Job Discussion Forums

[Ms. Hauser]

I'm going to be moving to DF this fall and I am trying to decide if I should aim my job search at teaching business english or at teaching "regular" English. And so I have some questions, mostly about teaching business english:

I would imagine that if you are going to companies, you would have to dress up more than those teaching regular english. How standard is the dress code for those of you travelling from company to company?

Are business english classes more boring than regular english classes? Or is it the personalities of the students that make the classes interesting vs. not-so-interesting? I would love to hear about experiences from people who have taught both types of classes or from people that have had a significant amount of experience with the business classes.

It seems that specialty english pays more, but how much more? Also, would it be easier to maintain a steady income if I went the business-english route?

People have said that credentials are more important if you are teaching business english. I will not have any real teaching experience, but I will have a CELTA certificate, a BA in Business, and four years of business experience. Would this be enough to get me a decent gig?

I'd appreciate any other insights that you might have into resolving this question. Thanks!

Kelly

[Guy Courchesne]

The biggest difference between business English classes taught at companies and those taught at a language school is the amount of responsibility vested in the teacher. This expresses itself in how you dress since you both represent the school that employs you (or yourself in private classes taught at companies) and an associate of the student(s) and company - the person this company has chosen to do business with. That's probably a long way to say what you probably already know, which is to say, dress smartly.

I would say the above is the standard, rather than to simply say 'wear a suit'. I'll sometimes wear a suit and tie, but most often I show up in dress pants, black leather shoes, and a shirt or sweater (pretty standard wear for me anyway).

For me, business English classes are much more interesting than regular classes. Topics change more frequently and I find I learn a lot. You don't need to know a lot about business (you will learn though), but you do need to be able to manage a classroom and lessons that let the students bring their experiences and knowledge to the table. One thing that will fail you everytime is going 'by the book' in such a class. If there was ever a place that demanded a student-centered or communicative approach, the business English class is it.

Going to companies will pay a lot more, but the reason for that is also measured in travel time. A language school that keeps you on site would pay maximum 75 pesos per hour. While you get more hours 'onsite', the pay for going out to companies runs between 100 and 250 pesos, though an average to expect should be 150.

Too much travel time, and it's not really worth it, unless you find ways to keep yourself occupied during travel (lesson planning on the Metro!). Keep your travel time down and you'll find yourself with a handsomely paid job that consumes very little time during a day.

[Ms. Hauser]

Dynamism, eh?

I like to at least think I've got that, but I suppose that verdict is best left to an audience, which I don't have at the moment... Perhaps I'll join a Toastmasters Club or something to get used to speaking in front of groups.

As for metro multi-tasking, I'm a pro. However I do want to consider where the business zones are in making a decision on where to live. I was thinking of looking around the Colonia Roma. Is that zone easily accessible to the business areas of the city? Is there anywhere that would be more accessible, but still with bars and restaurants and decent rent prices?

Also, what's the deal with jobs with companies? Are those more desirable than the business-english jobs with schools? I imagine it's mostly large multi-national companies that hire in-house teachers.

Thanks for the advice.

k.

[Guy Courchesne]

I'm using company classes and business-English classes (via language schools) interchangeably. There are in-house positions at companies, but I think that's a realm often reserved for Mexican teachers. Wish I had more to share, but I don't.

Roma's a good spot. Central, safe, not-too-bad rents, access to transportation, good eats, and the right conversation. Condesa is nearby, but pricier, and a little plastic, for lack of a better word. I've been enjoying Cuauhtemoc colonia the last two years...a little more international in flavor, but not Polanco-so (where a lot of business English classes are).

[Ms. Hauser]

the right conversation? what is that?

thanks for all the info. i do appreciate it.

k.

[Guy Courchesne]

By that I mean there are many interesting people to meet. Roma's got an artsy edge to it as well as many coffee joints and an unpretentious Soho sort of feel to it.