Job Discussion Forums

[meshell]

I am considering going to Bogota to teach... I am a little concerned about a few things.

How safe is the city??

What is the average pay?

What the weather like year round??

How far is the closest beach??

[MNguy]

I haven't found this board to be particularly helpful on matters in Colombia, as earlier people have said, look at the website Poor but Happy: Colombia. There is a search feature that will allow you to find a lot of answers.

[Martillo]

This is likely too late for the original poster, but it could benefit others:

1. How safe is the city??
A lot better than it used to be, from what people tell me, but in the past week there have been at least three violent robberies on the street that I have had direct or indirect experience with near where I live. There are definitely places to avoid in the city, but I there is also more of a police presence here than at any other place I have been in.

2. What is the average pay?
Average pay is around 1.5 million in Bogot� from what I have seen but the minimum is much lower (around 500k) and a lot of people live on that or less. A well educated and experienced ESL teacher may earn 2 million or a bit more if lucky.

3. What the weather like year round??
A lot colder than the coast, that is for sure. It has been cold, wet and rainy since I arrived a few weeks ago. I was here earlier in the year and it was cool and wet then too. The weather seems to change often too, usually with some sun in the morning and then raining in the afternoon. Probably some effect of being surrounded by those mountains.

[fladude]

[Martillo]

[spanglish]

I was cold for 2 years. Then I moved to the coast.

[waywardpilgrim]

1. Like most big cities Latin America, safety in Bogota depends on where you're at and the time of day or night. Generally I have found to be safe, especially in the richer northern sections and a lot safer than some on the places I've seen in Detroit, Oakland or LA.

2. Bogota is at 6,000 or so feet so it has mountain weather, meaning variable on an hourly basis most of the time. Despite what the thermometer says it seems cold pretty much all of the time. The houses aren't heated so bring some warm clothes.

3. The nearest Caribbean beaches are a 15 hour bus ride away.

[G22]

I've been in Bogota for a month and a half now. The weather is not all that nice, it is kinda cold as the city is up at 8700 ft and it rains pretty much daily so don't bother bringing shorts or too many t-shirts. However when the sun is out it is quite enjoyable.

The biggest danger is theft. Any foreigner ,especially someone who is easily identifiable as an American or European is going to be a target. I have been robbed once as have several other people from the US here that I know. Don't bring or carry around valuables, i.e. laptops, ipods, pricey sunglasses, lots of money ect. because your chances of being robbed are fairly high, especially if you stay in the city for a prolonged period of time.

I did receive a warning from the State Dept. yesterday about an increased potential for terrorist attacks inside the city and US citizens are being advised to avoid mass transit and crowed areas such as shopping malls. A car bomb was discovered inside the city by Colombian police last week, however it was dismantled before it could be set off. I haven't heard of anyone being hurt from terrorist attacks since I've been here, but a warning was put out just so you you are aware.

The average pay for a TEFL is poor, around 15,000 cop per hour or $7.50. You can find jobs that pay around 20,000 cop per hour, or 10 bucks, but they are hard to come by. If you are looking to make a good some of money Korea is the place to go, not South America. The bright side is that it is relatively cheap to live here. A single person could probably get by on about $500 a month.

[windowlicker]