Job Discussion Forums

[malane]

I was wanting to get anybody's opinion on what type of teaching job I could get given my credentials.

I intend to try to find a job in a language institute when I get to Mexico in a couple of weeks because I would like to teach adults. Given that I don't have much experience and am rather new to the field of ESL teaching I don't expect to receive any of the 'top job' positions available. I do, however, think that I have potential to get a little more than the absolute bottom jobs because...
I just graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in Linguistics; I think that should give me a little bit of an advantage over someone with the same amount of experience, but with a different degree. My ESL experience consists of one semester teaching a new beginners class consisting of about 20 immigrants. And for the past year I held 75 minute English conversation groups on a weekly basis, as well as participating in a one-on-one language exchange program. So I think in general I have a good basis (right?) ...oh, and i have a 120-hour online TEFL certificate.

My question is, what is the best job position you guys think I could get given my background? Like I said, I wasn't hoping for "the best", but something a little better than the bottom rung jobs...I was wanting to aim a little higher. (Would I be able to get that in language institutions? or are they all bad paying...like I've read about Berlitz, Harmon, Wall Street, etc.)

I'm going to Queretaro and have read good reviews on this forum about Shamrock, Kennedy, and United English. I was hoping maybe I was good enough for maybe one of those. But if I'm not, I'm to honesty and somebody telling me 'no' (but let me down softly...please?)

And actually one of the things that is stopping me from thinking I can get something better than the absolute bottom stuff is my age--I just turned 21 and probably look like I'm 16 (hey! it'll work for me when i'm older...just not right now when i tell people I just graduated and they think I am talking about high school) I'm just not sure of how willing some people might be of looking past my age (and therefore appearance) and hire me for a job that I'd be capable of doing...
I'd especially like any comments from people who are in Queretaro (or who have taught there), but I'm definitely open to any general comments from all the others 'cause I know a good majority of you could give me good advice.

and btw, has anyone heard of 'Brandenburgocentro de Idiomas' and know anything about it?? I found it in the yellow pages, I think it's fairly new (a couple of years)

I'd truly appreciate any comments. And I know questions like this have been asked before--I really have read an extensive amount of this forum and am not trying to create any repetition of posts--I was just wanting answers/comments/opinions that pertained to me personally.

Thanks!

(I don't mind pm's either, I just won't be able to comment back to them...I haven't got enough posts to be allowed to do that, sadly)

[AdrianG4]

I've asked this question before -- I've done a year in college here at SAC in San Antonio, TX and am getting my on site TESOL cert. in Guanajuato mexico in January. I was pretty much told:

Without a degree, but the cert, I could get a job in a lot of language institutes, but not so much when it comes to public schools that are not in rural towns and universities.

The best job you can get as an ESL teacher with your credentials however, would be a position at a university.

[leslie]

Bye

[Dragonlady]

deleted

[malane]

thanks for all your comments and tips.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has the "unfortunate" problem of looking younger than their actual age. I definitely think Dragonlady's comment about the way one acts is an important tip (that I'll keep in mind). Actually, even before I started my volunteer teaching I was a bit worried about how my age and appearance would cause the students (who were all adults) to perceive me, but I had no problems and got the impression that they respected me for what I was doing, and that was teaching them English...

I'm happy to hear that I could be a candidate to work at a university. I hope now that I'm just able to get to Mexico in time to have a chance to get hired at a university. But if all else fails, I'll still be satisfied with a language institute.

And on the subject of where I'm going, I plan to go to Queretaro; so like leslie said, if there is anybody who is there right now and could give me any helpful hints on where to go, it would be much appreciated.

That brings me to another question (if you don't mind). Would sending my C.V. ahead of time--before arriving in Mexico--to the universities help my chances of getting a job so late in the hiring process? I don't mean in terms of getting a job BEFORE coming to Mexico, but rather as just a way to let them know that I am coming and am interested in working there.
It definitely couldn't hurt, right?

Once again, thanks.