Job Discussion Forums

[jabrda]

Hi All,

Like the title says, I'm wondering what the best time to arrive in BA would be to find teaching jobs. I was planning on coming in early November, but since that's summer, I figure that would be a foul job market. When does the school year start, or rather, when do schools start hiring for the upcoming school year?

Also, I've had it beaten into my head on these forums that jobs are not that good, and the pay is terrible, and are under the table, and all that about BA, effectively scaring me away from coming to BA, but there's sometimes a caveat in such posts: "unless you teach at one of the really good schools". I have a 120h TESOL certificate and 3 years of experience at a reputable school, and I speak passable Spanish... so I'm really hoping that's enough to land me at a quality school instead of one of the schools that treats its teachers like they're just lazy backpackers on working vacations (which many of them are). What do you think about this? If I come at the right time of year, and I come much more qualified than a lot of the just-out-of-college types, do you think I stand a decent chance at a teaching position that's not as shitty as everyone is telling me nearly all of them are?

[Caporetto]

Hi,

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, I hope a short answer might still be useful.

And I'll be brutally honest: no, those things won't help. It's rare to meet a teacher in Argentina who is both a) legal and b) managing on the money these days.

Those good schools - well, I wouldn't say good schools hire illegals, I'd say fair-treating schools - pay 60-70 pesos an hour but plenty of qualified teachers are getting 37-40. The only way to live on that amount is to go as a couple, both work, share expenses, live in a tip. It's that simple.

Whatever your feelings about illegal working - I don't know what your feelings are - you will be uninsured and any insurance you have will be invalidated. You will be in a potentially disastrous position. Border police are now onto it, after many years of turning a blind eye.

The schools do indeed defend themselves by pointing out how ridiculously transient the teaching population is, what a bunch of cowboys wind up there, and after all the backpackers will work for peanuts. The serious teachers move on because they're broke.

You do stand a better chance than most, obviously, but there isn't a world of difference between shit school and fair one. November isn't such a bad time to go because you could pick up summer cover work if you want it, but you'll have to take bits and pieces where you can find them.

Contact them beforehand and strike up a dialogue - show them you're serious. Bespoke English (Peron St.) are thoroughly serious and honest, and among the best payers, as are EATELL Learning Together (a little out in the sticks though).

IH San Isidro also come into this bracket and if you do a generous stint of donkey work cash-in-hand they might find a way to legalise you, although they got massively busted in an immigration raid a couple of years ago. The teachers' van ride to the airport to be deported was not charged for , thankfully.

Done my best to offer some positives too, but I'd advise against illegal immigration to Argentina.

[leretif9]

Hi Caporetto,

By "illegal immigration," I take it you mean, being in Argentina on the 90-day tourist visa, and doing any kind of English teaching work? Or doing this at a school?

Thanks.

Also, is March the best time of the year to arrive in Buenos Aires?

[Caporetto]

Hi. Yes, any kind of work, school included.

March would be alright, I'd make contact beforehand.

[leretif9]

So your recommendation is to apply months in advance with your local Argentine consulate to be legal for work?

[leretif9]

How rigorous are the cops about harassing 'illegal' English teachers?

[Caporetto]

Working visas are given if you already have a signed legal contract with the employer, so the consulate alone can't help.. and won't help. A reduced type of visa can be done in-country, but very few schools will bother, especially as it costs in money and time.

However, could still be worthwhile taking all your papers - birth certificate, clean police report, qualifications. The consulate might be able to advise on getting these legally translated before you set off.

Until fairly recently immigration dept. attention towards the TEFL community was minimal to nothing. Then an IH got raided by the feds about two years ago and the illegal teachers were escorted out the country and banned from the Mercosur area. Lots of tears and sobbing boyfriends.

In 2011 I saw a new passport stamp, if they think you're doing a visa run, basically they let you out and you stay out, "do not readmit" basically. Another full-page stamp I saw more or less said "last visa run, go home and pack".

Finally there are the new plain clothes immigration officers, fluent in English, who know exactly what you're doing there. They want your movements and names of who you're spending your time with, doing what.

Oh, there is another thing: the banks know not to cash cheques from language schools if you're there on a tourist visa, which is fine if you're getting paid in cash, but it's not much fun walking around with $1000 in your pocket on a regular basis.

[leretif9]

What on earth is the point of all this? What do they think they are, Spain?

What other likely ways are there for English-speakers to make a living in Buenos Aires without attracting loathsome cop attention? What about the marriage/fake marriage route?

[Caporetto]

Forgive me, I can't help wondering if you're pulling my leg now (or pisser, US English).

What interest would the govt. of Argentina have in supplying work to UK and US citiizens (and etc.)? It's one of the few countries with native-born native speakers (more often near-native speakers, descendants of British and Irish settlers) without English actually being an official language.

I've told you before, go there for the tango, not the teaching.