Job Discussion Forums

yaramaz · Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: Do you know Training People?

Has anyone heard of a school in Bogota called Training People? They had an ad up recently on another job board but I can't find any information about them anywhere, aside from their website. The pay seemed oddly decent for Colombia- $1100. Is it worth applying for? I'm experienced and qualified and don't need/want an entry level position in a dodgy school.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Never heard of them. What currency are you quoting there? Are they sponsoring your work visa (which I just found out last night includes guarantee of a flight home if you're fired)?

What nationality are you? I might have a lead...

yaramaz · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 5:43 am Post subject:

It's a bit of a mystery, really- on the job ad their name was listed as Gateway Estudias ltd, but when I wrote to them to inquire, the reply came from Training People. Both had websites that were only in Spanish and had no links for teachers/HR. It seems to have disappeared from the jobsite already- I guess they found the 2 people they were looking for. They were quoting salaries of $1100. I assumed it to be US$ because $1100 as Colombian pesos is only about, well, 65 cents, I think. Shocked

The pay can't be that low, can it? Laughing

They said they did teacher development and welcomed applications from teachers in and out of Colombia but didn't give info about work permits, which has been the big issue so far in my research. I've been teaching for over 6 years and have my BA and a good TEFL certificate and experience in corporate and university teaching- I don't feel like being illegal and working for a low-paying cowboy school. Any leads?

yaramaz · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 5:44 am Post subject:

Oh, and I'm Canadian.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

Lately I've heard of a couple of leads, but it would mean racing about town going to classes in the offices of businesses. Also, I think you might have to be here to get them, which gets you in the what came first: chicken/egg in terms of getting a job and a visa.

Regardless of what previous posters may think, there are good jobs here, but you have to come at the right time, and its unlikely you'd get anything before you get here. Try looking up Universidad Externado and Universidad de la Sabana on Google. Externado is downtown and sounds like a great job, and Sabana is just out of town, but also sounds good even if they are Opus Dei. There's also an International House, and all of them should take Canadians..

Oh, and $2m pesos, which is about $1000 US is probably about going rate, although I think the better universities (the ones that really care about having native speaker teachers) pay more.

Luck!

Lozwich.

ghostdog

What would the right time be? I was thinking of coming up (from Chile) in July or August. What would the market be like then? I have a Cambridge cert, a BA in English, and over a dozen years of experience. Like the earlier poster, I don't want to be run ragged by schools looking for rookies they can exploit and don't want to work illegally. Is July or August a reasonable entry point into the market?

Thanks for all opinions.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

I think, I don't know, but lots of universities start up again in August, so I think that would be a good time. There are two "calendars" here, with academic years starting in August and in March, so I'd suggest they're good times to come.

If you're British, there might be some people interested in hiring you for August too... Wink

yaramaz · Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:00 am Post subject:

I remember reading those posts a while back by the poster who wrote about her experiences trying to find a decent, well-paying job. It made me think twice about our plans to try Colombia. We are still interested, but are not sure how to work the whole legality thing-- it seems to be a major sticking point, with few if any employers willing to do it. True?

We're going to be leaving Turkey in mid-September, then heading back to Canada to see my folks, then heading down through Mexico and Central/South America for a long awaited break. We have no firm timeline for when we need to work. Is it feasible to, for example, go to Bogota, look for work, find work, then leave again to process the work permit? What is the process? Who initiates it- employer or employee? Do you need an MA for the universities?

If anybody has any suggestions or tips, I'd really appreciate it.

lozwich · Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536

KingJoe · Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 2

Spoke to the Colombian Embassy in Australia, and yes you do have to be out of the country, apply and have the visa approved, then re-enter Smile

windowlicker · Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia

to answer the original question in the post about Training People (even if this is coming way too late to be of any use to the OP), they had a representative come in and talk to my CELTA class in Bogota on one of our last days. Seems like they mostly do business english classes, so you're travelling around the city giving lessons at people's offices. They claim to help with work visas.