Job Discussion Forums

[ess117]

Hola,

I recently came to Chile to live with my girlfriend for six months. I came through a placement agency that assured me I would be given a job in Santiago. Now it looks like they're sending me to Vina del Mar.

Now, I know Vina is a pretty city, but my novia is studying in Santiago, and this seems like sort of a raw deal, especially since I was lied to explicitly in a series of emails I still have archived on my computer. I have a meeting with my "boss" tomorrow, but I'd like to start putting out feelers for information on Dave's ESL.

1) Has anybody had this happen to them? What did you do?

2) How hard do you think it would be to start over finding a job in Santiago? I'm here on a student visa from the US granted by the institution that employs me - will this screw that up/get me deported?

If things go badly at my meeting tomorrow, I'll gladly reveal the name of the placement agency that gave me this runaround. For now, since I know they monitor these boards, I'm going to stay quiet.

[mike30]

You won't have any trouble finding another job...and whoever hires you will help you sort out your visa. There is no risk of you being deported, for one thing US citizens have 90 days just on a tourist visa.

I would recommend that you just cut your losses and get out now if you feel like they're jerking you around. Too many teachers think that these schools are doing them a favor by giving them a job. It is the schools that need you and not the other way around. A lot of the schools feed off young graduates who have never worked overseas before...pay them low wages, don't give them enough hours, and give them the run around until the year's half over and you figure to just stick it out until you go home.

Hopefully there was just a misunderstanding and they'll place you here....by the way, never ever use a placement agency if they charge you even one dime...it is way too easy to get a job on your own.