Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

What is the skinny in Guatemala these days?

Flash back to 1995 - I spent a very happy year (actually my favorite year of teaching) in Xela, Quetzaltenango, teaching English at the 'Best English School' in the center of the town. I stayed with a local family. In addition taught at a couple of elementary schools as well.

The money was not much, but it was a nice way to live, and the climate there is cool, thanks to the altitude.

Things may have changed since then. If anyone has any feedback on the present teaching there, thanks for posting or sending me a PM - I will consider returning there when I finish my present contractual duties in China.

Ghost in China

[MixtecaMike]

I returned to Guatemala last year (from Saudi), the situation is much like it has always been, a couple (i.e. two I have seen) of jobs at private schools in Guate offering over US1,000 a month, lots more offering Q2000-Q3000 a month, and even less.
More places seem to want legal aliens, rather than the walk-ins they used to hire, but I am sure you would find something while on a tourist visa. I have been offered several jobs without papers, of course at the bottom end of the pay scale. Most language schools seem to offer between Q30-Q55 an hour, no more. The Call Centers may offer a bit more for trainers, but I think you'd need papers for that.
To get a work permit you need to be a legal resident (if you qualify it takes several months) or a missionary or perhaps there are some other categories, the Ministerio de Trabajo website has more or less everything you need to know there (in Spanish).
I know of (a very few) people making over Q100 an hour in Guatemala City with privates, but outside the the better parts of the capital you'll be lucky to get over Q50 an hour. In Xela I was asking for Q75 and always heard, "Muy caro."
I'm not sure if Best is still in the Pasaje Enriquez, I bump into Clxxxxx from time to time and think the family still has an English school somewhere in Xela.

[MixtecaMike]

The traffic in Xela is much worse that it was in '95, the city has grown and has a Walmart, loads of fast food places, and spreads out all the way to La Esperanza. There are some decent coffee shops and restaurants with a bit of variety, but they come and they go. There are a couple of places to get secondhand English books, you can still find families to board with, probably easier than before as there seem to be less gringo tourists than before. It has a bit of a reputation as a party town, but as I'm not a party person I can't say if that is still true. Crime-wise, it's fairly quiet compared to the capital, and I haven't been robbed or hassled at all during the year I've been back, but there is a significant number of break-ins and bus extortion attacks.
The weather is still cool (because of the altitude) but there has been a lot of activity from Santiaguito this year, if you want some natural excitement.

[ghost]

Sorry my currency converter is spinning and spinning without giving results.

What is the current exchange rate between dollar and quetzales?

Back in 1995, homestays and tuition to learn Spanish were a bargain basement $100 dollars per week in Xela, all inclusive. How much more expensive are they now? I had a good time in Xela, although I did not save much. Are there any expat retirees there? How are the medical and dental facilities?

Thank you. I am in China, but would like to finish my EFL career where I started it, in Latin America. Guatemala and Xela was my first job in EFL and good memories abound. At the time, there was a lively expat scene in Xela, and some very good restaurants. I liked the lifestyle and the cool weather conditions, compared to where I am now near Guangzhou, the steamy 90s with humidity!

I liked the fact that I could go running all year at the stadium, without worrying about the heat, as Xela is located around 2300m above sea level. Great climate, despite summer rains.

Ghost in China

[MixtecaMike]

US$1=Q7.50, it has been fairly stable around this point for ages. There are definitely a few gringo-looking oldies around (and medium oldies like me) around, although I am an unsocial character so don't really know anyone. No idea on the price of homestays, as I stay at my own home. The weather is still the same.
There is a newly opened hospital center, run by Banco Industrial, I believe, there are loads of doctors and dentists clinics around the city. A specialist costs around Q200-300 a visit, but they are hopeless at being remotely punctual, you basically spend half the day queuing for a turn, and the other half waiting for the doctor to actually show up.
The pay for anything other than your own business dealings is atrociously low, but you already know that.

[ghost]

I read somewhere that one famous English Language School in Xela was paying 12.50 quetzales an hour to their foreign teachers, but this was in 2006. Not sure if that has gone up much these days. 12.50 = $1.67 u.s. dollars!

Also read, that some schools pay around 30-35 quetzales an hour to English teachers, which would be around $4 - $4.50 per hour.

This means a teacher working 20 hours a week at 30q an hour would earn roughly 600 quetzales, or around $80 dollars a week, or around $320 a month. Can teachers survive on that type of wage in Guatemala, or would they need to dig into savings to survive? It seems teacher's pay in Guatemala is just about the lowest one can expect, but the quality of life is high, for many foreigners in Guatemala, so many are willing to make that monetary sacrifice.

My aim, if I return one day to Guatemala, is to make enough money without digging into my hard earned savings. I have to wait at least 5 more years before getting some pension revenue.

Thank you for your informative answers.

Ghost in China

Note: Anyone interested in 'inheriting' my University job in China, please send me a pm. It is a decent position, around 14-16 hours a week, good vacation time (around 3 - 4 months a year) and over $1000 a month. Thank you. I am looking for someone reliable and committed to staying in China for at least one year or the duration of the contract. Older candidates (55 +) also welcome to apply. Location, near Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. I will fulfill my contractual obligations here, but following that, I am looking for someone reliable to take over. Full skinny will be given in the pm. Thank you.

[ghost]

China is not for everyone, but it is a very comfortable, low stress job here, at a public university. Basically, you teach 8 classes of students once a week, for two 45 minutes lessons, so you see each group just once a week for 1.5 hours.

It is Oral English, and up to you to use the book or not, depending on your choice or creativity. I use the book, and also show some PPTs and that works ok. This means, if you want, you may just produce one lesson plan per week. This means low stress. I worked in Saudi for 7 years, which was high stress, because you always had to 'manage' the class, lest the shababs (male students in Saudi) start jumping off the walls. No such issues in China.

Most Chinese students are quiet and well behaved. No class management issues here. Accommodation is free, and holidays are brilliant, basically two months in summer and around the same in winter, although officially the winter holiday is less, but foreign teachers usually get away after their last exams at the end of December, and only have to be back on duty for the Spring at the end of Feb or first week in March.

As your accommodation is free, most teachers on $1000- $1200 a month can save at least half of their salary, which they may use to buy plane tickets for their vacations.

PM me for more info, if necessary.

Ghost in China

[CTravel32]

After my Myanmar dream kind of fell flat (just too much money needed to relocate my wife and I + unsure about visa process for her) I have returned to looking more within the region where I currently live. This country has really risen to the top, for me, in regards to how interesting it seems for work and living. I will let you know what happens. I think it is rare to make over 1000 dollars or even 75% of that but I think it is more common to get housing if you get a job offer compared to some other nations in the area.

[srbscott]

Having taught in Guate from Jan 2016 to Nov 2016 and now returning in Aug 2017, I have SOME insight into current pay, docs needed, and some general info as to the city, safety, and other goodies.
My last position paid $1,500 a month, no apartment, they did pay the taxes, one can get a Visa stamp after 90 days for another 90 days at which time one needs to renew the Visa OUTSIDE of Guate, Honduras,Nica, or El Salvador.
I often walked 3 Kms. to a local mall, many times returning in the dark with never a problem. (Luck, fate, good karma aside)
If peeps have questions, I'd be happy to opine.
I really enjoy Guate. and HondoWorld, although there is a huge difference in pay with Hondo being almost 1/3 of Guate pay
Shout out.

[CTravel32]

I ended up in Guate and was pleasantly surprised to find something very similar to what srbscott got. I am getting slightly less pay compared to scott or Colombia (like 5% less) but they offer housing which also happens to be near a modern mall.

Disregard my last post! I have learned never to speculate .