Job Discussion Forums

[alfred_utton]

I have recently gotten my SIT TESOL certification and am trying to get a job in SJ, CR. For a complete write up of my situation, please see my posting, have certification. seeking advice, in the Newbie forum.

I have a list of universities provided to me by the director of the SIT TESOL certificate course I did here (which I loved). The is several pages long but only contains phone and fax numbers. I attempted to call a couple of universities yesterday but it didn�t go well because my Spanish is not very good.

Is cold calling a good idea? I just want to find out if they have a position open for an Engish teacher and if I should e�mail or fax in my resume.

I have a list of questions I tried to use yesterday:

Soy un professor de ingles. Me gustaria hablar con alguien sobre un trabajo.

�Tiene e�mail?

Me gustaria ensenar alli.

Are these questions any good? Are there others that might be more effective?

[Guy Courchesne]

Generally speaking, anywhere in Latin America you'll do better by showing up in person, resume in hand, over the telephone call. Shake hands, ask questions, let them know you'll be back.

[Twisting in the Wind]

I suggest you get a copy of the book, Guide to Correspondence in Spanish if it is still in print. I bought it in the US about 20 years ago. It might be on Amazon. It gives templates of good business letters pertaining to the situation you are involved in (job-hunting) and other. You can copy the model letter(s) and email them to the appropriate individuals/ institutions. It will make your Spanish appear better than it may actually be and will remove the stress of having to cold call (shudder) in Spanish (greater shudder). It is a very useful book if you plan to continue being involved in Latin America. My time-worn copy is cover-less, dog-earred and definitely has seen better days, but the use I have gotten from it was incalculable to me. It goes over proper addresses/salutations, letter beginnings, letter endings, and appropriate benedictions in Spanish. It gives you exercises for practice. It is divided into two sections: "Cartas comerciales" and "Cartas personales."

Hope you can find it!

[Twisting in the Wind]

[alfred_utton]

I knew I shouldn't have switched from guaro to beer to rum last night. but I didn't expect to be using my brain today.

okay, so I'll get a copy of that book. but until I get it, should I continue to write my cover letters in English?

say I go to a university, to drop off my resume and cover letter, whom do I ask to talk to? where should I leave it?

[Guy Courchesne]

Alfred,

Don't take this the wrong way, but I get the impression that you need to gather up a little courage and independence if you want to be considered for any teaching position. Your questions, I understand, come from sincerity, but my thinking is now that either you are far too worried or are relying a little too much on our advice out here.

First, always do your cover letters in English. You are more than likely going to be hired by a foreign born native speaker or at the very least someone who has a good command of English. Don't worry about using Spanish at this stage.

Second, getting hired is as much about who you know as what you know. If you just drop off your resume/CV, it is going to go in the pile of resumes/CVs and gradually work its way to the bottom of the pile as more people do as you do. You need to make an impression. Go in, ask lots of questions, get names, make appointments to meet with those names, and follow-up as much as you can. By follow up, I don't mean constant calling to ask if the job is yours yet or not. I mean following up by talking to other people in the department, talking to other staff, checking on school events and calendars, anything you can do to stay noticed.

I'm assuming you are near SJ an plan to seek a position in SJ. Being there gives you an advantage over those seeking by email....use that advantage.

As someone who does a lot of hiring let me tell how the decision to hire works. It is almost always timing. The call comes in - we need a teacher! HR (that's me) looks at the database or the paper pile scanning for the few things that are most necessary. Availability. Qualifications. All the other resumes/CVs probably have qualifications, so you should play your availability to stand out. The easiest way to do this, as I think you did already on your resume is to put in bold at the top of your resume your name, nationality, and local address and contact info. Make it easy for the HR person to see you in the pile. Right below the contact info, your objective and qualifications should lead the HR person to pick up the phone and call you.

Relax, be yourself, but most of all, be around.

[Twisting in the Wind]

[Guy Courchesne]

Yours was good advice Twisty...everyone should learn Spanish while in Latin America (note to Paulie). I just don't think Aflie should kill himself over it at this point in the game. He has more things to worry about!

You are in LA now? Como andas alli? Hablan chicano verdad? Watchala bien como hablan...

[Twisting in the Wind]

[Guy Courchesne]

We had a teacher working for us from LA some time back...she is of mixed Mexican/European descent. We had a lot of fun with her Spanish...Anglicized but unique to LA I'm told. The English verb to watch, she turned into 'watchear'...

Que andas haciendo papito?

Pos, 'stoy watchando the tv

[Twisting in the Wind]

Yeah, ok. Ironically, the words I tend not to understand are anglicized Spanish words, or Spanglish.
Someone can say a whole sentence to me in Spanish and the one word I'll get caught up on is the Spanglish one.

Yes, the Spanish here is very unique. And alot of gang slang, too.

I have a close Argentine friend and she and I lament the "Californication" of the beautiful Spanish language.

"Twistie," she says, "The language that you and I know is disappearing..." Except she'll say it in her thick, Argentine brogue. So sad. So sad. Boo hoo.

[refazenda]

I also concur with Guy - just being there gives you a huge advantage. We came to El Salvador and had a bit of a hiccup in our original plan, but instead of going immediately home we decided (at the eleventh hour) to stay for two or three weeks to see what would happen. We figured the worst thing would be that we'd have an extended vacation, then go home. In that short time I had several interviews, and qound up with a last-minute position for four months. My husband then got a position a month later at the same school. We then parlayed our connections and recently-earned references into new jobs for 2005. We're doing great, and glad we took the leap of faith in deciding to stay.

Staying connected with people is the key. Stay organized. Follow up when people tell you do but don't bug them incessantly. We went from famine to feast with jobs. Yes, we are qualified, but we were here, and that made all the difference.

Good luck!

[tesolitis]

Very interesting. I wonder if the Experienced could elaborate a little on these 2 things:

Who is the decision maker and when can s/he be reached personally without appointment through letter or email (never read or received), after you "cleaned the door handle" - you are right in the building. Best practice - valid for CR. What day time - to start.. .

Don't pester the person, and don't loose either. Values and perception might be different than what one is used to. Any clues on this?