Job Discussion Forums

thebigqtip · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

Hello. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I spent a year living like a caged puma in the Children's Republic of South Korea. All job-related angst aside, I really loved it there, in spite of everything.

It's winter here in Nebraska. I've been offered positions at a few schools in San Jose. I'm inclined to board a plane on January 2nd and kiss this arctic hellhole goodbye, but there has been a sudden rush of extremely distressing news about Costa Rica. I'm not sure what I had in mind before all of this, but now I'm having nightmares about being pistol whipped to death by a three-toed sloth.

In short, I'm still interested in teaching in Costa Rica, but I'm looking into teaching somewhere away from the big city. Is Heredia (relatively) safe? I'm aware that nowhere in Central America (or the rest of the world) is going to be as safe as the padded room that is Korea. I don't mind having my pockets picked because there's mostly lint in there anyway. But my moderately attractive face could do without another beat-down.

If anyone knows of any good schools or job openings, I'd be forever in your debt if you would kindly let me know about them.

Thank you, Costa Rican forum readers. And good night.

Seibu · Joined: 29 Nov 2006 Posts: 65

No, no! Don't go to Heredia, dude. That's where I was going. Wink

I'm like you. I'm starting to question the whole Costa Rica bit......but who can stay on this desolate ice rink known as Oklahoma any longer? Ugh!

corr888 · Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Costa Rica

HEY bigqtip,
So I'm not actually in CR yet. I head down in few weeks, but I've done a lot of job researching and applying.
Check out http://costaricaclassroom.blogspot.com/. There are a few posts from back in January 2007 that have long, detailed lists and descriptions of schools w/ contact info.
Thats cool that you got offered postions without being down there.
Pretty much everybody emailed me back and said yeah let us know when you get here we wanna see your face.
On safety-I don't know. I've heard that Heredia is realtively safe in comparison to San Jose.
Good Luck!

thebigqtip · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

Thanks for getting back to me, dudes!

Actually, Corr:
I remember reading a few of your posts earlier. I'm being courted by the same school you're headed to, NLA, and I'm supposed to start my training at the same time. But because of the crime situation down there, I'm hesitant to buy a plane ticket and seal my fate. Not that you shouldn't head down to CR. I'm just an extremely indecisive goofball. Maybe if I decide to head down we can cover each other on the streets. I'm good with foam nunchuks, but not much else.

Seibu:
I'm in the same Midwestern boat. This is exactly why I shipped myself off to Korea last summer. I reached a point where if I had to merge onto the interstate one more time, if I had to buy luncheon meats at Wal-Mart one more time, if I saw one more faded "W '04" sticker on the back of a Pontiac Aztek, I was going to do something unpleasant. Like get a strange piercing.

I really desperately want to get out of this country again. It's like a sinking ship. Not desperately enough to go back to South Korea, but perhaps desperately enough to take my chances on the streets of San Jose.

Anyone have any information about Guadalupe? I assume it's not as bad as San Jose centro.

corr888 · Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 24 Location: Costa Rica

Yeah NLA was the only school that wanted to set up anything..the rest just wanted me to let them know when I was actually there.
I'm interested in knowing more about Guadalupe. I know virtually nothing about it.
Anybody live there? Teach there? Ole.......?
Between your nunchucks and my mase I'm sure we'll be fine! Come on down!

thebigqtip · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 15

Corr,
I'm thinking I might go for it. I've got nothing to do for the next ten months anyway.

This will be the second time in as many years that I've vanished overnight in the pursuit of TEFL superstardom. Last summer, I made the split second decision to teach in South Korea. One day I was around. The next, I was gone. When I returned, my friends took me out for drinks and we picked up where we left off, pretended as though nothing had happened. I bummed around town for four months. My friends got used to having me around, assumed that my wandering days were over. But the weather turned cold and I grew restless and now I'm about to pull the disappearing act all over again. Ay, dios mio, man.

teachwrite · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 40 Location: Milky Way

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

NLA is a decent place to work, but don't expect superstardom.

Guadalupe is a great place to live. It ain't pretty, but it's relatively safe (as far as San Jose goes etc etc) and you can find some great apartments for very decent prices. Same goes for Moravia, which is in my opinion quite nice as well. Both areas lend themselves easily to working at NLA.

davechile · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: San Francisco, CA

If you don't mind me asking; What did they offer you? Hours & Rate? Base on your experience. Planning to drive down from San Fran either end of 08 or beginning of 09. I know rates can change by then but, it is good to know, with the Dollar sliding to new lows.

Dave

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

Pay is about 2000 colones per hour, 3500 or so for business teaching. Avoid teaching business and get 30 hours of teaching per week in the academy itself and you'll be fine, but you'll have to work 8-hour Saturdays and split shifts pretty much every day to achieve it.

Yes, pay is low, but if you live within walking distance to the Academy and teach classrooms only, it can be worthwhile. Imagine, for 7.50USD an hour or whatever it is that the competition offers, you'll have to use at least 1500 colones a day for transport, for perhaps six hours in total of teaching (per day). You'll probably have to eat outside your house as well, so tag another 1300 to that (rough estimate) and you'll end up with daily expenses of nearly 3000 colones - and that's just to make it possible to teach at all. Any miscalculations in time, you'll have to take a taxi. And you'll be wet constantly in rainy season. And you'll probably be home at 9 in the evening and having to get up at 5 the next morning to reach your morning class.

Screw that. :)

(Yes, this is a pretty wild exaggeration)

davechile · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 87 Location: San Francisco, CA

Very good point, the opportunity costs and travel time eat that hourly rate right up. All the same I might do the business a couple days a week to get the experience under my belt. But, very good point. I don't think many people think it all the way through like that when they accept the business classes. Now if the Business folks come to the school...there we go!!!

When do you head Home Ole? Did you decide to stick around longer?

Dave

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

I'm in Norway presently. Returning in March sometime, hopefully - to my girlfriend, really, not to Costa Rica. I don't love the country nearly that much. Probably, I'll find a job in a call center or something to that effect - need a lot more than 400 dollars a month to pay off my student loan...

Vanica · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 368 Location: North Carolina

kruegs4 · Joined: 24 Jun 2005 Posts: 29 Location: Heredia, Costa Rica

San Jose can be an intimidating place but overall I think the country is very safe. I ended a two year stint down there in June. I don't feel any safer up here in FROZEN minnesota. I lived in Heredia and besides the occasional crazy person exposing themselves I felt it was a very safe and pleasant place to live. general rules: take taxis after 10, don't walk around with headphones on, don't flash jewelry, basically act the same as you would in any big city and you'll be fine.