Job Discussion Forums

[CelesteCielos]

Anyone out there working in a smaller town in Ecuador and really enjoying it? I'd love to hear some experiences.

~Celeste~

[naturegirl321]

Are there any in particular that you're interested in?

[CelesteCielos]

Anywhere outside of Quito, Cuena, or Guayaquil.

[CelesteCielos]

Cuenca*

[just_a_mirage]

The three cities you mentioned, Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca are where the jobs are, and where they do sometimes hire foreigners. The visa situation is the biggest consideration, and most schools in the smaller towns dont have the resources to pay for sponsoring visas, and dont want to face the prospect of being fined if they hire under the table. And most importantly, they dont pay enough to properly take care of a family.
I do know of a few places that hire foreigners that are in smaller cities. Green Hills in Quevado does hire gringos, but only as long as your visa is good. I am not sure if they will sponsor a visa. I had a friend work there, who tried to get a work visa, but wasnt able to do it.
Canadian House in Loja hires people on tourist visas, although it is illegal to do so. They pay about 4 dollars an hour. There are many complaints about them on other web sites, and I work with a woman who is now here in Guayaquil who worked there, and said there were numerous problems. I have visited there, and it was okay, but I wasnt overly impressed.
Cristo Rey high school in Portoviejo sometimes hires foreign English teachers. I know they give first preference to people with the Celta, but will sometimes hire without. There is also a university in Portoviejo that hires and provides lodging for teachers, but I believe you must have a degree to work there.

[newdayrising]

[naturegirl321]

[CelesteCielos]

I simply wanted others to share their experiences, that's all.

[naturegirl321]

[sendintheclowns]

I worked in Loja with Canadian House Center and I enjoyed my 6 months there. Lojas a town of about 100,000 people so I'm not sure if thats small enough for you. CHC also has locations in Machala and Cuenca and you do have some mobility between the 3 places.

From my experience, if you want to work in a town smaller than Loja, you need some sort of infrastructure to establish yourself, a home-base if you will. After that, you'll have a better idea how to go about navigating "rural Ecuador." It also helps to speak Spanish


If you want a big city with places to go out but small enough to feel a sense of community, familiar faces, etc, Lojas a good bet. There are other school in Loja besides CHC and they would pay more than 4$ for your services (assuming your certified).