Job Discussion Forums

Isla Guapa · Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2011 2:08 am Post subject:

Congratulations, Sharon, on your professional successes in Merida. Apart from everything else, maybe your sparkling personality went over well at job interviews!

ozgurl · Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 6

I'm developing a plan to come to Merida in January and would value the advice of posters who are there now or were there recently.
Ive got a BA in English, a CELTA, and a year experience working in a reputable language institute in Thailand. I'm well presented (a woman under 35 apparently has an edge?)
But I'm worried because people keep talking about the job market being tight.
All I really need is part time hours in a language institute (a chain one would be good, maybe - is there an Inlingua or are there any other big name places in Merida?) to keep things interesting and meet people. Part time is fine because if I have a fast cable internet connection I can get some extra dollars from online jobs. Do many people work illegally? Is that risky? It seems work visas are a pain.
And, how often to people in Merida get to the beach? Is there plenty to do on weekends? Is the nightlife any good? Right now I'm in Peru and not impressed - not much to do. I dont want to be out every weekend but would be good if there were some more options.
Sorry for all the questions - appreciate any feedback on my assumptions and ideas!

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Yes, the market is tight in Merida, but not impossible. There is a Berlitz and they were looking for a couple of people a few weeks ago. But having said that, those positions go quickly in Merida. There is also CIS, Centro de Idiomas de Sureste, which has the best reputation and gringo friendly. There is also Instituto Aleman and others like Harmon Hall. The latter had a 6 month waiting list for new teacher recruits.
On line is a good game plan. You will find it difficult to find anything full time. I would not recommend being illegal for even a part time job as there are those who are cutthroat. If they find out you are on staff illegally they will report you. It is that competitive.

There were two teachers who had just been expelled from Merida just prior to my move there. One was teaching pt at an acessoria and a language school, had been illegal for 2.5 years and was given a week to scadoo. The other was yanked out of his classroom and escorted to the airport in two hours time. He had 30 minutes to pack his bags.

Isla Guapa · Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject:

New Haven · Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 52 Location: Merida, Mexico

Ozgurl, if all you need is part-time work, I think you will have little problem finding a situation at one of the local language schools. As another poster commented, CIS is gringo-friendly. The assumption is that incoming teachers do not have much experience, so there is very little guess work in terms of how to prepare a lesson. With your experience and creds, you should find the work easy...and you are done once you leave the classroom; i.e., no faculty meetings and the like. Last I heard, CIS was using Interchange for beginning through intermediate levels and Cutting Edge for advanced.

That said, the pay is low. The top of the scale in September was $72 an hour...around $6.25 in American dollars. I don't know what the other language schools are paying, but I would guess about the same.

There's plenty to do in Merida if you like museums, the symphony, ballet, etc. Of course there are clubs and cantinas as well, if that's your thing. On Fridays and Saturdays, the streets downtown are closed to vehicular traffic, and you can dine al fresco to sounds of local salsa bands. A Sunday market is held at the Plaza Mayor, where you can find all sorts of locally made items.

There is a very good bus system, so don't worry about getting around if you do not have a car. Public transportation is cheap and reliable.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you would like further information.

Sharon

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Yes, Sharon, 72 pesos is about what they were paying when I taught there 5 years ago. You were there at CIS a little before my time. However, they did pay 95 pesos for corporate English, but then you had to take the public buses to the outlying maquilardore district to teach those classes. I was teaching at COCA COLA for that amount,but there was not much work as they had 2 or 3 of us servicing the out of school accounts.

I was offered 22 pesos at a collegio that was but 11 hours a week and 45 pesois for corporate teaching at another language school that was trying to develop accounts in outlaying towns. For that little money it would`ve been barely feasible only if you had a moped.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

What's a reasonable amount to expect to earn in Merida per month as a newcomer?

geaaronson · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 948 Location: Mexico City

Guy
What is a reasonable amount for someone to earn when first relocating to DF? The question is open-ended. If the question is what does one need to live on, that also is open to interpretation according to one`s life style.

What is reasonable to expect teaching in a high school in Canada? Well that all depends on which province you live in, whether it`s a private school or public school, what the position is, how many years you have accumulated in teaching, how many degrees, etc. etc.

I suppose that should give you an idea of how valid your quesiton is.

Sharon and I have given you both an idea of what the topnotch language schools pay. That should be an indication of the scale. I taught one college course at a private university, UNID, and was paid 110 pesos an hour. What is reasonable? UT Cancun, another university, albeit in a more expensive city, Cancun, offered me 100 pesos an hour. What is reasonable?

To the point of being testy, do I need to go on?