Job Discussion Forums

[naturegirl321]

www.languagecorps.com (Placements in Cusco)
www.teachperu.com (Placements in Lima and Huarez)

Don�t worry too much about TEFL certs. Having a degree and being a native speaker are usually enough to get a job. Experience and is also a big help. And if you have a teaching license, you can get a job just about anywhere.

Where to go
Some people are certain what city they want to live in while others aren�t. Many people want to go to Cusco. Keep in mind that there are lots of tourists and is similar to Europe, so if you want the real Peru experience, I would advise against Cusco. Smaller towns are an option. Piura and Chiclayo are close to the famous beaches. Trujillo is a uni town. Lima is the centre of everything. Arequipa is famous for its volcano. Puno has snow. Iquitos is in the jungle. Do some research; what appeals to some many not appeal to others.

Short-term
If you want to come here for a short-time it's difficult to get a job and a visa before you get here. However, if you want to stay for six months, you could sign a year-long contract with a school and simply leave after six months. It�s not that honest, but it is an option. And chances are that they would get you a visa. But, if you have a work visa, the school has to give you papers in order to leave the country. See section 2G for more information.
Many people simply come here and hand out their CVs. You will probably make about 5 USD an hour. Keep in mind working without a visa is illegal. However, this being said, many people do it though and chances are slim that you will run into problems. You get 90 days upon entry and then can extend it three more times, each time for 30 days, so you can get a total of six months here. Some places that hire on tourists visas in Lima are Multilingua, World Communications and Master Business English. Expect to get around 7-10 USD the hour.

Answering adverts
Some of the ones that usually have jobs in Peru are www.teachabroad.com and www.volunteerabroad.com However, you may have to pay for these programmes. You can also find adverts here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/perujobbulletin/

Cold calling
Applying to schools can be discouraging. Many places won't reply. This may be because they usually hire in Jan or simply because they would rather have you come in person before they hire you. Don't give up. Being persistent pays off.

Private lessons
Another option is coming and teaching private lessons. Try posting at private schools and universities. You can also try posting your advert at www.expatperu.com and www.livinginperu.com/classifieds. Also www.expatperu.com has a Listserv, you will have to join first, but around 1000 people, expats and Peruvians read it. So consider posting your advert there. You can also post in the local paper. Privates outside of Lima pay around 5-10 USD the hour. In Lima they can pay 20 USD an hour.

Volunteering
www.idealist.org

1E. www.winfieldcollege.com Winfield College, Canada
www.english-international.com English International, Jeff Mohammad
www.tefltraining.co.uk TEFL training

3D. There are some common tricks used on foreigners, so be careful. They may try to rob or kidnap you. This isn�t to say that Peru is dangerous. The world isn�t safe and it�s best to be safe than sorry. If you�re aware of what can happen, this can help you not become a victim.

People will try to get you into taxis. I was downtown in a nice area looking for flights in travel agencies. As I left one another woman left after me. When we were outside she asked if I was looking for flights. I said yes. She said she worked for a travel agency. I asked for her card. She didn't have one with her. She then offered to take me to the travel agency in a taxi. I said thanks and walked away. Don't get into taxis with unknown people, no matter what they tell you.

Other way to get you into a taxi is posing as someone from a business. I got a call from some at my bank. She said that they were having a breakfast in order to ask me my opinion about the bank. She wanted to get info from me, such as where I lived, what I did, etc. Don't give out info over the phone, even if they say that they are from a place where you have accounts. If it's true, they should have your information, there's no reason why they need to ask for it. She told me that the breakfast was free and a taxi would be provided. Just like the first situation, don't get into taxis with people you don't know.. I then called the bank. They said they there was no breakfast. What happens is that people inside the bank or company sell info to others, that's how they know you're a customer there.

Another ploy is the "ignorant peasant who won the lottery." A campesino looking guy wanders up to strangers, carrying a note he can't read. The note says "this guy has a winning lottery ticket" or an insurance judgment, or something else that means he's going to get a lot of money...but he needs help with the bureaucracy, as he can't read. To help him make his claim, and receive a share, take him to _______ (A street address.) Don't, obviously. And if you can, when you run into this guy, talk to the police, security guards, or locals who can arrange to move him on out of your neighborhood.

Be sure to be street smart. Don't answer surveys on the street if they ask for personal details, or a signature.
Be aware of shoe shine boys. They will charge you much more than they say and if you refuse to pay they will gang up on you. When you use an ATM, be aware of who�s near you. Often women will try to get your card, money or PIN number.

These are just some of the ploys, I'm sure there are more. Overall I feel safe here. Just always be wary. One reason why foreigners usually fall into their traps is because they�re busy looking at all the fascinating things Peru has to offer. Things like this may happen in your hometown as well. Lastly, in my opinion, public transport is safer than taxis.

Beggars are another matter. Unfortunately, beggars are a common scene here. You will see country people, old people and children as young as 2. You can either give them money or not. If you give them money, it should only be about 10 or 20 centimos. Also, have the money ready and easily accessible, in a pocket separate from your bills. You don�t want to be taking out your wallet when you give money to beggars. If you don�t want to give them money, simply ignore them. Or if you speak Spanish well enough, I usually tell them to leave me alone and push them away. They may follow you and pull on your clothes. Be careful of their little hands that reach into pockets.

3F. www.avianca.com

4D. www.prensaescrita.com/american/peru.php List of newspapers