Job Discussion Forums

[jacannella]

I plan to leave the Mid East in March 2016 and am interested in settling in Latin America. Quito is high on my list. I have an MA TESOL and over 20 years teaching experience. Can I get a decent university job with this experience? What sort of salaries can I expect to earn in Quito with my background? I don't need to get rich, just be able to live comfortably, have good health coverage and rent a decent 3-4 bedroom flat in the historic quarter. May even buy a flat in that quarter if things work out.

Jeff

[peripatetic_soul]

Hola,
I've been exploring the possibility of moving to Quito (or Cuenca) and have been reading an Ecuador Ex-pat forum where several threads discuss job opportunities. One poster commented that with his Ph.D., he earns $2000 monthly at a university, which is the maximum salary to be expected. Most positions are part-time and pay around $10/hr with a Master's. Also, the poster indicated it is important to have some Spanish fluency.
Mexico, Central and South America are not destinations where a TEFLer can expect to earn a cushy income among many others. There are many ex-pats retiring to Quito and Cuenca these days, esp. from the U.S. and Canada, for obvious reasons (affordability of housing and medical care). The forum also has a Guide for Ex-pats on numerous topics that can address your questions. There's also a detailed visa section with links to required documents. What is interesting is their list of accepted universities for prospective candidates seeking university teaching positions, a prerequisite to even considering this type of professional visa.
Of late, ex-pat retirees living in Quito have reported an increase in violent crimes and posters on that forum unanimously agree Quito is not recommended for single females. Cuenca is relatively safer but may not have a climate you enjoy (cool with frequent rain).
I too worked in the ME and the comparison with SoA/Central A is a startling contrast. Of course, health care is affordable there compared to the U.S. but depends on your age and other factors as to cost.
Good luck in your search!
Regards,
PS
(When my computer updated to Windows 10, I somehow lost my saved favorites; otherwise, I'd include the forum link. You can google it.)

[peripatetic_soul]

Hello, jac,
I retrieved my Favorites under a newly named category in Windows 10!
Here is the main link:

http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=519

For the threads under the title of "Education Jobs," see, for instance,
http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=499659

Hope this helps! Check out the New Guide for Ex-Pats with individual sections on Health Care, Visas, Housing, etc. One note about housing as others may have mentioned: don't search online; instead, it's better to be on the ground and look for posted rental notices or by word of mouth and best to know some Spanish. Apparently, lots of gringos are cashing in on other gringos with inflated rental rates.

Cheers,
PS

[HLJHLJ]

You'd have no trouble finding work, though March isn't the ideal time to be looking in the Sierra. Wages and hours vary, but I work at a mid-paying uni and they pay $1,800/m for English teaching with a Masters. That's for a 40 hour week with approx 20 teaching hours. I work part time (by choice) and get just under $30/hr with a PhD but I only get paid for contact time. I think they pay about $20/h for masters, part time.

My husband teaches at a top paying uni and teaches content, not English (English is a compulsory but non credit course here). He earns considerably more.

There is a lot of misinformation on that blog (and some info which is correct but confusingly written). It's not necessary for your university to be on the list, you can apply anyway, but the registration process takes a little longer (perhaps 4 months instead of 3) and you need transcripts as well as your diploma. You can legally work while you are waiting for registration if you have a 12-IX visa.

Petty crime is a problem (pick pockets etc) violent crime against foreigners, not so much. I certainly haven't seen any evidence of it increasing, if anything I'd say things are improving. I know plenty of single foreign females living here without any problem. Though they are mostly working not retired, there's not a huge retired ex-pat community in Quito. (Though you will find plenty of retirees who don't live in Quito who will be quick to tell you how dangerous it is because their friend's aunt's hairdresser's husband went there once and got mugged).

Centro historico can be pretty sketchy though, especially at night. It's a beautiful area, but I wouldn't want to live there. Also it's a long way from anywhere you are likely to work and relying on public transport to travel the length of the city at rush hour every day will get old fast.

[peripatetic_soul]

Hello, HJ

Thank you for clarification. Yes, I forgot to add what you posted:
"It's not necessary for your university to be on the list, you can apply anyway, but the registration process takes a little longer (perhaps 4 months instead of 3) and you need transcripts as well as your diploma. You can legally work while you are waiting for registration if you have a 12-IX visa."

That's encouraging news about salaries. Ah yes, content instructors always get paid more than the TEFLERs in most of the world.

I have corresponded on personal email wit a few single female retirees who have lived in Quito and Cuenca for over 5 years; they indicated certain areas in Quito that were safer than others, which correlates with what you posted.

I can unequivocally state: Do not rely on IL (International Living) for any accurate information. They are in cahoots with a host of gringo lawyers, real estate agents, etc. intending to make megabucks on those outrageously priced "informative tours" and "promotional materials" at hefty prices.

Can you recommend any reliable blogs or forums that provide accurate info on employment in education in Quito, Cuenca, etc.? I believe JA is set on Quito but I'm leaning towards Cuenca (part-time, though).

Many thanks for sharing.
PS

[HLJHLJ]

Yes, like any city, some areas are safer than others, but it's excessive to say the city is generally unsafe for single females. There are several FB groups that you can search for. I've only got my phone at the moment so I can't easily post links. Remind me next week if you still need them, and I will get them for you then.

I forget if we have discussed this before, but it is very difficult to earn a living wage teaching English in Cuenca. If you *need* additional income it's unlikely to be a viable option. If you are just topping up a pension and can afford to volunteer or work for peanuts, then you can join the many other retirees doing the same (hence the problem).

And I absolutely agree on IL. They are something of a joke here.

[peripatetic_soul]

Hola, HJ....

Not to stray off the main thread but yes, I'll be living on retirement benefits so I'm only interested in teaching part-time as personal edification. I've read the threads on fewer teaching opps in Cuenca.

Back to JAC's original thread: What are the minimum requirements for a lucrative position in Quito?

Regards,
PS

[HLJHLJ]

It depends what you consider to be lucrative. For language school work the best pay is International House/BSL. With a BA and fresh off a CELTA course you can earn $1,000-$1,200/m with them. Private schools vary wildly but with the same qualifications and some experience you could aim for $1,200-$1,500, ditto for universities. With post graduate qualifications, more experience and contacts etc the better universities and the best private schools pay about the same, say $1,800+.

Of course, there are people earning significantly less than that, but those are rough guides to the better paid positions. There is also plenty of work in Guayaquil, but pay is generally lower there. Work that pays $5-$7/hr in Cuenca would pay $12-$15/hr in Quito, even though living costs are similar.

Also, it is often the case that you have to take something crappy or at least mediocre for the first year or so while you build your reputation and make some contacts. Throughout Ecuador, like much of Latin America, the best work comes through contacts. People do sometimes screw up by treating that first job as nothing more than a stepping stone. They get a reputation for doing a shoddy job and then find they can't get anything better.

[peripatetic_soul]

Hello again,
I was asking about lucrative posts on behalf of the OP. I've got 3 Bachelor's degrees, 2 Master's (Applied Linguistics and terminal TESOL) and over 30 years ESL/EFL experience at the tertiary level. I'm a "senior" who is semi-retired (currently teaching 2 academic ESL courses at the local community college), so I don't intend to pursue a full-time position.

Thank you for the insights. Always good to hear from those on the ground.

Regards,
PS

[jacannella]

Thank you all for the feedback. It seems like salaries in Quito for someone with my background are better then I thought. What is a bit confusing is my degree. If it isn't from a school on the government list of accepted universities then I can't work in the college/university sector? How do I find out whether or not my school-St. Michael's College is on the list?

Jeff

[Xie Lin]

[wanderingxelmundo]

Thanks HLJHLJ, extremely helpful as always. I'm in the middle of a master's program (online, though it won't say online on diploma) but did I understand correctly that it's possible to get a uni job w/o a master's, albeit with lower pay than someone with postgrad qualifications?

Also, for F/T uni work are vacations including a summer vacation paid or unpaid?

Thanks!

[HLJHLJ]

You don't need a post graduate qualification to teach English at university here. Although most universities will preferentially hire people who do. The reasons are a bit complicated, so I will explain in more detail later when I have my computer back!

FT work usually means 2 weeks paid holiday in the summer. Plus about another 2 weeks over the year in public holidays etc.

[wanderingxelmundo]

Ok, thanks for the responses with a small device! It's great to know that uni teaching is even a possibility before completing my master's.

[HLJHLJ]

This is a random mishmash of info for questions here and also PMs I've received as a result of this thread.

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FB groups:

Ecuador Expats (covers all of Ecuador, but Cuenca dominated)
Expats in Quito, Ecuador
ESL Teachers in Quito

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There is a link to the pdf list of universities that have been pre-approved at the bottom of this page:

http://www.educacionsuperior.gob.ec/titulos-obtenidos-en-el-extranjero/

This is *not* the list of excellence, which is a different list for Ecuadorian students seeking bursaries. As far as I have been able to tell it's just a list of universities that people have previously applied from, and so they have already been checked out by SENESCYT. It is organised by country.


If your university is not on the list, you can still apply, it just takes a little longer to receive approval.

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There is no longer an advantage to going to Guayaquil to register your degree, everything is being sent to Quito.

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The government are currently re-evaluating all university courses subject by subject. They brought in a regulation saying everyone teaching at university must have a masters (and eventually a PhD). This is a simplification, but you get the idea. Initially, it was also applied to English teaching, but then English was made compulsory but non-credit. So all students, no matter what their course, must pass an external B1 exam before they are 60% through their course. However, English is no longer a credit course, so the rules about post-grad qualifications don't apply. The change was essential, because once English was made compulsory the huge increase in demand for university English teachers meant it was impossible to only recruit people with masters degrees.

However, most universities will still preferentially hire people who are at least working towards post-grad qualifications.

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Full time at university typically means around 20 teaching hours and 20 non contact hours. However, some universities have out-sourced (in-sourced?!) language teaching to in-house language institutes. In which case the 40 hour work week will likely mean around 30 teaching hours, or more. However, the administrative load will be significantly reduced, and often, the wages will be as well.

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If I missed anything, please ask.