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Welcome on Expat-blog Emily,

The Find a job in Spain guide might help you, there are some useful links and you can also try the Spain classifieds > job.

Good luck to you,
Christine

Hello Emily, have you thought about becoming an Auxiliar? Many of them come to Spain under Auxiliar Program of MEC and then usually get private lessons. LInk: .educacion.es/horizontales/servicios/profesores/convocatorias/extranjeros/auxiliares-conversacion-extranjeros-espana.html
Teaching english jobs in Madrid: madridteacher.com/TEFL-Madrid.htm

Hope this help you and good luck
Silvana

Spain is a varied country in relation to culture, customs, climate, terrain and opportunities. Have you been to Spain before?

Any ideas what sort of climate and landscapes you would like to settle in?

@La Pasera. I'm aware of this, but I don't know much about Spain in general. I have not yet had the chance to visit, although I definitely will before I move. I studied abroad in Cuenca, Ecuador and loved it, but the government there isn't quite as stable as I would like. Plus, gay marriage is legal in Spain and I would like some rights. :-)

I currently live in Pennsylvania. In general I am happy with the climate here, so I would probably like to find something that has average temperatures within 10 degrees either way. However, I could be easily persuaded to live in a warmer climate. :-) (This shows the average temperatures for Allentown, which is where I currently live. )We don't really have any natural disasters around here, which is nice. I definitely do NOT want to live on a fault line like California or Chile or in a hurricane zone like the Gulf of Mexico. I don't think Spain has too many natural disasters, though, so I probably don't have to worry about this.

My friends who have visited Spain tell me that the majority of the population live in apartments. I'm not a huge fan of this idea. I like living in the suburbs where I can drive into the city or catch a bus to work but where I can have my own small house with a yard. I love to garden and have really always wanted a yard.

As far as culture goes, the only thing I can really think of is that I loathe bullfighting. I realize that this is an important part of Spanish culture, but I've been a vegetarian for several years and it really grosses me out. I do not want to offend anyone, but I also don't want to be around it if I can help it.

I guess another cultural thing would be acceptance of gays. My girlfriend and I have been together for most of college and we have been discussing future plans. I have always wanted to live in a Spanish-speaking country and we both agreed that we would like to live somewhere that we can legally marry. I'm not sure what it's like over there, but around here people aren't very accepting. People regularly slow down to yell obscenities or throw things out of their car windows when they see us walking around town holding hands. I am afraid to go out at night and I would like to live somewhere that I am not.

I have been taking Spanish classes for 7 years now and managed to live abroad with a host family who spoke no English and survive. I am slightly worried about how my bumbling gringa dialect will assimilate at first, but I am confident that the transition won't be too difficult. That being said, my girlfriend (who will move with me) has only had two or three years of Spanish and is not as conversationally able as I am. Perhaps you could tell me if there are any places that are more bilingual than others.

As far as an occupation, I will be graduating next year with a dual major in Professional Writing in English and Spanish and a minor in Advertising. I would love to work in the business world as a professional writer or translator for an advertising firm or university. I wouldn't mind teaching English either. I have a pretty broad range of interests and would love to see what kinds of jobs are out there for someone with my skill set.

Well, I've successfully written a book. I hope you don't mind reading through the whole thing. I would greatly appreciate any input you might have regarding locations in Spain that could possibly fit with what I'm looking for.

Thanks,
-E

Hmm...Complex question here....need a job, need acceptance...possibly need bilingual.....weather...

I think the priority for you both has to be the opportunity to find work. The rest will fall into place. Being gay in Spain isn't an issue for most people but there are sections of society that have very fixed thinking - as do most other places in the world. I am sure you can deal with that if it occurred.

I think the bigger cities are your best option given the current economic climate. Madrid, Barcelona...I personally like Barcelona but that is of course Catalan and language could be a problem.

My suggestion would be for you to spend time in Spain on vacation if possible and get a feel for the different areas.

If you want to  teach English get a recognised qualification - that opens up better opportunities than without.

Ian

Hi Emma

It is good to plan your move in advance, and Spain is a welcoming country for gays and lesbians, but the country is very large when you also include the Balearic Islands - Mallorca, Minorca and Ibiza - and the Canary Islands located off the coast of Africa, and the most southern part of Spain and the European Union. If you are considering weather and temperature, then you need to know that Spain has very different weather and temperatures from the north coasts, central plains and the southern coastal areas.

As you speak Spanish, wanting a new location that has little differences in temperatures or weather and is welcoming to gay and lesbian newcomers, then find out more about the Canary Islands, and particularly Gran Canaria.

The local website gives plenty of information about each of the islands and has info about living and working on the islands. thecanaryislander.com   and you may find thegaycanaries.com  also informative.  For tourists as well as expats and local Canarians who are looking for a gay centre for making friends, bars - gay and lesbian, and entertainment, then the Yumbo Centre in Gran Canaria attracts people from around the world, particularly for Gay Pride in Maspalomas in May each year.  The main point here is that nobody will shout abuse at you and everyone is accepted in society that is very laid back and friendly.

There is a good website for job hunting in Spanish - infojobs.net  - you will need to register to apply, but you can select the region of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to see the job offers at present without registering. Although salaries are lower in Spain, the cost of living is less. Here in the Canary Islands, tax is only 5%, but is 16% in mainland Spain

Unemployment is high in Spain as well as the Canary Islands, but you will see the website has job offers that are regularly updated.

Don't forget to apply for your visa well before your planned move to Spain by checking with your nearest Spanish embassy for details. Oh - one more thought - there is an American School in Gran Canaria, which implies other Americans live here, but I don't know how many.

All the best with your plans.

I agree with that the job/work situation has to take priority.  You can't really enjoy and grow in Spain if you are constantly worried about finances.  Where I live on the Costa del Sol has traditionally been a happy hunting ground for foreigners looking to work but not at the moment - still badly recession hit.  A lot of people are looking to work from home or even commute to Gibraltar where the economy is stronger.  The biggest recruitment agency is if you want to get a flavour for it.  Good luck.

Hi Emily, here my two cents after I lived 10 years in Canary Islands: /forum/viewtopic.p … 26#3497979