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yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 2384 Location: Not where I was before
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 5:49 pm Post subject: Do you know Training People? |
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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. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536
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Posted: Fri May 30, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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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... |
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yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 2384 Location: Not where I was before
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 5:43 am Post subject: |
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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. The pay can't be that low, can it? 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? |
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yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 2384 Location: Not where I was before
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 5:44 am Post subject: |
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Oh, and I'm Canadian. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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ghostdog
Joined: 13 Mar 2004 Posts: 119 Location: Wherever the sun doesn't shine
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 5:35 pm Post subject: Is July or August a decent time to arrive in Bogota? |
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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. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536
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Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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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... |
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yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003 Posts: 2384 Location: Not where I was before
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 5:00 am Post subject: |
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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. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003 Posts: 1536
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Posted: Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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yaramaz wrote: |
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? |
I'm sorry, I don't know the answers to your questions, except the last one. No, you don't need an MA, in fact some universities hire people without even a CELTA or similar qual.
I think the employer and employee need to work together on the paperworky bits, but then its the employee who has to go to immigration and sort it out. I don't think you need to leave the country to do this, but I'm fully prepared to be wrong on that one.. |
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KingJoe
Joined: 03 Jun 2008 Posts: 2
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:53 am Post subject: |
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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 |
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windowlicker
Joined: 05 Jun 2008 Posts: 183 Location: Bogot�, Colombia
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Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: |
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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. |
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