Job Discussion Forums

[ladoblanco]

Hi, I have lurked on Daves ESL Cafe for at least three years and this is my first post.

I am traveling in Argentina at the moment, in Cordoba, and I was wondering whether anyone out there had any current information about English teaching jobs here.

I am not looking for a job right now because I am going back to the States but am interested in spending some time down here in the future.

I plan on asking more questions but I will start with that one.

Thanks a lot.

Michael

[nomadamericana]

Cordoba is a great city. I do not know what the exact teaching situation down there is but I have many Argentine friends that attend the university in Cordoba that have Business English courses and some have American tutors. I think there is a lot of potential for work there especially with it being one of the largest University cities in the country... besides Buenos Aires, Rosario and Santa Fe.
I hope that helps a little. I think there is great potential to find people who want privates lessons amongst many of the university students and also that it is (disputably) the second largest city in Argentina.

~ nomadamericana

[ladoblanco]

Thank for the info; that is helpful.

Michael

[Phil_b]

Ok, I've been meaning to write this for quite a while.... so here goes

I've been in CBA since January, and teaching since Mid-march... as with BsAs don't expect to find any work before then. Though while feb and march are peak hiring season, there are some opportunites after this.

There are different types of schools - you have the larger institutes in the centre of the city and then smaller institutes in the various barrios. The smaller barrio institutions tend to specialise more in teen and young learners classes - though there are also a large number of these in the central institutes. Most of the instititutes in the centre also have branches in 'Cerro de las Rosas' - an upmarket area some 30mins by bus away from the centre.

There are also opportunities for in-company classes, although these are sometimes outside the city, sometimes a long way outside the city (like 70kms away). There are also plenty of opportunities for private students. Pay rates seem to be between 8 and 15 pesos per hour (15 being pretty rare). Almost everyone from the lower-middle class and up studies some English in private institutions, so the market is reasonably big - though there is also a large 'Facultad de Lenguas', so there are a lot of well-qualified Argentine teachers in the city as well.

There are also opportunities in institutes in nearby cities, such as Alta Gracia (once home to Che Guevara), Carlos Paz, and Jesus Maria - they are commutable.

There aren't many native speakers around - it should be reasonably easy to find SOMETHING although don't expect to get a full timetable from one job, almost everyone seems to spread themselves between 2 or 3 institutes. Don't expect to be working legally either - all that has been said about BsAs applies here equally - just remember it's a little bit more complicated leaving the country every three months from here... the borders are a lot further away, that's not to say that it's impossible. How easy it would be to find work if you have no experience/ qualifications - I don't know, like I said while there are few natives here, there are plenty of very well-qualified Argentine teachers looking for work.

As for the city itself, while it is the second biggest city in the country (take that rosarinos!) don't make the mistake of expecting it to be like a smaller version of Buenos Aires - it isn't. This is definitely the Argentine interior and it can be a bit 'provincial' (is there a more neutral way of saying that? It's supposed to be descriptive, not derogatory). It is also near to the Sierras, which is full of nice places to visit for the weekend.

If anyone wants anymore information or has any questions, please stick them on here - this forum is very useful - I'd echo the other comments about how it all seems very 'buena onda' on here and informative - just sometimes (understandably) very BsAs-centred.

[Gareth2000]

man are u breaking even? how long did it take u to do so?

[Joan Mitchell]

Sorry if I'm asking a lot of questions but being totally ignorant of South America shows! Cordoba, Mendoza, are these cities worth looking into as far as my first stop in Argentina? Are jobs easily available in these places?

Thanks again.

[holycats]

These posts and others make Cordoba sound like a fantastic place to visit and teach! Has anyone out there had any recent luck finding teaching work in Cordoba?
If I were to show up in Jan/Feb with certification and start applying around town, is it likely I'd find enough work to get by?

[vivaBarca]

Phil,

Thanks for all of your info. about Cordoba. I�ve been meaning to get back to you but the internet has been out in my hostel for the past week...and now that I have, it Dave�s seems to have suspended private messenging. So, here I am - thanks for all of your info. Now if I could just access it...

Anyway I�m still enjoying C�rdoba, but I think you were right, it definitely looks to be pretty hard to find work. Ive been flyering all around downtown - and some in the suburbs, and visited some institutes/colleges, but I dont have anything yet. I have an ad out in the paper running today, tommorow and Tuesday, but Im not so sure thatll do any good either. I know a few �friends of acquaintances� who are English teachers and are leaving town soon, so I think I may try to get in contact with them and see if I can continue their work for their them. Who knows though...we�ll see how it goes. Right now my daily activity consists of lounging in the park - gotta utilize whats free!

Thanks for your help.

[Stevie-G]

I have been in Rosario since November 1st. I have been to every known English Institute and they all seem to think I should give up and try BA!

I really like the cost of living and size of Rosario compared to BA. I'm gonna give it a few more weeks of looking and then I'm gonna head to the capital.....

[Phil_b]

It's not there isn't any work to be had in Cordoba.... it's that there isn't in November..... pretty much all courses start in March/April and end in Nov/Dec. Classes don't really happen at all in Jan and Feb, I suspect that is the same case in Rosario as well... (and possibly BsAs).

To anyone coming out now - by all means send out a few CVs and get an idea of different institutes - try talking to people if you can... you might get people interested, but don't be disheartened if you don't. Most places don't even start thinking about next year until feb.

Otherwise, enjoy the summer.... especially if you're from the northern hemisphere and all your friends back home are starting to freeze and then look for work in feb/march