Job Discussion Forums

seanpnaylor · Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 3

I am currently looking into the teachinginchile.com program for me and my girlfriend, and I saw the salary guarantees a minimum 335,000 Chilean pesos a month. I'm curious if that's enough to even sufficiently live in Chile. We'd be sharing a small apartment, and I don't feel we lead a very expensive lifestyle. We are both teaching in Korea right now and saving a good amount of money, but we prefer better weather and a Spanish speaking country, since we are both fluent. We would love to live in Chile, as long as we're not losing money doing it. Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

Have you seen their 'program fee'? http://www.teachingchile.com/program_schedule2.htm

I really don't recommend you pay somebody to find you a job. That's a lot of cash for traveling or to tide you over while you find something on your own.

seanpnaylor · Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 3

Thank you Spanglish. And yes, I've seen the program fees, and I agree that it seems a little crazy. We just simply don't know of any other ways to guarantee some kind of job there. In Korea, we have recruiters who gladly find you a job for free because they get a commission on it. Chile doesn't have that convenience; or at least, I just haven't found it. And buying plane tickets just to go door-to-door asking for a job in a country where you have no prior connections seems like a hefty gamble to me. If there's any advice you have on how to land a job before getting there, without having to pay some ridiculous fee, please let me know. Thanks

spanglish · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 742 Location: working on that

Well, if you do pay them and do the program let us all know how it is.

Honestly - to me the gamble would be paying them, except you're guranteed to lose!

Coming without a job is the way it's done in Latin America (unless you work for an international school or the British Council). My suggestion would be to think of it as an educational/exploration trip. Go, enroll in light Spanish courses and begin to make contacts. If you're a halfway decent teacher you shouldn't have trouble initially picking up some privates and you'll begin to make contacts.

seanpnaylor · Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Posts: 3

Thanks, and I'll definitely take that into consideration. Are you there now? If so, what is the pay like for privates? Is $335,000/month a decent salary there, or will we be scrapping just to get by? I don't think we plan on doing much with our leisure time except sitting on the beach and drinking Chilean wine. So if our pay can support that, a modest apartment, and a healthy diet, we're game.

novia · Joined: 08 Jul 2005 Posts: 27 Location: Canada

$335,000 doesn't sound like a lot unless you are part time. I would aim for 400-700,000 if you can. You will definitely survive with $335 but won't save a dime. Depends on you though.

Cat77 · Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 38

I see that you posted your question about teachinginchile.com a long time ago but I wanted to respond because I came through that program. Do you mean TeachingChile.com? That salary is about 335,000 pesos if you work at the University called DUOC that they work through. I don't know if you are still considering that program, but I had a great experience through them and it is completely legit. Bruce and Andrea run it and they are great not only as people but also as support. I met lots of friends through that program too, and I know some couples who came together. 335,000 pesos was enough for me to live on comfortably. I dipped into my savings when I traveled, but I never had any problems. You will definitely want to save some money before, but it is enough to live on while you are here. If you have any questions, please send me a message or post something here. Good luck with your decision.

wesharris · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 177

Paying to teach in a country, seems VERY counter productive.
Paying 3 grand, to a company that acts as a recruiting agency,
seems extremely dangerous, and rather underhanded on their part.

Daddyo · Joined: 19 Jun 2008 Posts: 89 Location: Bogota, Colombia

Don Alan · Joined: 11 Dec 2004 Posts: 150 Location: Glasgow, Scotland

I lived in Chile for four years. It is like Spanglish says, the way it's done is arrive and then get something. If you have some teaching qualification, experience, and make a list of the academies and start going round them you will definitely get something which should pay at least as teachingchile.com without paying them to get it for you. Some of the academies will answer emails so start sending off your CV to as many as possible and see who has the best offer.

sakakisins · Joined: 05 Feb 2011 Posts: 16 Location: CL

I'm a Chilean English teacher and I think that you would probably be ripped off if you paid 3 grand for someone to find you a job. There are a couple of things you need to know if you want to teach in Chile. First of all, many people come without a guaranteed job and find work easily. Native speakers are highly valued and shouldn't have any trouble finding jobs.

To work at a school you'd probably have to contact the Ministry of Education, they do place native speakers wishing to teach here through the "English Opens Doors" program. I don't have the exact website but you can check here www.ingles.mineduc.cl or write to [email protected]

Secondly, there are quite a few well reputed language institutes where native speakers are quite welcome. Just to name a few: Tronwell --> www.tronwell.com, Wallstreet Institute --> www.wsi.cl and Instituto Chileno NorteAmericano --> www.norteamericano.cl ...also Instituto Chileno Britanico -->www.britanico.cl ...and most of them have centres all over the country not just in Santiago. These don't pay the same rates as schools or universities but they usually have really flexible hours so you can work in more than one place to work at. You shouldn't accept less than $5.000 an hour (these are cumulative unlike at schools) which as far as I know is aproximately the ongoing rate.

Other tips:
Coming to Chile without a recruiters help really isn't that "dangerous". Chile is a safe country unlike some other countries in South America. Ofcourse you need to be on your game so you won't get ripped off but there's no kidnappings or anything like that. There aren't many recruiters here (it's not like Asia) so the few that pretty much take advantage and charge whatever they want.

- Chilean minimum wage is around $130.000 (about $250 USD)
- Teacher in Chile have a minimum hourly pay. It varies if you work in the public system or in provate schools, but it should never be lower than aprox $12.000 CLP
Now, this hourly pay is according to how many hours you do in a week. If you have a 20 hour contract you will work 20 hours each week (around 80 a month) and will be paid about 20(hrs) x $12.000 CLP (minimum hourly pay for teacher) = $240.000 CLP [That's double mimum wage with a looot of free time)

If you work at a university you should be paid about double for your hours.

I don't know if you can actually demand these rates (i guess it'll depend on your qualifications - Some qualifications can actually add bonuses to your salary); but I think you should most definitely know the ongoing rates for fully qualified Chilean English Teachers.

Hope it helps! Chile is an amazing country with lots to see.. Hope you come and visit.

Dia · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 92

sakakisins...

the minimum wage is way more than the number you state. i dont remember exactly down to the peso but i think its near 180,000. this is for full im e (45) hours contract, and is kind of irrelevant because any foreigner would be craaazy to accept a full time job at that cost. its not very livable. for chileans, foreigners, anybody. its low. but anyway a native speaker of english should be elegible for something with much better pay, or at the very least if they~re making that it should be hourly and they should have plenty of free time instead of a 45 hour work week.