Job Discussion Forums

[latinawannabe]

What do you think of this pay package? Can a person truly live off of this?

It was offered by New York School of English in Piedad. (Keep in mind that while I have teaching experience, it is not in ESL, nor am I certified in any way.)

$4000 pesos: monthly stipend (salary)
$2000 pesos: house rent paid by school
$250 pesos: cable television paid by school
$100 pesos: water / electricity / other paid by school
$6350 pesos � Total monthly Benefits

I have seen a few mentions of New York School of English but would love to hear from anyone who has worked for them in the past.

[TheLongWayHome]

[MELEE]

[Guy Courchesne]

It's not the best out there, but you can scrape by on that 4000 pesos in your pocket after the major expenses. I doubt you'll be able to save though, or travel around to other parts of Mexico.

I'd ask if that monthly amount is fixed. For example, are you paid completely for the month of December (Xmas holidays) and April (Easter holidays)? If not, I'd pass on it as you'll be broke for those periods.

[J Sevigny]

I'm not so sure it's a good deal.

Is that 2,000 pesos a real deal? What I mean is, there are plenty of schools who make deals with landlords, and pay them like 1,000 a month for your "housing" and tell you they're paying 2,000 a month to pump up your virtual pay.

Is this a shared house? If not, that's not a bad deal. If it is, 2,000 would be really expensive for rent. I imagine you could get a really nice place in La Piedad for 2,000 pesos. I pay 2,800 in Monterrey.

I agree with the previous poster who said you have to find out exactly how many hours you'll be teaching and whether your monthly pay is fixed. That is, are you going to be a##-up and out of luck on Semana Santa and at Christmas?

[latinawannabe]

this is all very informative. thanks! the house is shared--i'm not sure among how many of their teachers--and i have yet to find out about the holiday pay. i really do appreciate this advice.

[sweeney66]

I think you could probably find an entry-level job that pays more of a living wage. Their figures seem inflated to me. The thing is, in Mexico the jobs that are advertised kind of prey on your ignorance of what things cost here. Your best bet is to show up in person w/ some substantial savings. There is plenty of work, although high pay can equal unpleasant conditions. But in this case they are offering low pay and unpleasant conditions. It can be tricky to have your housing tied to your job, though it could seem ideal.
However, some people take a first job like this and are content. But cover your back!
Best wishes!

[latinawannabe]

hmm....sweeney....that is just what i was concerned about: "jobs that are advertised prey on your ignorance of what things cost here." the only person i have to go by, right now, is a mexican student of mine, of humble origins, from oaxaca. she says that while wages are low, prices are high--not what most americans expect, right?

this is also insight that i had not considered--if the job goes poorly, and my housing is tied to my job--no housing!

thanks!

[kidcarbon]

I've enjoyed many pm's with many of you and appreciate all the advice. I thought I had this information figured out, but more posts on other sites and announcements from schools have me puzzled.

I'd like to throw out a wide net here and get your thoughts regarding salary.

I have an MA in English, 20 + years of college teaching experience, and a recently earned CELTA. I'm currently in and investigating "possibilities" in Cuernavaca, but I'm seeing a wider range of salaries listed/offered (or not even mentioned) on school ads than I expected.

With all the above information, what can I realistically expect from a:
University?
Language School?
Or other directions I haven't thought of?

I should also add that while i love Cuernavaca, I'm willing to consider other cities. My wife only requires that it be within one hour of Mexico City.

I'm not interested in private lessons, I like a steady income, so my family knows what to expect each month. I'm also not expecting the moon. I just would like to have a reasonable ballpark figure.

Any thoughts? Any additional information needed? Just ask or pm me.

[sweeney66]

In my opinion, your best bet is to decide who you want to work with, i.e., kids, corporate, academic, university? Then apply in person to the schools that have a good reputation. You really have to figure that out by asking around, etc. I don't earn a lot, but conditions are important to me, and I'm happy with my job.
Carbon, with your qualifications you should try Tec de Monterey. They have campuses here in D.F. and some suburban ones, though I don't know all that much about it.
The big chains will provide an entry-level job, but it seems to me that you have better qualifications than to have to settle for that.
Private high schools pay a lot, but the kids and admin. are, um...a challenge, let's just say.
Corporate classes also pay well, but traveling around to them makes for a long day and a lot of unpaid time away from home.
The state universities can be pay well, except UNAM, and they don't hire anybody without their one-year certificate.
Forget about answering ads. The good jobs aren't advertised.
Anyway, that's my take on the situation. Hope it helps.

[notamiss]

[Guy Courchesne]

[kidcarbon]

I think she means an hour from the airport in D. F. She has elderly parents and may need a fast way back in case of an emergency. Oacaca (sp?) is out of the question, for example, but Cuernavaca is fine...really fine. SLP is interesting since Long Way Home says they are gagging for teachers. Great expression, by the way.

Anyway, is there some magic number regarding salary? I'll be more than happy to do the footwork here in Cuernavaca, but I'd like to have a reasonable number in my head during the interview.

[notamiss]

But Cuernavaca would be about 3 hours from the airport on an average day, probably better to allow 4 hours in case of traffic contingencies. That's not counting the 3 hours ahead of flight time that you are supposed to check in. So, a day's trip from leaving home to taking off. I don't want to discourage you, just to point out that things can be different on the ground than how they look on the map.

Perhaps you downtowners can make some suggestions of where the OP should be looking to fit within his parameters.

[Phil_K]