Job Discussion Forums

socksthecat · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

Hello, I'm new to this forum. My Mexican husband and I met and married in the U.S., but his visa to live here in the U.S. is apparently going to take several years to obtain (trust me on this one, I am quite sure). Therefore, I'm moving to Mexico until further notice.

I want to know if I can work as an English teacher in Mexico based on my education and experience. I do not have a teaching degree.

Here's my background: I obtained an Associate Degree in Liberal Studies with emphasis in graphic design. This is a transferrable degree; if I should wish to obtain a bachelors degree, I could do so with one more year of schooling.

For the first five years after college, I worked primarily as a graphic designer. However, I almost always worked at small-town newspapers. Everywhere I went, my employers almost immediately discovered that I can type quickly, I am a terrific speller (sorry if this sounds immodest, just telling you all what I can do), and I usually catch grammar mistakes as well (although you experts may have already caught some in my post!). In addition to graphic design, I was always the designated typist and proofreader at every job I held.

In 2003 I moved to Indianapolis to work with Hispanic groups as a volunteer minister (graphic design has always been my source of income, and volunteer ministry has always been how I spend the rest of my time). Owing to this experience, I now read, speak, write and understand Spanish fluently. In 2005 my husband and I married and started our own landscaping business. I handled all of the customer service, graphic design and advertising, correspondence, accounting, and other duties while he performed the landscaping work and supervised. I also taught an English class in my basement for some Hispanic friends who wanted to improve their English at work.

Based on these facts: my degree (although it is neither a high degree nor is it in teaching), my bilingual ability and my proven spelling and grammar expertise, could I work in Mexico as an English teacher?

I appreciate any information or suggestions that any of you may offer.

MELEE · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:44 pm Post subject:

Yes, you could easily get a job--but having a BA would open so many more doors, as would a TEFL certificate.
If you just want a job for a while, then you are fine as you are. But if you want a career and want to make enough to support you both, you'll need more.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Do you know what part of Mexico you'll be moving to? You should be able to parlay some of that business experience into business English classes if need be, in larger cities such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, among others.

guatetaliana · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:49 pm Post subject:

Hey! My husband and I are in the same migratory situation as you are! We just filed our I-130 petition less than 2 months ago, just starting the process. Good luck! Have I met you on the http://immigrate2us.net forum? If not, you should get on over there, plenty of people going through the same thing.

Anyway, I have so little experience in Mexico teaching English (only 6 months so far), but to boost your marketability, you might want to go for a TEFL certificate. You can get one in about a month. The best part is that many TEFL schools have great connections to job possibilities. Maybe Guy can direct you to a good TEFL school, depending on where you want to live in Mexico.

Best wishes!

socksthecat · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

Thank you. My husband is from the state of Puebla, but he thinks we should settle in Morelos because his part of Puebla is very hot (I am very fair and have been known to faint when I become overheated). He is looking for houses in Cuautla. I know that I'd probably have more opportunities in Cuernavaca, but he seems to think the houses there will not be in our price range. Does anyone on this board know what houses run in Cuernavaca?

Also, this TEFL certification sounds good. How do I apply?

My husband has no intention of having to depend upon his wife for financial support. He is trying to sell some of his land in Puebla (they are building a highway right next to it, so the value has gone up quite a bit) so that he can buy a home and build a few shops on the remaining land. Once the highway is completed (he thinks about 5 months more), many people will be using it to travel across Puebla and will very likely stop at his shops to eat and use the restroom. My father-in-law, who lives directly across from my husband's land, thinks it's a great idea.

If I could work on a bachelor's degree online, perhaps in time I could earn more money in Mexico. It is an option I have not yet researched, as I am busy here trying to sell our landscaping business and our vehicle (a 2005 Scion XB, not something I can bring into Mexico for keeps, I believe...and even if I could, the payments are too expensive for a Mexico budget!).

MELEE · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:18 am Post subject:

What part of the US are you from?

If you are from Texas, the midwest, the southwest or the southeast, NO PART OF THE STATE OF PUEBLA IS HOT! I know I live very near the boarder of Puebla state, near the part that would be considered the hottest (La Mixteca Poblana) and I'm from the midwest of the US--It's really never "too hot" here. Hot yes, but it's not anywhere near as hot as Iowa in August.

With a BA, TEFL certification and some experience built up there is a very real chance you could make a better living in Mexico than you could in the US. I know my family lives much better here than we would in the US (I'd probably be a high school teacher if I lived in the US). Because the cost of living is so much lower.

In Mexico, it's often a better option to buy land and build rather than buy a house. At least in my area all ready built houses seem to be ridiculously expensive, you can build the same house on your own for cheaper. Also land on the outskirts is nicer to us Americans, but Mexicans want to live as close to the town square as possible so it is much cheaper to buy a nice lot 20 minutes out of town.

socksthecat · Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

Yes, he's looking both at houses in town and out of town. For whatever reason, he doesn't seem to want to build. He seems to think it's more expensive. Perhaps it is in that part of Morelos.

My husband is from Chiautla de Tapia, Puebla, in the southern part of the state. I was there with him two weeks ago, and I thought it was pretty toasty for mid-March. I can't imagine what it feels like there in July. Just sitting outside on my father-in-law's porch (in an even tinier village, San Juan de los Rios), everyone was teasing me about how red my cheeks were...and I was sitting still! All my in-laws who live in Indy have told me that Chiautla is a hot place to live.

I was born and raised in southern Illinois and currently live in Indianapolis. It gets hot here in the summer, sure, but when I left Indy for Mexico the temps were in the 20's with single-digit windchills, snow, and ice. In Chiautla, I was sweating while wearing a tank top.

I spent some time in the D.F. about four years ago and liked how it was neither too hot nor too cold. I don't think my husband has any desire to live there, but Cuautla is not far from there, and he seems to think that the temperatures there are comparable. I do think, though, that with my extremely fair complexion I will need to bring a truckload of sunscreen with me when I move. I burn at the drop of a hat.

As soon as I get our landscaping business sold, I will look into getting an online degree. Since I only need one year in a regular university to get a bachelor's, I wonder how long it will take online. I also wonder how much it will cost. I went to college entirely on a scholarship.

Leo726 · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 37

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Alive indeed! Please write me again...having lots of trouble with email. Try my hotmail account from my profile.

MELEE · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:57 pm Post subject:

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:22 am Post subject:

Leo726 · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 37

Okay Prof Gringo, you opened the door... What are you getting paid?

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:58 am Post subject:

I've mentioned it a few times. I make about $20,000 pesos per month. They then take out tax and I get 10% of my salary extra in vales, so it comes out to about $16,000 MXN in cash and about $4,000 in vales. I work various hours from 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday. I teach English, social studies, and literature in high school and middle school. I also teach some elementary classes.

Leo726 · Joined: 27 Mar 2008 Posts: 37

I don't know what "vales" are...

So, let's see. You teach Mon to Fri, from around 9am to 3pm, highschool and elementary. Is that at 2 different schools then? Maybe more? Do you also do private tutoring, or anything else of the side?

That is a great salary from what I've seen. Congrats. You're in Mexico City, right? I believe you posted on my topic about rent costs, saying you and your wife pay around 2500...

Thanks for the openness.

guatetaliana · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject:

Vales= Vales de despensa. They're kind of like coupons to be redeemed for groceries and such. Working sans-FM3, I was given this money straight up in cash (one of the only benefits of working this way), but when you're legally employed it's usually a part of your benefits package.