Job Discussion Forums

[richtx1]

It's no secret that agism is rampant in Mexico... advertisements for good jobs (and even crappy ESL jobs) often specify that applicants need to be under 35.

HOWEVER, having become "human resources guy" by default for my company (which provides English training among other services), I've noticed I'm discriminating in favor of people over 45. I've had only bad experiences with younger foreigners -- one (in his 20s) simply went AWOL for a week; another (about 30) simply annoyed the client's management and we were asked to replace her. She never bothered to use our materials, using either her own, or talking about her experiences in Mexico (all very interesting, I'm sure -- but our methodolgy calls for the learners to practice speaking, too). That, and her "personal style" (i.e. body art) wasn't appreciated by the client's conservative upper management.

The younger foreigners (from the U.S. and Canada) seem to expect that business in Mexico is more "laid back" than at home, or seem to think that Mexican businesses are not "real" businesses. Possibly, some think that "teachers" are a unique commodity -- or their unique experiences make them valuable to us. Or, they've had no experience in things not working quite as planned -- one gringa was given an advance on her paycheck, but complained when the rest of her check was going to be a little late (something that unfortunately happens in small Mexican businesses).

Not that older people don't complain about money... everybody does. But older foreigners -- especially those who've lived in Mexico for years -- seem to be more ameniable to "playing by the rules" (i.e., filing their work reports, and on time; keeping the office informed of schedule changes, etc.) and rolling with the punches when things don't go smoothly.

My company is not a "school" per se -- TESOL and TEFL certification isn't as important as other things. That may be part of the problem for the younger foreigners. I think some of them are eager to put their teacher training to the test -- and use the Mexican schools (or businesses) as a laboratory, forgetting it's the real world. Or, they haven't unlearned all the academic hoo-haw that isn't applicable in "real business". Or, they're immature.

I have a second, part-time job placing people for one of the internet job services, and most candidates are fresh out of school. Of course, I'm going to continue placing them, and expect they'll do a fine job. But, there are jobs for older and second career teachers (or "trainers", which we use since we don't have an academic focus) and -- in some cases -- they have an advantage.

[MixtecaMike]

[Guy Courchesne]

[richtx1]

It used to be common, back in the dark ages of sexism, for Mexican businesmen to have "English teachers" hired for... shall we say... "other attributes" than their ability to parse a sentence? That's not to say learning a foreign language needs to be drudgery, nor that good looking women aren't teachers (good looks AND a brain? More power to 'em!).

I'm not offering an academic program, but rather business training... and my needs are slightly different than the schools'. We don't even have "students" -- we stopped using words like "student" and "teacher" because they imply an academic model... and we're selling English training as a necessary business tool. It's the younger "teachers", enamoured of ESL models, or some other pedagogical theory that have the biggest problem grasping the difference. They KNOW how to teach, but not how to work in a business.

Language education in Mexico, even in schools, is a business, and "teachers" tend to forget that.

[dialogger]

Bless you richtx1 - if that's not an outdated concept.
Tell me where I apply for a job with you!
Can I PM you?