Job Discussion Forums

srs3829 · Joined: 09 Sep 2014 Posts: 30

Hi,

(Sorry for so many posts... I have lots of questions!)

I'm coming to Mexico with volunteer experience teaching ESL to adults. I have no professional classroom experience. I have a bachelor's degree (not Education-related) and will get a CELTA or equivalent.

I'm hoping to eventually be able to work at a private school or university, because I would like to have a job with benefits. The job postings I see for those positions often require "formal" experience, which I assume means professional classroom experience that I don't have.

Questions:

1. Am I interpreting "formal experience" correctly?

2. Is it realistic to think that I can gain "formal" experience by teaching at a language school and tutoring?

3. Will I always be at a disadvantage in terms of hiring because I am not certified to teach in my home country?

4. Is it realistic to think I could eventually work my way up to a job at a private school or university?

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 6:51 pm Post subject:

Even experience tutoring will help you get a job. But I would suggest you not look for a job at a uni till you know what you are doing, you might be able to get the job, but not be able to do the job.

Working at a language institute (many offer benefits) is a good way to get experience.

To get the better jobs you would need some experience and a CELTA or equivilent. If you are planning on working in Mexico long term, you might be want to look into some of the courses that are offered in Mexico. The Universidad Panamericana (brances in Mexico City and Zapopan, Jalisco, near Guadalajara) offer a class that is more varied than the CELTA and offeres more observations and practice teaching. If you want to work in a private school it might be important that your diploma be recognized by the SEP (Mexican education secretary, which oversees all schools, public and private).

You won't be able to teach at upper tier high schools without being certified in your home country, but then, you likely wouldn't want to work there anyway. Mid range schools will hire you with a CELTA and some experience.

The biggest hurdle is getting your first job.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

My take...

1. Am I interpreting "formal experience" correctly?

Yes...schools are not only looking for classroom experience, but that you've completed a school year (or more). This means that experience such as tutoring, short stints substituting, that semester you lived on the beach in Thailand and wandered into an English school looking for free food, and student teaching are not counted (though valuable, especially if the Thai food was good).

2. Is it realistic to think that I can gain "formal" experience by teaching at a language school and tutoring?

No. Schools that would consider language schools or tutoring as 'formal experience' probably would have hired you without it anyway.

3. Will I always be at a disadvantage in terms of hiring because I am not certified to teach in my home country?

Only at the top tier international schools.

4. Is it realistic to think I could eventually work my way up to a job at a private school or university?

Yes, very realistic. You'll always find a second tier school that will give you a chance because they want a native-speaker. There you would want to take advantage of any professional development offered - and there is lots. IB training, iCELT, subsidized master's study, whatever you can get.

And don't forget to network.

BadBeagleBad · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 5:48 pm Post subject:

MotherF · Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 1:07 am Post subject:

um, yeah, and don't forget there are people on this board who are in a position to hire or not hire you. Even though we don't generally use real names, it's suprisingly simple to look at the resume in your hands and the bits and pieces of information people reveal over the course of several threads and say this person is X.