Great experience but pitiful pay

Thus far the Teach in Spain Professional Program has been a good experience. Learning to interact with professionals in a different culture has been an invaluable and resume boosting experience, not to mention getting to live in another culture.
The pay (900 €/month) is certainly low considering the cost of living. Although I imagine it would be possible to live on without your own savings or supplementary income, I could not imagine that it would be enjoyable. Rent and groceries consume the bulk of my stipend every month. If you want to be able to enjoy the city to its fullest and travel you need to have savings set aside for your time here.

Working with Learnlight has been okay. They can sometimes be a little disorganized (wrong addresses for clients, missing pay adjustments, breakdowns in communication etc...) but the teaching material and class management software provided on their platform makes teaching and time management much easier. Work place policies (such as requiring a sick note from a doctor to have your classes covered) can be a nuisance. I will say what you pay for the program in total is fair considering your first month of housing is included and the amount of support you recieve in navigating the Spanish legal/immigration system.

So if you are interested in this program this is what I would recommend: 1) Make your visa appointment before you are accepted to the program (like do it right now). Cancelling is free and it will save you a lot of panicking in the future. 2) Set aside upwards of $3,000 in savings depending on what kind of lifestyle you want to have. You could never save too much. 3) Do the damn grammar course and study the summary units. People have managed without it but knowing your grammar will make your first two weeks a lot easier. 4) It's not an official requirement but you need to speak some Spanish. I have had to talk my way past security (expect TSA like screenings on your fist day in any company) on numerous occasions to get to some lessons-this would have been impossible without knowing Spanish. So practice up!

Overall, practicing Spanish, developing intercultural skills, and living in Madrid is why I chose this program and this program delivered it. Yea there are some headaches at times but in the end it's worth it. I have made some great friends, gained valuable experience, and have had a hell of a time. Just don't expect to make a fortune! Presented again with the choice to go, I would do it without a second thought.