Job Discussion Forums

[eclectic]

I have a B.A. in English Lit and 1 of those 40 hour TEFL online certificates from I to I, and no formal teaching experience, though I have taught english to several foreigners here in New Jersey over the years for a small fee.

I want to just show up in Veracruz with my resume, college diploma, and TEFL certificate, I know this sounds brash and optimistic, but hey, I just want to try it this way.

So here is my question: which types of places are most likely to give me a chance, and which types are least likely? (for example, public/private/language schools/colleges/universities/etc...I don't know the difference among these in Mexico)

[thelmadatter]

You from Jersey? I from Jersey! What eggzit?


Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!



You absolutely have your heart set on Veracruz?

[MELEE]

Private Language Institutes
I'd try one of the national chains. They usually have a training program to teach you to teach only in the style that they want you to teach (its the selling point of their program after all). Look up the yellow pages pagina amarillo, and Veracruz. Some names of the big chains are Harom Hall, Ingl�s Individual, and the Wall Street Institute.
The next bet is private collegios or K-12 schools.
Universities will probably want more from their applicants than you offer, but as you build up experience you can move on to those jobs if you decided you want to keep doing this for years.
You probably do not want to work at a public school in Mexico. poor conditions, poor pay, poor resources, poor everything.

[J Sevigny]

I have no doubt that you can land a job in Veracruz with your academic credentials. In fact, I've come to the conclusion that a native speaker can find work teaching English anywhere in Mexico with basic credentials such as yours.

The question is how many hours you're going to get and how much you're going to be paid. As a teacher with no work experience, you're more vulnerable to low pay, methinks.

Veracruz is a pretty big place so pay might not be too bad there, but you should consider how much you're going to need to make to survive. If you have a bit of money stashed away, it's possible that you don't have to worry so much about that.

But yes. I advise going where you want to live and looking for work there.

[eclectic]

I thank you wholeheartdly. I have just received an application from Global-ERS who "specializes in teacher placements in Mexico", they want me to complete 2 forms and send a resume and photo, and they say "We would be sending your complete information package (resume, application forms, photo) to this private school or different ones in (Orizaba) Mexico looking for profiles like yours. As soon as we have the /a school interested in your information (which usually would be almost immediately) , we would be sending you a document with school and position information and details, for you to review and see if you are interested. If you are, we would go to the next step, the school would be making contact with you directly as well and if everything goes good, we would be sending you a formal offer letter from the school (would be a pre-contract) , which you would be signing as acceptance and we would of course be following up all the time."

That is copied and pasted from the woman's e-mail to me. Anybody know of this Global-ERS?? Are they like a headhunter? Should I avoid headhunters and just go straight to the schools myself?

[Ben Round de Bloc]

I wouldn't really classify any service that helps place EFL teachers in Mexico as a headhunter. However, if you use this company's services, I hope everything goes "good" for you.

Job placement services of this type can often save you time and effort, but they usually don't do anything more than what you can do on your own once you're on the ground and looking.

[eclectic]

thanks Ben. I was thinking the same.