Job Discussion Forums

[scott wilhelm]

How hard is it to find full-time work in Mexican language schools ? I work part-time for Berlitz here in the U.S. at present. If it weren't for my day job, I wouldn't make it. Any chance of finding a 35 hour per week (or more) job with a chain school (or any language school for that matter) in such places as Xalapa, Morelia, Guadalajara or Puebla ? I could commit to a long-term contract as I am hoping that my move to Mexico would be both fun and permananent. I would have no other source of income until my Social Security checks start coming in when I turn 62. Since I'm only 47 now, I've got a while to wait. I'm guessing that Mexico City offers the best chance of finding full-time work, but that is just a guess on my part and I'm not at all sure that I am suited to life in a city of that size. I hope I'm not asking too much in wanting to find full-time work in a somewhat smaller place. Any info on this would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[moonraven]

Most of the Harmon Halls will contract you for 45 hours a week--if that's what you want.

[Gringo Greg]

I know Moonraven seems to know everything about everything, but let me offer my insight.

35 hours a week teaching is too much of a load and not that great of money. I would suggest sticking with a part-time job of which there are many in the DF. The money isn't as reliable, but the potential for income is greater.

Which would you rather do, sit in some dreary office waiting for students to come all day or do your classes, go home, and maybe work on other pursuits? Find private students to fill your time.....

I was doing part-time work in Mexico City and pushing 12k a month, I remember Berlitz had a full time contract on offer for 5k a month.

[MELEE]

I'm with Greg on this one. The only people I've met who are teaching full time work at universities. In Language Schools--or high schools--or any place else, its usually more lucrative to piece together work at different places and private students. Private students can be a problem as they tend to flake out after a while. But usually there is a stream of more behind them. I'm constantly turning down requests for private lessons because I work enough and earn enough.

[scott wilhelm]

Thank you Moonraven and Gringo Greg for your replies. I have thought about Harmon Hall. I know they are all over Mexico.
Maybe doing some private lessons to supplement a part-time job with a language school would be good too. It sounds like you did very well in Mexico City with that Greg. Any real chance of making that work in a somewhat smaller place, perhaps Guadalajara. Actually, I would like to live someplace the size of Xalapa, but I don't know if there are enough teaching opportunities there to offer a decent income. Any insights you may have on this are much appreciated. Thanks.

[moonraven]

Harmon Hall and a university are both represented in Xalapa. Nice town. HH will can you if you moonlight someplace else, though...

[scott wilhelm]

Moonraven,
Thanks for the tip about Harmon Hall. I have heard that Xalapa is a great place. It sounds almost ideal for me-mountains, whitewater paddling only an hour from town, near Veracruz (and its Carnaval), cool but not cold temparatures and lots of humidity. I also love old Spanish colonial architecture and I hear Xalapa has a lot of it. I will likely check out Harmon Hall there.

[Gringo Greg]

You are an experienced teacher, you make it anywhere if you put your mind to it, it will just be a bit tougher for you. You should plan to take enough cash, more than you think you will need and find part-time work. I am not knocking the insitutes cuz it is easy and a good idea to put in a few hours with them. But as moonraven has witnessed, the insitutes will "can" you if you are full time with them and working on the side. So they are best kept as part-time work.

You should choose where you want to be, and then go about generating the teaching hours/cash flow to keep you there. All of your money won't come from teaching English per se, get yourself some extra training and you can handle lucrative GMAT/GRE prep. Network and network some more to get leads on private students.

I got my first private student lead from a friend who taught Spanish to a korean executive. I started off with 5 hours a week/120 pesos an hour with a 1-1 class that eventually networked into 10 hours a week. I worked at a corporate outsource company for 110 pesos an hour for a average of 8 hours a week and I taught gmat classes a few hours a week--those paid 140 pesos an hour. Do the math, with that schedule, I was free monday to friday from 9am to 4pm and all day Sunday and Saturdays after noon. This was in Mexico City, wages outside will definetly be less, but if you are a qualified teacher and can market yourself accordingly, you can command a decent salary.

I am out of mexico and my info is a bit dated, but I will be back there next year by this time and this is exactly what I will be doing.

[MixtecaMike]

English companies were charging businesses about $200-300 pesos an hour two years ago, like Greg says, work part time for some company, make connections, and them you can make about $160 or possible more per hour.

One point to note, if you are teaching at companies they will probably want Recibos de Honorarios. You have to be legally working for a legitimate company to obtain these, and you are only legally entitled to work for the company specified in your FM3 (work visa)

In practice once you have your book of Recibos you can write honorarios on your own behalf, as long as you are never audited (very unlikely). Some people also "sell" their recibos for about 20% of the value you have been paid, this is to cover the tax liability as the person whose name appears on the receipt is liable for tax on that amount.

Working full-time for a company is less hassle, but you will earn MUCHISIMO MENOS than if you do the part-time route.

BTW I hope you like buses and the metro, because you will probably spend lots of time in them

[scott wilhelm]

Greg and Mike,
Thanks for the info. This is helpful. However, does this involve working in a legal gray area ? I know that the FM-3 is specific to a particular employer. Does it really cover you if you are in effect self-employed, that is doing classes on the side for private individuals ? What would happen if you were audited ? Are you in real trouble ? If you are working for more than 1 company, is it possible to obtain more than 1 FM-3 ?
Thanks,
Scott

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[MixtecaMike]

The usual setups are:

A. Work on a tourist visa, which is completely illegal however you are unlikely to get caught. You will not be able to get your recibos, which will cut out the higher-paying jobs in companies, limiting you to private students.

B. Get an FM3 for one employer, get your Taxpayer number from Hacienda, get your recibos, then you're in business. It is illegal to work for other emploters, but you are very unlikely to be caught.

Important note, if you have an FM3 and wish to add /change employers you will have to pay, it is almost as much as a new FM3 and it DOES NOT extend the validity of your FM3. However, if you add/change employers when you are renewing it seems you only pay for the renewal.

The usual caveat applies, I did this about two years ago and things may have changed, but I think when it comes to money the Mexican government sees foreigners (even overworked underpaid English teachers) as cash-cows, so be prepared to get milked.

[Ben Round de Bloc]

Mike,

Again, I think it varies from location to location.

In the city where I live, unless a foreigner is very short-term and/or part-time, he's not going to find a legitimate employer who'll hire him illegally.

I have always worked legally, first of all, because I consider it the right thing to do. Except for my first short job here (3 months,) I haven't had to deal with hacienda at all, because I work n�mina rather than honorarios. Therefore, I don't use recibos. I pay the same amount of taxes as my Mexican coworkers, so I don't feel that I'm being "milked" in any way as a foreigner.

[scott wilhelm]

Mike and Tim,
Thanks for the information. I would want to do everything by the book. The whole idea of running into legal problems in Mexico (or anywhere for that matter) doesn't sound good to me. Besides, it is their country and their laws, I should follow them. Self-employment sounds appealing, but so does working a full-time job and not having to round up business. I'm not sure which way I will go on this. No matter which route I take, I want to do it strictly according to the law.
Again, thanks for the info.

[MixtecaMike]

Whoops,

It does look as if I was saying option A is the "first" option, however this wasn't my intention. This would really be for someone here for the short-term or trying the water, so to speak.

If you work nomina (full-time with a set salary), as Ben said, you don't need recibos as your tax is deducted by your employer.

Good to see you want to do things by-the-book, my 2 cents worth would be to look for a one-year full-time job with a company that will help you get the visa. You will probably have to pay for it yourself, but it is much easier when you work for a company that knows what they're doing.

As an aside, the FM3 takes ages to process, and you will be working illegally until it is actually issued, however this is something that everybody turns a blind eye to. (As far as I have seen.)

As a second aside, most places pay teachers monthly, if you can find someone willing to pay you by the quincena (fortnight) then go for it.