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Getting going in Ecuador...Manta anyone?
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mikey-sito



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2010 3:04 pm    Post subject: Getting going in Ecuador...Manta anyone? Reply with quote

I just finished up the CELTA course at Southern Cross in Ecuador and it's time to hit that job trail. I was wondering if anyone had any advice about job searching and apartment finding in Manta. I have found next to nothing on the internet. The plan is to go up there in a few days and start knocking on doors. If anyone knows of any language institutes, good places to rent apartments, or any advice whatsoever, I would really appreciate it.

By the way, along with this CELTA i have degrees in Economics and Spanish. I taught in Korea for 16 months and I have done some volunteer teaching in Brazil and Guatemala. I also have the censo already.

Thanks in advance...
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just_a_mirage



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 169
Location: ecuador

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You have a censo, but what is your visa status? If you are on a 12-IX then it will be more difficult to find a job, as you are limited to only six months and cannot renew. Most schools, particularly on the coast will not sponsor you for a visa. Many schools want you to have a cedula because then they can give you a contract. If you have a long-term visa, I believe Jefferson bi-lingual high school is up there, and probably pays decently. There are also some English academies there as well, including I think, COPEI.
In general it is more difficult to find decent jobs on the coast, as eveyone wants to work there. I have a permanant resident visa, and really want to live on the coast, but havent been able to find anything that will pay well enough to live on.
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mikey-sito



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 4:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the response.

I just have the 12-IX and with that the coastal dream has just about died. i have been looking around a bit and i have heard $4/hour which just won't cut it. I have decided to head towards quito and look. well, at least the mosquitos can't get me there...

I will probably be posting a new thread for advice on language schools in quito. if you have any advice on job searching, general or specific, i'd really appreaciate it.

I hope you have better luck making it to the coast!
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DashGlobal



Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 23

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mikey,

im thinking about doing the celta in ecuador in may.
(guayanquil)

could you give me a break down of everything ie classroom environment, work load, ease, living conditions, guayanquil the city itself(safety, females,clubs,food ect).

thanks man.
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latif



Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 31
Location: Oakland, California

PostPosted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mikey-Sito,

Can Southern-Cross help you with your job search? I thought they did? In any case, I'm currently in Quito, and will be heading over to do the CELTA in a day or two ...

While I have not fully scoped out the possibilities re: teaching English, there are quite a few language schools here, along with technical colleges, and universities. However, Quito is also a major tourist hub .. with people staying on to volunteer and so forth, so there is a ready supply of English teachers (but not necessarily trained ESL teachers).

I am also planning on returning to Quito after the CELTA course, but I also plan on volunteering a significant portion of my time ... so will be looking for a part-time gig. The volunteer position can be in the AM or PM - so I'm hoping I can work ESL around that ..

The issue for me is going to also be the visa ... so we'll see how it all goes... I may just end up volunteering, because it seems the best option visa wise ... would allow me to stay on for a period of time, get a volunteer visa etc, and then just teach ESL as a volunteer.
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mikey-sito



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@dash i haven't been teaching in guayaquil, i have just been at the southern cross teaching center at kamala beach. I have made a few trips to guayaquil and i gotta say, i am not a fan. although i only stayed there for a stint of 4 days plus a few day trips, i was not impressed. some people love it, but it's not for me. All the locals have told me it's dangerous, but i get the vibe that it is as dangerous as any other city. try not to act like an idiot and you should be ok. The best thing you can do is make a local friend during the celta course and ask for help. ecuadorians are a friendly bunch.

@latif i hope you're taking the CELTA at Kamala, because this place is great. its lacking a little sun, but the people are good, the trainers are great, the staff at the center are fantastic. however, as far as help with the job search, it is the only knock i have on the program. We were just given a list of emails to hit up and we didn't get it until the last week of the course. its better than nothing and they might help if i start buggin them, but as of now, i'm not too thrilled about it.
as for your visa, good luck. it is a pain. i hope you speak spanish because i can't even imagine how people have gotten a visa without it. its a complicated mess and everyone you ask along the way will tell you something different. if i had known how big of a pain it was, i would have just saved the 230$ and used that to get to colombia or peru. but i have spent the time and cash to get it so i'm stayin here.
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latif



Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 31
Location: Oakland, California

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 4:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, I am going to Kamala for the CELTA course ... too bad about what appears to be minimum help with job search... 'cause it seems the main reason for taking the course in Ecuador would be to continue working here... since it is costly to fly here - and much cheaper (from the US) to go to Mexico, for example (don't know if they have a CELTA course in Colombia or Peru). But it also seems that many people take the course and do go on elsewhere? They do advertise that they help with job search "actively" (from their web site):

"Southern Cross is one of the only centres in the world that provides active job placement. We have developed relationships with the most reputable employers in Ecuador, which preferentially hire teachers certified at our centre. Whether you decide to stay in Ecuador or go global, we do everything we can to make sure that you get a good teaching job"

Maybe you wanna bug 'em a bit ...and see if they are able to assist? In any case I'll soon find out ...

I do speak Spanish, so I'm sure that does help with the visa situation, I know it did when I went to go get my censo. I also probably have a lot more flexibility than most people ...

I expect to be back in Quito in December or January, so if you are here then we can compare notes.
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DashGlobal



Joined: 14 Oct 2010
Posts: 23

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 6:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

so the celta course is not actually in guayuanquil? its in kamala beach?
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just_a_mirage



Joined: 11 Nov 2008
Posts: 169
Location: ecuador

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ive been in Guayaquil for the past five years, and I love it. It does have a horrid reputation, but as Mikey says if you are careful, you can live here without problems. The big bonus is that there is a ton of work here. If you have a visa allowing you to work, you will find something immediately. Im offered jobs on a continual basis. The problem is the visa...once the 12-IX is finished, its finished. The way I worked it is that I got a volunteer visa, then worked on the side, as I was able to get facturas on my volunteer visa. And the visa was good for two years. Anyone interested in volunteering can pm me...i kow a great foundation, but the work will be hard.
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mikey-sito



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@latif, i'm heading to quito tonight and we'll see whats going on up there. if i still can't find any kind of promise after a week, i'm going to keep emailing and calling southern cross until something gets worked out. They seem to be good people, so i assume they will help me out if i need it.

good luck on your course and don't get too distracted by montanita! maybe i'll see you in quito!

@Dash well right now it is at kamala beach. however, the rumor mill has been turnin and it sounds like it's not going to be here much longer. I have heard the next group will be the last and i have heard it will be here until march 2011. who knows? apparently, a few of the other groups complained a lot and stressed out the owners so they have had enough of it. We have been a chill group but the owners have been away so we never really got a chance to hang out with them.

@mirage - do you think that there are more positions in guayaquil than quito? my visa ends in mid march and i'm going to quito to check out the scene there, but since a bus ticket cost 10$ i wouldn't be 100% opposed to coming back to warmer lands. are there quite a few people there that teach for the 6 month limit and move on after? is there any chance at getting a work visa? sorry to keep askin you questions, but you seem to know a lot more than i do Smile thanks
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mcobena



Joined: 29 Oct 2010
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:09 pm    Post subject: Southern Cross Reply with quote

The CELTA will definitely continue in Monta�ita next year... If it's not Kamala it will be an even better place in the area Wink... Regarding work in Manabi, I know a couple of high schools in Portoviejo that might be interested in recruiting qualified teachers. One is Colegio Cristo Rey and the other one Colegio Cruz del Norte. If you don't mind teaching teenagers then those are good places to work..
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mikey-sito



Joined: 23 Oct 2010
Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 1:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

@mcobena good to know about the course! what a great area! i have heard about a few places in portoviejo but i have also heard it is not the nicest of places. if you get a good job and have nice friends then i guess it wouldn't be that bad, but the guys i met who had taught there did not have high praise for the area.

@latif good news. i just got an email from the head honcho at Southern Cross asking if anyone needs help finding a job. So they are keeping true to their word. therefore, i come out of the program with 0 complaints and would recommend it to anyone looking to do CELTA...and Quito is COLD.
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latif



Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 31
Location: Oakland, California

PostPosted: Sat Oct 30, 2010 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Happy yes, relatively speaking Quito is cold ... but thats one of the things I liked about it ...
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HLJHLJ



Joined: 06 Oct 2009
Posts: 1218
Location: Ecuador

PostPosted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 12:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did the CELTA course at Kamala earlier this year, I found the trainers really helpful with regard to job hunting. Towards the end of the course we had an input session on jobs, which included getting our CVs in order and going through the pros and cons of the main schools in Ecuador. We also got email addresses with contacts in various schools and universities.

There is a limit as to how much they can do, because most job hunting here is done by knocking on doors. But if you have a contact email, you can send your CV in advance, and let them know you will be coming. But you still have to turn up in person with a printed CV.

There is little point beginning to look weeks in advance, because most hiring is done quickly. It's not uncommon to be interviewed one day and asked to start the next. If you get a job offer a few weeks in advance, it may well have gone by the time you are ready to take it up. That's not always the case, and if you arrive say during the main holidays you may get a job lined up for when the new term starts, but at this time of year, there's not much call for hiring people in advance.

About half the people from our course stayed on in Ecuador, and all had jobs within a few weeks of starting to look.

If you have a 12-IX you will have no trouble finding something quickly in Quito, but ask any potential employer about getting your work visa before you start. There are other options as well though, volunteering visas, cultural exchange, student visas. The schools here know their way around the visa system and if they want to keep you on they will find a way to do it.
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scarletqueen



Joined: 12 Nov 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 7:09 pm    Post subject: CELTA Ecuador Reply with quote

I completed my CELTA here in Ecuador this year and am now working at a high school. The day I finished the course I was offered work in Guayaquil at the Southern Cross school. While making a decision I decided to spend a week travelling. During this time I received a phonecall from the director of Southern Cross offering an immediate start at a University. He also offered a position at a high school in Portoviejo, where I am working now. Doing the CELTA in Kamala was a great experience and I can highly recommend it to anyone. Please pm me if you want any more information about Ecuador or the course.
Also our school is currently starting the recruitment process for next year so contact me if you�re interested in working in Ecuador starting 2011.
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