Job Discussion Forums

[CaPow]

I worked at Ingles Empresarial in San Jose from June to December in 2005. I had a very positive experience with them and would encourage anyone who is thinking about teaching ESL in CR to look into them.
The hiring process was very easy and straightforward. I arrived in CR on a Monday, called IESA on Tuesday, had an interview Wednesday, stayed afterwards for teacher training, had more teacher training on Thursday and observed several lessons, had a Spanish class on Friday, and the following Monday I was substitute teaching. (I had a BA, a TEFL certificate, and teaching experience so I was not rushed into the classroom, I was thrilled to be teaching so quickly.)
I found the staff extremely helpful any time I had a problem or a question. Whether it was how to explain a difficult grammar concept, or a concern about classroom chemistry, ALL I HAD TO DO WAS ASK, and immediately I had their undivided attention. Whenever I started a new class someone would go to the class with me and introduce me, so I never felt like a fish out of water.
I was very lucky with my schedule. I taught 18 hours a week, Monday through Thursday. IESA paid for 4 taxis a week, because of time constraints between classes. CR has many public holidays (it seemed like almost 1 a month) and IESA pays you for holiday classes if they're canceled. If you do teach on holidays though, you get paid double. I earned my month's rent in a week and a half, so I lived comfortably.
As for all the stories about how great Tico students are... they're true. You would have to have a heart of stone not to fall in love with them. They're funny, motivated and incredibly warm. My students gave me rides to and from class a minimum of 4 times a week. Even though I knew I could only stay in CR for 6 months, it was still very difficult to leave, and I've kept in touch with many of my students.

Regarding some of the complaints about IESA that have been posted on this website...
Computers- Their computer system could be updated, no doubt about it. However for the most part it wasn't a big problem. Excess humidity on the wires during the rainy season shut down the internet for a week or 2, but the same problem made the security system in my house go off 3 times a night. Every night. So in retrospect IESA's computer system didn't seem so bad!
Office location- From San Pedro, the IESA office is only 10 minutes by bus. Most teachers seem to live in San Pedro (university area= cheap rent, bars/clubs) so I didn't consider the home office to be in a remote location. In fact it was on the way to 1 of my classes.
Teacher turnover- Yes there is a high teacher turnover rate. There are also many people who come to CR that have no commitment to teaching ESL. They realize after a few weeks that working interferes with their beach plans, social life, etc. They either quit or get fired. I would prefer a high turnover rate to a company that kept indifferent teachers on staff.

The biggest problem I had with working at IESA was a lack of comradery among the teachers. It wasn't that people were cold or unfriendly, but simply that everyone works off site. Teachers might only be in the office once a week to make copies, pick up supplies, and sign their paycheck. Therefore it was difficult at first to get to know other teachers, simply because sometimes I only saw them at monthly meetings, before we raced off to the beach for the weekend. After I settled in though, and made an effort to get together with teachers outside of the office, it was much easier.

I had friends who worked at U Latina and Pro Language and were very happy there, and there are pros and cons to working at any school. However, I would absolutely work at IESA again and recommend them to any teacher who is dedicated, motivated and professional.

[BoogaJuice]

I hope you are telling the truth. It is nice that people come on here and recommend good schools, but it makes me wonder if you are getting paid by the institution to spread good word. I'm NOT saying you are, but how would one know?

[doreenp]

try typing in Ingles Empresarial in the search bar at the top of the page. you will get all the postings regarding this company and then take each one with a grain of salt, throw out the worst and the best and make up your mind!

easy! no?
d

[misteradventure]

Wow, I couldn't write a better recruiting ad if I was in the IESA management.

Would I recommend a school to someone if I *didn't* know if they were

[CaPow]

Wow... When I wrote about my experience teaching at IESA I never expected this kind of response.

Obviously there is nothing that I can post to make anyone believe that I am a real teacher, but if you apply at IESA, feel free to look through last year's monthly newsletters to verify. Or ask Cecelia, Debbie or Diane about me. Ask them to send me a check while you're at it. If I'm going to be accused of being a recruiter I might as well get paid for it!

And just to clarify, you do NOT need a work visa to teach English in CR. You simply go on a border run every 90 days to Panama or Nicaragua.
Ca--- Pow---

[kparsons]

Whether or not it's true, it is nice to hear such a positive review.

CaPow, you say you made enough money to pay for your rent in just a week and a half -- were you able to save money working only 18 hours a week? If so, how much were you able to sock away each month? It sounds quite appealing, as we always thought there was no money to be made in CR....

[CaPow]

kparsons-
In theory you can save money, but I certainly didn't. My rent was really cheap, which saved me a lot of money... so I could spend it on other things! My attitude is why live in CR if you're not going to go to the beaches/rain forests/volcanoes/etc? Weekend trips can get a little expensive, but when are you going to have the chance to go on a canopy tour or see green sea turtles nesting again? So it's all a question of your priorities.
I would not say that CR is a place where a lot of money can be made, but you can easily support yourself.