Job Discussion Forums

[ctau]

I am currently living in Buenos Aires, but I am planning on moving to Peru to try something different. I was thinking about Trujillo, but I was hoping someone might tell me a little about the job market there. Will I be able to just move there and find something or should I try to find something beforehand? Are there a lot of jobs? Thanks!

[naturegirl321]

You could find a job easily, especially if you come in January or February. International schools pay the best, if you have experience and Qualified Teacher Status. Try PMing keepwalking, she's in Trujilo

[keepwalking]

I'm here!

Trujillo is pretty lively for jobs, but you'll have trouble securing work in advance. Most places operate a monthly cycle where they have classes for a month, culminating in an exam which students must pass to advance to the next level. That means they employ new staff at the end of the cycle when it becomes clear how many students they will have. Once you have a foot in the door you are given priority in the next cycle.

The top three places are the CIDUNT (centro de idiomas universidad nacional de trujillo) which claims to teach British English but is flexible on who it employs; El Cultural which is a Peruvian- American institute and gives preference to Americans and prefers longer contracts. (6 months minimum) They offer good in-service training. There's also Communiquette which is a small language institute.

In addition there are other smaller places which don't pay too well. Once you are in Trujillo you'll also pick up private classes pretty easily. The one caveat is that working in a number of institutes can mean a hectic schedule: early classes in some places, late classes in others, not much in between.

PM me if you want the email addresses of these places - I don't have them with me but can find out.

[naturegirl321]

[keepwalking]

The CIDUNT pays 16 soles an hour - 300 soles per course. You can normally guarantee 4 courses minimum.

ICPNA is known as El Cultural here and they pay the same but expect more commitment to staff training events etc. At CIDUNT you turn up, teach, grade papers once a month and that's it. ICPNA is more professional is what they expect and how they support you.

Private lessons are around $5 an hour - you won't get rich!

Although wages are lower inTrujillo, costs are too. You can get anywhere in a taxi for 2 soles, or get a bus to the beach for a sole. A menu goes for between 3-5 soles. A nice apartment in a good area goes for about $200. A smaller, dingier affair in a not so good area goes for about 200 soles.

The biggest problem in Trujillo is not the lack of work but the lack of places where you can get enough work in one institute to pay the bills - you normally have to juggle a schedule teaching for several institutes and that can mean early morning classes, then a gap, then an afternoon class then a gap and evening classes. Your whole day can be taken up, weekends too.

Happy Easter to you all! (I know it's a few days away yet, but it's time off and I'm excited!)