Job Discussion Forums

[LaLuchaSigue]

After a long time of lurking on these message boards, I finally feel like I have a question that's a little different from the many that seem to recur here. I would like to move to Chile to teach English, and am thinking about NEXT Feb as a potential start date since I'm graduating with a lot of debt and I've got to pay some bills and start saving for the trip.

I am curious to know if anyone on this board has any experience with CIEE. They charge a pretty steep fee, but it looks like they guarantee a job and provide assistance with a visa, which seems like it would save a lot of stress.

They say placements will pay between 300,000 - 600,000 pesos per month, which is quite a variation. Since I am coming out of school with a lot of bills to pay, I'd like to know what you all think of this arrangement.

Thanks.

[mineposa2]

You're going to pay to get a job?

Don't.
You don't need it.

Just come here, with a good resume. February/March is a good time to come because that's when everyone gets back from vacation, school starts again, etc., but sometimes things don't really pick up until April, even May.

Do you need to keep paying bills at home when you get here? If so you should think hard about what you want because you can easily spend 300,000 a month on rent and living expenses. You can also spend a lot less, but still...even you only spend 100,000 total on rent/utilities, you could easily spend another 150,000 on food, transport, going out, etc...especially depending on where you live and how much you cook.
And spending that little on rent/utilities means you'll be living in a part of town requiring you to take more public transport when you otherwise could bike or walk...depending on schedule.

Just don't get fooled by those TEFL certification companies or placement companies that make you pay a shitload to and "garuantee" a job. You don't need a TEFL certificate unless you're planning on becoming an ESL/EFL teacher as a career, in that case you need a serious certificate like CELTA or from a formal educational institution like a college.

Having the cert might help a little, but really it's a waste of money because you're not going to have much better chances or pay with it than without.

The thing it might help with is having a clue when you start teaching, but that depends on the training...and my guess is that from a company out to make money off young kids looking for a way to live abroad, the training will not be very good.

[LaLuchaSigue]

Thanks for your reply. I guess what I liked about the idea was the job guarantee, but when you break down the cost of living, it doesn't seem like much of a guarantee. If I were debt free I'd just move down there and look for work, but I feel like I've got to look for an opportunity that will allow me to make more than just enough.

I'm fluent in Spanish and I'd be willing to do just about anything, not necessarily TESL. I really just feel like I need a break from the US for a while. If anybody on this board has any suggestions for me, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Menelik]

I am currently teaching english at Duoc, which the organization CIEE helped me get. I did alot of research myself whether to get certified and find a job over here or just pay a fee to one of the organizations that will find you a job (ex: CIEE, Teach in Chile, World Teach). The fee did include medical insurance for the whole year, help with getting a visa (which was helpful but whatever..), and lodging for a month. I choose to go with an organization because: I didn�t have enough time and money to take a TEFL course or CELTA and make it in time for the academic school year which starts in March. Also, I�m not that gutsy to just pick up and go find a job in a country I do not know. I really congradulate those individuals that find jobs on their own because its a totally different world out here.
Anyways......I�m getting paid 300,000 a month to teach at Duoc, which is like a technical college over here. I had my first day of teaching and I loved it. BUT.....like everyone else said that has taught here already.....you can barely make it here on 300,000 pesos a month. If you cook almost all your meals and find a cheap place to live and hardly go out, yeah...you�ll be fine. But if you wanna enjoy the night life, tour a bit, eat some different foods (I have to add that chilean food is not that good, pretty average and not that tasty)....your best bet would be to either get some kind of certification and find a job on your own. Also, I read that if you do private tutoring or lessons, you can make a considerably amount.
So....as for me, I will either have to find more work, which our school says we can pick up an extra class, or find some kind of supplemental income.
I hope this information was helpfull. If you can make it down to Chile, I�m sure you will love it. I do already and its only been 3 weeks.

[LaLuchaSigue]

Thanks Menelik! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. I hope things work out for you down there.

[Menelik]

No problem!