Job Discussion Forums

[wildchild]

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

In the future on any thread on the Mexico forum (or any forum on this board for that matter) if you feel you are being attacked, please report the matter to the Mod Team as soon as possible.

For the record, the Mexico forum will not become the only forum on this board where opposing opinions cannot be expressed because some people don't like to read them.

If you happen to disagree with this policy to the extreme, you may want to start spending your time elsewhere before the decision is made for you.

You may assume the Mod Team will be giving the Mexico forum special attention going forward.

This warning was posted on Part 1 of this thread incident to its being locked and is being posted on Part 2 so that everyone starts off with the same game rules.

[Professor]

[Isla Guapa]

[Prof.Gringo]

[Samantha]

Professor wrote:

[TeresaLopez]

[reddevil79]

Thanks Teresa, good to see some balance being brought to this discussion. I too think that it is possible to make a decent living and save some money in Mexico.

During my three years working at a university in Southern Mexico I was on a good, but not fantastic salary. During that time I was able to go on two backpacking trips through Central America, a week�s break in San Francisco, a flight home to the UK for Christmas, and take several trips to the beach / city breaks. Also, being a sucker for gadgets, I splashed out from time to time on the latest gizmo, be it an ipod or whatever. My salary in Mexico also went some way to funding my Masters in London which I�ll be starting soon.

Granted, I was single and tended to live frugally, but I certainly don�t subscribe to the view that Mexico is a place to work short term, get out and go somewhere else where you can make real money have a career.

[TeresaLopez]

[wildchild]

I have decided to be a little more forthcoming...

Perhaps my path has been quite the opposite of a quite a few of the TEFLers... in that i have moved in the opposite direction.

Quite a few become TEFLers after they grow tired of the monotony of their first career, be it locked in a cubicle, office, in front of a computer, etc. (I know that's not all of you, but many who come to these boards for info fit this profile).

Me, I wanted to be an ESL teacher from the beginning: I got my BA in Linguistics.

To make a long story short, after going from volunteer gigs, to part-time gigs, working with people from all different walks of life, I realized that I may have picked the wrong career.

You say that one shouldn't get into TEFL for the money. That thought never crossed my mind when I was 22.

Five years later, after having taught engineers from Daimler at Berlitz, kids of engineers from Intel at prep schools, young adults at universities who are going to be engineers, I realized that my talents were not being put to the best use. After all, I was already bilingual in Spanish and French. International business is what I decided to do.

I have since returned Stateside. Although the great majority of my experience is in Education, I've been able to get my foot in the door with a medium size company. I work in Sales. I have a base salary, bonus/commission, tuition reimbursement of up to $5,200 a year to pursue an MBA, three weeks of paid vacation a year, casual work environment where I can wear jeans, and stats will be kept of my sales, so when I finish in the top five for three years straight, and have earned my MBA by then, I will be in a perfect position to move on.

So when you ask 'Is the EFL profession a good idea?', for me, at this time in my life, it is a definite no (though I would like to go to China for a year, learn the language, but not to be a professional teacher, instead to improve my prospects for int. business).

Of course, we are all different, with unique needs and desires. The answer to this question will depend on you and where you are on your journey in life.

[mejms]

I posted this on another thread the other day, but it's more appropriate here:

A client of mine used to tell me that the way to be successful in this country is by working on your own. He would tell me that the benefits a company to offer (infonavit, vacation time, graduated salaries) don't compare with the job security that your independence can offer and the dependency that working for any company involves. Of course, that's true in any country. Relatively, though, salaries are much lower in Mexico in all types of companies.

He told me this when he was my only private client and I worked for a language school, first as a sales teacher and then "something" of a sales rep. Before heeding his advice, I wanted to give it a go with this school to see what could happen. Suffice it to say that I work completely on my own now.

If you're a talented, resourceful teacher, you can attract and retain committed students. You form friendships with your clients, they're happy to invest some of their money in you for years to continue to spend time with you speaking English on a regular basis. As well as needed practice and development, the classes help take the edge off and get their mind off of things. Like going to gym. Your classes will be good because you are directly involved in the curriculum. You decide what to teach. It can be quite fun, actually. You can make a living by planning English speaking activities, developing students' language skills, and getting to know in general some pretty friendly, easygoing people.

By the way, the question of the possibility of retirement in Mexico really makes no sense when there's no context. If you want to talk about real possibilities, talk real salaries and how much can be earned. Then talk about your living expenses, then good ways to invest. Do the math.

All things considered though, I do think you're going be on your own much more-- whether you work for yourself or in a school of some kind-- than you would in your native country.

[Tretyakovskii]

Thanks for the update, Wildchild, and good luck in your new endeavors. You make some good points, mejms.

For a good many years I've mainly worked as a self-employed teacher of English. I chose that path for, as much as anything, an opportunity to have more freedom and earn more money than I could otherwise. But recently I took a full time position at a state university and this has generated renewed interest in teaching English, and in education, generally.

Working in academia provides a different range of opportunities for creative activities and a wider range of associates to provoke and stimulate new ways of looking at things. (I've begun, for example, to imagine lectures I can give to the assembled university on a couple of topics of special interest to me; and, it recently crossed my mind that the English Language Dept could begin sponsoring round tables on topics of interest for the professors from other departments, giving them a chance to exchange ideas and practice spoken English.)

So, I'm sticking with teaching English, in Mexico, but enjoying a new burst of interest in what I'm doing.

[Clark Montange]

Give Central Mexico A Try!!

Mexico is great! If anyone is sitting on the fence about having an ESL teaching experience here, I�d encourage you to get down off that fence!

Now, mind you, the vast majority of ESL teachers I have met throughout Mexico are NOT living on their teaching incomes alone. Easily 90% of them have dipped into savings, have maxed out their credit cards, have drawn on family trust funds. Many are �backpackers� and mom and dad are always there to wire money when they are short, or bail them out of rough patches. And they ARE short, every month. But as the expression goes, you can�t get something for nothing. Every career decision has a price.

For the most part (depending on where you live, and if you live alone, or share with others), if you prefer privacy, and your �own space,� you will pay the price for housing, and not have money left for much of anything else.

This should NOT discourage you. The Mexican people are wonderful, I can�t say enough about them. I don�t know why they so often get a �bad rap,� and are made fun of, with demeaning pejoratives, etc., in other countries. They are intelligent, sophisticated, resourceful, and I have continued to be treated exceedingly well here.

Now you do need to DO YOUR HOMEWORK regarding which school!!!

Don�t get yourself here then find that out you cannot manage, like a friend of mine who teaches for ENGLISH UNLIMITED in San Luis Potosi (SLP), Mexico (central Mexico). He is currently on medical leave, and I have visited him in SLP. He has concerns about working for English Unlimited. I have seen some of this first hand, by visiting the school, plus being interviewed there.

Beware - - Nothing is as promised when you are negotiating the job with them! Get EVERYTHING in writing. My friend didn�t - - trusting soul he is.

He was mislead about the overall cost of living in SLP, and assured that the English Unlimited teaching wages (approximately $4.50 USD equivalent per hour AFTER taxes), are more than adequate to live on, plus be able to travel. You can �see Mexico,� he was promised. Be reasonably comfortable. Have money left over for some fun He was mislead about almost everything, including housing arrangements and costs, and ended up spending many, many times more than what he was led to believe during the job negotiation process, and his list goes on.

English Unlimited in SLP has approximately 95% local teachers - - from SLP or nearby Mexican cities, despite what EU claims and posts on the Internet, and in their advertisements. Most of them have parents, spouses, etc. who help out financially. Teachers are also expected to purchase their own supplies: Paper, pencils, rubber bands, erasers, poster board, note pads, pens, Post It Notes, paper clips, markers - - you name it. This was NEVER mentioned in his screening, interviewing, and negotiation process prior to him coming to English Unlimited (EU), in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

He was also asked to agree to not work elsewhere to be considered for full time equivalent work, yet he desperately needed more money. He was eating so poorly, well . . . this has exasperated an existing medical problem, which has landed him in HOSPITAL!

The cost of living in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and most other moderate to larger cities is basically the same as any city in the United States. I have met person after person here in Mexico who has relatives in the U.S. and they overwhelmingly validate this.

Read CAREFULLY: It is NOT any cheaper in Mexico for the basics like food, personal hygiene items such as shampoo, shaving cream, razors, clothing, shoes, medications, etc.

Generally, you CANNOT make it here financially, unless you are willing to completely give up your privacy and share a small living space with three or four other people (generally speaking), and be willing to just stay at home (no disco money for you ). Now there may be exceptions, there always are in life, but I�ve not met any people out of dozens and dozens, so far who fit that, and I have worked in Mexico for quite some time.

Native-speaker teachers come and go at EU like a revolving door (Canada, U.S., U.K., Spain, Africa, etc.), most staying only a couple of months, due to these and other broken promises. The current �Academic Coordinator� has no professional background in the field of education administration whatsoever, or no formal education related to education administration, teaching, etc. (I interviewed with him, and was not impressed at all). His background is from the MORTGAGE BANKING industry! My friend has shared horror stories that would make your hair stand on end.

As if this isn�t bad enough, EU does not even have any standardized scoring/grading system for its exams and other tests! I could not believe it when my friend told me this, and also showed me a few samples (with students names not visible). This is academics 101 folks, no matter what you teach. You are doing your students a disservice by letting teachers do whatever they like when it comes to grading student work. Many get passed onto the next class, ill prepared. He has had students who needed friends in class to translate. How these student got into his classes was a mystery.

So come to Mexico, for sure!!! Just be aware that you may not be able to pay off your student loan bills if they are substantial. But if your parents or other relatives are willing to pick up the tab for you for this, you will probably have a terrific experience like I have, and am still having.

Best of luck to you considering this option!


CM

[gregd75]

I don't want to knock your friends experience because it doesn't sound very good at all, but as you say, Mexico is a truly wonderful place and it's so packed full of wonderful (and I guess) bad experiences.

I just wanted to make one comment that makes me wonder... you say your friend is a trusting type. I imagine that you guys are from the UK and I wonder if your friend would have ever accepted a job in the UK on the same terms as here.

Noone would accept a job in the UK without a contract and with only the word of the employer- so, why change your expectations and do it here? I find this very strange.

It should have set the alarm bells ringing right at the beginning.

[Spector]