Job Discussion Forums

[arcueil_1]

Hello, everyone.

I have a question regarding salary at this institute. I realize that this type of question has been asked countless times but I guess that in some ways my case is different. For the sake of directness, I'll lay out my post as follows:

About Me:

1) I am 100% fluent in both English and Spanish (native in both); I'm able to use Italian and Portuguese; I can get by with a tiny bit of French and Manadarin Chinese; I'm an American, though not the stereotypical blonde, blue-eyed fellow (I look more like a Latin American from, say Chile or Argentina).

2) I have a BFA in Music Composition from California Institute of the Arts.

3) I don't have a TEFL cert. or similar doc.

4) I have taught ESL in the PRC (China) for four years, earning decent money (comes to about $15-18 per hour, on average); I have taught primary, middle and high school (one six-month contract and two one-year contracts); I have taught undergraduates at Sichuan University (one term); I have taught graduates at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music (music history lectures); I have also taught at a language institute and given plenty of private lessons; I'm able to teach TOEFL.

5) I taught for seven years at a junior college in California (music theory, history and other things related to music).

6) I have plenty of experience translating for a film company in the USA (Spanish to English, Haitian Creole to English and vice-versa).

7) I worked as an after school counselor about 10 years ago.

I'm a happily married 37 years old (no kids yet, however). My wife would not be coming to Mexico at this time due to the demands of her job -- I would be going solo, for one year. I want to leave the PRC and give Mexico a try.

Offer from "Linguas Centro de Idiomas y Traducciones":

1) 40-hour work week at the institue or possibly a nearby accredited one.

2) Work involves teaching anytime from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. six days a week (!) to a very wide assortment of age groups and levels of fluency; translation services; other miscellaneous office tasks; preparation of syllabi, schedules and so on.

3) Benefits: six days of paid vacation; private classroom and all materials needed.

4) "Competitive Salary": 7000 pesos (!).

As you can clearly see, this is a very demanding job.

The post that I had first encountered at English Job Maze did not specify a salary. The page regarding the job opening at the institute's website did not specify the salary either. Ditto for the letter that was sent back to me by the institute. (Said letter also contained a very thorough questionnaire that I had to fill out and send back. The questionnaire consisted of very specific questions regarding teaching methods, scenarios and so forth.)

In view of the almost extreme demands of the job, and in view that the manner in which the offer was posted implied ample room for negotiation regarding the salary, I was going to ask for somewhere between 27000 and 32000 pesos per month (net) to perform said job, not one peso less. Upon doing some further research about Linguas, I was quite shocked to find other posts in other websites having the same content as the post I had read but this time with the salary clearly stated: 7000 pesos. As far as I'm concerned, that would be an insufferably low salary, especially in view that the job is so demanding. I think it is an extremely unreasonable offer, to say the least.

It is very possible that I will be conducting a telephone interview with these folks in the very near future. I now realize that a salary of 27-32K per month would be nearly impossible to obtain in Guadalajara, but I strongly feel that such a job deserves a pay rate of at least three times what they are offering. This is especially true in view that I have plenty of experience and qualifications, and I'm absolutely fluent in both English and Spanish (not to say anything about the other languages, which are also taught at the institute).

Question: What salary could I ask for, keeping in mind everything I have written here? I would expect *at least* 21K per month to perform such a job. Otherwise, I will remain in China or move back to the states.

Thanx for the attention!

[ANDREAAA]

That contract seems petty good. maybe if you push you could get 8000. I know that school and its in a nice area of town and they have some competition in the area. I knewo one guy who worked there and he said its pretty good and relaxed. You can definitely live on that salary there. You will do well with it actually. I have to say that I LOVED Guadalajara, and mexican students are lovely. I think your work schedule will probably look like classes in the morning and in the evening. Probably not straight during the hours in the contract. I think this is a good school, and the salary is about right for the area. I envy you to get a full time job there. Don't got to Pacos, their tacos are not the best
Andrea

[ANDREAAA]

sorry just re-read your post. Maybe you could ask for more if you are providing translation services....

[arcueil_1]

I'm sorry, Andreaaa, but from what I've been reading here, 7000 for forty hours of work, plus translation services and so on is just far too low. Keep in mind that I have plenty of experience and I'm native in both languages, etc. I even have to pay for my own visa, apartment, etc. -- to my knowledge there are no significant benefits offered at all. I'm certain that when all is said and done, I would be working very hard indeed just to *survive* with that kind of money. Think about it: 3-5K for a decent apartment and the rest for bills and food; very little else would remain after that. The whole thing seems like a huge step backward from where I'm at now.

Thanx for input nevertheless.

Question: Keeping in mind all that was said in the first post, how much should a person *really* make for performing such a job? Please guys, I need much more input.

[ls650]

A local language school is offering a position teaching roughly 30 hours per week mostly English, with some French. There would be a variety of other tasks involved, including some translation work. The salary the school is offering is about 7500 pesos per month.

With your experience and training you could hope for a better job, say 10 thousand a month - but I think "21K per month" is completely impossible. Someone high in the adminstration of a large company might make that kind of salary... but a lowly teacher won't come close.

[MO39]

. I even have to pay for my own visa, apartment, etc. -- to my knowledge there are no significant benefits offered at all.

From my own experiences teaching in Mexico over the years, and especially in the last couple of years, benefits beyond your salary and maybe some vacation time are quite rare, particularly if you're working at a private language institute. Paying for your work visa and your apartment are standard for Mexico. If you compare working conditions in China with what you'll find in "M�jico lindo y querido", you're bound to feel disappointed and even cheated, but that's just the way things are.

[arcueil_1]

Thank you, ls650. What I can't understand is that I was under the impression that for such a job one could make between 150 and 200 per hour, yet if I calculate things like this:

10000 pesos X 160 hours = 62.5 pesos per hour.

Even 10K seems extremely low for such a job, especially in a relatively expensive city like Guadalajara. 18K would be (more or less) an average 120 pesos per hour. (Please read the 3 year old sticky called Mexico -- My Experiences.)

MO36: I understand and I don't mind having to pay rent and such, but 7K... Nah. The thing is that I love Mexico and would love to work there but the salaries just don't measure up. However, there seems to be an extremely wide variation.

Thanx for the input. Are there other opinions?

[cwc]

[grahamcito]

For a language school in GDL, 7000 a month for a 40-hour week is low, but not the bottom. It's a tough schedule, but you'll find people working similar time for similar money. Basic pay is normally between $50-60 an hour of classtime, with no pay for prep time and few if any meaningful benefits.

If you're translating as well, you should earn more: between $100 and $150 a page is standard here.

But $27-30,000 a month for teaching in a language school? No way. This is Mexico, where there's limited demand for classes and a healthy supply of teachers, not China, where demand still outstrips supply.

If you're in it for the cash, apply to one of the universities. But you're still not going to get 27-30,000.

[arcueil_1]

Thank you, grahamcito. If one averages 62.5 and 150, one comes up with this: 106.25 pesos per hour; 106.25 X 160 = 17000 pesos per month. That's a bit better but not really that good for my needs (and it doesn't reflect my qualifications). How much do the good universities pay? What are recommended universities in GDL?

[grahamcito]

[arcueil_1]

Alright. About how much do you think those universities pay for, say, 20 hours?

[Samantha]

arcueil_1 wrote:

[FreddyM]

If you can find a teaching job that pays $27k-32k net, please let me know. I'm a native bilingual too, with a master's degree (nearly a Ph.D.) from a top school in the U.S., and a real teaching certification in ESL (not some one month diploma), with plenty of experience, and the best I've been able to find in Mexico City is about $12k net. Even some of the more prestigious schools, like Tec, have not been able to guarantee me that figure.
Yes I know others that earn a bit more, perhaps topping off around $18k net, but you have to be pretty lucky (and good) to land those jobs. You don't even have a master's degree.

[ls650]

arcueil_1: Unfortunately, Latin America just doesn't pay as well as other locations. Folks choose to come to Latin America because the lifestyle is great, but the pay definitely is not.

If you need to save money, I suggest taking a look at Korea, Taiwan, or Japan. You may not enjoy these countries as much as Mexico, but you'll earn a wage much more in-line with your expectations.