Job Discussion Forums

[Fitzgerald]

Long story short: After three years teaching at a Tec Prepa in a provincial Mexican city, I decided to make the big move to the D.F. and landed a job with a reputable and well-known independent prepa. What I did not realize was that the ownership of the school is ferociously conservative and that being a gay teacher on this campus (even a semi-closeted one: out to colleagues, not to students) would be impossibly uncomfortable. So after three months, the school and I are parting ways. I'm getting the standard three months' severance, but I will have to vacate my school-provided apartment.

I like Mexico City and I would like to stay here, but it is VERY costly and hard to really enjoy unless you've got substantial $$$ coming in. On the other hand, there are lots of job opportunities here. So I'm trying to weigh the pros and cons of staying here or going elsewhere within Mexico.

I have pets (my emotional anchor!), which is why I'm not immediately considering going to another country. Also, I have an active work visa that runs through next August, at which point I will be eligible for permanent residency; I don't want to waste the time investment I've made in Mexico. And basically, I like the country.

If I hear of or am recruited for a good prepa job, I'll look into it, but I'm feeling burned by that world right now, and if interviewed for such a job, I will certainly ask about the policies pertaining to gay teachers and the atmosphere they can expect to encounter. Anything less than a quite positive set of answers would be a deal-breaker.

I'm perfectly open to university teaching and am qualified for it, since I have a master's degree and tons of experience, including prior university experience.

Besides university work, I see three immediate categories of work to pursue:

1) Business English schools (I taught for one for a year in Korea)
2) Online English classes
3) Private tutoring (high school and university students, adults)

So here are my questions - I appeal to the collective wisdom of the board.

1) Is it possible to make a go of it on the basis I'm describing, in costly but job-abundant Mexico City? Should I try to do that? Or are there better locations within Mexico for such an approach?
2) Which are the best Business English outfits to work for? I understand that the pay is not spectacular.
3) Which are the best online English outfits to work for?
4) Which Mexico City universities hire internationals either part-time or full-time?
5) What are the best ways to drum up tutoring work? (I've tried an ad on Craigslist with little result.)
6) Should I try to cobble together an income from multiple sources, or should I focus on one Business English school or one online outfit, and try to build it quickly into a full-time income?
7) If I do stay in Mexico City, what neighborhoods offer the best combination of convenience and affordability? (My current apartment is in Cuajimalpa, which offers affordability but definitely not convenience, since it is isolated public-transportation-wise.)

I know that I always land on my feet, so I refuse to let the current situation get me down. Panicking never helps. But I do need to figure out what to do next fairly quickly. Any insights are most welcome.

[BadBeagleBad]

Not sure why being gay would even be an issue in a school unless maybe it was a religious based school, or like you said, conservative. Personally, I wouldn't even mention it in an interview, it has nothing to do with how well you do your job, maybe ask if you can talk to a couple of current/former teachers or observe some classes, that should give you an idea of the school climate. What I do in my personal life is no one's concern.

Anywhooo, when I lived in Mexico City I worked at a variety of jobs - private secular schools, private religious schools, business institutes, language schools, and for the last three and a half years have worked online. I live in a small town now, but if I were to ever more back to Mexico City I would do a combo of online and a business institute. Pay in business institutes is decent, my last job in Mexico City I was making 200 pesos per hour for classes, and I also had a coordinator job where I made 300 pesos per hour. I worked 15 hours in one company, and another 10 or so doing class observations/coaching teachers and a little hiring here and there. In addition to that I worked online about 15 or 18 hours a week. So pretty much a 40 or 45 hour week. It can take a bit of time to work your way into a good position with classes where you want to go - either close to your house or easy to get to. In terms of where to live - somewhere near the Metro or Metrobus - depends on whether you like trendy or a more residential neighborhood. Trendy will cost you more, residential will cost you less and be safer. If you don't already speak Spanish living in an area with no foreigners will do wonders for your Spanish. Before we moved to Zacatecas we lived in Jardin Balbuena (near the airport) and area that is fantastic for transport, San Lazaro with several Metro Lines, as well as two Metrobus lines, all right there, so that might be an area to explore. Other colonias in that area are 7 de julio, 20 de noviembre, Aviacion Civil, Moctemzuma something in that area. Another nice area is Portales, south on the Blue Metro line, lots of nice colonias up and down that line - Villa de Cortes, Nativitas, etc. and good access to transport. An advantate to being south is that there are a fair number of class south and no one ever seems to want them, so might give you a leg up on those. If you don't care for running around, you might try the Universidad Panameriana they hire some foreign teachers, at the very least you might get into their Saturday program. Good work environment and a stunningly beautiful campus. It is a Catholic university but you'd be teaching adults and the department head is a very sophisticated man, doubt being gay would be an issue.

[BadBeagleBad]

Not sure why being gay would even be an issue in a school unless maybe it was a religious based school, or like you said, conservative. Personally, I wouldn't even mention it in an interview, it has nothing to do with how well you do your job, maybe ask if you can talk to a couple of current/former teachers or observe some classes, that should give you an idea of the school climate. What I do in my personal life is no one's concern.

Anywhooo, when I lived in Mexico City I worked at a variety of jobs - private secular schools, private religious schools, business institutes, language schools, and for the last three and a half years have worked online. I live in a small town now, but if I were to ever more back to Mexico City I would do a combo of online and a business institute. Pay in business institutes is decent, my last job in Mexico City I was making 200 pesos per hour for classes, and I also had a coordinator job where I made 300 pesos per hour. I worked 15 hours in one company, and another 10 or so doing class observations/coaching teachers and a little hiring here and there. In addition to that I worked online about 15 or 18 hours a week. So pretty much a 40 or 45 hour week. It can take a bit of time to work your way into a good position with classes where you want to go - either close to your house or easy to get to. In terms of where to live - somewhere near the Metro or Metrobus - depends on whether you like trendy or a more residential neighborhood. Trendy will cost you more, residential will cost you less and be safer. If you don't already speak Spanish living in an area with no foreigners will do wonders for your Spanish. Before we moved to Zacatecas we lived in Jardin Balbuena (near the airport) and area that is fantastic for transport, San Lazaro with several Metro Lines, as well as two Metrobus lines, all right there, so that might be an area to explore. Other colonias in that area are 7 de julio, 20 de noviembre, Aviacion Civil, Moctemzuma something in that area. Another nice area is Portales, south on the Blue Metro line, lots of nice colonias up and down that line - Villa de Cortes, Nativitas, etc. and good access to transport. An advantate to being south is that there are a fair number of class south and no one ever seems to want them, so might give you a leg up on those. If you don't care for running around, you might try the Universidad Panameriana they hire some foreign teachers, at the very least you might get into their Saturday program. Good work environment and a stunningly beautiful campus. It is a Catholic university but you'd be teaching adults and the department head is a very sophisticated man, doubt being gay would be an issue.

[MotherF]

Since you have experience in the Tec system, why not try with them, either in DF or Estado de Mexico? Or even Puebla? Thelmadatter seems to have given up on Dave's, but she works at the df university campus of the Tec.

[Fitzgerald]

[Fitzgerald]

[Fitzgerald]

Someone on another board mentioned Queretaro as an excellent city for me to consider me relocating to. Very safe for Mexico, great quality of life. Business is booming, and so is Business English. Education in general is booming, because of a steady population influx, so I could almost certainly pick up some university classes and part-time high school teaching in addition to doing Business English. What I don't know is the cost of living and especially housing in comparison to the D.F. Does anyone here know much about Queretaro? I'm thinking it might be better to be a slightly bigger fish in a slightly smaller pond. I worry about struggling along at the economic margins in Mexico City.

[Guero1]

Sorry to hear about the upheaval.

One possibly good thing - with new immigration rules if you still have your visa well it makes employing you a whole lot easier than someone direct from overseas.

In a predominantly strictly Catholic country - maybe, it would be best to keep your private life that way rather than to mention it to employers.

I was in Queretaro, it is not far from DF, if you have time go and put your C.V. in schools there and I am sure you will find something there. It is a nice city.

[Fitzgerald]

[Fitzgerald]

I am making excellent progress with my Queretaro plans. In the opinions of those on the board, what is the best way to land an appropriate apartment in a new city in Mexico? Would you use a realty agency, or just explore listings on your own? My Spanish is not fluent for negotiating purposes, which of course makes a difference.

I spent much time this morning on Vivanuncios, OLX, Locanto, and Clasificados (am I missing any major listing services?). It was immediately clear that I will be able to find appropriate rentals in my price range (up to 5,000 pesos/month). In fact, it seems quite possible to find even furnished 2-bedroom apartments or small casas in the 4,000-4,500 peso range, and I would prefer a furnished apartment if possible.

A realtor with decent English might really be able to help me with location, though. I want to be reasonably close to the Centro, and on a bus line.

I've already had progress on employment possibilities, and I have barely begun exploring.

[Fitzgerald]

I visited Queretaro yesterday, and was thoroughly charmed by it. I didn't see the modern, skyscraper-y section except from a distance, but of course it's there, and, I gather from my discussions yesterday, is much like such districts everywhere. I concentrated on exploring the Centro Historico, which is delightful with its blend of historic architecture, local businesses (very little chain store presence), and cultural spots (I noticed quite a few little theaters, for example). There is ample rental housing within walking distance of the Centro, and that is certainly where I will locate myself, because being able to walk or bike home after an evening out or an afternoon exploration would be sheer heaven. (Getting around the D.F. is such a slog.) There are literally dozens of appealing-looking restaurants, bars, and cantinas scattered all over the district, plus bookstores, galleries, on and on. My kind of town.

I made excellent progress on my employment plans, too. Now I just need to line up some apartments to look at, and make one or two return trips to pin down my housing. Then I can arrange my move, and will be in Queretaro no later than the last week in December (perhaps sooner, perhaps pre-Christmas), ready to start work on a number of fronts in the new year.

Having a car would be useful in getting around the wider environs of Queretaro, and that is something I will consider for the future if I can manage it. I will definitely invest in a bicycle right away. The intermediate position between a bike and a car would of course be a scooter or motorcycle, and I'm open to that (although it has been a while since I have ridden either, but it would be fun to get back up to speed). Question for the board: Do any of you have experience with using a scooter or motorcycle to get around Mexican cities other than the D.F. (which has its own exaggerated level of driving craziness)? Have your experiences been positive?

I want to thank everyone here. Message boards have been enormously helpful to me on this occasion in plotting out my future course.

[esl_prof]

Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress, Fitzgerald! It sounds like things are lining up for a smooth transition to the next chapter of your life and career.

[Fitzgerald]

[Fitzgerald]

[BadBeagleBad]

I have never been to Queretaro but have a friend who lives there and others who have visited. I MUST visit in the next year or so to see Ronaldinho play while he is there, and it is on our short list of places that we would consider moving if things heat up where we live now, and that is sight unseen. It sounds great based on your description, keep us updated on your progress sounds like things are falling into place for you!!