Job Discussion Forums

[ForProgress]

I came to Chile 7 Days ago and headed to La Serena right away. I've been here every since. Like most, I'm here on a tourist visa and I'm looking for a TEFL job.

I was accepted to work at Tronwell full-time for about 350,000 pesos (after deductions) for 40 hours a week. I politely said no. Then they offered me a part-time 20 hour a week position for about $196.000 (after deductions) pesos a month.

My rent at the hostel I'm staying at is paid for for a month so I'm in no hurry to find a job right away. So I figured I'd use this time to get a TEFL degree, find a part-time position at a English institute (perhaps accept Tronwell's offer), and then do private lessons for 8.000 - 9.000 an hour.

OR should I:

1) Look for a job working in a Hotel or someplace touristy so I can earn $ that way

2) Go somewhere like Santiago where there are more jobs and potentially better pay (Keep in mind that I only have to pay 250.000 pesos a month for the hostel I'm at now where I have my own room, a desk, personal bathroom, and king size bed.)

Please, help me out! I need all the advice I can get. I don't want to run out of money and have to return to the US. Not yet, at least.

[freebird98]

ForProgress,

I am sorry I can't give you any advice, as I am not yet in Chile but I am curious to follow-up on your post and see how things go for you.

Please keep us posted, hopefully someone with some great advice will chime in soon.

Best Regards,
Julia

[freebird98]

ForProgress,

I am sorry I can't give you any advice, as I am not yet in Chile but I am curious to follow-up on your post and see how things go for you.

Please keep us posted, hopefully someone with some great advice will chime in soon.

Best Regards,
Julia

[ForProgress]

No Problem Freebird98,

I have a friend who knows someone that lives in Chile. And they've suggested that I come to Santiago b/c I'd more then likely be able to get a job teaching there (in institutes only b/c school is out).

I'll tell you a LITTLE about my journey so far in the hopes that you can learn from my mistakes.

# 1) I didn't get a TEFL/CELTA before coming here. That was a mistake. Although it wasn't entirely avoidable, I had no idea how important it was. It's not just having the certification helps with Getting jobs. It helps you DO the job. It wasn't until I enrolled in a TEFL program that I realized how much about teaching English grammar I had to learn. Speaking/Writing it is not hard because I'm from the US. But teaching it? Well, that's different.

#2) Getting a job isn't entirely difficult. I did get a job literally my second day here with an English institute. The problem was that the job paid really crappy for a 40 hour week. At first the lady told $424.000 pesos gross. That didn't sound bad. My rent's only $250.000 a month now. So, I'd be able to save, and go out, right? Nope! Key word being GROSS. The net $ I was going to get was $360.000. Something the person kindly avoided telling me until I asked. That being said, I realized that working a 40 hours a week wouldn't give me the time to work on personal projects to the degree that I'd like, let alone learn Spanish as much as I want to. So, after I earn a TEFL my hopes are to find a way to work 25-30 hours a week with a mixture of doing private tutoring/teaching with an institute or colegio/or even a job as a waiter.

Right now I'm staying in La Serena for another few weeks before going to Santiago. I'm not going to work which is okay because I saved enough $ to hold me over for another month or 2. Instead, I'm going to study Spanish and get my TEFL.

That's the 3rd thing I've learned. Of course, you'll learn Spanish faster when you're in a Spanish speaking country. BUT learn as much as you can BEFORE you get here. Because not being able to understand directions and basic things is really frustrating. Not only for yourself, but for the person you're talking to.

That's all I got for now. Chile is a beautiful place with amazing people. I'm playing it bare-bones b/c of my tight budget. Nonetheless, I love it here.

I'll try updating you with news as things change. Chiao.

[freebird98]

Thank you ForProgress,

I really appreciate you sharing your experiences thus far.

How do you like it in La Serena? Do you think with your TEFL it will open up more job opportunities for you? I have also read that there are more job opportunities in Santiago, but I REALLY do not want to go there! (primarily because of the smog!)

I am just learning Spanish. I know this will be a hurdle, but I am trying to pick it up as fast as I can. If you have a computer at home and an internet connection, I found a program called "Destinos." It is an introductory course in Spanish, with 52 episodes. I am looking at other online tutorials, but this one seems like a good start.

I will also be living as bare bones as possible. I am very glad to hear that you love it there.

I am curious as to why you say school is out now, I thought the summer vacation was around Dec.-Feb.

How bad are the school riots and protesting? Maybe it is the worst in Santiago, I just don't know. Do you know of any other good online newspapers in English other than the Santiago Times?

Thanks again for your post, it sounds like you are taking the right actions so hopefully something (with decent pay) will open up for you soon!

Best Regards,
Julia

[ForProgress]

I don't know if a TEFL will open more opportunities in La Serena. Perhaps it would. Honestly, after I realized how ill-equipped I was to teach English I stopped pursuing jobs immediately.

However i DO think that having a TEFL will put me in a better position to teach English more professionally and comprehensively.

I'm glad you've found a good program to study Spanish that you like. I'm using a book I found on Amazon.com in addition to Livemocha.com. I think the "trick" is, whatever program you use, Enjoy it! I actually LOVE studying Spanish b/c I know with every minute I study I'm that much closer to being able to understand and communicate with people around me.

Hmm... I'm not sure when summer vacation is. You may be right. Now that I've re-read my friend's friend post to me, he said that "the 1st term of the year is ending right now". So I suppose there will be a second term, and the a break. I'm really not sure how the school system is set up.

As for the riots and protesting, it's no different then the US. When I flew into Santiago I saw the riots happening. And there have been many here at the Universidad de La Serena too. But I do the same thing I do in the US, walk around them. Except here I keep a little more distance because were something to happen to me here, I'd be in a much more difficult position then if I were in the US b/c I'm so far from family and can't understand much of what people are saying.

Not for one second have I felt unsafe though. I mean really, the same thing people are doing in the US, people are doing here. Just because they're in another country doing it doesn't mean it's any different.

I don't know much about newspapers. I do know that I've been suggested to pick up newspapers in Santiago to look for apartments. So I'll do that first thing.

I leave La Serena for Santiago on the 20th of July (this month). I just bout my ticket! The La Serena locals tell me don't go, it's dangerous. But the people in Santiago say, Come Come! So, because I've lived in and experienced moderately dangerous neighborhoods in the US a little, I'm going to test the waters and go to Santiago.

IF you decide to go to Santiago, be aware of pick pocketers. DO NOT keep stuff in your back pocket. And be careful with backpacks. Aparently people will cut them open and steatl your stuff. SO it's not a good idea to keep things like passports/large sums of money loosely. Guard it as well as you can.

Hope this helps some. If you have more questions just let me know.