Job Discussion Forums

JRJohn · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 175

I am asking this question because I have a friend who lives in Ecuador. She invited me more than once to come and stay with her family and look for a job there. I met her (as well as lots of other people from Latin America) in Madrid, a city with a large émigré population from South America.
Although I have no immediate plans to go to South America, the question arises: What would it be like to go to Ecuador and look for a job?

Is it actually viable? Or would I not make enough to survive? What about visa issues? I know the country has a widely-varied landscape and so would be fascinating from a tourist point of view.

esl_prof

HLJHLJ · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 1218 Location: Ecuador

Yes it's viable. As Esl-prof says, have a look through the forum, there is a lot of information already.

As to whether you will be scraping by or doing OK, there are a a lot of variables. These include your qualifications, experience and where you are planning to base yourself. If you can give us a bit more information, we can give you a better idea as to what to expect.

peripatetic_soul · Joined: 20 Oct 2013 Posts: 303

Hi, JR,

Below is an informative forum on Ecuador. Although many threads relate to ex-pat retirees, several topics will be relevant to you (housing, teaching, work, visas, best places to live, safety, etc.). Here is the link:

http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=379032

Regards,
PS

JRJohn · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 175

Well, here's what I would be planning to do in Ecuador:

I would opt for teaching (private or public) in Quito or Guayaquil, because I think that's where there are more likely to be more jobs.

Here are my qualifications: I am a U.K. citizen. I have an MA in Hispanic studies (I speak Spanish fluently), Trinity Cert TESOL, and lots of EFL experience, for example a year in Poland, and 3 years in China. I have letters of recommendation too. So what kinds of schools are open to me?

Why would I consider Ecuador in the first place? It's partly based on a recommendation. But it's also because I want to be in an interesting, lively place with a nightlife (and a pulse), not somewhere depressing. As I understand it, Ecuador contains a lot of different climatic zones in a relatively small area, and that makes it an interesting destination.

I would prefer to live in an apartment on my own. Once the issue of rent rears its ugly head, I wonder how rent is paid? In China I paid 4 months up front. In some places it would be 6 months.

Then there are visas to consider. I understand that getting a visa for Ecuador might be like opening a can of worms. However, I understand that it is possible to arrange a 6 month visa before I leave the U.K. I am going to check out the link to the Ecuador expat forum later. [/b]