Job Discussion Forums

brow3062 · Joined: 11 Apr 2012 Posts: 1

I am a 23 year old college graduate with a TEFL certification planning on moving to Costa Rica in January 2013 to seek employment. From my research, I understand that is is very difficult to land a job from abroad and that you have to be present in the country to go on interviews, have a professional demeaner/appearance, etc. I also understand that January is the best time to look for a job as that is when the school year begins and many job contracts expire.

That being said, I was wondering if anyone could give me a bit of updated information on what to expect as far as the supply and demand of ESL jobs during this time of year. I would also appreciate any other advice for someone entering the country without a job locked down.

Thanks!
Mr. Brown

tideout · Joined: 05 Feb 2011 Posts: 213

Others who are in the country now will certainly be able to give you a better picture than I can though i was in CR for about 4 months several years ago.

If you look through the older posts, I think you'll find work but the question will be how much work and how will those jobs cover your living costs. I don't want to over-generalize but I think that's a pretty common issue in a lot of the Latin American ESL jobs.

Best of luck.

Cruiser · Joined: 26 Nov 2010 Posts: 39

jprimm · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 91

You should be able to find work but do not expect to save any money. I would also advise having a couple of thousand at least in savings, or nice parents!

piglet44 · Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Posts: 157

What if I AM a nice parent? jumping into thread, semi retired Brit (57) tagging along retired hubby non ES (67) can I get a job and support him and his pension? DON'T want kindy,don't want to work over around 20 hours a week.Is this a realistic possibility? Have MA, teaching cert and 30 years experience in EFL.Also we don't need luxury or western comforts just fun.

jprimm · Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 91

Expect to make around 8 or 9 dollars an hour....Costa Rica is not cheap...You will have to budget.

paulh99 · Joined: 14 Jul 2013 Posts: 2

Hey all, I've been living here for just over a year and figured I could let you know about my experience here.

Firstly, January is certainly the best time to come, but I would strongly advise researching and contacting a couple of schools around the October/ November months to declare your interest. The school I work for typically interviews around the November period for a January start.

For 4 months last year I worked traveling business English, with that line of work, unless you have the option of really personalizing your hours so classes are close and convenient it's pretty difficult to get over 18 hours without it really hindering your personal life. It's also pretty difficult to save money this way too.

Since January I've been working at a language school in Heredia(Intercultura) and would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of moving here. The people in charge are awesome and the pay is really good for Costa Rica (with bonuses and benefits). If you live in Heredia you also only have to walk 5-10 minutes to your job every day. It's great!

C.R. really isn't that expensive once you discover your options and learn to enjoy living life simply. I shop every week at the farmer's market, go for drinks with coworkers regularly, eat typical food at the cheap sodas and split rent with a couple of other teachers. I save almost half my wage every month.

Also, it's pretty easy to find a place here, but I would advise either booking into a hostel on arrival, or staying with a Tico family for a few weeks to get your bearings (there's a lot of rooms on airbnb.com)