Job Discussion Forums

drewteacher · Joined: 03 Oct 2005 Posts: 62

I'm planning to teach English in BA next year. Do you think job seeking is better in February or in March? Also, I hope to find a hostel around $10 a night temporarily, but other than the room, how much money (in dollars or pesos) do you think I need to live until work arrives. I've got a CELTA and 5 years experience. Thanks! Drew

sheena maclean · Posted: Sat Oct 15, 2005 4:26 pm Post subject:

I would think to be on the safe side come in March. from what I can gather. $10a night for a hostel? That would be impossible in the summer. I pay $14 and thats the minimum for a dorm room. I wouldn't suggest coming to Argentina with less than US$2000. You will have to use your savings to support yourself before and while working. This is not a cheap city when you are earning pesos!! Especially for rental, as you will see when you arrive!!
sheena

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

yeah, you use a lot of savings to get started. you only get paid once a month, and that's usually sometime in the middle after the institutes have already collected from their students. (i have yet to be paid for september.)

it can take a while to find a decent apartment. and many times, you have to pay a significant security deposit and several months' rent up front. it can be quite expensive. i brought ~$2000 and ran out but i had an extra month that i wasn't working while i was getting my tefl and i lived with a host family for a month because i couldn't stand the hostel i was in for more than a week. most-likely worst-case scenario: you'll have to live about 6 weeks without ANY income while trying to get yourself setup. it shouldn't be much worse than that.

Saudade59 · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 4

Hello, I'm a history prof. w/ 5 years of teaching experience who just wants to escape the U.S. and live in Argentina or somewhere else in Latin America. (Sound familiar?) When is it good to come to BA to look for work as an English teacher? (In other words, when do the schools start up after the summer holiday?) As I have little experience teaching English as a foreign language, I probably need to get "certified." But would it be better to do the TEFL/CELTA course in Nov./Dec. or in Jan./Feb. to find work for Argentina's fall semester?

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

Jan/Feb... march is the official beginning of the new school year, so feb is a good time to get hired.

but the institutes that i'm working for all claim that all my classes will continue through the summer, so it may not make much of a difference depending on where you get work.

that said, i haven't tried to work through a summer here yet, so it may just be an empty argentine promise...