Job Discussion Forums

Clear the Air · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 21

What could or would you do for a living in Mexico if you weren't teaching? Are you qualified to do anything else here, taking into consideration your Spanish, experience, and skills? What possibilites do you think there would be? Could you ever start a business here other than an English school?

Sure, there are foreigners who are transferred here by the companies in their respective countries- most often, they are CEOs and high level executives. But what about us few, us proud (or maybe not proud) teachers out there who are 1) not backpackers just passing through and 2) not CEOs with plush jobs, making a serious income in dollars. For those of us who live here for the long-haul, what could we ever do beyond teaching or opening a school? Let's put aside university jobs, administrative jobs in colegios, anything to do with education. What would be the possibilities for you? Just some food for thought.

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notamiss · Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2009 5:04 pm Post subject:

Marry a national with a good job and be a kept [wo]man.

JakeJakeJake · Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 135

i know many many foreigners here who don't teach and don't have high level jobs.... in fact many more than teachers

artists, internet commuters, independent journalists, photographers, journalists, scholarships etc

fishmb · Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 184 Location: Istanbul

Open a restaurant? Get into import/exports? Work in the tourism/travel industry?

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

Clear the Air · Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 21

Phil_K, what was so difficult with the second one (Import/Export)?

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

fishmb · Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 184 Location: Istanbul

I have an Italian friend who initially came to Istanbul to try to do some import/exporting of fancy Italian furniture and. After about 7 months she signed up to earn her CELTA so that she could start teaching English!

amaranto · Joined: 02 Jun 2009 Posts: 133 Location: M�xico, D.F.

I'm a translator. I started teaching when I came here so that I would have a steady job, and I had some experience teaching at a university in the States.

I have friends who are getting degrees here but teach part time. They seem to be doing pretty well. They plan on staying and getting different jobs after they finish their degrees.

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

Re:import/export
I had a private student two years ago who was in the import/export business and did not do well but should have considering his product.

He was from Montevido, extremely well connected to the wealthiest of that country and had wealthy relatives in DF. He was importing Chilean and Urugyan wines, had been in DF for 5 years but still could not make a living and was subsidized by his fathers best friend at 10,000 pesos per month.

Possibly he may not have been a good businessman to begin with. That was my suspicion so it should not necessarily cast any doubt on the prospective success of that business.

The only other person I know of in the import export business imports Turkish and Chinese rugs to the U.S. and from $1700 initial investment in 1980 he has become a multimillionaire.

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

Checka_tu_mail · Joined: 19 Dec 2007 Posts: 9 Location: SLP, Mexico

Speaking from personal experience, I taught for several years here before starting an import/export business and I haven't looked back. It wasn't easy at the beginning, and still isn't easy now, but I like being my own boss and it pays well enough to give me no reason to return to education. I love reading this forum to remind myself what I left behind!

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Clear the air asks

NinaNina · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Posts: 78 Location: Oaxaca

When I first moved to Oaxaca two and a half years ago, I taught. Within six months (when the school owner balked on paying me back for the FM3), I was sending out pitches, clips and resumes to print and online magazines as well as curriculum publishers.

I have writing and editing experience, and was able to land some assignments for the first month. So it has gone, month to month, until I realized I've been doing this for nearly two years.

All of my clients are based in the United States, Canada or the Middle East and pay me in dollars, which means I do not need working papers for Mexico. The only tough part--but this may just be me--is never knowing what assignments I'll get, and how much money I'll earn, from month to month. I have some regular clients now, but not enough to fully support our family of four, so I spend a good portion of my time pitching and promoting.

--Serena
Have You Seen the Dog Lately?
http://haveyouseen.blogspot.com/

Prof.Gringo · Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 9:06 pm Post subject:

Street food.

Seriously.

Low start up cost, proven biz model, a lot better than many other areas.

Tacos, tamales, tortas, can't go wrong there.

Just make them very high quality, great service, good price.

Also works for a small storefront local.

But remember location is everything!

Import-Export is a hard nut to crack, but it's possible.

The English school market is saturated.

Or look for something else that you think you can do better. A service that needs offering.

Most Mex. companies have lousy customer service. Crying or Very sad

And speaking of customer service there are jobs for English speaking CSR's in the major cities at call centers.