Job Discussion Forums

[simoneshrew]

To everyone,

My boyfriend and I would like to go to Costa Rica in the New Year and find teaching jobs for half a year. However I've been finding it hard to find out much on the internet, and very difficult to make a concrete plan.

One of the websites that we came across makes it sound easy.
http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0411/teaching_english_in_costa_rica.shtml

and says even that you don't necessarily need a qualification. However I find it hard to believe, especially after reading some of the forums here. Therefore we plan to do a TESOL or CELTA course in january. We will at that time also both have uni degrees (I finished in the UK and he graduates in the US this December).

So my question is, are we likely to be able to find jobs if we just turn up in CR? I haven't found any paying jobs advertised on the internet, but believe it might be possible to find some once there since some may not advertise on the internet.
Also does any body have tips on where to look for jobs either before or after arrival?

Our motivation to do this is the teaching experience, and we are not looking to make lots of money, but we will need some income to be able to stay there for a longer time (looking at 6 months there).

Any advice or information is much appreciated and please forgive me if I sound naive or simplistic about this.

[justenanderson]

I've yet to make it to CR, but my impression is as follows:

Most jobs in Latin America are acquired by showing up and knocking on doors. Getting hired before you arrive is tough

Also, most schools will require a 1-year contract. That might make it even tougher for you to get hired, but I know that there are options: private lessons, tutoring, businesses in need of accent reduction trainers, call centers, etc.

Good luck!

[OleLarssen]

If you're native speakers with TESOL/CELTA degrees, you will have no problems finding work in San Jose except perhaps in November-December (school holidays in mid-December through mid-Feb). Making a concrete plan is indeed hard, and information is indeed scarce.

Usually you will not receive full schedules to begin with, and will probably have to work split schedules - four hours in the morning and four-five hours in the evening, for example. More than likely you will end up teaching business classes, meaning you'll spend a lot of time in buses around San Jose. For that reason, living in a place like Paseo Colon, Sabana, Guadalupe or San Pedro makes a lot of sense, since those areas are richly populated by a variety of buses. It's tricky to know where to settle, but I'd say if you can get situated in a decent area of Paseo Colon or San Pedro, you won't have much trouble getting anywhere.

Some decent schools to talk with include Inlingua (quite a ways outside San Jose, in Santa Ana. If you want to work here it's highly recommended that you find an apartment in Santa Ana, NOT Escazu), Soluciones Idioma.. ticas? Something like that. English2Go and Prolanguage both have great reputations. There's also another, small school that I worked for - Swan English, situated way out in the sticks but with business classes in the San Jose area. Oliver of Swan English was really cool and nice to work for.

Hope this helps a little.

[jayciro]

My girlfriend and I are going through the same thing right now! We want to be in CR by then end of January. I wish there was some sort of comfort out there on the internet to help us out!

LOL