Job Discussion Forums

missjones · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 23 Location: Florida

I just graduated with a BA in English and I'm looking for a university teaching job in South America Colombia. I was wondering if anyone has any contacts that could help me out. I don't have a certificate but do have over 2 years of teaching experience. Of course I'm also doing my own research, but it's hard to sift out which universities are legit, and who to contact when I find a university I like.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

YOu might find some in Mexico here on the job boards, or telf.com

anyway · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

Just do a search with the following keywords + university + esl...
Loja Ecuador, Concepcion Chile, Oaxaca Mexico (best bet with your quals?), Guayaquil Ecuador...

Fairly recent ads for unis in Catacamas Honduras, Guacimo Costa Rica, Arequipa and Juliaca Peru...

I have an address for an opening in Tampico Mexico if someone is interested...

Having said all that, a graduate degree might be necessary for most or all uni jobs...

Bon voyage!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

anyway · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

Oh, here and there. Gotta do some digging, but mostly I make the rounds to the same easily found sites. Esl + teachers + board and has goodies. Spokenskills does too. Tesall gets feeds from many boards. Tesol job board's listings usually require grad degree. Every now and then you can find a gem on english + job + maze. I was surfing the learn + 4 + good site last night. Wow, some real beauties on there...

What can I say? I am addicted to job hunting. Happy hunting!!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

I wonder how they pay. As for Juliaca in Peru, it-s a smallish town, can-t imagine them paying more than 700 usd.

anyway · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

This thread finally prompted me to make a website to post the good jobs that I find while trolling the job boards. I never stop looking for a new job - something of an addiction. Anybody else? Treatment?

So have a look sometime....tesljobfinder....never know what you might find....like those jobs a while back with the Slovenian Ministry of Defense for 55k? Did you see those?? What a wacky crazy wonky industry....

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

I too would be interested in finding out a bit more about Latin America university jobs.

Obviously we're talking about private universities here. Can anyone with some experience give us a rough idea of salaries, benefits, conditions etc?

For example, how much might you earn in a job at a top university in somewhere like Mexico DF, Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires? I'd be very interested to know.

After all, these prestigious universities do exist, and I imaine they want to hire expat teachers and lecturers for the English department. They would have the resources to pay quite well I'm sure.

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

obviously it's impossible to generalise about salary and conditions across the whole of Latin America, I guess I'm just looking for someone who is in a good uni gig over there to tell us a bit about it!

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

sorry anyway I'm a bit thick really but..........

I checked out those websites you mentioned, and they only had low paid jobs for language schools not universities in Latin America

could you give us the specific link for where you found these university jobs please? cheers

anyway · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

Where to begin... What would you call low pay and what is high? In my opinion there are no low paying or high paying jobs. There are only high roller teachers and low roller teachers.... Wink

Seriously, there is no one link for these jobs. If there is, it is a well-guarded secret! I watch the job boards constantly to find online work (and have for years), so I can only tell you to dig, dig, dig... but if it's money you're after, then turn your sights to Asia/Europe/Middle East.

Obviously, those with money and high expectations post on the professional boards such as tesol.org or the chronicle.com. Those without resources post on freebie or less expensive boards than, uh, the one you're currently visiting.

The very last 'good' job in Latin America that I saw was for a uni in Antafagasto, Chile. Have no idea what they pay. They posted on one of the profi sites above, but I found it first on a freebie site. If you are really serious about a search, then I suggest you dig through the archives on eslemployment dot com.

Or check the website in my profile...note the sites...keep checking constantly...the inbox for a good position will fill very quickly and they will remove the ad within a matter of a few days... of course, if it is a top shelf job, they hardly need to advertise...

For example, the best job I've ever seen advertised (with stated salary) was Universidad de Espiritu Santo in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I think it was USD1,800 for 5 courses/semester (no mention of hours), but that was the max including overtime (if available) and did not include housing... I'm almost positive that has decreased in the last year or so...

PM me if you need more info...

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

What anyway has to say is true. I can-t speak for all of Latin America, but for Peru, you-d probably make max 1000 usd a month, and that-s when you work, you don't get paid when there are exams and stuff. A few lucky people would be able to get FT jobs at a uni here, might have to wait until someone died to get it. They've very coveted and then won't get you a visa.

Another option would be to get transfered to Latin America by your home uni, probably get much better pay and a visa

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

I taught at a state university in Oaxaca, Mexico for three years. I earned about $1000 US (10000 pesos) after taxes, deductions, etc. That was considered a very good salary by Mexican teaching standards, and in general Mexico pays better than the rest of Latin America.

anyway · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 109

If you stayed three years, then I assume you enjoyed your life and job there. I'm sure that a grand is more than enough for an 'decent' lifestyle in rural Mexico, where one might expect to receive less than 'decent' pay.

For reference - as far as I know, salary at many (most?) ITESM campuses isn't much better (when we factor in cost of living, etc.), but there are those that pay up to 18k per year. The Tampico campus is one of those.

Then, there are a couple campuses in northern Mexico (Culiacan) which pay 30k. I assume those campuses pay more because they are in less desirable cities - hardship posts, so to speak, but they may simply have more money to spend, higher enrollments, etc. (Of course, the pay difference might be for those with grad degrees, but I don't think this is true of the example above.)

My point is simply although we tend to think that jobs in bigger cities with higher costs of living and larger client bases SHOULD offer higher pay, this is not necessarily true. Similarly, logic dictates graduate degrees should bring more money, but frequently those university jobs which require higher quals don't pay as much as private institutes....

Good luck finding that mythical mix of beautiful culture/environment, decent pay, and rewarding job. I would take one of those 1k jobs in Oaxaca over the 2.5k in northern Mexico any day...

gungediana · Joined: 06 Apr 2009 Posts: 82

But I think you've got something wrong anyway. In Latin America the economic activity and wealth is highly concentrated in the largest urban areas (e.g Mexico DF, Sao Paulo, B.A, Lima etc) to a much greater extent than North America or Europe. So it makes sense surely that the best jobs at private universities etc are in those very big cities.

And that is what I'm looking for. A job at a prestigious university or academy in a big city, where my M.A TESOL is appreciated and valued. With good social life, good restaurants, attractive available girls etc (all a given in L.A), and a good salary (15,000 bucks p.a min). As long as the crime rate isn't too ott it's my perfect job.

So, does this type of job exist?

For example, one top private uni in Lima is Catholica I believe. Does anyone have any idea if these guys hire foreign English instructors? What about private unis in Bogota or Rio or Monterrey, do they hire foreigners and if so, where do they advertise?