Job Discussion Forums

[Samantha]

Prof Gringo wrote:

[Prof.Gringo]

[gregd75]

[Prof.Gringo]

[gregd75]

Still didnt answer the question... curiously enough. Who's being defensive now?

I'm not being defensive, but you seem to be living in an ivory tower where everyone does everything correctly. This doesn't even happen in the USA!!! The real world here in Mexico is something different to what you are clearly used to and comfoprtable with, profe. Gringo.

I completely agree with your comments about drug dealers, by the way.

[Phil_K]

In the absence of the moderators, can I ask what is the point of all this point-scoring, doesn't anyone have an interesting subject to post? Wow, the season of goodwill to all men and all that! Maybe I should post one of those fun ones we used to have.

[Prof.Gringo]

[Chasingamy]

I too was a fly caught in Global Internationals�, Comp, or whatever they are calling themselves these days web of lies. I was promised a working visa. I paid my fees and waited. For 9 months every time I asked about it I was either told off by employers for asking; I was told not to worry about it or I was told that this was Mexico and things take time here. I ended up getting my Fm3 in the end and that was only because my tourist visa had expired and I was about to return to Canada. I told Global that if I didn�t get my FM3 by the time I left I was going to give immigration Mr. Mario�s number and tell them to call this guy because he said I didn�t have to worry about it. I was never lied to about the rate of pay; however I was told at the beginning of my employment that I would be paid on the first of every month. After a couple of months of being employed there I received my pay later and later and often wondered if I would receive it in the end. When I questioned if I was going to receive my pay I was given the run around and told to come back the following day and there would either be nobody in the office, or I was told I wasn�t getting paid that day and to come back again the following day. I had to play these foolish games every month in order to get paid. While I was employed there the owner talked about building new schools in Puerto Escondido and Lyon. These schools were never established while I was employed there; however the owner would employ new teachers under the false pretense that they would only be working in San Juan Del Rio for 2 weeks and then would be transferred to the new schools that didn�t exist yet. Not sure if these schools exist now, but I can guarantee you they didn�t when I worked there. I don�t wish this kind of toxic working environment on anybody.

[gregd75]

I completely agree with Phil_k s comments... the problem is that certain posters here in the forum continually post negative comments and never seem to say anything positive.

I have read through these and kept my mouth shut for too long. I have decided that its time to speak out.

Too many remarks are made that are unfounded and are pure codswallop.

A stand needed to be made so that readers see some balance in this forum, because its been seriously lacking recently

[TheLongWayHome]

[gregd75]

I agree LTWH. My viewpoint is biased, as a language school owner. I haven't tried to hide this point throughout my postings.

I would add that language schools are a good place for newly qualified EFL teachers looking to expand upon their classroom experience and for people interested in experiencing teaching classes with different ages and different levels.

I agree that applying to language schools should be considered as well as other positions, but I recommend that people do not ignore the potential experience that can be gained by working at a language school.

Maybe not long term, but maybe for a semester or a fixed period of time. Using this experience to move onto a more stable, better paid position as a result of the experience gained.

Its great that you agree that Mexico is full of wonderful experiences too!

[Phil_K]

Result!

[geaaronson]

Let me say that I take a more neutral attitude towards these conflicting viewpoints on language schools. In several places one poster insists that if people did their homework, then they would know if the school they are signing up with is a good one or not.
Well, I have news for you. There�s hundreds of language schools in Mexico. Reviews of all or even some of them don�t exist on the web. There are, however, at least two websites that rate recruiters, universities, language schools, etc. but people are not even posting their criticisms on these sites. So how is one to know if a school is good or not?
On the other hand, I agree there is an inordinate amount of negativity on this message thread. I have worked for several recruiters in Mexico City and have found some excellent to work for, others were tragedies in the writing. Generally, I have found that if owned by a Mexican whose English is not proficient, there are also problems with the company.
I am not afraid to name names and will do so in this message.

I have worked for ITOA in DF. The owner is a sweetheart. Her English is poor. She works out of her home and has one office worker. The pay is high at 160 pesos an hour. She specializes in the highest managers in the companies and has 1-2 students per class.
The problems were that there were so many cancellations. Students were so busy they were unable to reschedule at other hours. The academic coordinator was incompetent. Her training sessions consisted of our reading from a pamphlet that she had copied from many web sources. Much to the owner�s loss, she never xeroxed textbooks for her students.

Hamer Sharp
this company has several franchises and is geared to middle management corporate multinationals. They have classes throughout the city. Pay is much lower at 125 but a few people have been able to negotiate 150. The franchisee does not know a stitch of English. Pay was never on time and as much as 10 days late every month. You had to beg to get anything done and then wait 4 weeks. I had a missing CD to Market Leader and it took 3.5 weeks for them to deliver its replacement. In that time I skipped 5 pages of conversation from the book and students were furious.

Continental English Systems
Owned and operated by a british woman who has lived in DF for 30 years. She�s had her business for almost a decade and is extremely well-liked by her staff, students, and clients. She does all marketing by word of mouth, does not have a website, nor does she visit the trade shows to drum up business. Her business is faltering on account she really wants to move to Barcelona to be with her son and is simply biding time.
Very supportive of teachers, pays on time, good classes.

Business Learning Solutions
A quickly growing business in operation for 2.5 years. Owner is dynamic, brilliant, quick witted and challenging. consistently hires gay men and only an occasional woman. Very humanistic in her outlook and hires teachers who are very involved and interactive with her students. The one drawback is that she is so agressive that sometimes she is downright rude, but otherwise has a very tight ship that will continue to grow.

AlphaLinguistics
Highly enthusiastic, hyperenergetic owner who gives teachers a lot of classes if he thinks you are cut out to be a better than average teacher. An occasional cash flow impedes prompt payment and sometimes he will postdate checks. Otherwise a good company with excellent clients.

companies/recruiters I would advise you to avoid working with in DF include
Alarid Prepatoria in San Pedro de Los Pinos
TeachMe
Elan

The last two are extremely poorly organized with owners/staff who fail to communicate regularly with teachers.

And for that one person who complained that posts were too long, I have one thing to say �Tough Beans�

[Phil_K]

I can add to this: (all in D.F.)

St. George's Institute
Startup run from owner's (rented) home. Owner is a Liverpudlian who with his concubine's telesales experience manages to get a lot of classes. Pays a fixed salary but for that requires you to be on the premises during certain hours. Pays on time but is a bit too aware of who is paying and who is receiving. In other words, a poor man manager. Avoid. ($8000 as of Jan 09)

English Ahead
Female owner with one assistant, who she treats very rudely in my opinion. Open to advice of experienced teachers and pays on time. Short on classes but not a bad place to go if you are working elsewhere and need more hours.($160 p.h - Jan 09)

Mundo Real Idiomas
Practically all I wrote above applies here too.

Osbourne Bridge English Institute
I'll leave that review to someone else, for obvious reasons!!

[geaaronson]

Phil-K
Thanks for supplying a few more company names. I do believe that more of you out there should be doing the same. Let us all know who are the better companies to work for and help the resourceful newbie meander through the beginnnings of his new career here in Mexico.
I don�t know what you meant by�is a bit too aware of who is paying and who is receiving�. Please clarify. What you have to say always carries weight with me.
What is with Osbourne Bridge? I think that is the outfit I interviewed with back in January. They were a startup near one of the metrobus Insurgentes Sur stations on a street that intersects with Insurgentes Sur. They were only 1/4 block away from IS.
When I walked to the floor their office was on, there was no signage on the door. That was my first clue. Inside, they still had signage from the previous tenant. It got even weirder after that. I don�t recall the details but it was the only interview I have ever walked out on. I came out and told them point blank they were weird and I was not interested in working for them, which did not offend them in the least!
They were a strange outfit.