Job Discussion Forums

potatohead · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 14

Hello All -
I am just starting out in a job hunt for a position in a small city in Mexico. I am a certified NYC public high school teacher with three years experience teaching English to recent immigrants. I am hoping to find a job in Mexico to start in August or September, but I am new to this game. I am very flexible and well qualified, but I don't know quite where to start. I am a creative and dedicated teacher who would really like to find the right school. I am looking for a small city like Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allene, or Xalapa. Any help or advice you have would be great.
Thanks!!!

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Have you visited any of those places?

I would choose Xalapa--it's not gringolandia like the other two.

potatohead · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 14

Thanks Moonraven,
No I have not visited. I am going to be unable to visit before I go. I teach in the U.S. right up until the start of their school year. I hear wonderful things about Xalapa. It sounds lovely. Do you know of any schools there that might be looking for an English teacher?

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I know there are language schools--Harmon Hall, for example. The state university of Veracruz is there--I don't know what their requirements are for EFL professors. You might check their website, write to whoever chairs Idiomas.

potatohead · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 14

Double thanks. One more question for you. Are there any other citites that you know of aside from the ones that I mentioned that seem to be in the same vein? I am lookng for something small, full of life and culture. Maybe 100,000-200,00 people. Not having travelled extensively in Mexico, I am relying on recomendations of cities to look into. Anywhere else you can think of?
Thanks!!!

thelmadatter · Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject: certification

juleskess,

Because you have a teaching certificate and experience, I have two suggestions - look at Tec of Monterrey (www.itesm.mx) - they have 33 campuses all over Mexico and teach prepa (roughly high school) and up. Although the push is for teachers who have masters degrees, I still think you have a really good chance to get a job at one of the campuses. (I assume you dont have a masters, if you do... let me know)

Second, look at private "colegios" and American schools. The only ones I am aware of personally are in Mexico City (definitely not in your criteria) but many of these colegios are bilingual and many of them and the American schools require or sorely want teachers with US certification. You could contact the American School in Mexico City (http://portal.asf.edu.mx/) and see what other similar schools might be in other cities. Im not sure if they are as these kinds of schools often cater to diplomats' kids or tend to be where there are a concentration of foreign companies.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

I taught at one of the American Schools for a year. They are all in cities with close to a million in population and larger.

The TEC branches are in cities with the same population.

If you are seriously looking for cities around 200,000 you are going to be pretty limited in opportunities. You need to keep in mind that a city of close to 500,000 looks about the same as one of 75,000 in the US.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:07 am Post subject: not true

Not true about Tec. Tec has 33 campuses in the country as well as satelite facilities (mostly"high schools") in many others. There sure aint 33 cities in Mexico with populations of 1 million or more.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Perhaps I should have said between half a million and up for the TEC cities. Toluca, at half a million, is probably the smallest city where the TEC is located. Guadalajara, Salitillo, Monterrey, Veracruz, Ciudad Ju�rez, Puebla, Cuernavaca, Chihuahua, Cd. de M�xico have 1 million or more people. I am not sure if there are others with a million plus.

All rather academic since the OP said she wanted 100 to 200 thousand and there are NO cities with TEC branches anywhere near that small.

In your need to rag on someone--usually me--you missed the point. Not the first time.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 5:25 pm Post subject: population

While it is true that Tec campuses are located in population centers for the area, and many of them are 1/2 a million or over, there are some that are not for example:

Colima 129,845 Los Mochis (Campus Sinaloa) with 227,148

and

Guaymas 112,870

Theres also Irapuato with a population of 373,381 - a bit over the OP's preference but less than 1/2 million.

I do agree, however, that population is a bit misleading. The site I got my stats from http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Mexico.html and it does list Toluca at 528,127 but it sure doesnt feel like it. I think that may be because there is less infrastructure per capita here than there is for a city of comparable population in the States. Mexico City has a heck of a lot more people, but NYC, where I am from, seems in a lot a ways a hell of a lot more crowded.

All I am saying that that the numbers given earlier were not accurate, nothing more. I do agree that by restricting job searches to smaller cities, one is really reducing chances of employment.

Plus one other thing to consider, generally when a city ends... it more or less ends. For example, here in Toluca my friend lives only 10 km beyond the city limits but where she lives seems as rural as if it were 100 km or more. You could consider working in a larger city but living outside of it. A couple of downsides to this... 1) you'll need to commute, which may or may not be a big headache and 2) outside of population centers, services like gas, telephone and electricity can be dicey. My same friend has been trying to get a Telmex line put in her house for over a year now!

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

Actually, I was surprised, as I thought Toluca had more people. When I lived in Metepec (2001-02), Toluca seemed bigger to me. An example of form being perceived through contrast, apparently.

thelmadatter · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 5:34 pm Post subject: Toluca

Toluca seems provincial to me so the 500,000+ figure seems high. But then they roll up the sidewalks here at 9pm! Laughing

I guess Im just a hard-core city person. Maybe in the next couple of years Ill seriously look for a chance to move over to DF.

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

No other option. Guadalajara, with several million, is extremely provincial. The right wing religious groups are very powerful there....

potatohead · Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 14

Hey Folks,
Thanks for all the feedback. I suppose that you are right about larger cities in Mexico not being as large-esque as cities with that same population elsewhere. You have been talking about "TEC" which I know nothing about. I went to the link that was posted when it was first mentioned, but that seemed to be in Monterrey. What is TEC? What are they all about? how can I find them in other cities besides Monterrey?
Thanks!

moonraven · Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 3094

It lists all the other campuses on the website--under campus.

It's a school for "juniors"--guys who are expected to take over their fathers' businesses.