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kamikazekid
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Toronto
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 Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2005 11:49 pm Post subject: Berlitz in Mexico-opinions please |
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hi,
I am wondering whether anyone here has worked for Berlitz before- maybe not all berlitz schools are the same but for anonymity's sake I will keep the location private:
this school requires two weeks unpaid training _and then_ it takes four to six weeks to get the suggested working hours (20-30 a week). You have to be available at any time (7am to 9pm) during the week and saturdays8-3. you cannot tutor privately either- i guess that also speaks for teaching in another school too...
also the pay is 60 pesos per 45 min, and avg monthly is 5300 pesos. Has anyone had a similar work situation in mexico and felt they were able to live 'comfortably'?
Is this type of ball-and-chain work relationship typical in Mexico?
thanks for any feedback |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 12:42 am Post subject: |
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| this school requires two weeks unpaid training |
A little much, but not unheard of...
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| _and then_ it takes four to six weeks to get the suggested working hours (20-30 a week). You have to be available at any time (7am to 9pm) during the week and saturdays8-3. |
This almost sounds like offsite classes...if so, it sounds normal. If onsite, again, a little much.
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| you cannot tutor privately either |
This is code for 'don't steal our students' Do what you will with your free time.
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| i guess that also speaks for teaching in another school too |
None that I would set foot in.
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| also the pay is 60 pesos per 45 min, and avg monthly is 5300 pesos. Has anyone had a similar work situation in mexico and felt they were able to live 'comfortably'? |
If you were teaching privates during off hours, then this would be an ok base income. But, if they were to prevent from gaining other income, then this is not a lot to live on. It also depends greatly on the city/town. In DF, it would be hard, though not impossible. If you can bump that up to about 6500, then you would be better off.
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| Is this type of ball-and-chain work relationship typical in Mexico? |
It happens, but I wouldn't call it typical.
If you have some experience (or even not) and related qualifications (degree, TESOL, CELTA, etc), I'd pass on this. You can find better. |
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dyak
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 630
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| In my experience Berlitz are VERY selective, especially here in San Luis. Once you're in there are some nice perks and they pay 80 pesos the hour here but Guy's right, you can find better, especially in the Unis. |
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kamikazekid
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject: |
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| thanks guys. yes i have CELTA, and its reassuring to know there are other options out there.... its looking like schools worth their salt will have to see me first before they hire. I'll be down there soon enough. Its always scary going down first though... |
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PlayadelSoul
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 346
Location: Playa del Carmen
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| The training period is very common in a lot of jobs in Mexico. I think it doubles as a probation period. Once someone is on the payroll, it is hard to get rid of him. Mexican labor laws definitely favor the worker, almost to the extent of absurdity. |
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ls650
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 3484
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Those conditions sound terrible to me. I wouldn't put up with that nonsense, when there are plenty of better jobs elsewhere. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:16 am Post subject: |
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| PlayadelSoul wrote: |
| The training period is very common in a lot of jobs in Mexico. I think it doubles as a probation period. Once someone is on the payroll, it is hard to get rid of him. Mexican labor laws definitely favor the worker, almost to the extent of absurdity. |
Anyone know if Berlitz offers to sponsor an FM3 as standard policy? |
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PlayadelSoul
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 346
Location: Playa del Carmen
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 12:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| PlayadelSoul wrote: |
| The training period is very common in a lot of jobs in Mexico. I think it doubles as a probation period. Once someone is on the payroll, it is hard to get rid of him. Mexican labor laws definitely favor the worker, almost to the extent of absurdity. |
Anyone know if Berlitz offers to sponsor an FM3 as standard policy? |
I am sure they do, if they are able to offer enough hours to warrant one. When I first came to Mexico, I was offered a job in Berlitz. They would only guarantee me 10 hours a week. Obviously, I turned it down. |
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kamikazekid
Joined: 30 Aug 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| they say that they will reimburse you for the FM3 if you work for them for a year. they say nothing of guaranteed hours, but they say its an avg. of 20-30. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 2:57 pm Post subject: |
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| kamikazekid wrote: |
| they say that they will reimburse you for the FM3 if you work for them for a year. they say nothing of guaranteed hours, but they say its an avg. of 20-30. |
That sounds more common. I had suspected that they would only hire foreigners who already had an FM3. |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| That sounds more common. I had suspected that they would only hire foreigners who already had an FM3. |
I don't understand this. If a foreigner already has an FM-3 sponsored by another employer and wants to work for Berlitz, then Berlitz still needs to provide its necessary paperwork to immigration, right? |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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What I meant was that I suspected they wouldn't go out of their way to help you initially get an FM3, such as when contracting a teacher over the phone or via email...likely preferring a teacher who already carried one.
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| they say that they will reimburse you for the FM3 if you work for them for a year |
I would bet that they will not put that in writing. Also, I'll bet there is no contract to sign...you don't see them very often with such chain schools, so there is no possibility of enforcement.
I know two foreign teachers here in DF working for Berlitz. One, a Nigerian, provides borrowed recibos de honorarios for working there. The other, a Canadian, I will have to ask. |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| What I meant was that I suspected they wouldn't go out of their way to help you initially get an FM3, such as when contracting a teacher over the phone or via email...likely preferring a teacher who already carried one. |
That may be a difference right there. I know of no decent schools in the city where I live that would offer a contract over the phone or via email. A school owner or DOS might say or write something like, "If you arrive in Merida before X-date for an interview, it's likely that we will have something for you based on the information you have sent/told us," but a 100% guaranteed job offer without the applicant being here in person would be highly unlikely. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Few schools will guarantee a job over the phone or by email, unless they are dealing with a recruiter, but even then, a school will always reserve the right to back out on hiring someone if they arrive having misrepresented themseves with poor appearance. I'm mostly talking about language school chains or small language schools here. The big unis like TEC or Ibero send recruiters directly to the US and Canada to find their teachers, though I've only heard that second-hand.
Something I've seen with some schools in DF is an unwillingness to be the initial sponsor for an FM3. My guess is that someone who comes in with an FM3 already for a job is showing that another school (or employer) has already put enough trust in that person, or that the person him/herself has shown enough dedication to warrant hiring. Think backpacking passersby... |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Also, from what I gather, immigration seems to be a bit more "flexible" regarding foreigners working illegally in the DF and some other parts of the country than it is here in La Rep�blica de Yucat�n. I know I would never chance using borrowed recibos de honorarios or working for any employer not listed on my work visa. |
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