Job Discussion Forums

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

I have enough now to semi-retire and was thinking about moving to Costa Rica. I have been there about 8 times. I speak excellent Spanish. I am 32 years old and have worked the last 9 years at a cubicle job but now I have enough get about $1000-$1100 a month off investments and am looking to possibly move to Costa Rica and thought about teaching to supplement my retirement income. I just wanted to know how everyones teaching experiences were down there. In the United States I worked in inside sales and I know there are plenty of jobs in Costa Rica in call centers for inside sales people and customer service people that pay about $1000-1500 a month but I don't know if I want to go back to a cubicle envoirnment. The idea of teaching english excites me to be able to help others but I know the pay is significantly less then the call centers. I just wanted to know about peoples overall teaching experience and if they feel it was worth the move.

John Hall · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:31 pm Post subject:

I would say that you have a lot of potential in Costa Rica. If you get legal permission to work here and get some kind of TESOL qualification, you will be able to pick the English teaching job here that you like the best. Since you have knowledge/experience related to the call center business, I would consider the possibility of teaching English at a call center. I don't think that would be the same as working at a cubicle. (I have heard a rumor that Sykes actually employs its own English teachers. ULACIT even has a call center program of study for its students.)

You might want to start in Costa Rica by working for a company like Pro-English or Ingles Empresarial, which are "company class providers." The pay isn't that great, but you can make contacts in the business community. Once you know the right people, I would say that you have the possibility of working directly for a multinational as their "in-house" English teacher. (I do it on a part-time basis.) By doing things that way, you can make more money (by cutting out the middleman). This plan may take a few years to get going, but with the demand for "professional English" as high as it is in Costa Rica, I don't see why it wouldn't be successful.

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

Thanks that is an excellent idea. I have a few connections in Costa Rica with the Sports books and the guys that do the currency trading, but after 9 years in the inside sales gig I am simply burned out. I am in a pretty good situation right now because I have no lease on my apartment up in the states and also the kelly blue book on my car is exactly equal to my pay off amount, so if I sold my car I would not lose to much. This means relocation should not be to difficult and I do know quite a few immigiration lawyers down there that are reputable. I also know San Jose inside and out and know where I can get apartments under $250 a month. This why I picked Costa Rica because of the heavy call center enviornment and I know the San Jose area almost like I know where I live in Detroit. That is why I have never been mugged or robbed.

teachwrite · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 40 Location: Milky Way

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

On apartments Bario Mexico is fairly inexpensive, Guadalupe, Heredia you can find something around $200-$280 if you shop around. Also Santa Anna on some of the far outskirts you can find places for under $250 and parts of San Pedro for around $250 for a one bedroom and also Los Yoses. Stay out of the tico times those places are way overpriced. If you contact local real estate companies that have rentals and ask about apartments in that price range I am sure you will get what you are looking for and many of these places speak english so if you don't speak spanish they can help you out

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

Basically I would not live any where downtown in San Jose, and if you do go down there at night, always take a cab. I know they are expensive on a teachers salary but dontown San Jose is getting a little bad with muggings. Also stay out of Puebla (where all the night clubs are). What else, I would also stay out of downtwon Cartago because there is A LOT of gang activity and drug trafficking. Also the South side of San Jose tends to be the most dangerous with also a lot of drug trafficking. San Jose is like any North American city. You are always much safer out in the burbs but also downtown San Pedro can get pretty dangerous at night. I would say the safest places to hang out at night and party would be Heredia, Pavas, Los Yoses, Santa Anna and of course Escazu (but its pretty pricey with all the expats)

John Hall · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 6:47 pm Post subject: Re: Oh I forgot Areas not so good

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

I would never ever live in Barrio Mexico, because I've heard a lot of bad things about it and because when I bus through there, what I see coincides with what I've been told.

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

These are points well taken. I got Barrio Mexico mixed up with Barrio San Francisco sorry. Yes that one part of Pavas is a little bad and yes Los Yoses does have a little spill over from San Pedro. Whenever I go to Los Yoses I tend to go where there are lots of people. The problem you get in Los Yoses is walking alone at night it is kind of empty on some of the streets and there have been a few robberis but overall Los Yoses generally is pretty decent if you stay in the more populated areas.

John Hall · Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject:

I don't agree with the comment about areas in Los Yoses being safe because there are lots of people there. One place where there are always a lot of people is the Mall San Pedro bus stop for buses going east. This is also a very popular place with armed robbers (on foot or in a car), who can always find someone there with something worth stealing.

Generally speaking, I find that where there are people, there are thieves. (Nope! There is no such thing as safety in numbers!) Calle Amargura, the famous student bar street in San Pedro, used to be a magnet for thieves. Perhaps the widely-publicized security cameras in that area have made it safer (does anyone know for sure?), but I would be careful in that general area anyway. It used to have one of the highest crime rates in the San Jose metropolitan area.

teachwrite · Joined: 17 Sep 2007 Posts: 40 Location: Milky Way

So if I'm reading these posts correctly, the following areas would be recommended, yes?

Santa Anna on the outskirts
Barrio San Francisco
Guadalupe
Heredia
Contacting local rental agencies = good idea

Any other suggestions for 200-280 apartments in safe areas?

OleLarssen · Joined: 26 Apr 2006 Posts: 337

I know of an apartment for two for USD380 a month in Guadalupe. Decent area, excellent placement, with furniture and a very nice landlady, and it will be vacant from November on.

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

I would say the easiest place to go that is decent with a lot of one bedrooms in the price range I mentioned is Alajuela. I forgot to mention this one in my previous posts. Ive seen normal one bedrooms non-furnished for $180, probably around $250 for a furnished if you negotiate well, a crappy place is about $100 non furnished and a decent 2 bedroom house furnished probably about $280-$300. The only downside is that it is about a 20-25 minute bus ride to San Jose

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

Here is an example of a fully furnished place for a 2 bedroom fully furnished for $300 off craigs list that I am sure you can negotiate down to the $250-$270 range. http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/446049483.html
Craigslist generally is pretty High because they know they can get higher prices by advertising to Americans but like I said if you go to a local realtor and throw a $50 commision to them, I am sure they would be more then glad to find you a place and Alajuela is full of inexpensive places and is pretty ex-pat friendly and considered a pretty middle class suburb of San Jose. If I was going to live any where I would pick there.

Michael Kennedy · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 31

Here are a few more listings in the areas I talked about earlier:

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/428086203.html-this one is a nice deal

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/422367377.html

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/442494572.html

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/431549653.html

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/426988204.html

http://costarica.craigslist.org/apa/426988204.html-Ciudad Colon is also one I like and this one sounds decent

The area you asked about before I don't know to much about but these are all areas I know fairly well