Job Discussion Forums

[alexdavies9]

I'm coming to San Jose in March to work at Instituto Britanico (International House) for a year. I think the school is in Los Yoses (?). I've had a good read through the forum and found some useful advice (cheers Ole!) about life in San Jose, but I was keen to find out if anyone had any recommendations based on Los Yoses. By looking at a map, it seems that Guadalupe and San Pedro are two of the closest areas to the school. Sounds like these areas are ok (ish?) or is there anywhere nearby that anyone can recommend as a better place to live?

Also, does anyone know much about Instituto Britanico? My job description says I'll be teaching for 22 hours per week (give or take), I get around $850 a month (before deductions, 9% i've been told), 100 hours free Spanish classes, the school pay for taxis home after evening classes and pay for 2 weeks with a host family when I get there. Sounds quite good to me compared to others??

Finally...I'll be looking for a place to move in to near the end of March. I'm keen to take a room in a shared apartment. Anyone out there with a room going? My Spanish is almost non-existent at the moment but I'm working on it and to learn Spanish is one of my main objectives on this trip, so I'm happy living with any nationality. I thought it might be good to ask on here because it might be quite good to live with other teachers, mainly because of the weird hours they work.

Any chat would be gratefully received. Cheers!

[OleLarssen]

Hi Alex!

I haven't heard anything about Ins Britanico but if they pay you $850 for 22hrs a week that is absolutely fantastic, bordering on too-good-to-be-true. Depends on your qualifications though, of which I know nothing.

Los Yoses is not bad. Go to http://maps.google.com/ and look up San Jose, Costa Rica, and follow me as I explain a little. Basically if you don't have personal transportation and don't want to get any, you're going to need to consider the bus routes very carefully. I don't know what you are planning socially, but there are plenty of expats and English speakers in and around Los Yoses and east-southeast on the pista (highway) which is orange on the map. A general recommendation for places to stay that are well-connected to Los Yoses by public transportation would be: San Pedro (lots of young people, students living there), Sabanilla (south of San Pedro I think), and eastwards towards Tres Rios. It really depends on what kind of transportation you have available and what kind of social life you want and / or need.

Los Yoses is close to everything but is not supersafe at night (specificially, the areas close to the mall and the main road) - this is just hearsay, I've never lived there myself. Guadalupe, as you can see on the map, is indeed close geographically. However, the buses generally only run from one neighborhood and downtown, and through whatever neighborhoods are in the way. Which is why San Pedro and Los Yoses has a great bus service because a million buses have to pass through there to go east or back downtown. So, while Guadalupe and San Pedro/Los Yoses are neighbors, the bus service between them is limited to one line (and it's a miracle they have that) which runs every fifteen minutes or so, supposedly, and every half hour on off days and hours.

Right, I'm kind of rambling here so I'll let you pull me in by asking more specific questions...

[alexdavies9]

Cheers, this is all welcome information. I'm not totally sure yet, but it seems that the school will be paying for most of my travel (from the school to any other sites, and from wherever I am after evening sessions to home) so it wouldn't matter so much where I lived, as long I could get into the school during the day - preferably by bus, being cheaper. I'm planning on spending most of my wages and time off travelling around the country a bit, so I'm not desperate to be in an area full of bars and clubs - just a reasonably nice area with a bit of a scene at night would be good (if possible). It's quite hard to find this sort of information elsewhere - always better coming from people that live there/have lived there.

ps. do you know where centro colon is?

Thanks!

[OleLarssen]

San Pedro would be fine for you then, if you're not, like, ancient (i.e. over 40 ;). Los Yoses too. I don't know where Centro Colon is but I have an office full of Ticos I can ask.

[epiclady]

Hey! I'm going to be starting at that exact same school in March (on the 9th, to be exact...we'll probably be meeting at the orientation, then). I'm already here in Costa Rica, having fled a horrid school I originally signed up with, and managed to get hooked up with Instituto Britanico thanks to a bit of networking, a lot of effort, and my own qualifications.

It's among the most, if not the most, prestigious school in the country, and the main Cambridge testing centre for Central America. The pay is indeed fantastic, and since it's an international school with a strong reputation, there are work ethics and conditions there that are lacking in some of the national schools. We also get a working visa, paid vacation time, and national health care.

I'll be working out of the Central Colon school--in an office bulding by some park, kind of at the entrance to downtown San Jose--and live just outside of Heredia. Los Yoses campus is the main one, is past downtown, and is lovely. Most of the teachers there live around that area.

Anyway, long story short...there's a strong chance I'll be moving for April 1 or May 1, since a) the commute from where I am is too long, and b) there are too many yapping dogs in my neighbourhood. They have housing assistants at the school to help with stuff. If you want to, PM your e-mail address and we should get in touch!

[voegelae]

Hi there! This is probably too late as you most likely have already moved to Costa Rica, but everytime I go to Costa Rica to visit friends, I stay in Los Yoses, it's a nice place, lots to do around the area, and I have walked past the school where you will be teaching!

I am coming to CR in April to get my TEFL Certification, right in San Pedro, and the will be looking for teaching opportunities - I'm just worried that I'm going at the wrong time, that it'll be hard to find jobs. If you want, you should PM me and let me know how things are going for you!

[OleLarssen]

I don't think there is such a thing as no work for English teachers in San Jose, international crisis or not.

[voegelae]

Thanks Ole, you just made my day. I guess I'll just have to wait until I am physically there to see what kind of demand there is.

[LaineK]

Thank you all for your information. I hope that you are all doing well in class and have been able to meet up.

I have been researching schools in San Jose to take the TEFL course. I have it narrowed down to ITTO and Ins Britanico. I would enjoy hearing how the course is going for everyone and how San Jose really is.

Plus - any information about the schools in San Jose would be welcome if someone knows of a good school. I have a B.S. and M.S. in business and 15 years experience in personnel and am looking to take the class - TESL and move to Costa Rica on a perm basis - any additional info would be appreciated.

[OleLarssen]

San Jose is great if you take it with a grain of salt and some patience. If you have travelled in the third world before and been pretty comfy you will have no issues with San Jose. If you have spent all your life between a job, a mall and your house in the US then it's going to be a lot tougher. :)

[LaineK]

I am looking forward to enjoying the relaxed atmosphere the hustle and hustle is just too much. I don't mind waiting in line - you can meet new people in line.

[OleLarssen]

Depends on which part of San Jose you live in, but if you have to use buses, there's not gonna be a lot of relaxed atmosphere. Lots of hustle and bustle though. :)

I live in a great, quiet neighborhood (Sabana Sur) where I can walk to work and take easy buses (i.e. one straight bus) to almost everywhere I have a need to go. That way, I reduce the level of hustle and bustle.

Maybe we could make a H&B-o-meter. Where 1 is like an underground lake, and 10 is Mexico City/Rome in rush hour on payday.

[LaineK]

A scale would be great I especially like the 1 side of the scale. 10 could be the I-95 highway from New York to Boston - it is like the Indy 500 on steriods.

[LaineK]

Thanks for the info on your neighborhood. I imagine alot will be based upon were I get a job. I figure classes are first and job hunt while I am taking classes and find a place to live...unless that will just be too much.

[OleLarssen]

I live in Sabana Sur in the area behind Pops. It's a 3, very calm traffic-wise but as everywhere else in San Jose, everybody lives on top of each other. I love the area though, it's also very safe. And close to where I work. And close to where my hobbies (Spanish and theatre) are. And practical for me and my girlfriend to visit each other.

:D

Sabana Sur south of Pops on the H&B-o-meter: 3.

I also lived in Rohrmoser for a while which was also very calm and safe, except that I lived right next to Rohrmoser boulevard, which was not so fun.

Rohrmoser south of American embassy on the H&B-o-meter: 5

Finally I have lived in downtown Guadalupe right next to Nova Centro. It was great in some ways - super-convenient for a long range of things - but dangerous, ugly and noisy pretty much everywhere.

Downtown Guadalupe next to Nova Centro on the H&B-o-meter: 7

I'm starting to sense a pattern in my movements...