Job Discussion Forums

tamiii · Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Louisiana

Instituto de Idiomas Oxford in Ixtapa, Chiapas, Mexico
I recieved a job offer from these guys. This would be my first esl job if I accept. Does anyone know anything about this school or this town? Is it a good area?
They offer only 2850 pesos a month. I know this is just over $200 usd. I don't want to be living in a dump and eating cat food Sad

or worse, homeless. I've never lived in mexico, but still that sounds like a very small amount. Could I possibly live at least decently on that amount in this region?
I need some advice and fast because he wants to interview within the next 2 days.

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

tamiii · Joined: 19 Aug 2009 Posts: 9 Location: Louisiana

It's 20 hours a week. They assured me that it would be enough to live on. Since I really want a teaching job in Mexico, I wanted to believe it was true. (It's really the first offer I've had since my job search online began).
Are you really sure? He said it's a poor area and everything is cheap. Is he just lying to me?
Sad

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

That's about $35 pesos an hour. I'm not sure the cost of living in Chiapas is that cheap but maybe someone else knows.

Language schools usually pay between $60 and $80 an hour, more in Mexico City. Some do pay $35 an hour here (in SLP) but that is not enough to live on here and you probably wouldn't want to work in those places anyway.

I'd say you need $7000 a month minimum to live well here. The cost of living is only going up.

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 5:41 pm Post subject: Re: Should I take it or leave it?

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

No way. Just consider this. If you stayed in the US, would you accept a job that pays you $2.00 USD an hour, 20 hours a week and had to live on that? That�s about what your salary would be equivalent to in Ixtapa. You�re not going to be able to take on a second job. No way, no how.
You will be going through your savings very quickly if you were to take the job. I agree, you need to make $5,000 pesos a month with a free place to stay to make it even in Chiapas. Don�t take the job unless you have a sugar daddy or mommy.

wildchild · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 519 Location: Puebla 2009 - 2010

i know you're excited to come to Mexico...

but take a deep breath, and wait for a better offer. I know folks who work 18 hours a week and make over triple what they are offering you.

again, i know you're eager to get down here, but a bad living/working situation will make you quickly regret that you ever came.

take your time, research, make a good decision. I put off coming here for at least a year until I knew I had a good thing...

leegleze · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 18

Good advice, Wildchild.

I've worked in Mexico for six years, having come down here on a wing and a prayer from Canada (with one suitcase and a dog). I tried to find a job over the internet before I came, and noticed that there were few available. Checking them out, like you have done here on this site, it became obvious to me that Mexican schools only advertise over the internet if they have a high turnover of teachers ... and what do you suppose would cause that high turnover??? Think about it.

My husband, whom I married after arriving here, got a job at a school who continuously advertises on the internet and found the whole situation was a big scam. If I hadn't been working at the time, he would have been destitute.

The bottom line is: Good Mexican employers will not hire anyone without a face-to-face interview. Therefore, you generally have to be here and ready to work. There are lots of jobs available, so obtaining a good situation should not take too long. As another responder said: Be sure you have your airfare home and about three months' living expenses just in case you hate it here. It's not all sun and surf down here ... the culture shock can affect some people very badly.

FYI: I work 12 hours a week for an all-inclusive resort on the Pacific Coast. I am paid $7,000 pesos a month. It's just a bare sustinance here because it's a high-priced tourist area. I'd be lost without my husband's income. However, this wage, inland, would be sufficient to live on, but you may not actually be able to save any money unless you live in a relatively remote area. Now THAT could be a wonderful adventure!!!

Good luck with your quest. Let us know how you're doing.
Buen Suerte

sarliz · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Jalisco

gregd75 · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:21 pm Post subject:

I completely agree with Sarliz on this one.

I too have a small language school and I exclusively recruit my teachers from the dreaded internet. I have a robust system that allows both parties to find out as much information as possible about my school and my position before committing to anything.

I provide a lot of details about schedules, class types, dynamics, and the school set up even before organising a telephone interview. I ask to see a lesson plan as evidence of the teachers planning.

Once a phone interview is set up, I try to conduct this as professionally as possible. If the candidate has been successful, I provide the email address of a current teacher so they can talk about the position independently of me.

If they decide to say yes, then I sak for references to be checked.

How can people here trash schools that recruit via the internet?

Surely each, INDIVIDUAL situation must be examined on its own merits.

Yes, there are cowboy schools out there, but there are cowboy businesses operating everywhere. The teacher must decide if he or she feels comfortable with the position being offered and must assess the professionalism of how they have been treated during the interview process.

Remember the process is a two way street. The teacher is choosing the school just as much as the school is choosing the teacher.

Finally, if interviews are conducted face-to-face, this simply isnt a guarantee that the position will be much better. Once again, it surely depends on the robustness of the recruitment process?

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:38 pm Post subject:

gregd75 · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:05 pm Post subject:

So why don't we see any comments about bad universities on here? Of course there are bad language schools and there are good language schools.

There are good and bad universities, high schools, kindergardens the lot.

I dont think you are qualified to write a statement saying the majority of schools recruiting online are bad. I'm not getting upset by the posting, I just think that people reading the post should be aware that you are not talking from experience of being recruited online... I guess?

The same comments you make are true about any type of recruiting for any job. The key isnt about being recruited online or through a face to face interview (because lets be honest, there are plenty of horror stories about teachers being recruited this way too)

The key is the robustness and professionalism of the recruitment process that you, the candidate take part in. If it doesn�t seem professional or 'right' to you... be it via a face-to-face interview or be it via an online advertisement then it probably won't be a good job for you to take.

As I have mentioned before.. my best piece of advice when looking for a job and having been interviewed is to ask the interviewer for the contact details of a current teacher at the institution. Any reasonable employer will put a new person in contact with an old person. If they don't then you should steer clear!

wildchild · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 519 Location: Puebla 2009 - 2010

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 9:37 pm Post subject:

gregd75 · Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject:

Wildchild. I am just trying to provide constructive advice for people reading this forum.

I know my suggestion isn't perfect, but I hope its better than no suggestion...

I think anyone would be aware that an employer is only going to give the email address of a favoured teacher. The exact same can be said about employees providing references, right?