camp in English this July. In May I took

the course of Monitor de Temps de Lleure. I have

realized that a key fact is that people have to adapt to the

needs of the market and of its environment; particularly,

Cerdanya is a tourist place where, especially in the

summer season, hundreds of families take their children

to nature camps and, if possible, try to improve their

English. Moreover, I work now and then as a freelance

translator and proofreader in English, Catalan, Spanish

and French.

Laura Buitrago Barroso After finishing my degree, I didn’t have the slightest

idea what to do with my future. I just knew I wanted to

take a break from uni and keep improving my German.

So thanks to a grant from the MEC, I did a summer

language course in Berlin, and after that, I decided to stay

on in the city. I looked for a job but didn’t succeed – the

high unemployment rate by that time and the fact that I

wasn’t fluent in German didn’t help much.

Despite everything, I stayed and kept learning the

language by myself. In the meantime, I got the Leonardo

Da Vinci grant, a European programme for graduates to

do a 3-month internship abroad related to your field of

studies (it was offered both by the UAB and the SOC

(Servei d’Ocupació de Catalunya) but at the moment I

don´t know what the situation looks like). My main task

was to proofread and correct translations from German

into Spanish/English in a translation agency, and I’m still

actually doing it. My boss was very happy with me and

offered me to keep working for him from home. It’s been

more than 3 years already!

However, although the job provides me with some

good experience in an interesting working field, I don’t

get a permanent salary to be able to live on. It’s hard to

live on by just working as a proofreader or rather as a

translator, there are just too many and it’s not well paid.

That’s why apart from that, my main occupation has

been till 2 months ago as saleswoman at Desigual. I

worked for this Spanish company for 3 years, which,

apart from giving me the opportunity to improve my

German to a fluent level and afford my life abroad,

provided me with work experience and with an overview

of how the German labour market works. Thanks to this,

I feel a lot more confident, when it comes to finding

further (better) job opportunities.

Now I work selling tickets for city tours by bus

(like the catalan “bus turístic”). You can make really

good money with such a job. The only disadvantage is

that you stay in the street, which means, it can be very

nice when it’s nice weather, but also pretty annoying

when it rains or it’s cold. And it’s a job for the summer

season only, that means from March to October. So my

plan for the moment is to sell tickets during the summer

and then look for another job in my field of studies, if

possible. Such jobs as sales woman and so on are not

something I really enjoy doing. But it’s difficult to really

know what you want to do for a living without trying out

different things. Two years in a row I applied for

the Auxiliares de conversación grant (although I would

never like to become a teacher, but who knows…) and

was put on the waiting list, so I decided to give up and

really focus on my future.

Four years after finishing my degree at the UAB, I

decided to study again. So last year I applied for a

Master’s Degree in “Kommunikation und Sprache”

(Language and Communication) at the Technische

Universität Berlin. I’m about to finish my second

semester now and I’m very happy with it. We do a lot of

linguistics, also computer based, and speech production,

for instance, using different softwares. I find it really

interesting. I’m also planning on doing an internship

abroad from January on, but still have to check

everything. Nice job opportunities with the Master’s are

working with learning materials in a publishing company,

as a language trainer, voice recognition, etc.

If you want tp check out Bachelor or Master studies

in Germany, go to http://www.hochschulkompass.de/ and

for those interested in international programmes in

English, see

www.daad.de/deutschland/studienangebote/international-

programmes/07535.es.html

Studying in Berlin is really cool, because most of

the studies are for free. You just pay around 280€ per

Semester and get a ticket for the whole semester for

public transport (which is very expensive, as in normal

price). As a student you also get lots of discounts in

museums and so on, and it’s easier to find a job, since

hiring a student costs a lot less taxes.

Ana Isabella Byrne Bellorín I finished English Philology in September 2009 and

French Philology in July 2012, so I only just officially

graduated from both last year having signed up for the

double degree in 2003. I’ve been working mainly as an

English teacher, mostly to Young Learners, in an

independent academy 2010-11 and since 2011 in a

Kids&Us academy near Urgell. When I’ve worked with

academies it has usually been 12€/h, and it’s so with

Kids&Us too, but they always put you on contract and

provide lesson plans and materials for almost all lessons.

I still do some private tutoring and baby-sitting. Teaching

young learners makes it hard to draw the line between

them sometimes and muddles the rates but a try to keep it

at a 20€/h minimum for teaching and only go down to the

baby-sitting rates (which change according to travel time)

when it’s several blocked hours that don’t involve lesson

planning.

Apart from teaching I’ve also been working on

occasional translations and even doing some

interpretation at business meetings. These are odd jobs I

get through the grapevine of friends or family. Last

summer I started working at the port with Intercruises.

They call you 2 or 3 days a week as certain cruise ships

arrive according to your own availability. They provide

port services to ships that don’t include them in their

crew. These past two years the cruise season went from

April to the first week of November.

As for studies, I completed the Trinity Cert TEFL

course in Oxford House in 2010 and was very satisfied

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 107

with it. It gave me perspective on my teaching and good

pointers to improve. The main part of the course is

practical, and it’s also good to have feedback from your

tutor and your peers.

Besides these more strictly professional endeavours

I’ve also been actively involved in the English-speaking

theatre community in Barcelona. There are many groups

and I’ve been involved with B.I.G. (Barcelona Improv

Group), Dusty Apple and The Tremayne Company, these

are just three of the seven or so I’m acquainted with and

that have been putting up some very interesting

productions all through this spring and early summer.

B.I.G. and Dusty Apple got together recently to organise

Play In A Day (the name says it all) in which I

participated as a writer and other people involved in the

aforementioned companies also participated as writers,

actors, directors and organisers.

In February I performed in The Vagina Monologues

(in Spanish) which were played on consecutive weeks

that month, first in Spanish and then English, both

directed by the founders of Dusty Apple. In June I was

performing in the Tremayne Company production A

Woman of Many Parts, my second play with them

after Six in the City 2 in February 2012. In B.I.G. we’re

currently organising an international improvisation

festival in Barcelona this November, and there are free

weekly workshops and monthly performances going on.

If interested, see http://www.barcelonaimprovgroup.com/

and https://www.facebook.com/DustyAppleTheatre.

Mireia Cañadell Montón

I graduated in June 2009. It was the beginning of the

economic crisis. I worked all that summer in the summer

camps “L’Estiuésteu” meanwhile I looked for a job to

start with in September. I had told my family my idea to

travel abroad if I didn’t succeed but I was lucky and I

started working in an English academy in Vic after

summer. It was only for a few hours but it was a good

opportunity to gain experience.

It has been 4 years and now I have a part-time

contract in the same academy. I am a little bit frustrated

because some of my workmates do not have the same

qualifications as me but they have the same opportunity

and salary (which is not bad).

This has been a complicated year because the

atmosphere was not the perfect one and for that reason I

am looking for another academy. I have already had two

offers.

Two summers ago I also started working in a private

school in the village I live in. I teach English and French

to 3rd and 4th ESO students. I work there 10 hours per

week and I get a good salary there.

I consider myself a lucky person because the present

situation is terrible and a lot of people around me are

unemployed or working in a job that has nothing to do

with their studies. I am a moonlighter, that is, a person

with more than one job. Sometimes, it is tiresome and

stressful but I have learnt a lot and I have experience

which is very important when looking for a job but not

essential.

If I had to give a piece of advice to a person who

graduated this summer it would not be a very long one. It

is very important to keep studying, learning and working

hard. You have to be confident because you have studied

a lot and never lose your motivation.

Ester Cervero Martín After finishing my studies at the university four

years ago I started working at a language school in

Barcelona. I was not teaching but doing mainly

administrative tasks and helping the director of studies

organizing courses and helping students finding the

course which would be most suitable for them. Although

I was quite happy with it, I knew from the very beginning

that it was not the job I wanted to do for the rest of my

life, so I applied for the beca d’auxiliar de

conversa. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it. Since the work situation in Spain at the moment is

not precisely the best, I decided to move to Edinburgh

where I had been living as an Erasmus student three years

ago. The situation here is not as good as it was a couple

of years ago, although not as bad as in Spain. It took me

about three months to find a job. I worked at the

reception of a hotel for nearly two years while I worked

on an online MA. It was called Traducción y medicación

lingüística de las lenguas alemana y española. I chose to

do two specialisations: legal and technical translation. I

decided to go for German because living in the UK my

English was improving but my German was getting

rustier and rustier.

As soon as I finished my MA in September 2012 I

applied for a job at RWS, a big translation company

based in Buckinghamshire, where I started working as

Project Coordinator and was soon promoted to Project

Manager. At RWS I work in the medical department and

what I do is basically managing translation projects. I

liase with several clients (generally pharmaceutical

companies) that ask me for a quotation to translate a

document (e.g., articles, instructions for using medicinal

products, etc) to be translated into one or several

languages. Once they send me the files I need to work out

the price and a turn-around time based on the number of

words and the language combination. If the client accepts

my quotation, then I will find the translator who is more

suitable for the job. Occasionaly I do some proofreading

tasks or completeness checks as well.

Although it’s not th job of my dreasm, it will be

quite useful if I ever want to become a freelance

translator.

Esther Codina Potrony

When I finished the degree, I decided to do the

Màster en Formació del Professorat de Secundària at the

Universitat de Barcelona. There were many good things,

such as the long practicum in a high school, but it was

very difficult to have a job while doing it because it was

very demanding and there were a lot of assignments and

deadlines to attend. When I finished the master’s, I was

able to enroll inthe Borsa de Treball de Personal Docent.

However, they don’t run much and I accepted a job in a

language school.

My first experience as a teacher was in the

concertada primary school where I studied. Regarding

the Generalitat, they called me to work for a couple of

months in a primary school. Unfortunately they didn’t

call me either last year or this year. However, last year I

managed to combine my job at the language school with

a job at a concertada high school, where I taught students

from cicles formatius.

Since I have spent most of the last two years only

employed part-time I have enrolled in many courses in

order to refresh my knowledge and learn new skills, such

as accountancy or exports, which I think may be useful if

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 108

I have to look for another job. This year, I have decided

to take a step forward and enroll in a post-graduatedegree

at UOC which deals with technology and translation.

Laura Crespillo González After I finished my degree, I continued working in a

language school called Mon Idiomes in Terrassa. I also

got the titol de monitor de lleure, which allowed me to go

on summer camps. It’s a good option for those working at

Language schools because contracts normally expire in

summer, so with this certification you can also work

during the summer. In summer I applied for a Comenius grant, which

paid for a teaching course in Malta. It lasted 15 days and

it was very good. The course was based on how to do

motivating activities in class and we also reviewed

idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. I really

recommend taking such courses to improve or recycle

concepts. After doing these courses, in September 2010, I

started the master’s in secondary school teaching at

Blanquerna. I have to say that I found it really interesting

and it taught me different perspectives on teaching.

However, the situation in Spain is very disappointing at

the moment and I think that registering with the lists to

work as a substitute teaching in the public system is not

worth it since you have to wait a year or more to get just

a three-week substitution.

Then I decided to go to UK for a year even in

language schools there is stiff competition here, and

many language schools only hire native speakers or

people who have been in the UK or US for a period of

time. So, I decided to move to London for one year

mainly to get some experience on education in UK and to

experience language in context. I was lucky since I found

a job as a Spanish teacher in a Language school in the

afternoon as soon as I arrived. However, they offered me

few hours and agencies for substitutions in schools only

wanted teachers with a minimum of 3 months experience

in UK, no matter how many years I had of experience in

Spain.

After some months of persistence I started doing

substitutions in nursery schools and primary as a teaching

assistant. It has been a great experience since I had the

opportunity to help children with their literacy in English,

and I have also worked with children with special needs.

I think I had the opportunity here of working in

educational environments that in Spain are in some way

restricted to people who have specific formation on

several topics. For instance, I worked with a child

learning Braille together with a Braille teacher and one

day I worked with a child who only communicated by

signs (I did not know sign language before that day, but

at the end of the day I was able to communicate with him

and give him some commands). It is a little bit uncertain

because you work doing substitutions and sometimes at

the beginning I only worked once a week, but as soon as

schools know you you get more jobs working all week or

at least three times a week. Finally, I got a job working as

a Spanish teacher in a Secondary school for the last 2

months of the school year.

Moreover, I started working with an American

company as a Tour Director, which is really the job I had

always wanted to do. I had the interview in London,

although there were interviews in Madrid, London,

Rome, Paris and Berlin. It was a very competitive

selection process with several stages and a practicum of

three days. I didn’ t expect to get the job but finally I was

one of the 14 people selected out of 1400. I am working

in Spain and Portugal (for the moment). I lead walking

tours, introduce museum collections, deal with suppliers

and official guides and do cultural activities with the

groups. The educational and cultural component is very

important so I can create many activities to learn in a

different setting from a classroom.

I have done two tours this season so far and I really

enjoy it. I am combining tours with substitutions and

teaching in the UK at the moment. Furthermore, I wrote

two teaching resources for learning Spanish for another

company in UK. I could choose between getting paid for

writing the resources or getting the royalties so I chose to

keep the royalties. I am happy so far since I think I have

done this year more than I would had done in Spain for a

couple of years and I am improving my CV in terms of

not certificates but rather jobs and experience, so I have

decided to stay in London one year more.

Christina Estanol Hugas

Right after graduating from the UAB, I did the

master’s in Formacio del Professorat de Secundaria in

the UB. After my master’s, my situation was quite

unstable for a year. I only worked for two months in a

private school. I wanted to settle in France, but did not

have enough courage, since I was quite lost. I applied

then for the Auxiliares de Conversación in France and I

was lucky to get a post near Marseille, in Salon de

Provence. This experience helped me a lot to learn

French, to get familiar with the French administration,

and many other things.

After this, in September, I settled in Lyon,

determined to look for a job. The situation in France is

quite exasperating too. Finding a job is just as hard as in

Spain, with the added difficulty that I am not French. Job

offers as a teacher were quite miserable, forcing me to

become a freelancer, and in most cases to teach Spanish.

Plus, in France, teachers in both state and private schools

need to have what is called CAPES, which is a sort of

public examination like the oposicions. That’s why I am

now studying for this CAPES. The particularity is that I

have always been determined to be a teacher of English,

not of Spanish. So, despite the many attempts of many

people who have tried to dissuade me from trying the

English CAPES, and encouraged me to try the Spanish

CAPES, I have persisted and I keep studying to become

an English teacher.

Meanwhile, in order to help me survive financially

in this expensive country, I work part-time as a shop-

assistant in a jeweller’s. Sometimes I feel desperate but as

Pink says, “You’ve gotta get up and try try try.”

Miquel Àngel Fuentes

After graduating I decided to carry on with my

education and take the “CAP” master’s degree at UAB.

As it was a full-time master’s degree, which had periods

of Practicum in the mornings and periods of theory

lessons in the afternoon, I was forced to give up my job

as an English teacher at the language school where I had

been working since my second year of the degree. The

good part was that I was able to focus on the master’s

degree thoroughly and I managed to finish it with a really

good mark. By the end of the course, however, I was

completely broke.

I searched for a random job through Infojobs and I

ended up working as a telephone operator. I needed the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 109

money but I hated the job, so in the end I mustered up my

courage and quit so as to enroll for a second master’s

degree, this time in Research in Language and Literature

Teaching at the UAB again. It was great because I

managed to get a small job with the Research in

Language and Literature Teaching program. I also

returned to being a teacher at a language school (as I had

been during the degree). Sadly, after a year, I was made

redundant at UAB due to downsizing.

Afterwards, I decided to become a PhD candidate in

order to eventually achieve better credentials which

might help me get a proper job in the future. I was unable

to get a grant for it because my weighted average mark

for the degree was below the standards to be eligible (the

master’s degrees didn’t count). As of today, four years

after graduating, I am still looking for a full-time, regular

job in which I get a minimum of 1000 euros per month—

which seems almost Mission: Impossible.

Laura Izquierdo

I have always dreamt about becoming an English

teacher, actually, this is the reason why I chose to study

Filologia Anglesa. However, I can say that nothing has

been as I expected.

I started working while I was still studying at UAB.

It was hard to combine both things, but it helped me to

learn to be more organized. Nowadays I work in the same

school as a part-time job. Of course, it is not the job of

my life, but being there has given me a lot of experience.

I have been teaching children from 3 to 18 years old,

preparing students for Selectivitat and Cambridge Exams,

organizing lessons, organizing material to make it more

attractive and even creating my own material, working

with adults, etc. This work has also given me the ability

to improvise in front of a class when everything goes

wrong and even put my first aid knowledge into practice

when a child cuts himself. It is clear that with this job, my

working and financial expectations have not been

completely fulfilled, but at least I am happy to work in

the world of education.

I have also worked sporadically as a substitute

teacher in a primary school and in a high school. This

world was totally new for me and I’ve seen how complex

it is dealing with a class with 28 students. I taught

English, Catalan, Spanish and even music!

I have never stopped sending CV to lots of places,

and I also continue applying for different grants to work

abroad. I hope someday, with scholarship or not, I get the

possibility to work in a foreign country.

I have also observed that continuing with your

academic training is important, not only for your CV but

also for your personal satisfaction while you are looking

for your perfect job. I have taken different courses and

seminars about tips to teach Cambridge exams or

working with “TIC”. I’m also studying another language.

Although all this may seem really negative,

everything depends on how you cope with your present

situation. The important thing is to learn something from

everywhere you work, taking both personal and

professional benefit from the places where you are.

Marta Madrid Ribas I worked in different language schools during my

degree. In the October after I graduated, Michael

forwarded an e-mail from another former student saying

that Cambridge University Press in Barcelona was

looking for a sales representative and I sent my CV. In

December Cambridge University Press called me for an

interview. I was surprised because I had already forgotten

about having sent the CV. After the first interview, they

said they would call me for a second interview. As the

new year started I thought that they wouldn’t call me

again but I finally did the second interview in the second

week of January and started working in February 2010. After three years working as English Language

Teaching representative I can say that I’ve learnt a lot

about methodology and marketing. Having worked as a

teacher with some of their books is a great advantage

when I had to promote them. I’ve met a lot of interesting

people such as other representatives from other parts of

Spain, authors and editors. The job of a representative consists of visiting

schools around Catalonia, preparing events related to

Cambridge Exams and English teaching, learning about

new materials and competitors and doing some office

jobs. It is a good job to do in the first years after finishing

the degree because you learn a lot and it is a good chance

to try something that is not teaching but is related to your

degree. The job conditions are really good: you have to

work some Saturday mornings but you get days off in

compensation for that. These last two years have been very tough because

of the recession. Schools haven’t got money and it’s

difficult to sell them anything, so completing the 20 visits

bosses say you must do in a week is a really difficult task.

When this happens the job becomes very stressful. I finished the UAB master’s degree in publishing

last year. I'm trying to get promoted to the publishing

department and the editors in my office sometimes give

me some editing jobs to do. As the publishing world is

suffering a lot with the recession I don’t think it is

possible to work only as an editor at the moment. The

chief editor may give me some work to do as a freelancer

this year. At the moment the only thing I can do is wait

for the times to change so in the meantime I am going to

start a course in ebook design and publishing.

Núria Marco Rodríguez After having worked as a teacher in a nursery school

in London for two years, I have decided that even though

it has been a great experience, this is not what I want to

do and if I want to move on, the only way is to continue

studying and start looking for another job. With this in

mind, I have managed to reduce my working hours.

I still don’t know what is going to happen next year.

I have applied to some MA programmes and other

courses. I doubt about what the best options are.

However, I am sure that in order to teach older children

here or elsewhere (not in Spain) I need to have a TEFL

certificate, as well as the course from Instituto Cervantes

or International House to teach Spanish and another

language like French or German.

It is very hard to make decisions in the present

situation, but I believe that we still need to try and not

settle for something if our heart is not in it. Because the

truth is that time flies and if you don’t do it now you

won’t do it.

Àngela Masià Solà As I explained in the last pack, when I finished my

degree in 2009 I quickly started sending lots of CVs to all

the private schools I knew. It is really difficult to get a

position in one of these schools, especially nowadays, but

I didn’t give up. Two years after graduating I was able

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 110

to start working in a private high school in Salou,

subbing for the English teacher. Luckily, when the

substituion period finished, I was offered a job for the

following academic year. So this year I am teaching

English and German in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of ESO and

I am also doing some classes in primary (this is another

maternity substitution). Although the school is 45

minutes from my town, I am very happy because I

know that nowadays it is very difficult to get the

job you love. My advice: don’t stop sending your CVs

and don’t stop studying languages or doing any course

you can do. You can finally get what you desire.

Noemí Ortego Jódar

Last year I took the exam to become a guia oficial

de turisme de Catalunya and since then on I have been

working as such for the same company I have been

working for the last three years. Before I was working

only at the Palau de la Música Catalana and now, with the

title, I have more options: Sagrada Familia, Park Güell,

Montserrat, etc. and the salary is a little bit higher than

before. Also a couple of months ago I signed a permanent

contract—yay!

It looks like tourism is “the goose that lays golden

eggs” but I think that we may break it soon. The city is

getting more and more expensive every year—admission

fees, especially—and since the economic crisis started

there are a lot of unqualified people carrying a colourful

umbrella and explaining anything they want to visitors.

So there's a lot of competition and infiltration.

To sum up, I feel that I have a very rewarding job,

since I am always meeting new people and I learn new

things every day but, if you are considering this career,

speaking a foreign language is not enough preparation.

You need to read a lot, have good communication skills

and be a service-oriented person.

Verònica Paez Fuentes After surviving years of studying and part-time work,

I finally reached the end of my student life four years

ago. However, I had to face then the recession! Every day

was a “wake up and smell the Infojobs webpage”. It was

a nightmare to be in such long, rigorous application

processes but I learnt a lot about how to do proficient job

interviews.

I have been working at ESADE Business School

since 2010 as the person in charge of official academic

certificates and accreditations. Given the international

prestige of this particular school, most of the students are

international and that is why they hire so many graduates

in English Philology, to ensure at least good social and

communication skills with the students.

I am starting a Master’s Degree in Public Relations

and Protocol next academic year, since I see to get more

prepared in order to keep surviving in the current job

jungle.

Olga Parera Bosch When I was in my last year of English Philology, I

decided to start the second cycle of Translation &

Interpretation. I’m so happy I decided to do English

Philology first because I had acquired a solid base in

English that allowed me to head to Translation &

Interpretation with more confidence and knowledge.

Translation & Interpretation is more like a practical

degree in comparison with English Philology.

In Translation, there are two subjects related to

Legal Translation, plus the faculty offers a 10-week

course on this field as well that gives you credits de lliure

elecció and official credentials from the Generalitat de

Catalunya to be an English-Catalan/Catalan-English

sworn translator once you graduate. This course is

optional. I did it and it really helped me to become more

specialized in this subject. If any student from English

Philology would like to have that credential, he/she will

have to sit an exam. You can find further information at

www20.gencat.cat/portal/site/Llengcat under Acreditació

de coneixements.

This year, I’ve done the MA in Media Translation

and I truly recommend it. You can do it either on site or

online. You do different subjects such as dubbing,

subtitling, audiodescription, videogames, etc, plus you

must attend a circle of lectures about how to become a

freelance translator, tips about the job market and others

related to the subjects you’ve made in the course. Within

the master, there is an internship program, which is

optional. If you do the internship, then the final project

will be based on that. If you don’t, then you have to look

for a topic and do some research.

I did my internship as a conference translator and

subtitler at the CCCB in Barcelona. It was nice. I’d love

to always work as an audiovisual translator. But this MA

taught me (our teachers told us) that translators cannot be

specialized in one field. The more fields you work in, the

better, especially considering the difficult moment the job

market is going through. Maybe in the past you could but

nowadays it’s impossible. So I started my own business

as a freelance translator.

When I finished the MA, I started to work right away

as a freelance translator in a dubbing studio translating

and making subtitles of movies and TV shows. While I

was looking for more clients, I did an online course on

Literary Translation at Calamo & Cran. I totally

recommend it because it helps you translate in all genres

(novel, poetry, essays, etc.) and at the same time, it gives

you a perspective about the current situation of literary

translation. Currently, I basically translate in the

audiovisual and advertising business but I’m also looking

to step into the publishing world. In October, my little

business will turn two years old and despite the crisis,

I’m blessed to be working in what I studied and love.

Ariadna Puig Cabeza

The year after I graduated I took a Master’s course

in Audiovisual Translation at the UAB. In that Master’s

program I had the chance to do an internship in a

company called Selecta Visión S.A. adding subtitles for

TV series and translating some films or trailers from

English into Spanish. This company works a lot with

Japanese animation, so as I was studying Japanese as

well, they kept giving me work even after the Master’s

program ended. So I became a freelance translator. In the

summer of 2010 I spent a month in Kyoto taking an

intensive Japanese course with the goal of being able to

translate from Japanese into Spanish someday.

But when I came back, as in Selecta Visión they

didn’t need my services often enough, I needed an extra

job, so I started working at UAB Idiomes Barcelona Casa

Convalescència in administration. However, I was just a

substitute and when the contract finished two months

later, I was unemployed again. Four months later, I

started working at Barcelona Tour Bus (Bus Turístic de

Barcelona). But the job wasn’t so nice. My superiors

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 111

were rude and in 6 hours of standing in the same spot, we

couldn’t even have a break, so your legs hurt a lot.

Although I liked guiding the tourists, I quit two months

later as I was needed again at UAB Idiomes. As I knew

this job was also temporary and I’d always had in mind

the idea of making films, in 2011 I started a Cinema

degree at ESCAC (UB). Next September I’ll happily be a

third year student.

Alexandra Tejero Canal A degree in English Philology, having spent a year

abroad on Erasmus, four languages, computer

knowledge, very communicative and hard-working. That

was me when I left the UAB. Nice, right? It would not be

difficult to find a job! I sent thousands (well, maybe only

hundreds) of CVs everywhere. First to all the schools I

could find as I wanted to become a teacher, then to all the

multinational companies I could contact, to some friends

and acquaintances for them to pass it around... No luck. I

ended up in a school in Rubí, which was not at all what I

wanted but which provided me with some spending

money. After three months I decided the advantages there

did not exceed the disadvantages, so I quit. Not long after

that I found a job in my city, as a friend of mine was

leaving the job and thought I could take it. I was working

at a language school which was really not very

motivating or anything, but which would help pay the

bills. I was there for half a year. Then my neighbour said

that the language school where she is working was

looking for teachers and that she had recommended me to

her boss, so I should send my CV. I did so, and I have

been working at FIAC as an English teacher for one and a

half years. I loved my job and teaching, I had wonderful

colleagues, and my boss was a teacher himself so he

knew what he was talking about. However, they recently

said, after having kept me for one and half years, that

they could no longer keep me under a temporary contract

and that I don't have the profile of the teacher they want,

so I am not looking for a job again. My advice to you is first that you work hard to

widen your networks. “I will not say I have no job,

because people will think I am useless.” WRONG. Tell

people, let people know what you are like and what you

are good at, and chances are one of these people will call

you one day when you least expect it and say “Hey! I

thought of you, are you interested in...?”. My second tip

is that you keep your hopes up. BE POSITIVE, you will

achieve your goals, maybe straight away or maybe after

trying some jobs you don’t like, but you will get it in the

end. And last but not least: DO WHAT YOU LIKE.

When the day is over, having a job you like is the most

important thing.

Alba Torres Álvarez I finished the BA and the CAP in 2009 after my

Erasmus year at Roehampton University in London.

Meanwhile I worked as an English teacher and secretary

at a language school. Afterwards, I did the MA in

Advanced English Studies: Literature, Culture and

Publishing in 2010 also at the UAB. During that time I

worked as an independent reader –writing reports for

authors-, as a publishing assistant, and as a bookseller at

Llibrería Laie –which I enjoyed a lot because I read and

reviewed new novels, learned a lot about the publishing

industry and met authors such as David Vann and Juan

Marsé.

Looking for adventures, and eager to improve my

German, I moved to Austria in 2012. At first I lived in

Vienna and worked as a media analyst and translator in

an international company. I had to select certain articles

from the daily press and translate them into English. The

main topics were renewables and telecommunications. I

combined this with proof-reading and translation works

as a freelance.

Doing an ELE training course at the Cervantes

Institute allowed me to work as a Spanish teacher, which

I really enjoyed. After that I also worked as an English

trainer, and developed a methodology to teach languages

involving storytelling sessions for both children and

adults.

I am currently living in an Austrian town very close

to the border and working in Liechtenstein. I am

considering doing a postgraduate course on digital

publishing via the UOC.

I encourage graduates to face their professional lives

with a positive attitude. No matter how difficult it looks

now “This is one moment / But know that another / shall

pierce you with a sudden painful joy.” (TS Eliot). Why?

Speaking different languages will always be an asset, you

will find that the cultural background you acquired in the

BA will be enriching both personally and professionally.

My advice is try to make a difference by specializing (do

a MA in translation, literature, communications,

marketing); learn an uncommon language such as

Norwegian, Arabic, or Chinese; be very flexible, so

consider moving abroad, and don’t forget to have some

fun!

Isabel Vila Casas

I finished my degree in February 2010. Though I am

from Vic, I moved house to Manresa for personal reasons

and looked for a job. As the days went by I found that in

many places you are asked to have at least 2 or 3 years of

experience. I couldn’t believe that no one could give me a

chance to get that first experience. Where could I get it? I

was very disappointed. However, one day a language

school called me for an interview. The boss told me that

she would give me a chance to work there by giving me

some extra training. I agreed and I worked there for one

academic year.

For the next year I was told that I would be given

fewer groups and I decided it was time to do something

else. I enrolled in the Master’s course in 2012 to teach in

secondary schools and EOI that had previously been a 6

months course. I made that decision because I thought it

was then or never. I have to say that I enjoyed it very

much. I went to a high school in Terrassa and I taught

science in English. I also went to the APAC and CLIL

convention for teachers, which I recommend very much

because you get lots of new ideas to put into practice in

your lessons.

After finishing the master’s I couldn’t get onto the

llistes thanks to the crisis and budget cuts, but I continued

looking for a job and I found another language school

near my flat. I have been working there this academic

year and my boss told me that he is counting on me for

September. Although I have few groups, I am very happy

with the job.

My advice: When you finish your degree, don’t

stop! Study, send CVs, go to interviews, etc.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 112

Teresa Maria Xiqués Garcia

I have always had a special interest in linguistics, so

after finishing my Licenciatura in Spanish and English

Philology I decided to continue my educational career by

enrolling in a Master’s in Cognitive Science and

Language program. Since I also really like teaching too

and I was keen to develop my teaching skills, I started

working in a school as an English teacher at the same

time. I taught English to students aged from 18 to 30 who

were undertaking Vocational Training courses related to

tourism, secretarial studies and administrative

management.

Moreover, I also started working as a research

technician at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I

collaborated in a project called HISPACAT, a

comparative database of syntactic contrastive

constructions in Catalan and Spanish. During that year, I

had to handle multiple projects and deadlines. Later, I

worked as an English teacher in the Professional

Qualification Program at Turbula school until I was

awarded by the Catalan Government a FI pre-doctoral

scholarship to pursue graduate studies.

Currently, I am completing my Ph.D. thesis in

Linguistics at the Department of Spanish Philology at the

Autonomous University of Barcelona. Since then, I have

also had the opportunity to present part of my work in

workshops and conferences and stay at the University of

the Basque Country and, last spring, at the Department of

Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts/Amherst.

This last experience has definitely contributed to my

academic and personal growth. I encourage those who

want to continue their educational career to pursue a

Ph.D.. The Catalan as well as the Spanish Government

offer grants, but if you like travelling and want to live in

a foreign country, exploring its culture and a new way of

life, I recommend you to apply for a graduate program

abroad.

2008 Cristina Abánades López When I finished the degree, I did a Master in

International Business offered by ESDEN (Escuela

Superior de Negocios y Teconología). They have a

building here in Barcelona, but this master’s was in

Madrid and semipresencial, that is, we did some work at

home via the internet and then we met once a month. It is

very interesting because you meet people like yourself

who have just finished their degrees and need some more

training in this area, but you also find people older than

you who are already working in this area and can share

information and impressions with you.

Moreover, this master’s offers an internship and the

school tries to find a company close to your city. At the

end of the Master, there is also a bolsa de trabajo to help

us find work. The situation in Spain is being difficult for

a long time, but I finally found a company in Barcelona

to do my internship. After that, I worked again in this

company three years ago after not having found a job for

about a year. Curiously, while I was working in

Barcelona, I was called from a company in Rubí, where I

worked for three months in the Customer Service

Department (Departamento de Ventas), the area in which

I would like to continue. In fact, this is my third summer

there and, currently, there are many chances of getting

work in this company for a long time.

Simultaneously I have continued to take different

courses, since I think the more you know the better,

because in companies they not only look for someone

who has experience, but also someone who is highly

trained. It is true that the current situation is a bit

exasperating, but we must not lose hope because there are

opportunities for us, although sometimes it is difficult to

find them.

José Manuel Cabello Cotán I graduated from the Universitat Autònoma de

Barcelona in 2008 after having spent at the Universidad

de Sevilla and another year at the Vrije Universiteit

Amsterdam (Erasmus). The degree took me six years and

made me realize what I really like doing, which is

teaching languages and culture. After those years away from home, I came back to

Seville and took the last CAP courses at the Universidad

de Sevilla while working in a couple of language schools.

The experience was quite good, teaching at a nice high

school with good students. I was lucky because I heard

that some classmates who initially liked teaching got to

dislike being teachers due to the bad experiences they had

during the practicum. In addition to English, I also like teaching Spanish,

which is why I decided to do a Master’s degree in

Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language in Seville, at

the Universidad Pablo de Olavide. During my teaching

practice, I was offered a job at a university in China

teaching Spanish once I finished the master’s. I did not

know anything about China but I did not hesitate and

went there the summer of 2010 to gain some teaching

experience. One year later, I joined a top Chinese university

working less hours for more money (which proves how

‘easy’ and fast it can be to progress in China). I signed a

one-year contract with them. I had been teaching there

both Spanish and English for six months when the

Universidad de Sevilla (US) offered me to work with

them teaching Spanish for Chinese speakers (‘español

para sinohablantes’). That was a great surprise since I

did not expect to be required so quickly after having

previously participated in a bolsa de trabajo. I like

travelling and living abroad, but I could not reject such a

great opportunity. Anyway, I have to say that working in

such a difficult country was an amazing experience both

professionally and personally. As I, and many other

people, see it, China is the new land of opportunities.

Now, I am lucky to have a job that I like and a good

salary back home at these hard times. My job basically

consists of helping Chinese students of the US reach a

B1-B2 level of Spanish and help them get used to

Spanish / Western culture.

Nowadays, because of the crisis and the high

university prices non-EU students have to pay in Spain,

there are not so many Chinese students who come to our

university as before. They are starting to choose other

Spanish speaking countries such us Chile, Peru or

Argentina. So I hope things can get better so that I do not

stop working.

To conclude, nobody has given me anything. It has

been a matter of effort and perseverance. If I had not

dared to go abroad nothing of all this would have

happened to me. So I encourage you to go to either China

or any other country, which might be, as it was in my

case, a springboard to a better future as well as an

amazing experience

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 113

Silvia Cerezo

By the time I graduated in 2007, I was working part-

time as a tourist guide in Barcelona. Just like some of my

classmates, I enrolled in the llistes for substitute teaching

positions in state high schools and elementary schools as

soon as the enrollment period opened. About six months

later I was called for the first time. It was meant to be a

four-day substitution at a high school in Montcada i

Reixac, which, according to legal regulations, I wasn't

obliged to accept for the high school was a “CAEP”, a

“Centre d'Atenció Educativa Preferent”. This acronym is

a soft term to refer to schools with a high rate of

newcomers from a wide variety of countries, and usually

located in poor areas or slums. Even though I was warned

I wouldn’t teach English but a set of core skills from

elementary level to teens with “highly disruptive”

behavior at 3rd and 4th CSE levels, I did take the

challenge. The four days turned out to be six months and

I can just say that I regard that as being the most

rewarding experience in my short career as a teacher.

What I learned from those kids really paid off. After that

substitution, several followed through academic year

2008-2009.

Ever since 2009, I have occupied “vacancies”, that is

to say, one-year substitutions at different elementary

schools, as an English teacher along with other core

subjects. Yet it is true that I have sacrificed money

(elementary school teachers work more hours per week

and get a lower salary) but I’ve enjoyed a certain stability

in return since it is almost impossible for a young teacher

with little experience to get a vacancy at secondary

education workplaces. I should also point out that, from

2009 until now, both my bank account and my work

chances have undergone the effects of the cutbacks or so-

called “retallades”. For example, in 2009-2010 I was

hired at 83% of work dedication and salary, 66% next

year and, finally, 50% last year.

This year, though, it’s being really tough since I am

no longer a substitute teacher for a whole year but just a

substitute (main difference is having—or not—the right

to get paid summer holidays). I lived on unemployment

allowance from September to the end of November, when

I was called for a substitution at an EOI. After that, I

have covered a couple more substitution positions. Now

I’m working in a high school in Barberà del Vallès until

the 30th of June. Although the current state of things is

anything but encouraging, I must say that I don’t feel

disheartened, not a bit, because I do love what I do.

However, I've got the feeling, too, that there’s no longer

“room” for people like me in the Spanish/Catalan

educational system and things don’t seem likely to

improve in the short term. I have even thought of getting

DELE diploma and try abroad if I don't have the chance

to work here. This is something I have to think about

thoroughly, even though I would definitely do for a better

chance to keep on doing what I like the most.

Irene Cuenca Sánchez Before finishing my degree I spent a few months

in England and I realised I enjoyed using my English on a

daily basis so I was determined to go back. During my

last year I applied for the Auxiliares de Conversación

grant and I also did CampAmerica once I finished the

degree and it was one of the best experiences in my life. I was first rejected for the Auxiliares grant in June

but then in September I received a phone call from the

British Council offering me a placement in London.

Being an Auxiliar was an awesome job, because you only

work 12 hours a week, you barely need to prepare

anything, the money is enough to live on and you have

plenty of free time to do loads of different activities and

travel. As my Auxiliar position was about to end I got the

opportunity to do an interview at the same school and I

got a job as a full-time secondary school teacher. It was

meant to be for only a few months but they finally gave

me a permanent job. This is my fifth year now (fourth as

a teacher) and I am also a Senior tutor as well as KS4

coordinator (similar to coordinadora de la ESO). I

recently got appointed as Second in Department which

helps you prepare to be a Head of Department in the

future. It is true that the job market is quite competitive in

England but it is also true that there are many more

opportunities to get a promotion within your school,

which comes with an increase in your salary. Schools

have less and less money but if you prove to be an

Outstanding teacher it will be difficult for them to let you

go.

Carol Gómez López

When I graduated, I went to my local INEM office

(though I was not eligible for unemployment benefits).

They found me a course at the Escola Pia that would train

me to be an all-purpose sales assistant. It was completely

free and very useful. Their method of working is based

on a simulated company. You interact with many other

simulatedcompanies from all over Spain and Europe and

you learn from the inside of the company. You work with

the same efficiency as if you were in a real company, but

you don’t suffer negative consequences if you make any

mistakes.

Escola Pia tries to find every student a job at the end

of the course although I was the only one who got one

(due to the current recession). It is worth saying that my

English Philology Degree made I could be chosen for that

position. I know it is not what I was looking for when I

graduated, but it was a good start to learn and become

fluent inside the business world.

What is more, I have been promoted twice in the

company. One of the promotions consisted in being in

charge of a new service offered in La Roca Village

shopping centre. The other one was a sales representative

position in the Graphic Department. The latter promotion

was a complete challenge for me. I not only had to learn

all the secrets of the printing and design world, but also

selling techniques and how to deal with troubles on your

own .Nowadays, I am no longer in that position (because

of internal movements within the company). I am where

everything began: in transport.

However, I am going to start a Marketing and Sales

Master’s Degree in ESIC next October. I am really

excited about it, because it is an interesting world for me,

which I got to know when I was a Sales Representative.

From my point of view, my current job is no longer

challenging. I know everything it can teach me, as I have

been here for several years now. Nevertheless, it will

hopefully be the perfect one to face the long work hours I

will have to devote to the Master’s project and classes.

As far as I am concerned, everything comes at its due

moment in life. My English Degree helped me to

achieve the goals I set to myself. Furthermore, I am ready

to move abroad as soon as I finish my Master’s and get

experience as a Marketing Manager there.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 114

Finally, regarding my DJ job, I am not much

involved now. That was a stage of my life which I fully

enjoyed, but it does not fit much in the moment I am

currently in, although I still attend some gigs!

Mariela González Gómez After finishing English Philology and an

undergraduate degree in Furniture Design I went on to

study a master’s degree in Contemporary Design in

London. I am currently the director of Roomservice

Design Gallery in the center of Barcelona where we

showcase and distribute the work of renowned

contemporary designers. During my summer break I also

work as a camp director for English Summer.

Aarón Herrero Hidalga After finishing the degree I immediately took the

CAP course at the UAB and joined thepublic substitute

teacher list. In October 2009 I got a call from a language

school but I quit the job some months later as I didn’t

have a contract and the working conditions were awful.

In January 2011 I worked at a private school with ESO

students for a few days and in April 2011 I got the

Advanced level certificate in Catalan (D). Then I worked

at another private school from the beginning of May until

the end of June 2011. But this time the substitution was

longer and it was a tough teaching experience as I had

really disruptive students in class. Nowadays it’s really

difficult to teach teenagers since they often misbehave in

class and you have to approach them with patience and

understanding. In September 2011 I got my first substitution at a

public school and I worked a few days in El Garraf area.

There I taught ESO and Batxillerat students and I noticed

that Batxillerat students were quieter in class.

This last academic year has not been good as far as

work is concerned. However, in January 2013 I got a

casual job as a teacher of adults at a language school.

There I taught English to unemployed adults and it was

my first experience with adult students. On the whole, I

think that the experience was rewarding, but it was a

mixed-level class. I had students with three different

levels of English. I found it really difficult to reach all

students and some of them were critical of my teaching

methodology.

Unfortunately, I’ve been unemployed since March

2013. In the meantime I’m taking teacher training courses

because I want to keep on learning.

Cinta Llorente del Àguila When I was finishing English Philology I went to

Berlin and worked for a tourist company as a ticket

supervisor. At the same time I learnt German. Then I did

the Master de Traducció Audiovisual at the UAB. I learnt

a lot. We did subtitling, dubbing, voice-over,

videogames, software, etc. It was very interesting and

useful. However, it was hard to find a job as a translator

in an audiovisual company and make a living from it. The

most common way to become a translator is to be

freelance and step by step build up a clientele. I got a job

in a studio as a dubbing translator, which was kind of

interesting, but it wasn’t well paid. I worked for them just

a couple of months. I also worked for private companies

who needed subtitles for their promotional videos.

Three years ago I also worked at El Palau de la

Música as a guide for English, Spanish and Catalan

groups. I also sold tickets and did some other tasks like

picking up people at the airport. In addition, I did some

translations from time to time, though I was not well paid

for it.

Now I run a language school in Berlin. After I

finished the International House course to become an

ELE Teacher, together with my German boyfriend, I

opened a school in Berlin called Sprachkombinat

(www.sprachkombinat.org). I just had a baby and we had

to find new teachers to substitute for me. Now we have

four teachers and one “director” and our school is

growing every day. We are also building a cinema for

our students called Klubkino.

Cristina Martín Parareda

After graduation, I chose to become a teacher

because I thought that it would help me to work not only

in my country but also in foreign ones, so first I obtained

the CAP at the UAB. I taught English in a semi-private

religious school in Barcelona in order to get some

experience in the field. My students were 13 to 16 years

old and even though it was a hard experience, it was very

rewarding. But what I really wanted was to spend a year

in an English-speaking country working in something

related with my degree. I started looking for scholarships

and I realised that the Spanish government gives a lot of

opportunities in teaching, such as Comenius, a paid

month doing a course of any language in a foreign

country or the one I am doing right now, Auxiliares de

Conversación de Español para Extranjeros. Initially I was not accepted for the grant, in fact I

wasn’t even on the waiting list. However, just when I was

losing hope, they called me to go to Malta. So I spent the

year in Malta in a secondary girls’ school teaching

Spanish with two teachers, who used opposite

methodologies in the class. Fortunately, I taught all the

Forms—from Form 1 to 5—and I was in charge of the

speaking and cultural section. It was a great year full of

experiences, challenges and impressions because I was

living in a different country with a different culture,

language—the Maltese speak English and Maltese—and

educational system. As a teacher, this experience was very enriching

because you are in contact with students who have a

different behavior and education. The salary and

timetable were suitable for someone who is just starting

to work but the greatest thing was the experience, the

things you live and learn and all the people you meet in a

year abroad.

After that year, I came back to Spain and the job

search was very hard because Spain was going through a

very difficult moment in terms of work. I spent six month

unemployed but fortunately, I found a half a year

replacement in a semi-private school in Badalona. Since

then, I have been working in different semi-private

schools from Barcelona and its outskirts and teaching not

only English but also other subjects such Religion,

Studies Techniques, Classical Studies, Catalan

reinforcement and being Form teacher from different

levels.

I really appreciate that all these schools have given

me the chance to become more versatile and grow as a

teacher but at the same time, I have also realised that a

teacher can never stop studying because the schools are

looking for a multi-skilled person. No school has hired

me yet, and I have learnt that if I want to have a

permanent job, I have to study more languages such as

French and German. Since 2012, German has become a

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 115

very important language and many schools want to

include it in their educational programme, so I have

started learning it in order to see if it gives me more work

opportunities. Even though it is difficult to find a job, we

have to use other resources such as studying, contacting

former colleagues from uni and being in touch with the

schools/companies you have worked for instead of

staying depressed at home.

Carolina Padrosa Trias After graduating, I attended classes to get the CAP

and I passed the exam to get the nivell D de Català. As

for my work experience, after graduating, from

September 2008 to January 2009 I worked as an

interpreter for the conference calls at a company called

Inquide in Polinyà. Moreover, I taught English at the Fiac

language school in Terrassa and to the workers at a

company called Mikalor in Sabadell.

During the school year 2009-2010 I worked as

an Auxiliar de conversación in Nancy, France. I strongly

recommend this grant since it’s only 12 hours per week

teaching and, as a result, you have plenty of time to

study, travel around and meet new people. Furthermore, I

taught Spanish at the University of Nancy because in

France being a secondary school teacher entitles you to

teach at university too.

Since October 2010 I’ve taught English and

French at different language schools (Fiac in

Terrassa again, CIFE in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda and

now Ed’i in Banyoles). I’ve also proofed a Spanish book

for the publishing house Graó and proofread and

translated articles from Spanish into English for the

Psychology Department of the UAB. Moreover, since

I’ve danced since I was 12 and I needed to devote myself

to dance or theater, I entered a dance school in Barcelona

in September 2010. Now I’m in my fourth year and by

this time next year I hope I’ll be working as a

professional dancer.

Carlos Verge Ferré I had always been interested in Scandinavian

countries; that is why in 2006 I decided to take an

Erasmus at the University of Tromsø, in Norway. The

experience was captivating: not only did I discover an

amazingly beautiful country, but I was able to participate

in meaningful social, educational and recreational

activities.

I fell in love with Norway and decided to stay there

after the Erasmus was over. There was just one problem:

I needed a job in order to survive in one of the most

expensive countries in the world. The adventures and

misfortunes of a job-seeker in Scandinavia could fill a

whole book, so I am not going to recount them here.

Let’s just say that, after thousands of disappointments, I

got a job as a waiter in a hotel.

The job gave me the necessary experience, the exact

number of reference letters, the perfect amount of the

Norwegian language and the essential quantity of

contacts that I needed in order to turn the adventures and

misfortunes of a jobseeker in Scandinavia into a long-

forgotten recollection. From then on, finding a job as a

waiter in Norway has been quite an easy task. During the last nine years I have been working as a

waiter in different hotels all over Norway. I just work

there during the summer season, which runs

approximately from May until September; then I return to

Spain for the autumn/winter. Usually I have used those

long winters to expand my formation with diferent

language diplomas or teaching courses, including the

famous master in teaching formation, the former CAP, or

the fantastic E/LE course, described in this pack. While I wait for the chance to work as a teacher in

Spain, a seasonal job in Norway is definitely a far better

option than total unemployment. The other option, that is,

staying in Norway for the long term, has often crossed

my mind. I do not deny that, given the current economic

situation in Spain, perhaps a one or two years’ stay in this

Scandinavian country would be a more sensible choice at

the moment.

Anna Vidal Calbet I finished my degree in 2008. After so much time at

university I was eager to find a full-time job. I didn’t

have much experience in teaching, just some temporary

jobs in some language schools. At first I was enthusiastic:

I registered in the Departament d'Ensenyament lists, I

opened an account in several job websites, I mailed my

CV to private and concertat schools and, of course, I let

all my friends and acquaintances know that I was looking

for a job. The job search became a job in itself. But

months went by and there weren’t any substantial results

and I was beginning to feel disappointed.

Eventually, I was offered a substitution in a

concertat school which was my first real experience

teaching in a high school. Obviously, because I had to

teach teenagers, having a control of the class was my

main goal, and, needless to say, it was almost impossible

to achieve. Another substitution followed and, at the

same time, I decided to prepare for Oposiciones,

though I wasn’t really motivated and eventually failed.

The following year, I taught the whole academic year in a

concertada primary school which was a good experience

in terms of both teaching and gaining some financial

stability.

Since then, finding a job has become harder and

harder due to the economic crisis. I combined

substitutions, language schools, courses for unemployed

people and, again, private classes. In spite of this, I spent

several months unemployed and I had to come back to

my home town, where I am currently surviving thanks to

private lessons. That’s why I am strongly considering the

possibility of going abroad.

2007 Xavier Aldana Reyes After an exchange year at Roehampton University, I

studied an MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature

at Birkbeck College (University of London). I then began

my doctoral studies at Lancaster University, where I

researched the roles of affect and corporeal transgression

in contemporary Anglo-American literature and film

and ran the International Summer Programme for the

‘British Culture and Literature 1800-2000’ course as

Academic Coordinator. I also worked as Associate

Lecturer in English literature and, during my third and

fourth years, in MMU Cheshire.

I am currently Research Fellow in English (Gothic

Studies) at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I

am helping to build England’s first Centre for Gothic

Studies under the directorship of Dr Linnie Blake. I have

begun work on two contracted books - Body Gothic:

Corporeal Transgression in Contemporary Literature

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 116

and Horror Film (University of Wales Press, 2014)

and Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration,

and Cultural Adaptation (Palgrave Macmillan) - and

have published articles in international journals such

as Gothic Studies, Horror Studies or The Bulletin of

Hispanic Studies.

I am currently developing Gothic Manchester, a

week’s worth of evens that will help launch the centre

and will focus on the dark side of Manchester:

http://conferences.visitmanchester.com/contact-us/dr-

xavier-aldana-reyes-and-dr-linnie-blake---manchester-

metropolitan-university. Most recently, I became a

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, completed a

PGCE in Academic Practice and was invited to be guest

blogger for the month of July for The Gothic

Imagination website, run by the University of Stirling.

I welcome inquiries from students thinking of

pursuing further academic studies in the UK, particularly

of a doctoral nature. You may contact me at X.Aldana-

[email protected], visit my departmental website:

http://www2.hlss.mmu.ac.uk/english/academic-

staff/?profileID=467, or find me on twitter:

@XAldanaReyes.

Laia Arnaus Gil

Després de la meva estada d’Erasmus a Bochum

(Alemanya) vaig tornar a Barcelona per a acabar els

meus estudis de filologia anglesa amb l’alemany com a

segona llengua. Evidentment, l’esforç fet en millorar

ambdues llengües havia donat els seus resultats i em

trobava cursant les últimes assignatures a l’UAB per a

poder obtenir el títol, mentre treballava per les tardes en

una acadèmia donant classes d’anglès i alemany a tots

els nivells. Tot i que el meu futur professional s'encarava

a impartir classes de llengua, la vessant més

investigadora de la lingüística continuava interessant-

me.Tant és així que em vaig presentar a les beques que

otorga cada any La Caixa en col·laboració amb el DAAD

(Deustches AkademischesAustauschdienst) per tal de

cursar un doctorat a Alemanya, el qual he completat amb

èxit durant el 2012, amb el tema “La selección

copulativa y auxiliar: las lenguas romances (español -

italiano - catalán - francés) y el alemán en contacto. Su

adquisición en niños monolingües, bilingües y

trilingües”. La publicació data del febrer 2013 per

l’editorial Narr Verlag (Tübingen).

Des de la meva arribada a Alemanya l’any 2004 i

la meva etapa acadèmica de doctorat a finals del 2009 he

tingut l’oportunitat de continuar formant-

me professionalment gràcies a la tesi doctoral i al meu

treball com a col·laboradora científica dins d’un projecte

d’investigació financiat pel ministerio d’investigació

alemany (DFG) amb el tema “Codeswitching en edats

primerenques” com a punt principal del projecte. Des

de llavors hem tingut la oportunitat de presentar els

nostres resultats a diverses conferències de caire

internacional així com l’oportunitat d’ampliar el corpus

lingüístic amb nous infants bilingües i trilingües residents

a Espanya, Itàlia, França i Alemanya. Després de 4 anys

d'investigació en aquest camp, el projecte hafinalitzat al

maig d’aquest any i es preveu una publicació (llibre) dels

resultats per aquest mateix any.

Apart d’aquestes tasques en el camp de la

investigació, he anat impartint diferents seminaris de

lingüística espanyola. Durant el curs passat i l’actual

cubreixo la càtedra de lingüística espanyola (W2-

Professur) amb 5 seminaris en el nostre departament tant

oer a estudiants de grau (Bachelor) com de postgrau

(Master).

Koré Arques Burgos

Since I finished the Master’s in Teacher Training

(here called Master en Formación del profesorado de

ESO, Bachillerato y Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas) in

2011-2012, I tried to join in the teacher list for

substitutions in the Public School. However, they never

opened it, and there are no future prospects at the

moment. This was quite disappointing given that this was

one of the purposes for me to do this Master’s, and in the

long term possibly to take the next entrance exam for the

position of teacher in the Public system. I have

qualifications enough, perhaps too many qualifications

someone could say for some positions, and some teaching

experience, but this may not seem enough to get a good

job nowadays. At the end of last year I started to consider

the possibility of getting abroad with a grant. 7,500

people applying for a grant with only a few hundred

vacancies in Germany/Austria (my choice). Resolution:

NO VACANCY due to massive demand.

This year (2012-2013) I started working for a small

advertising company that works jointly with Fira

Barcelona. In broad terms, I am in charge of the online

catalogue (exhibitors’ information and products) and

advertising that is published at each fair, and I also give

support in other administrative tasks and have contact

with some customers/exhibitors in English. For the

moment it is a good position and the atmosphere is quite

good, but I’m afraid this won’t be enough for me in the

long term. To be continued...

Carolina Balada Pérez Since finishing my degree I have specialised in

International Business Management and in Translation. I

have been working for six years now in an international

company dealing with GPS products for automotive,

aviation, marine, outdoor, and sports applications. I am

currently working as the Head of the Purchasing

Department for this company. My responsibilities include

forecasting, sending orders to suppliers, monitoring

inventory and shipments and some other tasks related to

quality and production.

At the same time, I am trying to find a path as a

freelance translator. I am building a website and attend

brief translation courses whenever I am able to.

David Checa Gómez

I am now running my own language school here in

Bratislava, Slovakia, together with a guy from Madrid.

Being self employed requires time, patience and having

somebody fluent Slovak. I set up my own school because

the quality of many language schools here is a bit poor

and I think I can offer something else. Moreover, I have

some contacts with clients from companies who were

interested in continuing with me since they think I am

a good teacher and my approach is much more personal.

The prices we charge are cheaper than other schools but

not much since we have the advantage of being native

speakers. We offer all kinds of courses but we focus on

companies since they pay most for a lesson. For general

courses, we have just reached an agreement with a private

school to rent a classroom certain days and hours at a low

price.

All this it would be useless without the help of an

accountant, but I have the advantage that my Slovak wife,

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 117

who studied law and was for a time in social service, is

currently on maternity leave. She knows the paper work

and is willing to study to be in charge of all the numbers.

Mónica Cordero Peñas

I must admit I didn’t know what to do next after

obtaining my degree in 2007. I was interested in both

tourism and English teaching but PhD programmes in

Tourism were expensive for me at that time. I started

working in a language school in Rubí where I taught very

different levels of English, from small children to adults.

The experience was good, I really learnt a lot about

teaching but I hated working in the afternoons!

In 2008 I started working in schools. I was offered a

job as English teacher of the four levels of ESO in

Cornellà. The first trimestre in a school can be

challenging for you as a teacher and as a person,

especially if you come from language schools where

people really aim to learn. Eventually, you end up

creating strategies and techniques to deal with—or

survive—students and sincerely, you will find it

particularly rewarding. After two years in the school (I

had a two-year contracte de pràctiques) they told me they

wouldn’t give me a long-term contract as it was

expensive for the school to have permanent teachers.

I was very lucky and I wasn’t unemployed for long

periods of time. From 2010 to 2011 I worked in different

concertada schools and in different levels: primària, ESO

and Batxillerat.

Last year, I had two part-time jobs. In the mornings,

I was an English teacher for some courses for the

unemployed (SOC courses) and, in the afternoons, I

worked in a concertada school teaching both English and

Catalan in 3rd level of ESO (got the Nivell D in 2011).

Currently, I have a quite long-term job in a concertada

school in Barcelona for at least the next two years. My

duties during the 2012-2013 academic year were teaching

English in Infantil and Primària. The next academic year

I will be also teaching in ESO.

In the meantime I am still taking teacher training

courses every now and then to keep me updated and I am

considering starting the degree in Educació Primària

next year. As for the future, who knows? Right now, I am

still working in education and I really like it but I am

open to new projects and opportunities such as starting

my own business if education gets even more difficult.

Let’s see what the future holds...

Belinda Costa Olivares While doing and since I finished English Philology

I’ve never stopped working, and the jobs I’ve had have

always been related to English. In 2007, when I

graduated, I started working for a chemical company.

There I was in charge of dealing with “international

phone calls”—no matter what the topic was. I must admit

I felt rather silly, since I didn’t even know what I was

talking about. Chemistry isn’t my field at all. Plus I also

did those so-called “administrative tasks in general”.

However, it is rather easy to find such jobs because most

times English is required.

After that, I decided to go back to teaching at

language schools, while I prepared for oposicions

because, in my view, teaching is a far more rewarding job

than belonging to this or that company. After doing the

CAP, which to me is a utopian, unrealistic portrayal of

teaching at high-school, as well as spending quite a lot of

money on “Cenoposiciones”, I decided not to take the

NON-vocational path of stability. I consider that teaching

MUST be vocational so that we can transmit to our

students that education is a privilege. In fact, I think that

some of the main reasons why Spain has run into the so-

called “crisis” are the lack of education and the feeding of

rotten civil servants. I must admit that this has made me

realize I do like teaching.

Then I kept on teaching at language schools and I

didn’t like it either, mainly because of strong personal

principles, so I started organizing volunteer English

conversation groups in different environments: parks,

bars, the streets, my place, “La Nau” youth centre, “La

Bombeta” art & culture association, etc. Obviously, I

didn’t do that for a living but there my hatred of the

Spanish educational system grew even stronger.

Therefore, I would simply like to become its “pain in the

ass”. However, while knowing how to reach my dream

job, I’m working as a tutor in a kind of computing school

which offers training courses for workers, language

courses amongst them.

I must say that after six/ five years I’m truly

unsatisfied with what I’m doing. I guess that is the reason

why I’m doing Catalan Philology through the UOC and

receiving private German lessons at home. Furthering my

education and getting involved in projects that have to do

with education or art make my shitty job “less” bad.

Nevertheless, I do not regret having studied English

Philology in the least, since there are still some

VOCATIONAL professionals left in this fuckingly

numbed system.

Vanessa Fernández del Viso Román

As soon as I finished the degree and I got the CAP, I

started sending my CVs to some schools as I was really

tired of working in two English Academies. One day, I

received an offer from a school near my home—I was

really lucky! After one meeting with the headmaster, I

got the job and I was in charge of all the ESO courses and

the BATX courses, too.

Two years ago, I thought about improving my

methodological techniques so I enrolled in an official MA

in Research on Language and Literature Education at the

UAB. In September 2012, I defended my MA dissertation

about Project-Based Language Learning. It was really

hard to research and write down everything but it was

worth it. Next, I published my first article—an interview

of a professor from an English University—in the

Bellaterra Journal.

This September 2013 I will be enrolled in the PhD in

Education program. After six years being working as an

English teacher and being tutor of the 4th ESO course I

have realized that I love teaching and dealing with

teenagers. It’s a hard job but it’s really fulfilling.

Rafa Gallego García

Once I finished the degree I did the CAP. Then I

managed to find different jobs using www.infojobs.net,

e.g. as an online teacher. It is very different from

traditional teaching: you are in touch with students only

by means of a virtual campus and the phone. I don’t

really recommend it because you feel you are mainly

doing clerical work.

In 2009 I worked as a foreign language assistant

(Auxiliar de Conversación) near Liverpool. I strongly

recommend this program. You usually work 16

hours/week, mainly doing oral activities in class or one-

to-one speaking sessions. It was one of the most

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 118

rewarding personal and professional experiences I have

ever had.

In 2010 I worked at Disneyland Paris. You only

need an average level of English and French. You must

be ready to work under pressure and be open-minded. It

can be fun, but you soon realize it is not precisely the

place where dreams come true.

I joined la borsa d’Ensenyament three years ago. I

wasn’t called once, so I obviously think it is a waste of

time and you should consider other options.

I am currently working as a cabin crew member for

an airline in the Middle East. I had never considered

doing this job but they offered good working conditions,

nothing to do with what I could get in Spain. The

recruitment process (three days if you get through all the

oral and written tests) was 100% in English. Only six of

us were selected out of 160 people, so I would encourage

those of you who are confident with your language skills

and willing to travel the world to go for it and leave the

teaching positions for when we get older!

Ramadan has just started and it is veeery hot here,

but I still cannot believe that I am doing what I am doing.

Tomorrow London, then Kuala Kumpur and Paris… I

have also been to Melbourne, Auckland and Beijing.

Cristina García-Verdugo González

I graduated in 2007 and since then I’ve been

working as an English teacher in different schools and

companies. The first thing I did was enrol in the borsa

d’interins de l’escola pública. Then, I decided to send my

CV to some non state schools. Fortunately, it didn’t take

long since one of the non-state schools contacted me. I

worked for this religious school for two years. It was my

first experience as a secondary English teacher. The

school was small with few children and consequently

they had to reduce staff and I was made redundant.

Some colleagues told me once that if you survive the first

two years you are made for teaching teens. So I started a

new quest. I got a maternity leave vacancy for a year in

another religious school as a secondary English teacher.

To my surprise, at the end of the academic year while I

was working for my second religious school (and after 3

years of being in the borsa) I was summoned. I quit the

school to start working for an adult state school. It was a

great experience. People who wanted to learn! After

teaching teenagers that place was paradise for me. Fifteen

days later I went back to reality.

This experience marked the start of my adventures

as a self-employed person. I started by opening a

professional profile in websites for freelancers. I wanted

to teach at other levels. It was a fantastic decision

because since then I have been enrolled in many projects

as an in-company teacher. I have seen the inside of many

important businesses and learnt from the experiences of

other professionals. It is a rewarding job indeed.

Today I still work as an in-company teacher but I

combine it with the state/non-state schools. Instead of

waiting to be summoned every now and then (which is a

bit desperate) in the meantime, I have decided to continue

with my in-company classes.

Mercè Guixà Casellas At the time I graduated, I had already been accepted

in the Visiting Teachers Program in the US so I knew that

my first experience after graduation would be teaching in

California. This is a program organized by the Ministerio

de Educación y Ciencias. All the positions are in the US

except for a very few in Canada. You can choose the state

you want to go to, and once you are accepted you can

even choose a city before the interview (interviews are

held every year in Madrid between March and April).

Positions are available in Elementary, Middle and High

Schools, though with Filologia you can only apply for the

latter two. Because I had done Magisteri before Filologia

and I had the experience to fit the requirements, I was

able to teach in Elementary.

The salary is good and it allows you to live well,

travel and save. You are hired under the same conditions

as if you were a US teacher. The bad side is that most of

the states ask for a minimum of 2 or 3 years of teaching

experience in a school (private language schools or extra-

escolars do not count for experience).

Also, bear in mind that we are given the positions

that American teachers—who can choose—refuse to

take, especially here in Oakland. I’m talking about

schools which are located in unstable neighbourhoods.

We work with socially and economically disadvantaged

communities. I shouldn’t call this a disadvantage

actually; I really like where I’m working at the moment.

Teaching here is simply a completely different

experience, tough and highly demanding but exciting and

very rewarding at the same time.

I have just finished my sixth year. Each year gets

better and it is relatively easy to find good opportunities

to grow professionally. I am a member of the

instructional leadership team of the school which means

that you contribute to make important decisions about

planning, instruction, program implementation,

assessments, etc. Once I cleared my California teacher

credentials two years ago, the Multiple Subjects and the

Crosscultural Bilingual Credential I became what it is

considered a highly qualified teacher. This is a

requirement if you want to continue working in the

country after the third year. I have become tenured in the

district, which gives me stability in the midst of the

current economic crisis (you become tenured on your

fourth year in the district).

The state of California is cutting lots of funds in

education and it’s been a year with many lay-offs. It is

not easy to keep your job here either, especially if you are

a first or second year teacher but now that I have acquired

a little seniority I feel that I need to take advantage of it.

This is such a great experience and I am constantly

growing both professionally and personally. Oakland

district is in high need of bilingual teachers. I know they

are hiring Spanish teachers in Madrid again this spring (it

had not been the case in the last 3 years). It’s worth

trying!

I still don’t see myself staying here for good but for

now I think it is one of the best options, especially

looking at the economic situation back in Spain.

Marta Heredia Rodríguez

I graduated in February 2008. At that time I didn’t

know what to do so I applied for the Integrants

(www.integrants.es) and Argo (www.becasargo.es)

internship grants to work for foreign companies and I

also applied to work in the Llistes d’interins.

In the meantime I worked at the airport and then,

since I was studying German, I decided to spend the

summer holidays in Heidelberg trying to improve the

language. I liked it so much that I went back for a second

summer (www.heidelberger-paedagogium.de). When I

came back from Germany I didn’t want to stay

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 119

in Spain so I went to Manchester. However, things didn’t

work out as I had planned so I decided to come back

to Spain. I was very lucky because as soon as I got back

from Manchester I got a job through the Llistes.

Then I worked in one high school for one week and

then in another high school for four months. Through this

experience I began to learn how a high school works

because while I did the CAP I didn’t learn anything.

During all this time, I only had a few offers from the

Integrants and Argo grants: one from Integrants which in

the end was canceled and the rest from Argo. However,

the offers I got from Argo weren’t interesting either. I

applied for them anyway but I never made it to the final

selection process. Most of the offers I got from Argo

were to work in nurseries and I didn’t apply for that. So I

was not very happy with these programs.

The year before last I worked in New Zealand (see

the section I wrote in the Working Abroad section of this

Pack). I came back in September 2011 and I worked at La

Salle Manlleu doing a substitution. Then in May 2012 I

applied for a visa to go to Canada. I was lucky because

we both were chosen (we know people that couldn't make

it) and it is not a matter of having good grades or

anything of that sort, there are 750 spots and it is first

come first served.

I arrived in Vancouver in mid-August and by the

end of the month I had found a job in an optician’s (I

found a job faster than a place to live). It has nothing to

do with my degree but quite frankly I didn’t want to go

through the whole process of validating my degree again.

I have been told that it takes a very long time and also a

lot of money, and in the end you might not even get the

degree validated. Apart from all this, life here is very

expensive. When you want to rent an apartment most of

the apartments are unfurnished. So you need to go to

IKEA or use Craigslist. We were quite lucky and we

found a small studio flat with everything included and we

are paying around 850 euros/month. But you should see

the place, it is tiny! However, we are quite happy. When

it comes to food, it is also expensive. Obviously salaries

here are also higher but even so...

Núria Hernàndez Castillo I started teaching English about ten years ago. My

first job as a teacher involved teaching English as an

afterclass activity in a primary school but soon I started

teaching teenagers and adults in a language school. When

I graduated in Filologia Anglesa I completed a

postgraduate degree in Legal Translation at the UAB,

because I am very interested in terminology and also

because at that time I was considering becoming a legal

translator. The following year I started an MA in

Institutional Translation at Universitat d'Alacant.

However, I started working at the Servei d'Idiomes of

Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC) before I

could even start my research project, so I decided to

concentrate on my new job and to finish the MA a year

later.

I worked in the Servei d'Idiomes for a year teaching

ESL and ESP to students of Architecture, Humanities,

Audiovisual Communication, Advertising, Business

Management, and Law. Three years ago I switched over

to the Faculty of Education at the same university as an

associate teacher. A year later I was offered a full-time

position at the Faculty and I am currently coordinating

the Minor in English for teachers, which is aimed at final-

year Education students who wish to specialise in

teaching English. Furthermore, I am doing an MA in

Multilingualism and Education, which I find truly

interesting, and which will shape my doctoral

dissertation.

Diana-Aurora Hernández García After finishing my degree, I entered the 2-year

program in East Asian Studies at the UAB-UPF (which

no longer exists). As part of my degree, I had the

opportunity of studying abroad for a year in Kyoto,

Japan.

Afterwards, I went back to my home country,

Mexico. In Mexico I was offered an undergrad-

level teaching job in two private universities within my

first month of searching, although they were very few

hours, which meant I could hardly make a living. I also

worked twice as a Japanese interpreter, which was well-

paid but very demanding for my current level of

Japanese. I worked for a semester teaching English to

teenagers at a private school. I even tried street juggling!

Mostly I worked from home teaching Spanish as a

Second Language through Skype. It was well paid by

Mexican standards but I didn't have enough students to be

able to live on my own.

Finally, at the beginning of this year, I applied for

and got a position as a Spanish teacher in New Delhi,

India. I’ve been in Delhi for almost two months now.

Living here is an amazing experience, and I’m enjoying

and learning all I can. The working conditions are a bit

draining, though: six hours a day (or more, if there’s extra

work) for six days a week, weekends included.

Auba Llompart Pons After my graduation in June 2007, I enrolled in the

MA in Estudis Anglesos Avançats: Literatura i Cultura at

the UAB, because I wanted to pursue my studies in

English Literature. The MA is a great opportunity to

study some aspects of English literature and culture

which are not covered at an undergraduate level, and to

do research on a particular topic, as students have to write

and present a dissertation on a subject that interests them. After completing the MA, I spent a year in Oregon ,

USA , as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant for Spanish at

Pacific University , an experience I would recommend to

anyone. I was reluctant at first because I knew that this

would mean putting my graduate studies aside for a

while, but at the same time I didn’t want to miss the

chance to live in the United States for a year. So I took

the chance and it turned out to be a good move. Taking a

break from my studies helped me understand what I

really wanted to do; I got some teaching experience and I

learnt a lot about American culture. Back in Catalonia in the fall semester of 2009, I

started to work on my doctoral thesis in English

Literature, while working at a language school in Sant

Cugat, and I am currently teaching English Language at

the Universitat de Vic.

Alfonso Olmedo

More than six years after finishing Filologia

Anglesa as well as a teaching degree (Magisteri), I cannot

but look back and be grateful to God. My career started

immediately after my last year at UAB. I was hired and

worked as a primary school teacher for approximately

three years. However, after those three years I went

through a period of time of uncertainty about what to do.

For a long time I have been considering going abroad, but

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 120

for the time being that has not come to fruition. One of

the things I did, though, was to get the Proficiency in

English certificate (CPE). In addition, having done a

translation internship as part of my English Philology

degree, I decided to enrol on a Master’s degree (Màster

en Traducció Cientificotècnica), which I finished earlier

this year, my thanks to God.

As far as employment is concerned, last year (2012)

I had the chance to temporarily work as a teacher of

English in three private schools (teaching adult and

teenage students). But after that I was out of work again.

This year I have done some private tutoring, and I

started a blog to promote myself as a tutor of English. Be

it tutoring or translating (which I hope to have a chance

to do), I am aware it is keeping active that matters. Many

things have happened, and I have gone through truly hard

times both professionally and personally; but God, Jesus,

has been my protector and Saviour, and I have found him

to be my shelter, my rock, now and in eternity.

Pablo Ortigosa Pastor After graduating, I did the CAP. It was really

rewarding and I learnt a lot about how to deal with a class

face-to-face. After finishing the CAP, I was able to apply

for the llista d’interins. Meanwhile, I started working at a language school

teaching intermediate level to 12-16 year olds. It was a

very good experience to start with after graduating and I

worked there for a year. During the next several years, I did substitutions at

various schools in the Vallès for short periods. At the

same time I attended a course to prepare for the

oposicions de secundaria d’angles in Barcelona in 2011.

I haven't been called to work in the llistes at all this

year. So I have enrolled for a course in a centre de

formacio ocupacional in Sabadell called Esec where they

offer courses for unemployed people like me. It is a

course which prepares you to work as a secretary in

companies and it provides you with the knowledge

of important terms in the corporate world.

Jordi Pagès Espuña After I graduated, since I had substantial experience

in the field of engineering, especially in technical

drawing, I applied not only for job opportunities directly

connected to my degree but also for those which might

show interest in my varied profile.

Three months later I was offered a job in the civil

works technical department of an enterprise with

branches abroad. I carry out consultancy and control

tasks. The prospects were really appealing but these hard

times have absolutely ruined them.

On the other hand, my interest in teaching is not

gone. As I hadn’t resigned myself to giving up teaching, I

enrolled at the Departament d’Educació as a substitute

teacher. So far I’ve worked at several high schools for

short periods of time. Unfortunately I must admit that the

working conditions are not up to my expectations.

Besides, they have suffered a severe deterioration

recently, what make this job not an alternative anymore.

I also do not rule out enrolling in a postgraduate

course to widen my professional career to a different

professional area in the future.

Cristina Pérez Padilla

The year after I graduated I taught at a language

school in Barcelona and the following year I moved to

London and taught private classes to adults for a year. I

then decided to move to the United Arab Emirates, so I

searched the Internet and created a database of all the

international schools there. I called and I asked for the

principal’s personal email address. Once I had that, I sent

her/him my CV and cover letter. The QTS (Qualified

Teaching Status) was required in order to be able to apply

to all those schools. I applied for it when I was living in

London and it was very easy to get. You just have to

follow all the steps listed at www.naric.org.uk. As part of

the process, all degrees, master courses and CV have to

be legally translated.

Another important matter is that in order to be hired

in the UAE, as in any other country that does not belong

to the UE, you have to go to the country’s embassy to

have your Diploma stamped, which is what they do to

certify that it is authentic. In other words, your diploma

needs to have the stamp of the country you are going to

work for. In my case I had to go to Madrid (the UAE

embassy is there) to have my diploma stamped and then

once in Dubai, I had to go to the Ministry of Education to

have it stamped also there. Then later all your documents

that have been previously translated should be stamped

also by the Spanish embassy once there in the UAE, India

or whatever the country is. The school does all the legal

procedures from that moment on, so you don’t need to

worry about the residence visa or anything else.

This summer I am moving to Panama, where I hope

to find a job in an international school as a Spanish

teacher.

Iolanda Reig Malé

Before finishing my degree in 2007 I had already

been working in several language schools. The classes

were small and I loved teaching different levels and age

groups. Still, I couldn’t make a living out of such jobs so

once I got my degree in June, I did the former CAP. I

then joined the llista d’interins i substituts, where I

worked for about three years. I only did a secondary

substitution and the rest of the time I worked as an

English teacher in primary. I got to do a whole academic

year’s substitution in primary but substitutions were

mainly from three days up to three weeks, which got me

working in almost every town in the Vallès Occidental.

The experience all in all was enriching but exhausting at

the same time. Most of the teachers came back before

holidays (Easter, Christmas or summer) so I never got

paid holidays. I didn’t get to know the pupils or the

schools’ projects, which made adaptation quite hard. I

also realized I wasn’t prepared for secondary teaching

and forgot about oposicions.

While I was doubtful about my continuity in the

llista and substitutions were becoming more and more

infrequent, a colleague from the degree told me about a

vacancy with Cambridge University Press. I did the

interviews and got the position as an ELT representative

in January 2011. I like the fact that I get to meet other

teachers and schools and speak in English. As the job is

stressful, I try to take courses that I like in my spare time,

such as narrative writing or French. Being a

representative is not something I would have imagined

myself doing but mine is a steady job and the salary is

relatively good so I’m planning to stay for the time being.

Samuel Rísquez Aguado

I always knew I wanted to move abroad and work as

a Spanish teacher, so the year I graduated I took the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 121

International House teacher training course and applied to

be an auxiliar de conversación. My application was

successful and for a year I worked at a secondary school

in the north of England.

When my contract ended, I decided to move to

London and look for work as a Spanish teacher to adults.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t as much work as I thought

there would be, and I soon realized that it would be very

difficult to make a living exclusively out of this. Luckily,

I had done the CAP before leaving Barcelona, so I was

able to do some work as a supply teacher in secondary

education. It paid the bills but it wasn’t for me.

Finally, after almost one year in London, I was

extremely lucky to secure a permanent teaching position.

For the past four years I have been working as an in-

house Spanish and English teacher and translator at the

London offices of a Spanish company.

For almost three years I have also been working

part-time as a teacher trainer, first at a London university

and now at the Instituto Cervantes. This has been a

fantastic opportunity and so far it has allowed me to

speak at a conference for Spanish teachers and have a

paper published.

However, I haven’t forgotten my other academic

interests, and I recently completed an MA in Gender

Studies here in London, which I took part-time over two

years. It was a very good experience and I may resume

my research one day, but now I think it’s time to focus on

my career in languages and do some more training in this

area.

Sílvia Suárez Carrión Ever since I came back from my Erasmus

in Germany, I felt I wanted to continue studying German.

When I graduated, I really wanted to continue working

with both English and German and at the same time get

training as a translator and interpreter. So I studied

Translation and Interpreting (English/German) at the

UAB. What I liked the most about this degree is that you

have to know a little bit of everything, be informed and

keep up-to-date with what is going on around the world

and with other countries, cultures, traditions, etc. At the

same time I also I attended the 4th and 5th year of

German at the Escola Oficial de Idiomes.

I simultaneously started working at ICCIC, teaching

English in the Language School department. I had

already worked with them in the summer camps they

organize together with the Generalitat, so I already knew

how the school worked and many of the teachers working

there, most of them native English speakers. It is a great

place to work since they keep offering workshops for the

new teachers on topics such as teaching grammar,

teaching teenagers and teaching how to write, which

made me really happy.

Once I was done with my second degree I went

to Berlin for an internship with the Leonardo Da Vinci

programme. There, I worked as a trainee in a language

school where I was able to put into practice my skills as a

translator and teacher. After three months in Berlin, I

came back to Barcelona to work again at ICCIC. There,

apart from teaching English, I also worked in the ICCIC

Summer Camps department, which is in charge of the

Generalitat camps. After my stay in Berlin I also taught

German at a school in Barcelona.

As I wanted to continue working on my professional

development I attended the CELTA course at

International House Barcelona. It was a great experience

for me since I got lots of feedback that helped to improve

my teaching skills. I strongly recommend it to everyone

interested in teaching English to adults or to those who

are interested in learning more about teaching English. It

requires a lot of time and effort but in the end you feel it

was worth it.

At the moment I am working as a secondary school

teacher at Escola Thau Sant Cugat. I had the opportunity

move from the language school to Thau, which is also

part of ICCIC schools, and I am very happy there. I was

ready for a change and very lucky to be offered the job.

Together with my colleagues in the English Department,

we are working hard to improve the quality of our

teaching and at the same time we are adapting to the new

classroom technologies.

Ana Tallon

I finished my degree 24 hours before coming back to

Argentina in 2008. When I decided to study English I

was already 28. I had always loved this language ever

since I was a little girl. My father’s family used to

communicate in English and, although I only spoke

Spanish, I understood everything they were saying. It was

not until quite recently that I found out that being a

language teacher is one of the most common professions

within this side of my family. And what is most awkward

of all is that I swore to myself not to study Philology to

become one!

For the past three years I have been teaching English

in a bilingual school and at a private language school here

in my hometown, Bariloche. It was the best way I found

to keep my English up to date, and an excellent part-time

job to combine with being the mom of a beautiful little

girl, Abril Erin. I really enjoy teaching. In particular I

love teaching higher levels because it challenges my own

knowledge every day. I don't know if I'll do this “for

ever”. Do far it has satisfied all my present needs.

However, deep inside I want to try other posibilities.

2006 Laura Bujalance Planagumà After graduating, I spent two years completing a

Master in Tourism Management by the Universitat de

Girona. During my second year, I simultaneously started

working as the head of the Communication and Media

Department of the Grup Costa Brava Centre, a hotel and

catering group. I worked there for two years. Since I’ve

always wanted to live abroad, I applied for the becas

Turespaña and went to live in Toronto, Canada, for two

more years. When I came back, I applied yet again to

another internship, this time for the Agencia Catalana de

Turisme. I am now living in Brussels, Belgium, and hope

to be here for the following two years.

What I’ve been doing professionally for the past 5

years has mainly been tourism marketing and PR, which

has always allowed me to combine my love of both

languages and tourism. One could say I could now start

moving forward and abandon the easy way out of the

becas—which I will have to do anyway because I’m

turning 30 this year and I won’t be allowed to apply

anymore. The truth is this long period has allowed me to

travel—the thing I like most, probably—and find out I do

not enjoy working in the corporate world that much. I’ve

gone through periods of time when I thought my future

was very clear, then I’ve felt lost for months on end. Now

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 122

I can only say it’s OK to just flow. I am confident

everything will fall into place at the right time.

Natàlia Casal Fernández

This is a message for those of you who are about to

finish their studies and still have no idea of what they

want to be “when they grow up”: It is going to be ok. I’m

31 years old—oh God—and I still do not know what I

want to do with my life when I grow up.

Being a teacher is probably the obvious thing to do

when you finish your English Studies, so that was what I

did for almost ten years. I really believe that experience

has made me a better person, but there was always

something inside of me telling me “you are not made for

this”.

I have always liked cinema and media theory, so I

decided to take Media Studies at Universitat de

Barcelona. I finished my second degree a couple of years

ago, when The Economic Crisis had already started. It

took some time to find a job, but it was the combination

of English and Media studies that got me the opportunity.

Right now I work as a Project Manager and Multimedia

Editor in an e-learning company in Barcelona and…

ready for this? I like what I do every day! I am learning

so much and it is fulfilling.

Getting here was not easy. I went to live abroad a

couple of times, I took many courses before I decided to

study Media, etc. In the end, it was trying what made me

realize what makes me happy.

Needless to say, I do not know if I want to do this

for the rest of my life. But if there is something I have

learned since I finished my English Studies—and Alice in

Wonderland played its part in this—it is that I am not

scared of change.

Noemí Fernández Sánchez

After graduation, I was an Auxiliar de Conversación

in Massachusetts, USA. Then upon my return to

Catalonia I worked in a primary school as a subtitute

English teacher in Rubí. I got that job because I was

registered with the substitutions list of the Generalitat. I

was quite happy because I was able to work in a public

school the whole year but they just offered me 10 hours a

week. So my salary was not good and I had to work in a

language school in the afternoons.

As the year went on I began to think seriously about

living abroad because I realized that I was just a number

for they Generalitat and they might well offer me no

work at all the next year, since they were reducing the

number of teachers in public schools. My expectations

were not very high so I decided to go abroad again. Since

I had not been able to save enough money I could not

take the risk of living in expensive countries such as

England, Germany, Switzerland or Denmark.

So I decided to live in a cheaper country, Slovakia, a

small, very nice country in Central Europe. I knew an ex-

classmate from the UAB, David Checa, who was living

there so I sent him an email to ask him for help finding a

job there. He told me that I could find a job on the

Internet on the webpage www.profesia.sk and it was like

Infojobs in Spain but you do not need to subscribe and

upload your CV. You just look for job offers and Profesia

tells you the email of the company. The webpage was in

Slovak and I had no clue of Slovak but Google translator

was my friend and my second best friend was the

webpage translator at www.microsofttranslator.com.

There were not many offers related to Spanish or

English teachers in February but David told me that

schools and language schools start to look for new

candidates in May and June and that was true! I always

sent an email to the company with my CV but also a

covering letter saying that I was living in Spain but I was

going to move to Slovakia in August and I would

appreciate having a Skype interview to provide further

information. I was lucky. Slovak companies need people

who speak foreign languages and language schools need

Spanish teachers. Moreover, they are open-minded and I

did several interviews via Skype and another by

telephone.

One private school in Bratislava offered me a job as

an English and Spanish teacher. I had been able to save

1000 euros and that was enough for me to start my life

there. I was a full-time teacher and I liked my school and

students. There were no behaviour problems like in

Catalunya. I just earned 750 euros per month but life is

cheaper there. Of course, I could not really save money in

this country but I gained further experience. Furthermore,

Bratislava is close to Vienna, Budapest and Prague so

you can visit all of central Europe. And regarding

language, young people speak English so you will have

friends here for sure but I recommend that you try to

learn Slovak. It is a quite difficult language, but Slovaks

appreciate the effort.

This year I am in Zurich working as a babysitter

(two babies), full-time and learning German. I have to

say that I do not recommend Switzerland to anybody. It is

extremely expensive and very complicated for

immigrants who do not speak German at an advanced

level.

Maria Rosa Garrido Sardà

At present, I am in my final PhD year at the

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and I work as a

lecturer in English at the School of Education, Universitat

Internacional de Catalunya. My four-year scholarship in

the C.I.E.N. research group (www.groupcien.uab.cat)

came to an end in July 2012 but I still had not finished

my thesis, so I had to look for a job that allowed me

enough time to work on it. Fortunately, I was offered an

associate lecturer position at the UIC that suited both my

needs and my education in English linguistics. Juggling

both research commitments, my thesis and teaching new

subjects has been a major challenge this year. In fact, I

was even on sick leave because of stress in May and I

have had to reshuffle my priorities and deadlines.

I started my PhD programme in 2006 right after I

finished my degree in Filologia anglesa at Roehampton

University in London thanks to an Erasmus grant. While I

was studying there, I got a part-time job as a Spanish

teacher in “The Spanish Machine”, mainly thanks to my

ELE qualification from International House BCN. I also

volunteered as an English as an Additional Language

teaching assistant at the end of a PGCE module

internship there.

Since then, my most valuable experiences have been

conferences, research stays and contacts abroad. During

my scholarship, I have enjoyed two research stays in

Chicago (2011) and London (2012). The research team I

am part of has many international contacts and I have had

the opportunity to discuss research ideas with fascinating

people from all over the world. Last but not least, my

research in sociolinguistics has opened my eyes to

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 123

diversity and I have realised that speaking English is not

enough for our geographical and social mobilities.

In these difficult times, I do not regret having chosen

a postgraduate education in the least in spite of the

common comments that I could have secured a civil

servant position as a teacher. I might like this

challenging, unstable and exciting path better because I

have learned many things and met many people that I

would not have met otherwise.

Sílvia Garriga Galobardes The year after I graduated I did the CAP and an

online postgraduate course called “Nous entorns de

formació” offered by the Institute for Lifelong Learning

(which is part of the Virtual UB). I found it really useful.

I also decided to give oposicions a try in order to be

familiar with the whole process, though in the end I

didn’t have much time to prepare for them. In May 2007 I started teaching full-time as a

substitute at a secondary school in Manlleu, and that is

what I have been doing since then. I got the job by word

of mouth. In 2008/2009 things changed a little bit, since I was

working part-time in the secondary school. This gave me

the chance to enroll in the English department’s master’s

program called “Acquisition of English and Intercultural

Communication”. I finished it in September with the

presentation of my final project. I have to say that I really

enjoyed the master’s and I found it really useful. In 2009/2010 I was offered a full-time position again

and couldn’t start my doctoral thesis. However, I really

love my job and I can say that I’m one of those lucky

people who still has a full-time job! My advice for graduating students is that you should

continue studying after finishing the degree in a way that

is compatible with a job. And if you end up working in

something you don’t like, try something else.

Montse Gómez Laredo When I graduated I didn’t want to get the CAP,

because I didn’t want to be a teacher. I worked on the

Tourist Bus in Barcelona and also in a private school as a

Catalan teacher to immigrant children (nouvinguts). Most

of the students were Chinese, but I also had children from

Bangla Desh, India and Morocco. It was interesting to see

how they communicated with each other in Spanish and

Catalan, and how they struggled to learn both languages,

even when they got into a mess. I also tried to find work

as a translator but was not successful.

When I finally decided to get the CAP, since it was

the only option I saw for the future with my degree, it

was too late. The new Master’s was going to replace the

CAP. So I did the new Master Oficial en Formació del

Professorat d’ESO, Batxillerat, Formació Professional i

Escoles d’Idiomes, which replaces the CAP. It was really

tough. Because it was the first year of the master’s, it

was a bit of a mess and we were overloaded with work.

Now I’m registered with the lists for Substitutions,

this is the third year, but I haven’t been called yet!! (I

have around number 30,000, but I started at 61,000). I

did the latest Oposicions in Barcelona, just to see what

they were like. And I passed. But because I had no points

gained from doing substitutions working at a high school,

it just lowered my number 30,000 positions. Meanwhile,

I’m working as a receptionist at a hotel in Barcelona,

because fortunately tourism in Barcelona is the only

sector which is not in crisis. I also studied German at an

EOI and this year I obtained el Certificat de Nivell

Avançat.

Judit González López After coming back from my Erasmus year in

Manchester, I started working as a teacher in a

language school in Manresa. Teaching in a language

school or in a school had never been a priority for me

during my university years, so it was doomed from the

starts. Teenagers, I thought, weren’t my thing. Simultaneously I was doing a post-grad at the UAB.

As will happen to most of you if you decide to pursue this

option, I needed to work full time in order to be able to

pay for my expenses at university and live at the same

time. So I decided to look for a non-teaching job and,

luckily, in less than a month I already working at a

publishing house as an English Language Teaching

textbook sales representative. During my time there I

eventually came back and finished my Masters’ degree in

Literature, but so far, not much has happened to me in

terms of being able to achieve my goal of pursuing an

academic career. Oddly enough, after five years within this publishing

house, I have discovered that I do miss standing in a

classroom. My job responsibilities have changed, and

now not only do I sell books but also I provide

methodological sessions to groups of teachers in schools

that want to change their English classes. At the same

time, every now and then I go to EOIs and secondary

schools to give motivational speeches for students on

how to study, how to prepare for PAAU, etc. And it is

such a good feeling to see that they believe what you say

and they smile at you, and they learn, and they enjoy their

time! Maybe it could really work for me, going to class,

but, right now, when I have the chance to see it all from

outside the ring, I have to tell you that things are difficult.

Teachers, although motivated, feel at the same time really

frustrated because of all the cuts and changes that the

education system is undergoing. The profession of

‘school director’ is turning into being the manager of a

company, and some schools really feel that their kids are

not getting the best out of it.

Money is also a big problem—or rather, the lack

of. These are really hard times. The world of the

publishing houses is not perfect either. While I can be

happy, as my company is the only one that hasn’t had to

let go of any employees, things are getting difficult. We

(all of us) are devaluing the world of culture and learning.

Books are downloaded from sites, photocopied cover to

cover or worse. But we still want to go on a holiday at

every opportunity, have the best car in the

neighbourhood, etc. So, if two years ago I would have

recommended with no hesitation joining a publishing

house, as a sales rep, editor, or whatever, now I would

recommend the experience with a big ‘but’. If we, as

students, teachers, society, do not value books, there will

come a time when publishing houses will have no option

but to disappear. And that is way too sad.

Now that teaching is getting also to a low point

(not many offers and not many chances of working if you

are in the llistes either, I encourage you to look into the

private sector and let go of education for a while. It will

help you to value it more if you ever come back to it, and

it will be helpful to see a different world, which is always

educational.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 124

Juan Meneses Naranjo

After getting a La Caixa fellowship for two years

and working in the English Department as a Teaching

Assistant and writing tutor in the Writing Lab, I recently

finished my Ph.D. in English Literature from Purdue

University in Indiana. One thing I have learned in my

years in the U.S. is that initiative is highly regarded and

will get you far—I have received great support and

encouragement whenever I have proposed projects and

asked for guidance. I would also encourage you to keep

an open mind as to what kinds of jobs you could get with

an English degree (this is particularly important for your

application letters and job interviews) and should

consider pursuing a graduate degree and/or an academic

career only if that is what you really want to do.

Nuria Navidad Navidad Recuerdo muy bien la sensación que tuve en mis

últimos años de carrera: cansancio. Me sentía como una

escaladora a la que todavía le queda medio Everest por

subir. Estaba allí, sujeta al arnés. Si miraba hacia atrás

veía que el camino recorrido había sido muy largo y

difícil, no podía abandonar; pero todavía quedaba mucho

por subir. Lo único que me alentaba era pensar en el

futuro. Con mis estudios, pensaba yo, podría obtener un

buen puesto en alguna buena empresa. Todo el sacrificio

pasado y por venir se vería recompensado con un trabajo

reconocido socialmente y que me procurase un sueldo

generoso. No fue así. Durante mis años en la Universidad trabajaba por las

tardes en una escuela de idiomas como profesora y en

verano en el Bus Turístic de Barcelona. Al acabar la

carrera (en realidad fueron dos carreras, filología inglesa

y francesa) me salió la oportunidad de trabajar en un

instituto de secundaria a las afueras de Barcelona. Al

poco de empezar las clases me di cuenta de que no me

gustaba en absoluto ese trabajo y decidí volver al Bus

Turístic. Lamentablemente, mi contrato en el Bus Turístic

se terminó muy pronto y hasta enero de 2009 sobreviví

gracias a hacer clases particulares de inglés. Yo estaba convencida de que, con mis idiomas, las

empresas se pegarían por contratarme. Nada más lejos de

la realidad. En enero de 2009 decidí irme al extranjero a

vivir una temporada a ver si las cosas por allí estaban

mejor (y ya de paso a ver si olvidaba un amor) Estuve

viviendo en Londres durante 5 meses. Allí trabajé como

camarera en el hotel de un restaurante de cuatro estrellas.

Fue una buena época, ya que crecí mucho como persona

y aprendí a estar sola, pero volví para Barcelona porque

en realidad me sentía demasiado sola y el tiempo

londinense no acompañaba. En Inglaterra me había vuelto más bohemia y decidí

perseguir mi sueño, cantar y bailar. Al regresar,

aprovechando por otra parte que no encontraba trabajo,

me matriculé en una escuela de comedia musical en

Barcelona. Estuve un año luchando por mi sueño,

haciendo castings, cantando en una orquesta, bailando y

cantando día y noche, pero me di cuenta que había

empezado demasiado tarde. Había chicas que llevaban

haciéndolo desde pequeñitas y que siempre serían

mejores que yo, y eso, en un mundo con muy pocas

plazas y muchísima competencia, no era muy alentador.

Así pues, decidí dedicarme a lo que realmente se me daba

bien: los idiomas. Uno de los mayores problemas que encontré en el

mundo de la docencia, que no fuera un instituto de

secundaria, fue que todas las ofertas de profesores pedían

profesores nativos. Yo no lo soy. No me apellido Smith,

ni Parker, así que tuve mucha suerte al encontrar una

escuela de idiomas que valoró las ventajas de trabajar con

no nativos. El mundo de la empresa era igual de

complicado, si no más. Todas las ofertas solicitaban

conocimientos de Administración de Empresas,

Economía, etc. Yo “sólo” tenía filología. Llevo tres años trabajando con esta escuela y a la

vez tuve la gran suerte de encontrar otra escuela en la que

soy profesora de español para extranjeros. Aunque mi

nómina a final de mes no me permita tener ningún tipo de

lujos, es un trabajo que no me desagrada y me siento

afortunada por tenerlo en la situación en la que estamos

hoy en día. El año pasado solicité una beca para trabajar

como auxiliar de

conversación bien en los EEUU bien en Australia, pero

no me la concedieron. Tras recibir esta noticia mi

intención era estudiar otra carrera relacionada con el

mundo empresarial, ya fuera ADE o alguna ingeniería,

pero lamentablemente el precio de las matrículas

universitarias está fuera de mi alcance así que de

momento he decidido dejar de lado esa opción.

Este septiembre empezaré a trabajar además en un

instituto concertado como profesora de inglés y francés.

Estoy un poco nerviosa ya que no sé cómo se me dará

manejar a una clase de adolescentes, pero espero hacerlo

bien ya que, visto lo visto, no es que haya muchas más

opciones para mí. Quizá algún día pueda hacer algo que

realmente me apasione, hasta el momento intentaré

sobrevivir lo mejor que pueda.

Mónica San José Martín My experience in teaching has continued over the

last two years. In 2008-2009, I was given a substitution at

an IES. It was perfect, because I the job was guaranteed

for the whole academic year. It was part-time so I could

devote the rest of my time to studying for Oposicions. I

didn’t pass them in June 2009, though my mark wasn’t

completely bad, but as I didn’t have enough points

for mèrits (which you acquire by taking specific courses

for teachers, Nivell D català, EOI courses, etc.) I didn’t

get a position.

In southern Catalonia, where I live, the work

situation was really bad. I only worked for two and a half

months the whole year. After I finished my previous

substitution in August, I was almost sure that by

September I would be given another vacant, so I waited

and waited, and it never came.

Very important for people in this situation: when

you finish a contract you only have 15 days to register for

the unemployment benefit. Because I expected a new

post, the time for the unemployment benefit passed. So I

spent 5 months and a half without either a job or the

unemployment benefit.

Still on the lists, I covered a pregnancy in Alcanar

for four months but it was 1/3-time job, i.e. an 8-hour

week! However, I have to admit that the salary was

“good” relative to the few hours that I worked. But by

then I was fed up with the situation in education in

general (politically and with the students themselves),

and I wanted to try something else. So I studied to be a

Management Assistant through the UOC. It didn’t require

much work most of the time but every 15 days more or

less, depending on the subject, you had to hand in

different papers and they required a lot of time.

Nevertheless, here I am, still working as a teacher.

At least it is a relatively good job, with better students.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 125

This year I’ve been working since September in the same

high school I was last year. I have a contract until

August. I’m doing two thirds, that’s 17 hours, but I end

up doing more than that. I’m very happy because I started

from the beginning of the year and I will finish it. I’m

teaching from 1st ESO until 2nd Batx. Many different

classes, and that’s a lot of work to do.

Laura Viader Roger

I graduated, finished the CAP and finished my

Erasmus in the same year. I had always pictured myself

as a translator, so I did a master’s in translation at the

UAB while working in a language school. I loved the

master’s but, honestly, it was not very helpful career-

wise. After my Erasmus I knew that I wanted to go

abroad again so I asked for an Auxiliares de

Conversación grant in the U.K. and I spent two years

working as a Spanish assistant in primary schools in

Stoke-on-Trent, England.I highly recommend this

experience as it was greatly rewarding in many ways.

After coming back from England, I knew I wanted

to teach, so I started working full-time at a language

school, teaching all levels, preparing students for

Cambridge exams, and I also became a FCE speaking

examiner. I also took Oposicions for the EOI but,

unfortunately, I did not pass. By that time I was also on

the Generalitat teaching lists and, after endless waiting, I

was finally offered a job. However, it was really far away

and only 10 hours a week, which made it difficult to have

another job at the same time, so in the end I turned it

down and decided to stick to my full-timejob at the

language school.

Last year I was hired as an associate instructor at the

UB (probably thanks to my experience in primary schools

in England), so I have been teaching Methodology of

English and English Language to students of Magisteri. It

has been very hardcombining both jobs as it meant lots

and lots of work and no free time at all but it has been a

great experience.

2005 Judit Espinosa Marsal When I was a child I knew I wanted to teach

English. Therefore, when I came back from Scotland,

where I finished my degree with an Erasmus grant, I did

the CAP. That year I was very busy because while I was

doing the CAP I was preparing for the oposicions for the

EOI too. I was not successful because I didn’t know how

the oposicions worked and did everything wrong, except

for the theory exam. That year I also started working at

ICCIC, a language school in Barcelona.

I started working there because I had worked in

summer camps the school organised for the Generalitat

for several years while I was studying. At first I thought I

was lucky because I had started working the same year I

finished my studies. However, I did not feel that it was

the job I really wanted. I worked only eight hours a week

and, apart from the fact that I was not paid enough for all

my expenses, I had to travel from my village

near Tarragona to Barcelona every day to work for a

maximum of two hours a day.

That year I also decided to join the substitution lists.

I had to wait for the whole year to start working in the

public schools, but once I started working, I got constant

substitution jobs, in both primary and secondary schools.

It was a good experience because I could really see I

loved teaching, especially teenagers.

Apart from that, I attended a private school to

prepare for the oposicions seriously, since the previous

ones were not what I expected. This time I passed them

but didn’t get a post because I didn’t have enough mèrits.

After that, I also took some cursos de formació

permanent, not only because I needed the mèrits but also

because I wanted to learn things other than what I learnt

during my degree.

In 2007 I worked part time in a high school in

Torredembarra because I was preparing for

the oposicions again. I decided to take a part-time job that

year because I wanted to prepare better for the exams.

Finally, I got my position! As we say in Catalan, a la

tercera va la vençuda! It is such a relief to know that I

don’t have to look for a new job anymore.

Nowadays I’m teaching full-time in a high school in

Cambrils. I’ve been teaching there for two years, but I

don’t know what will happen next year, since I don’t still

have my final post. I’m still in a provisional position, but

I hope I can stay there. Last year, in this school in

Cambrils, we were involved in a Comenius project,

together with Cyprus, Poland and Italy, but unfortunately

it was denied for economic reasons, though we were

allocated a British native teacher to help us to

improve the students’ oral skills and it was quite

successful. We’ll try to get both the Comenius and the

British helper again this academic year, but we don’t

know if the proposals will be accepted by the

Departament d’Ensenyament.

On the other hand, this year I will also start taking a

French course because, due to the reduction of teachers

the high school in Cambrils, the option of giving the

students to choose studying either English or French is

not possible. Therefore, the cap d'estudis asked me if I

could take the course so that students can have the chance

to learn the two languages.

I love teaching, and taking into account the current

situation, which is changing and giving the head teachers

the possibility to choose their teachers, the more

interesting your curriculum is, the better, since the

oposicions nowadays only guarantee you a job, but not a

position in a high school near home or where you would

like to be.

Zoraida Horrillo Godino After graduating, I took some courses of the former

Doctorate offered by our Department. I learned a lot and

had a very good time, but these courses did not lead to

any material gain. Next I completed a master’s in

education at the UAB that has become the official

master’s that one has to complete to qualify as a teacher.

When I finished this MA, I felt I wanted to know more.

So I did a master’s in research in the field of language

and literature teaching. In the meanwhile, I worked as a

research assistant at the UAB. It was very interesting, but

they hired me for short periods and it wasn’t a full-time

job. As you can imagine, they paid me peanuts. Since then, I have been teaching at all educational

levels, i.e. university, primary school, secondary school

and Escoles Oficials d’Idiomes. I am currently a supply

teacher in an EOI. Although EOI teachers are regarded—

a nd paid—as secondary teachers, teaching at an EOI is

closer to teaching at university, particularly when you

teach the highest levels. This involves loads of

preparation and correction work. It may also mean

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 126

controlling a few teens, like in a secondary school.

Before most secondary schools had classes only till

lunchtime, the advantage of teaching at an EOI was the

timetable. Most days you don’t start working until 2 or

3PM and you finish at 9 or 9:30PM.

Susana Pérez Martínez

I never really thought about my professional life

when I went to university. Never thought about teaching,

probably because I don’t like it. I only knew I liked

studying languages in general, and English in particular.

Before graduating, I wanted neither to take the CAP nor

end up teaching teenagers for the rest of my life. But, as

everybody thinks you must try teaching just because you

studied Philology, and I had the opportunity, I tried.

Almost as soon as I finished my degree I started working

at UAB Idiomes Barcelona. My students were adults and

I thought I could also learn from teaching them. And I

did, for two years. It was an interesting experience, but

not enough for me.

So I decided to start working in the administrative

office, and I am still there. It is quite good, because I use

English every day and I work on my own. I’m in charge

of the international students who come to study Spanish.

That involves giving information, registering them for

courses, contacting agencies, universities and embassies,

and helping students whenever they need it.

At first I wanted to apply for a Postgraduate

program or a second cycle degree. But I never found the

time. And, at present, I find neither the time nor the

money. But I need to study languages from time to time,

so I got the nivell superior de català and went back to

German classes. I did German as a second language at the

UAB and, three years later I studied German again. I'll

probably apply for another German or English course this

year. I would like to take a monographic course in

English (cinema, literature), because I’m always using

the same kind of vocabulary at work, and I’m afraid I’m

losing fluency.

I feel really fine at my workplace and enjoy doing

my job. That’s very important for me. My advice: for

those thinking about going abroad, go! Because you may

not have the chance to do it in the future. If you are

looking for a job, send your CV everywhere and

remember that ‘word of mouth’ among friends and family

works better than any LinkedIn or any other social

network.

Belén Sánchez Montero

While studying I worked as an English teacher, both

in schools and giving private lessons at home, but I

realized that being a teacher was not my dream work, so I

decided to experience in other fields like translation,

interpretation and even office work. During a summer, I

worked at El Corte Inglés, positive experience but badly

paid. I also worked for Europcar car rental, at the airport

as a guide, and as a shop assistant, and they were all good

jobs in the sense that I had contact with tourists and it

was a great opportunity to improve my English and

German.

But I got tired of temporary jobs, precarious

conditions, Monday to Sunday working hours, and I

decided to apply for a vacancy I saw posted on

infojobs.net (actually, all my previous jobs were found on

this web site so I highly recommend it): “Person required

for the Human Resources Department in a multinational

pharmaceutical firm. High command of English and

French (a third language will be valued), translation and

administrative tasks” and so on. After eight interviews

and English level tests, I managed to get the job at

Sanofi-Aventis as a department secretary. I was in charge

of budget negotiation with suppliers, supervision of

permanent and temporary workers, translation of

company’s policies and support to the Human Resources

Director. It was a good but hard experience, as I was a

beginner in the “real working world”, and not everything

is as positive as it seems to be at first when you are

extremely motivated.

After a year and a half in the Human Resources

Department, I had the chance to work in another business

unit as a Regional Business Manager’s personal assistant

within the Cardiometabolic Business Unit. My everyday

work was to organize meetings with Area Managers,

Sales Representatives and doctors, and therefore, I had to

travel a lot, basically in Spain but sometimes out of

national territory. I really liked it since I was in contact

with the outside world; it was not the typical indoor

office job, it was very active and dynamic and this fitted

properly with my personality. I had the opportunity to

meet new people and do networking, and moreover, I had

a very good professional relationship with my boss.

After four years being a personal assistant, in

February 2010 the company offered me a new position,

so I am now working as a Market Researcher within the

Marketing Direction. However, it is a very hard and

delicate job in the sense that I have to coordinate projects,

analyze figures and competence market and translate

these figures for the Marketing departments so that they

can define the correct strategies for the products. I still

have to learn a lot, but the most important thing is that I

really like what I do. So I hope I can continue developing

my career at Sanofi-Aventis.

In my case, after finishing English Philology I

studied a postgraduate course in Marketing and

Management of Tourism Companies at the UOC, and I

really enjoyed it at the same time that I learnt about

tourism and companies in general. However, I still

believe in the traditional face to face method, and

although the online education is very practical in the

sense that you can study at home and at your own pace, it

can sometimes be impersonal.

2004 Maite Caicedo Valentí After I finished my degree, I worked as a translator

in a company based near Martorell called Cialit which is

an international distributor of photographic material to

many suppliers all over the world. I got this job thanks to

a friend who was working for the Technical Department

of the company. At that time they needed a person with a

high level of English to cover a three-month maternity

leave to carry out administrative tasks. Suddenly, during

my stay in Cialit, the translator quit—so they offered me

the job!

I translated software and operator manuals and was

also in charge of the communication with all our foreign

suppliers, by mail, telephone and in person when they

came to visit us. It was a very interesting job, because I

was constantly in touch with people from very different

countries and cultures. At the same time I learned a lot

about computers and how to use important translation

software such as Trados.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 127

However, I continued to hope to work someday at a

high school and kept my name on the Llistes d’interins.

Finally, in September 2006, I received a phone call and

they offered me a full-time vacancy in a nearby primary

school to teach English. So I quit my job as a translator

and worked for two years as an interina in primary

schools, fortunately for the whole year in both cases.

Four years ago I started working in secondary

education, but only for three months, since I had a baby!

In spite of the short period of time that I spent working

with adolescents, the experience was very gratifying, and

professionally I learnt many new things concerning

teaching and how to “fight” with teenagers. However,

after November we could say that my job was “changing

nappies” and studying for the oposicions in June. I passed

them but did not get a post because I had too few points

in the mèrits sections.

Therefore, I decided to take a year off. So that year I

took a lot of online courses and of course took care of my

baby too. I took nine courses in Basic Competences,

Methodology, Linguistics, Student Motivation, Teacher

Burnout, Evaluations and so on. It is an easy way to

learn from home and in your free time and moreover it is

the perfect way to get some points for the merits sections

if you want to study for the oposicions. Here are the two

websites where I found the teaching

courses: http://cv.il3.ub.edu/ice/ and

www.isftic.mepsyd.es/formacion/enred/usuarios.php

Then I spent the next school year teaching English

in a high school in Esparreguera as an interina. I tried the

Oposicions for the second time, and although I passed

them with quite a good mark, I didn’t get a post. It was

because of the cutbacks—if the Government hadn’t

reduced the number of posts, I would have gotten a one.

Two Septembers ago I got a new placement as an

interina in the high school in my home town,

but I could only work until October, since my second

baby was born in December. Now I am enjoying my

maternity leave and waiting for a new placement in

September. If I'm lucky I’ll get a Nomenament for the

next school year. But it is hard to be optimistic in the

current climate of cutbacks in education.

Tanit Carré Cardona After graduating, I enrolled in a two-year program to

get a Master’s in International Relations at CIDOB.

During those years I worked at Berlitz Inc. as a freelance

teacher of English, Spanish and Catalan. During the

summers, I worked at summer camps in England with

British Summer. Once I was done with the master’s I

decided to try to get a grant to go to the States for a year.

For that purpose, I did a course in teaching Spanish as a

Foreign Language at International House. That course and the work experience I gained by

teaching English for Berlitz made me eligible to apply for

the Fulbright Spanish Lectureship. So I applied and after

an exam and interview, I was accepted. I spent a year

working as a Spanish Teaching Assistant at

Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. The experience

is well worth it because you not only improve your

teaching skills but also get to be part of the American

way of life. However, it does not guarantee a good

teaching job once you are back here. I came back in May 2008. After a summer of intense

ELE Teaching at EF—and still missing the States—a

friend (Alicia Montenegro) and I decided to bring

the US to Barcelona by means of importing all the

amazing teaching resources we had seen there. Therefore,

we set up a shop and imported teaching aids from the

States, so that any teacher or parent could teach English,

German, maths, etc., through play. Our shop, Paradise for Educators

(www.paradiseforeducators.com) opened in June 2009. It

was a hard journey since I still kept my teaching jobs. We

tried to make ends meet without a loan, which means

having nearly no money for advertising or having to

depend on family and friends when we were on a leave. Out of the blue my partner got a job offer in

Switzerland starting August 2013. After evalutating my

quality of life at the moment, I decided to reroute by

carreer there too. Nowadays, the shop is still run by

Alicia online.

Arantza Elosua Francia After I finished my UAB degree I moved to

Edinburgh to study a MSc in Translation Studies, which

opened many doors work-wise. I have been working at

Edinburgh University since then, as well as for different

businesses and translating and interpreting for agencies

and for myself. Twice a year I also teach languages on a

cruise ship for about a month each time. For a while I worked for a multinational company as

an in-house Spanish linguist running their Spanish

department, 4 days a week, and doing self-employed

work on Fridays. It was great to be able to work

simultaneously as a teacher, translator and

interpreter (mainly at hospitals, police stations, etc., what

is called “community interpreting”). However, you need

to be very constant and be approachable 24/7 for

interpreting (e.g. for an emergency at the weekend) and

the summer months are always low in income, but good

for long holidays. That is, you have to work hard for the

rest of the year to make up for the calm months. I

also started my own online translation business. Last year there were loads of changes here due to the

recession and I went back to self employment as a

Spanish linguist, with both direct clients and agencies. I

did interpreting in Court, the police, hospitals,

conferences, etc., and translated from home. It is my first

month after a two-year stint in the whisky industry and I

hope I can survive, but work is coming in slowly but

surely.

Incidentally, for anyone wanting to become either a

professional translator or interpreter, my advice would be

to join a professional body, like the Institute of

Translators and Interpreters, to gain credibility, at a cost

of around 100 pounds a year. This year I am still self-employed and working from

home doing translations and private lessons so that I can

look after my daughter before she starts school (they

don’t do so until they are five in Scotland and nurseries

are very expensive). On the one hand, it is great as I can

look after her and make sure she is raised bilingual while

continuing with my career to some extent. On the other

hand, being freelance means no paid holidays, sick pay,

maternity leave, etc., so it compensates personally more

than financially. I am not interpreting right now because of childcare

reasons and not being able to rush it to court, police

station or prison without notice (not sure I will ever go

down that road again, to be honest, exciting but tiring and

not well remunerated for the effort put it).So now I’m

only working for my best direct clients as I don’t want to

lose them and they are being understanding about the

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 128

situation and therefore generous with their deadlines. I

also occasionally help out at the Translation Department

at Edinburgh University, with fewer and fewer lessons

every academic year, also due to cuts, as I used to teach

in the Spanish department and no longer do so. It is tough times here in Scotland so probably not the

best of times to come here for work, as there are cuts

everywhere, including companies and university

departments.

Maria Sabaté Dalmau I combined my undergraduate studies with teaching

English as a foreign language. I worked in two language

schools in Igualada for two years, did a three-month

internship at UAB Idiomes (in Barcelona), and then

worked for them for about a year. It was really good

practice, and I loved it! After graduation, I became interested in the

academic world, basically because I wanted to get to

know more about what I had learned from my degree – I

was (and still am!) particularly interested in the fields of

intercultural communication and sociolinguistics. I

worked towards a PhD in English Studies and Linguistics

at the UAB English department, first with a grant called

beca de col.laboració amb Departament and then with a

small position in the same department, teaching English

in the Humanities program. I simultaneously worked in a

language school in Cerdanyola del Vallès throughout my

MA program and my doctoral courses, for no grants or

positions were enough to make a living out of them.

Since 2010, I also work as a consultora at the UOC, in a

postgraduate program on the management of linguistic

diversity whereby I have learnt about teaching via the

new information and communication technologies. In 2006-2007 I got a grant from “La Caixa” which

allowed me to do a one-year MA in Linguistic

Anthropology at the University of Toronto, a great

experience with all the tuition fees, flights and studying

material fully covered. Luxury! There I realised that I

wanted to continue doing research in the topics of

multilingualism and migration within the fields of

linguistic anthropology and critical sociolinguistics, and

finally came back to defend my PhD at the UAB in

October, 2010. From 2007 until 2011 I worked on it with

another grant which depended on the UAB (Personal

Docent i Investigador en Formació, called PIF). It was

the first time I had a two-year grant plus a two-year

contract, which meant that for the first time I did not have

to work in different places and could strictly focus on

research. Also, I learnt a lot and really enjoyed teaching

in the department. A relief and a privilege!! Apart from

teaching university courses (descriptive grammar;

phonetics; history of the English language; use of

English, etc.), this grant also allowed me to continue

learning and travelling the world, for example by

enjoying a three-month research stay at the Centre for

Transnational Studies, at the University of Southampton,

UK, where I learned a lot. I’m currently hired as a post-doctoral fellow in the

same department, until this upcoming September (2013),

and I still do ethnographic work and never-ending

reading, congresses, publications, etc., which are very

rewarding tasks. While I love teaching and doing

research, I can see that this is definitely not the best

moment for the academic world, particularly since 2011:

there are fewer and fewer positions available, no grants in

prospect, endemic serious work and economic instability

and also precariousness, which are the negative sides of

this sort of jobs.

Mariona Salvador Jaumà After graduating, I worked as an English teacher at a

language school for a year and then decided that I wanted

to go abroad. I decided to apply for the Auxiliares

de Conversación grant. I was accepted and worked in

Kent, England as a Spanish Language Assistant for a year

(2005-2006). I loved it! My job consisted of speaking Spanish with

secondary school Spanish students. I had to prepare

games and activities or practise conversation. I only

worked 12 hours a week but got paid around 1000 euros a

month. I encourage you to apply for it. It’s a very good

experience to get to know another culture and education

system, to enjoy yourself and to try to think about your

future plans, since you’ll have lots of spare time! After working as an assistant, I decided I wanted to

have more responsibility in my job as well as keep

travelling and I applied to work as a teacher in the United

States. I got a position as a Spanish teacher in Charlotte,

North Carolina, through a program called VIF (Visiting

International Faculty). Although my visa lasted three

years, I only stayed there two years (2006-2008). Right now the situation in the US is not as good as

before. They are mostly only hiring teachers from the

United States due to the crisis, but it’s worth trying to

apply. If you are interested check their website at

www.vifprogram.com. It’s a very reliable program. If any

of you decide to apply, try to work as an ESL teacher,

they don’t have as much work as Spanish teachers. (And

email me at [email protected] so that I can explain

what it is like more fully.) Working as a Spanish teacher in an American high

school was very challenging. When I arrived, I just knew

I’d be working in the United States, I had no idea how the

school system worked, the type of students I’d be

teaching, my schedule, etc. Although VIF organises a

very helpful orientation for new teachers, you don’t really

learn about it until you find yourself in front of 30 kids

(in my school 90% of them were African-American),

trying to teach them Spanish when they are only thinking

about partying, music and giving you a hard time. I don’t

want to lie, it was very hard at the beginning, and it was a

cultural shock. On the ohter hand, I learned a lot, not only

as a teacher but also as a person. Life in the United States

was easy. I met a lot of people, travelled to many

different places like California, Colorado, Washington

DC, New York, Mexico and Puerto Rico, that is, I had a

blast. After two years I decided it was time for a change

and I came back home. I worked as an English teacher at

EOI Girona for two years, and I loved it. Teaching adults

was great. However, as you know, it’s quite hard to get a

full-time job as a teacher if you are not a funcionari. So

in February 2012 I also started working at the UOC as an

English consultor. The job is convenient because you

always work from home. I’m also interested in new

technologies and how to use them with students, so this is

an ideal place to work. I’ve been working really hard and

I’m enjoying it, but I have to say that the salary is not that

good. If any of you are interested in applying for a

position there, visit www.uoc.edu. I think they look

for consultores twice a year (May and December).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 129

Juanjo Sánchez Belmonte I got a nice job teaching English in a private

secondary school in Barcelona back in 2005. However,

working at the Escola Oficial d’Idiomes is probably the

ideal job for an English teacher nowadays (you get a

maximum of four groups of adult, nice students at the

right level willing to learn foreign languages) and that’s

why I tried the oposicions for the EOI in 2008. I was very

happy to see I had a nice mark and was seventh in my

group. The only tiny thing was that they gave me

very few mèrits points and I didn’t get in because, as you

may know, the Catalan Education Department is like any

private company and rewards their employees by giving

them three or even seven times more points per year just

because they have taught in the EOI. Even people who

have worked in an IES or CEIP get more points than

someone who has worked in any private institution

teaching adults.

So I’m still teaching in the same school, Stucom, in

downtown Barcelona—a job which at least gives me a

decent contract, a decent salary and incentives. I teach

English for Special Purposes to computer and business

students, and the experience is great considering we

create our own materials and adapt others. I also have a

couple of Batxillerat groups, which are also good, but

less challenging since we use textbooks and the syllabus

is quite closed.

In June 2009 I also applied for a position with the

UB English Philology Department. I was selected

and I taught Business English for the entire 2009-2010

academic year in the Faculty of Economics.

Last year, though, I decided to change subjects and I

am currently teaching Language, Translation and Textual

Production in their B.A. program in English Studies.

Teaching at the university is rewarding in terms of

personal fulfillment and satisfaction, but, to be honest,

salaries are not high and you may very well spend a great

deal of time preparing classes. As a professor associat,

you must prove that you have been working somewhere

else for at least two years and that you still hold a

contract with another company. If you would really like

to become a university teacher, then you should apply for

this kind of job so that you can expand your curriculum.

Though you are not required to have completed a

Master’s degree before applying for this kind of position,

it is advisable that you show some interest in teaching

and research at this level, so I’d encourage you to look

for a Master’s programme you like and enroll for

it. Contrary to what many people may think, Master’s

degrees are not that expensive in the new Bologna

system, and if you opt for a Master’s in the field of

Linguistics and Teaching, you will most probably have to

take only 60 credits.

I’m currently doing a Master’s in Applied

Linguistics at the University of Barcelona. The Master’s

covers all aspects of second, third and further language

acquisition processes. It’s really interesting and, like most

Master’s programmes, it runs in the afternoon and in the

evening so that people who work have the time to attend

classes. You can find more information about it at

www.ub.edu/masteroficial/laalcm/.

Last but not least, if you like university teaching, the

UOC sometimes advertises positions for a consultor. Of

course you have to have some experience in distance

learning and teaching, or, at least, state in your

curriculum that you are very interested in the learning-

teaching process from a distance. Check www.uoc.edu

for further information and click on “uneix-te a la UOC”.

Meritxell Simón Martín

I graduated in 2004. I did my last year in France as

an Erasmus student at the University Paris VIII-Saint

Denis. I spent one year in Paris improving my French and

in 2005 I enrolled for a MA by research in Modern

English History at the University Paris IV-Sorbonne. I

funded the MA with a French scholarship: Aide au mérite

(http://www.cnous.fr/_vie__dossier_15.156.39.htm ). All

EU students are eligible. The only requirement is a BA

and a DALF diploma. In 2006 I began a PhD under joint

supervision (Paris IV and UAB) with a research grant:

Bourse de thèse en cotutelle (http://www.paris-

sorbonne.fr/Files/cotutelle.pdf ). In 2007

I moved to England and I worked as an assistant

teacher in Charterhouse to fund my PhD archival research

there. In 2009 I was awarded a three-year scholarship at

the University of Winchester so I transferred my PhD

there. Scholarships in the UK require the IELTS diploma.

I wrote up my thesis back in Paris while I was a “visiting

researcher” at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences

Sociales. I finished my PhD at the University of

Winchester in November 2012. This academic year I

have worked as an assistant lecturer in English at the

Universities Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and Paris 1

Panthéon Sorbonne and next year I’ll teach at the

University of Toulon.

A career in academia is a twofold job: lecturing at

under/graduate level and doing research. In terms of

research, you work on your own most of the time or in

seminars in your lab. You present your methodology or

results in conferences and you publish your research in

scientific journals. A career in academia is intellectually

very rewarding but it is a very competitive world because

there are few positions available, especially in public

universities. Here is my advice if you want to pursue a

career in academia: there are many MA and PhD

scholarships, La Caixa, Caja Madrid, and AECI in Spain

and www.jobs.ac.uk in the UK.

It is extremely important to have a robust research

project and good letters of recommendation. An excellent

project that fits the research lines of a lab is crucial so

you can get appropriate supervision. Take your time to

discuss your research interests with lecturers at the UAB.

You can contact professors abroad directly by e-mail. In

general they are approachable and supportive. These

scholarships are highly competitive and it can be very

frustrating to have yours turned down one after another.

You need to be persevering. Once you have funding,

doing a PhD is a long and very demanding project. It

requires patience and diligence. Not recommended for

those looking for quick results and rewards, including

money. Moreover, once you get your PhD, there is no

guarantee that you’ll be offered a permanent position.

Usually you get temporary contracts for years until you

are offered a tenure-track position. For that, you need to

have the “acreditació” in Spain

(www.aneca.es/Programas/PEP) and the “qualification”

in France (https://www.galaxie.enseignementsup-

recherche.gouv.fr/ensup/cand_qualification.htm).

These are not required in the UK. My intention is to

develop my career in France, where I live with my

partner. To get a permanent position in a public

university here (to be a maître de conference = “professor

titular funcionari”), you need to have passed the French

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 130

“oposicions”: CAPES or Agrégation. These “concours”

are meant for secondary school teachers but they are also

required for those applying for a position as a “professor

titular” in universities. They are highly competitive

written and oral exams, most of which are in French. I’m

currently working on my French so as to prepare the

CAPES “concours” in 2015. As you can see, I graduated

in 2004 and I’m still “studying”. A career in academia is

definitely for those in love with books! If you are one of

these and you have questions, you can contact me at

[email protected]. I wish you all the

best!

Sandra Torres Mensat I finished my degree while on an Erasmus in Vienna

and decided to stay in Vienna to perfect my German. So I

took intensive courses in German and taught intensive

courses in Spanish to adults at an official language school

and simultaneously applied for an internship with the

UN’s Investigations Unit, Office of Internal Oversight

Services. I was not optimistic because I knew they

receive many applications. So it was a great surprise

when they offered me a position in December. I was a

UN intern from April to July. I was in the department

responsible for investigating things like fraud, abuse of

authority, sexual harassment, and misconduct among the

40,000 UN employees around the world.

Yes, it is actually possible to do an internship at the

United Nations. I encourage you to apply via the Internet

at the following address:

www.unis.unvienna.org/unis/en/internship.html

However, if you surf a little bit on the net you will see

that there are internship programs in New York as well as

other offices and agencies. By the way, given the unpaid

nature of the internship, I got a Leonardo grant.

After 2 years in Vienna I moved to Brussels and

worked for a settlement bank called Euroclear

(www.euroclear.com/wps/portal). At Euroclear there is a

continuous demand for young graduates with as many

languages as possible because the work itself requires

being constantly in touch with agents from banks from all

over the world. I simultaneously took a postgraduate

course in International Cooperation Project Management

offered by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

I then applied for the European Commission

Traineeship Program and was awarded it! It was well

paid (€1000/month) and lasted 5 months. In order to

apply, see the following website:

ec.europa.eu/stages/index_en.htm. Check the list of

Directorate Generals and read all the information very

carefully, as it is extremely important to choose the 3

DGs which have most to do with your background and

experience. For instance, in my case, I was selected to

work at the European Anti-Fraud Office for a specific

project in cooperation with the UN Office of Internal

Oversight Services, where I did my internship in 2004.

After the traineeship ended, I was extremely lucky

as they took me as temporary agent in the same unit, as a

Strategic Intelligence Analyst. In the meantime I had

prepared myself for one year for one of the EU

competitions in the field of auditing and I passed! So now

I am part of the team of EU external auditors of the

European Social Fund in Directorate General of

Employment and Social Affairs—though currently taking

a maternity leave to take care of my baby daughter.

Maria Velázquez González-Nicolás I taught in an English school for four years. I loved

teaching but working conditions were not the best: a 5-

hour-contract when I was actually working 25 hours a

week. Besides, in summer I didn’t get any money

because my contract was from October to June. I started thinking about working in an export/import

company and I found out that a lighting company was

looking for someone with a good command of English. I

sent my CV, went to an interview and got the job.

At first I was in the customer service department for the

USA/Canada/UK and Ireland. Six months later I was

asked if I wanted to be more involved in sales, and I was

promoted to Ireland and UK Sales Executive. In October

2007 I was promoted again to United States and Canada

Sales Manager, but in March 2010 the company decided

to put these two markets “on hold” as their economies

were not in very good condition. Since then I have been

taking care of European countries including Ireland,

Malta, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Cyprus, Slovenia,

Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Albania,

Moldavia and Macedonia. My job implies travelling almost 50% of my

working time. I spend one week in the office and one

week visiting customers. I have to organise my trips,

make a lot of phone calls and send several emails a day.

The good thing about it for me is that you can talk to a

lot of people from different geographic areas, and

travelling and paying them a visit and having a more

person-to-person conversation is what I like most. It

keeps your English fresh. The bad thing about it is that

you are often alone, though customers keep chasing me to

go out for dinner! In 2007 I took a one-year postgraduate course in

International Commerce and Marketing at FUB in

Manresa and I really urge people interested in business

careers to take it. I found it very, very useful. Fortunately the company I’m working for is selling

worldwide and last year we grew in sales +8.5% overall,

and we’re still hiring people! For me 2011 was one of my

best years since I achieved 23% higher than my sales

target, so I cannot complain at all. In January 2012 I was

given three more markets: Hungary, Czech Republic and

Slovakia. In 2013 I have also been given the Greek

market so in total I manage 17 European countries, my

sales in 2012 went up again and in 2013 the company still

expects to have further sales. There are markets such as

Croatia where there's a lot of construction going on so

this helps the fact that other markets are not growing as

they were in the last couple of years.

When I tell my family and friends that our business

is thriving in spite of the recession, they think it’s

impossible because in the mass media the news we hear

or read every day give just the opposite impression! I will

keep fingers crossed so this situation in the company

continues and will work even harder to keep growing.

2003

Elisabeth Castillo Fàbrega After graduating, I focused my job search on

English teaching posts, but there were no good

opportunities for a graduate. Consequently, I ended up

working for different companies and in so many posts

that I accumulated experience in different areas like

accountancy, logistics, marketing,human resources, etc.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 131

After some years translating, working as a secretary,

accountant and so on, I accepted a job as a teacher of

English for the Departament d’Ensenyament. Since then,

I have taught not only English but also French, Sciences

in English and other subjects in many high schools and

primary schools. Apart from working, I have always kept on studying

in areas related to teaching (methodology, ICT, etc.)

either in Catalonia or in the UK. Last year, I started

studying a new degree on Primary Teaching in English at

the "UAB". It's been a great experience. I intend to keep

on studying so for the next three years while working in

high schools in the mornings. I enjoy teaching! To conclude I must say that English has been a

powerful tool for me. A degree in English language offers

graduates lots of employment and formation

opportunities. What is more, graduates can enjoy and

learn from other fields through English.

Eva González Berruezo

After graduating in 2003 I went on to study a second

degree in Translation and Interpreting, as I didn’t want to

become a language teacher and I really liked the idea of

becoming a translator. I studied in the United Kingdom

for a year (through the Erasmus programme) and after

finishing my degree in Spain I moved back to Sheffield,

where I had met my husband. It took me about 3 months

to find a job and it wasn’t as a translator, but as a

multilingual customer service advisor for a betting

company.

I didn’t particularly enjoy what I did there, so I kept

looking and after a few months I found a job as a UK and

Export Sales Executive. I never thought that I would get

into sales, but I must say that it was quite an enriching

experience and it made me realize that I could take on

challenges that were out of my comfort zone. There I

took care of customer queries and orders by phone and

email, I did sales analysis and invoicing and attended

fairs in an interpreting and sales capacity and I even got

the chance to do some translation (brochures and business

emails mainly). I can definitely say that speaking several

languages helped a lot in order to get those jobs.

A year later, I decided to register as a freelance

translator and finally get into what I really wanted to do.

Becoming a freelancer is quite easy in the UK, sodecided

to give it a go and I opened a small translation agency

with a business partner.We started to work for other

agencies and also private customers. This process took

quite a long time, though, as agencies don’t usually give

you regular work until you have been working for them

for a while.

However, after two years and a half things were not

running as smoothly as they should have in terms of

money and I decided to pull out when I found a job as an

in-house translator and reviewer at a translation agency in

Leeds. I must say that I learned a lot during my time

there, both about the translation business and about

myself. At the beginning, the work pace was frantic and

quite stressful but I managed to survive and after the first

year things got better and I also managed to improve in

terms of quality and speed.

After working as an in-house translator for over two

years, I decided to go freelance again and make all those

extra hours worth it. It also helped that the company I

worked for agreed to add me to their freelance database

and send me regular work after I left. I have been now

self-employed for over a year and I’ve managed to make

a living out of it, so I can´t really complain. Being a

freelance translator is not easy and you need a lot of

patience and to build up a solid customer base in order to

receive regular work, but it is really worth a try. You can

always start by doing it part time and having a second

job, doing some voluntary translation or going on an

internship. But whatever you do, don’t give up. Studying

languages is definitely a good investment, as it can get

you to jobs in other fields as well.

Mamen Hidalgo Villén

It has been nine years now since I became a

secondary school teacher. Now everything is so different

than when I started. I earn less money than I used to and I

work more hours, but I still love it.

To be a teacher you need to be good at dealing with

teenagers. At the beginning of the school year I still get

so excited, even nervous before the first lesson. However,

in June I am stressed out.

I’ve done so many things in the course of these

years: organizing a student exchange, grading PAU

exams, being the tutor of different kind of groups... Every

year it has been a different story.

I became the pedagogy coordinator of my IES two

weeks ago. It is a new challenge which I am really

looking forward to. Therefore, working at a secondary

school it is not just teaching English. There are so many

other things which this job offers.

Ivan Matellanes Fresnadillo

Hace cosa de 12 años que acabé la Universidad, y

desde entonces estoy en el mundo de la docencia. Al año

siguiente de acabar la carrera hice el Curs de Qualifició

Pedagògica [CQP] en la UPF (Un máster muy exigente y

mortal de necesidad, pero recomendable al 100%) para

ponerme después con las oposiciones para profesor de

Inglés de secundaria (ESO). Me apunté a las listas de

interinos y, mientras esperaba a que me llamasen,

aprovechaba para ir preparándome para las opos. Como

me fui a vivir a Benicarló (Castellón), solo podía optar a

la pequeña y demandad zona administrativa de Terres del

Ebre, lo que terminó en dos años de espera para mi

primera sustitución y vacantes muy cortas durante los

años siguientes. He estado trabajando en diferentes

institutos desde entonces, haciendo sustituciones en

Tortosa, San Carlos, Flix, Santa Bárbara ...

Con el fin de no pegarme un tiro a causa del

aburrimiento, estos años de poco trabajo los dedique a

prepararme bien las Opos, sacarme otra carrera (en la

UOC) y hacer un Máster de Estudios Americanos (En la

UAH). Sea como fuera, tras varios años intentandolo,

acabe sacándome las oposiciones en la Comunidad

Valenciana y ahora estoy en expectativa (sin plaza fija)

trabajando en el IES Els Ports (Morella - Castellón).

Gracias a todos estos años de preparación y de mi

condición de minusválido (soy enfermo de Chron, lo que

junto a otras dolencias han justificado un grado leve de

minusvalía) he podido aprobar las oposiciones.

En la actualidad, compagino mi vida profesional (la

docencia) con mi hobby cultural (las humanidades y la

historia americana), con lo cual he creado una revista

digital de Humanidades cuyo objetivo es facilitar a

alumnos y jóvenes investigadores la posibilidad de

publicar sus proyectos o inquietudes de una manera más

académica. Os invito a todos a visitarla y, aquellos que

quieran, participar en Sarasuati

(http://www.sarasuati.com).

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 132

Estel Planas Pascual

I have been working as a self-employed English

teacher for some years now. I have specialized in

Business English so I teach in-company in different fields

(hotels and restaurants, state agencies, import and export,

and so on).

Some of my courses are subsidized by the

government (for people on the dole, for instance). During

the last years, I have also taught the privates and officers

at a military base near my town.

Besides, I also work at UOC. I work as a consultora

for one of their English courses, B1 Intensive. It is really

interesting to be an online teacher and it constantly poses

new challenges.

Last summer I finished an online master course in

TOEFL, which was very interesting and helpful. I would

like to continue studying but my current timetable does

not leave me any free time for that!

After combining my experience as an online teacher

and what I learnt in my master's degree, I have been using

online tools in my classes for a while now. Some of them

are a blog that I keep for my students

(www.up2learn.com) and an online campus. I run this

with another former UAB student, Alex Iglesias.

Núria Tuda Carro

During the ten years since I graduated, I’ve had

various jobs, some of them related to education and

others not quite so. Since I’d always liked Translation

and Interpretation, when I finished English Philology I

decided to do the second cycle of Translation at the UPF

and finished in 2005. Meanwhile I worked as a secretary

to earn some money.

Entering the translation world (especially in literary

translation) did not prove to be an easy task, and after a

year working as a bookshop assistant and secretary, I

received the good news that I had been accepted as

Spanish language assistant in France, thanks to the MEC

scholarships. This was one of the most useful experiences

I’ve had, since that year made me realize that I could

really enjoy teaching. Moreover, it gave me the

opportunity to get to know a new culture and to improve

my level of French.

After returning from France and working as a

hostess to earn some money during the summer, I was

summoned by the llistesd’Ensenyament. I started

teaching English (and other subjects) in a primary school

in l’Hospitalet. Being a teacher is really challenging and

every day you have to work hard and do the best you can

so that your students learn. I can’t say it is an easy task,

but it has its rewards and satisfactions, and I definitely

like it. In addition, through the translation association I

belong to, I was contacted to translate a handbook of

English grammar originally addressed to French

speakers.

The year 2012-2013 I taught English in a high

school in Badalona, a little bit more than half time. The

vacancies in Ensenyament have been reduced since last

years, that’s clear, so if you are just finishing your degree

and you want to teach I recommend you to look for

teaching jobs in private and “concertada” schools and to

keep on specializing in whatever you are interested in and

like. Last December I applied for a Visiting Teacher

vacancy in the USA offered by the MEC

(www.mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-

programas/convocatorias-eeuu/ppvv.html) and after

preparing all the documents and going to the interview in

Madrid I got a vacancy for a Middle School in Florida,

the state that I applied for. It has been a hard process but

it promises to be a great experience and I am really

looking forward to it.All that I can recommend is to try

accomplishing your goals or dreams, because sooner or

later you will have results.

2002

Diana Gasol Nykvist

After graduating I worked for four years at an

American university that offered an Executive

MBA program in Barcelona for students from all over the

world. Then I got a master’s degree in International

Relations at the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis

Internacionals. I wrote my dissertation (“La educación

superior como instrumento de proyección internacional

de Europa y la Unión Europea”) while I worked for a

relocation company where I spent four and a half years.

I have been working in a multinational company in

the information technology industry for more than two

years now. This job has meant a major change in my

career since I joined a business development team

and have managed several projects to create and

improve processes. Definitely, this change has been both

challenging and exciting.

Susan Hernández Hernández

After graduating I continued working in the English

academy where I had been working during my degree,

and simultaneously did the CAP. I also studied German

and Russian in Barcelona in the mornings.

In July of 2003 I signed up to be a substitute teacher

with the Generalitat. However, you can’t spend at least

half a year relaxing before they call you, so I decided to

look for another job. I didn’t like the conditions in

language schools so I got a job in a private secondary

school. I had a great experience as a teacher, but I didn’t

like how the whole institution worked. We didn’t receive

any support when problems came up and we worked

more than 8 hours a day.

At the end of the school year in 2004 I decided to

quit the private school. I thought that with a bit of luck I

would finally get a call from the Generalitat. In the

meantime, the parents of one of my students offered me a

job as a school manager and teacher in a language

academy. I accepted the position, since I had started

thinking about the possibility of having my own

academy. I worked there for only 5 months before

receiving a call from Ensenyament, and I started the

difficult adventure of doing substitutions.

That year I did oposicions and I got a good mark.

However, I didn’t have enough points in terms of

experience and courses and I couldn’t get a permanent

position (a shame). I realised that getting points was as

important as getting a good mark. You can even get a 9

and you still won’t pass oposicions if you don’t have the

mèrits!

However, that August I was offered a job at the same

secondary school for the whole year and I loved being

there. After having worked in so many secondary schools

I was finally working in one which was very good. The

following year, I worked in a different school and I

decided to take the oposicions exam again and this time I

was successful. I worked in the same school for 3 years,

the third being on my practice period after the oposicions

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 133

exam. This was the place where I learnt the most as far

methodology is concerned. We had a very nice, ambitious

and competent team of teachers in the department and

even though I was in a school with misbehaved students

belonging to a difficult background we all did a good job.

After three years, it was time to apply for a

permanent vacancy and even though I included my last

high school, which was about 40 minutes from home, I

also applied for a vacancy near my hometown (you can

apply for about 10 places and you are awarded one

vacancy or another depending on your points, which

depend on your years of experience and continuous

training). That year, I was finally awarded the permanent

vacancy I wanted and now I’ve been working there for

about two years. I love my job and I’ve been very lucky

because I work in a small village near home where

students are quite motivated to learn and I’m planning to

carry out some European exchanges in the near future. Josep Jutglar Company I had never thought of teaching as a career but after

finishing my degree on an Erasmus exchange at the

MMU (Manchester Metropolitan University), I had the

opportunity to do an internship in the CAL (Centre

d’Autoaprenentatge de Llengues) of the UAB. They

needed someone who had just finished a degree,

preferably with no teaching experience. That was me!

Suddenly I found myself working in a self-access centre

where I learned a lot about self-learning.

When I finished the internship in the CAL I decided

to try my luck and started working as a free-lance

translator dubbing films. I had done a postgraduate

degree in Audiovisual Translation at the UAB and

worked for two dubbing studios. The job was fun as I

could work at home and didn’t have fixed hours but there

were some weeks with no work and I could barely make

ends meet.

That’s why I went back to teaching. I worked for 3

years as a teaching assistant at UAB Idiomes St. Pau

doing support tasks for the head of studies and after that I

managed to secure myself a full-time job at Servei de

Llengües (UAB), where I could put into practice all

things I had previously learned.

Quite a few years have passed since then, my

experience in teaching has grown considerably and I’ve

dealt with very different types of courses. One of the

most challenging ones has been a course called “English

for Chemistry” aimed at postgraduate students of

chemistry who need to improve their English at a

professional level. When I was told I would be doing this

course I panicked, as it required a lot of preparation.

Eventually it turned out to be very rewarding and I have

taught this course three times now. Last year I was also

asked to teach a new course called “English for

Librarians” which was time-consuming to prepare but

very gratifying to teach.

I’ve also been a teacher for the UOC for four years

and I’m enjoying it a lot. The UOC look for consultors of

English to teach virtually with prepared materials and to

dynamize forums, etc. The only condition to work for the

UOC is that you already have a contract with another

institution (whether part-time or full-time). This job has

allowed me to learn a lot about distance learning and to

get some extra money. The only problem is that it

requires extra work at home at nights and weekends.

Combining the UOC and Servei de Llengües courses is

exhausting.

My biggest challenge this year has been doing a part-

time coordination substitution at the UOC for three

months. I must admit I almost went mad, as I had to

combine my full-time job at the UAB, my collaboration

as a consultor and the substitution coordination tasks.

However, it has been good experience. For the first time

in my life I have had to do coordination tasks ranging

from dealing with teachers’ queries and questions,

preparing calendars, programming courses, and creating

course material to holding job interviews for new teacher

candidates.

Masha Kubyshina Salvado

Actually I finally completed my UAB degree in

2004. By that time I was living in California, USA. I had

also pursued a degree in photography and after four

months of searching I landed a job in a photo studio in a

big department store. It was a horrible experience, and I

lasted there for two weeks. I did some small gigs for

independent fashion designers and model agencies and

later landed a job in a very small fashion

company, igigi.com.

From photography I moved to marketing, then to

business operations and found my real passion: business.

After having worked for five years at IGIGI, I opened my

own clothing company, kids organic clothing line. I

operated it for two years. Due to my husband’s job we

moved to Norway and I started working on a tech startup

with two cofounders, just to find 4 months after that we

were not a good fit as a team.

I then developed projects on my own and partnered

with our current CEO. We started building our business

last May, and right now we are 6 people (3 from Spain

and 3 from the USA) and we are about to release our

event organizing platform and also working on

fundraising and marketing.

You are welcome to visit out corporate site at

www.iwpro21.com and my personal blog at

www.mashakubyshina.com

Eduardo Martínez Timón

I finished my degree in English Philology in the

summer of 2002. The only thing I was sure about then

was that I did not want to teach English. My first job

experiences were really disappointing. I worked in an

awful workshop of electric components for three weeks,

then in a metal warehouse for only a day and afterwards

in a company of telemarketing for different campaigns

for phone companies like Amena or Vodafone (in those

days called Airtel). The only thing in common in between

these different jobs was that they were really badly paid

and that none of them required any educational skill. At

that time, I was really annoyed and I started thinking I

had wasted all the time spent at the university.

Luckily, things changed for the good when I applied

for a job with Panasonic España and was accepted. They

were looking for a person with a university degree and

high English skills to work as an assistant in the technical

department of the air conditioning range. I was in charge

of translating technical data sheets and I was also the

contact between Spain and Panasonic factories both in

Japan and Malaysia.

After a year and a half, near the end of 2004, I quit

Panasonic and moved to Fujitsu, also related to air

conditioning. There I was in charge of teaching technical

seminars to their whole net of distributors. In this case,

my teaching skills were really appreciated. The salary

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 134

was good, but I was forced to spend more than half of my

time away home, and finally it became a little bit

stressful. That’s why I started thinking about moving to a

new job.

As I was aware I needed to improve my CV, I took a

program in marketing in the CEF (Centre de Estudios

Financieros) in Barcelona. Just before finishing this

program, I moved to MACtac Europe, a manufacturer of

adhesive products (very similar to 3M, but not so big)

with its European facilities based in Belgium but with the

headquarters in the US. Now, six years after I arrived at

MACtac I’m really happy. I’m in charge of the whole

range of technical adhesive products for the industry and

I take care of the big accounts in Spain and Portugal like

SEAT, NISSAN and FAGOR.

As you see, the beginnings were really difficult (I

guess that now with this crisis, even more difficult) but

with a little bit of luck, complementing your degree with

other studies and with good efforts you can build a pretty

good career not necessarily linked to English teaching.

Alba Miquel

After I graduated, I worked for a language school for

a while but realised that teaching was not my vocation. I

tried to find work at a publishing house but was

unsuccessful. I then took a postgraduate course on digital

editing, which was really interesting but did not prove

useful in finding a publishing-related job. At about the

same time I did an 800-hour course in International

Commerce and German at Centro Humboldt in

Barcelona, and once I finished the course I spent 6

months working as a trainee for a forwarder, where I

learnt a lot about transport, import and export.

They then helped me find a job at the purchasing

department of a distribution company. There I had to

contact their mainly foreign suppliers and manage stocks

amongst other admin tasks. Since it was not well paid and

did not motivate me much, after a few months I quit and

started working at the transport department of Mango, the

clothing chain. There I was in charge of the shops in

Germany, Austria, Sweden and Greece. What I did was

manage stocks, deliveries, incidences, claims and

transport. I spent a year working there and eventually

quit—same reasons as before: bad salary, low motivation

and very little prospect of promotion within the company.

After that I went to Bremen, Germany, for four

months and took an intensive course in German. After a

brief return to Barcelona, I went to London and started

working at Solbank, where I worked for over two years

trying to attract customers for the branches in Spain.

Solbank is a subsidiary of Banco Sabadell which

specialises in foreigners who are interested in buying

properties or opening a bank account in Spain.

Two years later the Solbank department in London

was dissolved and I started working in the Operations

department of Banc Sabadell, first in operations and

treasury back office, then as Compliance Assistant,

afterwards as Deputy Compliance Manager and finally as

Compliance Manager. All along I kept learning new

skills (both related to my job—I actually got qualified in

Compliance—and also to do with therapies as well as

multimedia design, yoga, tai qi, meditation, acting or

publishing). While I was never passionate about my job,

the fact that I was given the chance to progress within the

branch gave me the opportunity to learn a wide spectrum

of skills and gradually take on more responsibilities and

manage a small team, which I valued as a learning

experience.

After my 7-year experience in London—which

despite its many challenges I don’t regret at al—I decided

to move on and go for what I had been considering doing

for a number of years: in February I quit my job and left

London. I am now temporarily back to Barcelona but in a

few months I am going travelling for an extended period

of time, starting with Canada (I got a 1-year working-

holiday Visa) and then heading South to the States and

Central and South America for as long as I can afford to

(or feel like it).

Regarding the Visa for Canada, it is part of the

“International Experience Canada” program aimed at

people aged between 18-35 and there are three options. I

chose the “working holiday” one, which allows me to

travel and work on a casual basis for one year, but there

are also the “Student Summer Job” and “Young

Professionals” options. The application process this year

opened in February and it generally gets fully booked

really quickly (in a matter of days, in fact) but it might be

of interest for someone who wants to apply for it next

year. The link is at

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/spain-

espagne/experience_canada_experience/index.aspx

2001

Cecilio Alarcón Ortiz

Getting to pass all the subjects and finally obtaining

the degree as a Licentiate in English Philology was really

hard and a long process, at least for me. When it was

finally over, I felt prepared for the afterlife (as one of my

teachers suggested) Was I? Not sure.

My first experiences as a teacher consisted of doing

after-school activities in English. I simply did not know

what to do, therefore I improvised a lot and I enjoyed the

process. I had never done that with kids before, since all

my training had been as a teacher for teenagers and

adults. It was really hard, the pay was not enough (is it

ever?) but the people I worked with and the new

experiences (teaching toddlers may end up being a very

physical experience, but it is fun) was clearly worth the

effort. In the meantime, I was teaching youngsters and

adults in different academies, not only English but

everything related to languages (I speak a bit of German

too).

Then I moved on to the circuit of private and semi-

private schools. It was hard. Nobody ever told me I had

to be first a policeman, then a teacher. But I survived, I

did learn a lot from both students and teachers (though it

was a really tough time sometimes) and it took me up to

the next level, in terms of maturity, both as a person and

as a teacher.

While adjusting to everything, I worked for a

couple of years in an office and as a receptionist,

basically taking advantage of my knowledge of English

and German. In the end, I decided that I preferred to be a

teacher, although I keep my mind open to do whatever is

necessary.

Then I started to work for the public school system;

it has been so far my most satisfactory experience.

Although I’ve been a substitute for a couple of years,

never more than six months in a row at the same place, it

is where I feel I belong, though circumstances may put

my adapting-to-a-new-situation abilities to the test again.

Therefore, I keep my options open, and whatever comes

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 135

along in the form of a new job and an end-of-the-month

regular salary will be more than welcome.

Teresa Aulí Llinàs When I finished my degree, I first got a job in

an Opening School where we taught English with

computers. Then I worked in a factory as a secretary

where they promised I would speak English a lot with the

customers, but in fact I didn’t. After participating in some

summer camps organised by IC-CIC, they offered me a

job at Thau School in St. Cugat; I worked there for six

years and gained a lot of experience. However, after my

second child was born, we moved to Olot, my and my

husband’s hometown, because we missed our families,

friends and the landscape. I am currently working at a

secondary school. In fact it is the school where I went as

a child and I’m pretty happy here. I started with few

hours at first but I’m teaching a bit more now. I really

like it and I hope I’ll be able to enjoy teaching here for a

long time!

Tània Garriga Luzón

While still studying in the UAB, I was also teaching

English in a small private English school in my city

(Manresa). I used to study 8 to -16 in the UAB and then

leave a bit earlier from class and work in Manresa from

17 to 22. However, after being a teacher for 5 years, I

decided to stop. I didn't like it that much. I'd rather

practice and learn more and more English every day, than

just teach with no communication with real native

English speakers at all.

So I graduated in Tourism as well, and worked in a

hotel for a while, where I had more exposure to different

languages that I could put into practice. However,

working on holidays, weekends and alternating shifts was

not the most convenient timetable.

So I switched to what I am doing now, which is

being responsible for export administration in an

international company near where I live. We manufacture

laser equipments for marking and coding and have

distributors worldwide, so it is fun to be in touch with so

many different cultures and get to practice different

languages every day. I take care of shipments, customs

procedures, sales assistance to our distributors, and so on.

Working times are convenient for me so I can also enjoy

my family.

Rosana Martínez Fernández

After I graduated I worked for Xauxa, a company I

had already worked with (I found the offer at Infojobs).

First I worked as a camp leader again (monitora

d’anglès) and then I did some other tasks with more

responsibility. Then I went to Brazil for some personal reasons (no,

I didn’t have a Brazilian boyfriend). I worked as an

English teacher for several academies/companies and also

taught private classes. But I had no legal contract or work

permit, so I left after a year. When I came back to Barcelona I did some other

jobs like teaching, translating, etc, and I realized that I

wasn’t sure of what I was doing. I decided that I needed a

change. So I did the segon cicle de periodisme at the

UPF. The good thing about Pompeu is that you can finish

in two years. The bad thing is that it is almost full-time,

and you have a lot of homework, so it is almost

impossible to have a job while you study.

Then I did my pràctiques at Xarxa de Televisions

Locals and I worked there for about five years. What I

liked most at first about my job was dealing with real life

issues. You get to know many things and meet many

people. The worst was that I hardly practised the

languages I know. After some years there I was bored of

the kind of journalism they make you do. It is not

journalism—you just copy a lot of stuff, everything you

do you do alone (I am a camera women, journalist, editor,

etc.) and it is really tiresome and stressful, since you are

always in a hurry. Also I had to deal with politics and

politicians, which I really hate! I tried to change my job

for years, but it’s really hard. Finally I got to change my job (although it is the

same people that hired me, with the same precarious

contract, etc.). I’m doing the same job, but for a culture

programme at Barcelona TV. I’ve been there for three

years now and I’m much happier! I like culture, and my

team is much better. I work fewer hours and with much

more flexibility. So my advice to graduates is: stop for a while,

breathe deeply and look inside yourself. Think about

what you would really like to spend most of your time

and energy doing. Get informed about all the options,

investigate, talk to people...move! And if still you don’t

know what to do or how to do it, don’t worry, you’re not

alone! I’m 36 this year and still have no idea of what I

want to do in life!

2000

Miriam Urgellés Coll

After being offered the opportunity to finish the

degree through an Erasmus scholarship in Glasgow, I

have mostly lived in the UK. Just after I completed the

BA, I decided to study further, so I enrolled on a

Computational Linguistics masters in the University of

Essex. I really did enjoy the experience, and even though

I thought that pursuing an academic career was certainly

an option, I wanted to take some time to think about such

a commitment and I went to Japan after completing the

MA. It was a really rewarding experience, and I did learn

quite a bit about teaching in academies, and I concluded

that I didn’t want to work in such an environment.

So instead, I enrolled for a PhD, which I completed

in 2009. During the time of study I also had the chance to

teach different subjects at university level, and I was very

keen on the research and teaching aspects involved in an

academic life. I continued teaching in universities for

another two years after finishing the PhD, but the

impossibility of finding a permanent position together

with the wish of starting a family, made me look for

employment in the private sector. I applied for a variety

of graduate jobs, and I ended up working in a publishing

house in London as a researcher, which is what I am

currently doing.

My job entails interviewing professionals from

various sectors (e.g. lawyers, bankers, etc.) and reviewing

legal documents to produce a series of books of

recommendations of lawyers and law firms around the

world. All the reports are written in English, though

interviews can be done on any language one feels

confident using.

Life After Graduation August 2013

Alumni of the Departament de Filologia Anglesa i de Germanística, UAB 136

1999

Eva Fité Martínez After I graduated, I completed an MA in English

literature in Hull, UK, in 2000. Back in Barcelona, I

taught English with part-time contracts. I decided then to

try to go into business as it was clear to me that I would

not want to build my career around teaching. I completed

a short course in ‘Secretariat Internacional’ funded by the

European Social Fund. It was one of those courses

(around 200 hours) offered to people who are

unemployed in order to encourage training and options

within the labour market. It was not an in-depth course

but it gave me good basic knowledge of key aspects of

secretarial work, which, together with my knowledge of

foreign languages, made my CV quite attractive for

secretarial jobs.

I then applied for jobs in admin positions in

multinational companies. I got a job in Mango’s Buying

Department, as a buying assistant, which was basically

administrative and gave me good knowledge of the

company, its product and what it is like to work in an

international department within a multinational company.

After a year I applied for an internal vacancy that

arose in Mango’s Human Resources department, as an

assistant, since that area was appealing to me. I got the

job, which led some time later to a move to London as

the company’s training manager for the shops in the UK.

I worked in London for four years and completed as a

part-timer a master’s degree in Human Resources

Management. The latter allowed me to gain more

specialized knowledge of the field where I currently

work, as a HR Manager, which I really enjoy. Four years

later, I moved back to Spain where I took my current post

in HR management.

My advice goes to graduates who want to work in a

company instead of teaching. It is important to be open

and give things a try when you get started. Keep your

eyes and your ears open to different professional

opportunities that may arise, be ambitious and develop

curiosity for things in different workplaces. Try to listen

to your heart, to do what you really want and build your

objectives from there, and not from conventional

expectations. I would not advise completing postgraduate

or master’s courses right after graduating. I would advise

you to do this instead as a part-timer while you work,

once you gain job experience and find something

interesting at work in which you can grow specialized.

Òscar Ros Joven

After teaching at various language schools for six

years, I realized that there was no future in it. So in

September 2006 I passed an exam and started as

asubaltern at the Generalitat’s Departament de Cultura.

Since then I’ve been occupying various posts and passing

more official exams to get promoted within the

Generalitat. Thus, I worked as

an auxiliar administratiu at the Departament d’Economia

i Finances, as an administratiu at the Departament de

Cultura i Mitjans de Comunicació and as a tècnic

superior at the Departament d’Interior i Relacions

Institucionals, to name a few.

As of a couple of years ago, I’m a tècnic de gestió at

the Departament of Justice—Prison Personnel Section—

and though I don’t especially like the job, most of my

partners contribute to create a really nice environment

and I try to regard every little task at work as a kind of

mental stimulus (e.g. if I have to write some kind of

boring report, I take it as a writing task, at least). And

sometimes there are little surprises. For instance, one day

I had the chance to visit the Centre Penitenciari d’Homes

de Barcelona—La Model. That was a real experience! On

the other hand, I don’t need to tell you that the

government’s politics at times makes it difficult to

maintain my little interest in work. But I suppose these

are the rules of the game we’re playing, especially as

civil servants.

I’m still working at the Department of Justice in

Barcelona, dealing with all kinds of subjects related to the

human resources of the people working at the Catalan

penitentiary facilities (also known as prisons). So I’m

basically physically at the same place, with more or less

the same kind of work—though a greater amount of it—

and with a lower salary thanks to the government

cutbacks.

As for my alter ego, Scar, he’s still playing the bass

guitar in INTO THE NETHERMOST and we’ve recently

released our debut album called ‘Once Upon the

Graveyard’. You can check it out, download it for free

and even order a physical limited digital edition via

intothenethermost.bandcamp.com/

In addition, for all kinds of novelties, pics and future

gigs, see https://www.facebook.com/IntotheNethermost

1997

Adela Mena García

After finishing my degree in 1997, I taught in a

language school. I loved the job, but the timetable was

irregular and the pay low, with a fair proportion in black.

After two years I needed a change. I started studying

German and I did a course in Microsoft Office. I started

working in an Export Department for a multinational

company dealing with orders, customers and complaints

on the phone. It was a very macho company since women

tended to have the routine jobs, but I was getting

experience and after a year, it was time for another

change. In the meantime, I carried on with my German

lessons.

I applied for a job as a Personal Assistant to a

Managing Director thirteen years ago and began working

for a multinational company. The first few years were the

best: really challenging, using my languages all the time,

terribly busy but fulfilling. I continued German for five

more years and after that I took a course in Marketing

and Finance at EADA. Then, I started with French.

Five years ago, there was a management buy-out and

we became a national company. My job wasn’t as

interesting and I even considered leaving. Two years ago

I had a baby and I took unpaid maternity leave for a year.

I came back last October and I went for a reduction in my

schedule (I only work 6 hours in the morning).

I’m really happy now since I work in the mornings,

have my free time for my daughter in the afternoons-

evenings and we became a multinational company again

after a sell-out. Unfortunately, we are about to move

premises and instead of ten minutes to work, it’ll now

take me 45 minutes by car and the company won’t pay

travel expenses!