Job Discussion Forums

[mattymatt]

Greetings to all. After glancing through the board, I'm suprised that there aren't more postings from teachers currently living here. I guess that makes sense, since the people who really want info don't have jobs yet.

I got quite a bit of help from this board when coming down here to look for jobs, specifically from a mammoth post on all the ESL schools down here from John Hall, which seems to have expired. At any rate, I feel a little unworthy of doing this since I've only been here three months and I'm outranked in seniority by so many teachers here, but they don't seem to be writing anything, so I'll give it a go. This is a bunch of information that I wish that I had known before coming down here. Take it as one man's opinion only.

JOBS (only deals with San Jos� area)

The reason you're reading this, probably. The job market here for ESL teachers is good, meaning that if you're a native speaker with some kind of teaching certification and you spend a few quality days on the buses, you'll get hired somewhere. Without certification, you can get on somewhere as well, but at significantly lower pay and probably with fewer hours. What is the "average pay"? It depends on the type of place you work:

1. Universities
Pay is significantly higher than anywhere else (around 4000 colones, or $9/hr). Qualifications and/or extensive experience are necessary, and usually people get these jobs through connections. The longer you're staying, the more they like you. These jobs also have the advantage of fixed hours.

2. Business training institutes
Next to universities, these pay the best (2500-3000 colones, $6-$7/hr, pay often scales with experience). Classes are spread throughout the greater metropolitan area (Cartago, Alejuela, Heredia included). Right now, I'm working for two of these institutes. Judging by what I learned before I came here and talking to other teachers, there are essentially a "big 4" in this category that are a cut above the others in terms of quality of education and teacher pay. My thoughts:

i. Pro-Language (also called Pro-English)
Zapote, E suburb of San Jos� (catch the bus to Zapote, "La Corte/Casa Presidencial" from in front of the Caja de Seguro Social ("La Caja"), which is across from the SE corner of Teatro Nacional; get off at the Casa Presidencial, and Pro-Language is in the small office park right next-door)

Well-organized operation with a good location. 11 years old, with around 30 teachers at any given time. Requires 4-month commitment minimum and 2 nights a week to get and retain daytime classes. Pay is at the upper end of the scale, and teachers get free Internet and a bank account with automatic pay transfer (you don't have to go pick up your check). Runs very smoothly and professionally. Damione Phillipe recently took over as the Academic Coordinator, he's a good guy (the same goes for owner Mark Henker). I've worked here three months and have no complaints. 280-6053.

ii. Soluciones Idiomaticas
La Uruca, W suburb of San Jos� (catch the bus to "La Carpio," one of San Jos�'s less savory neighborhoods, from Ave 5, Calle 4 (around here, i'm not sure of the exact corner, but you can ask a street vendor); get off about 400m past Hospital M�xico when you see an orange sign on the left for "Plaza La Uruka," the shopping center where the office is)

Run by Wilford Augustus, a personable guy from Belize and a veteran of Costa Rican ESL teaching. The company was started only a year ago, but Wil puts quite a bit of effort into it. He's a good guy, also very straight with you, though he likes to joke around. His goal is to move the company into a business-only niche with solely big corporate contracts, SI logos left and right, business cards for teachers, you get the idea. There are 7 or 8 of us working there now. Asks for a 6-month commitment and draws up a formal contract, in keeping with said image. Pay is decent and benefits are slim (free internet is one), but these should improve as the company grows. 232-9710 or www.solidiomatica.com

iii. Idioma Internacional
La Uruca, 200m S of the "Albergue de INS," take the bus to Hospital M�xico, this one leaving from Ave 4, Calle 8(?); the bus will first stop at the hospital, then circle around to the INS, get off before the INS at the tall glass building on the left with the Nokia sign)

Run by Brian Logan, another veteran, started 4 or 5 years ago. Bad blood between these guys and Sol Idiomatica. I don't work here, but I interviewed and was offered a position. I was turned off only because it was insinuated that I should break a contract that I had already signed. Clean office, seems to be very professional. I got the sense of a tight-knit community where teachers hang out outside of the office a lot. Pay is $7.50 paid in dollars, which is nice, considering the devaluation of colones.

iv. Ingl�s Empresarial
Villas de Ayargo, way out beyond San Pedro in E San Jos�; there's a San Pedro bus that says Villas de Ayargo on it, leaving from 2 blocks due E of Plaza Cultural, call the school for directions; when you get off the bus, it's a residential neighborhood, ask someone and they'll point the way out, the school is pretty non-descript from the outside)
Like Pro-English, these guys have been around for a long time. They advertise more heavily than the previous 3. They counter their inconvenient location by offering free coffee and pastries, free internet, and a pager that receives text messages from abroad. I got the impression that they want to grab people before or when they get off the plane and not let you work for anyone else (this is dangerous; see below). You have required training initially, which is a bit unnecessary if you're experienced or certified (though a definite advantage if you're not). Much more frequent teacher evaluations than other places (1 or more times/month, as opposed to a few times per year). They say this leads to more frequent raises, and I'm in no position to evaluate this claim. Pay starts low, so hopefully that's true. www.ingles-empresarial.com Has a small feud, though less bitter, with Pro-English.

General advice on business institutes:
i. Don't get suckered in too early. If you get one offer, more than likely it means you'll get offers at most places that you go to. Wait until you have a few, and don't buy the "I need to know today" stuff. There's so much turnover that you won't miss out on a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity. Play the market. Working for multiple places is a good idea, because you have more flexibility in the class times and locations that you can choose from.
ii. Be flexible with your schedule, but within limits. You're going to want to get outside of San Jos� sometimes. If you take weekend classes, leave a couple days off during the week.
iii. ALWAYS find out exactly where a class is, how accessible it is by bus, and how long it will take to get there. If this information is wrong, don't be afraid to refuse a class based on it. It's very easy to get screwed on this point. If it's a night class far from home in a deserted area, insist on the condition that one of the class members give you a ride partway home or at least to a well-lit bus stop.
iv. Read the fine print on the cancellation policy. There will be weeks when almost all of your classes get cancelled. You need to get paid. Make sure that you can immediately bill for classes cancelled within 24 hours, and do it from the start, or you'll get taken advantage of.

3. Private, school-oriented organizations
These include Intensa, Centro Cultural, and a number of others. Classes are normally on-site (a big advantage), but the pay is significantly lower than at business institutes (businessmen have more money than part-time students). Class schedules are more fixed, so timing your arrival or interview is key here. I know that most places had sessions starting in early March and again in late May/early June, I'm not sure about the rest of the year.
There are also jobs, though fewer, at private schools, many of which are bilingual. These require longer commitments, and it would be best to arrive for a contract in January to start in March (a chance of getting a contract starting in August for 2nd term, perhaps).
Probably more job satisfaction here than at business institutes, if you don't consider the lower pay.

4. small institutes scattered throughout San Jos�
There are dozens of these, and I found that looking at many of them was really a waste of time. I did get a little entertainment, though, as a few offered me scams like "pay me to recruit students and we'll split the profits." I wouldn't trust most of these guys for a steady paycheck, and it wouldn't be much if I got one.
This is not to say that only the four institutes I mention are good, but I know that these look upon each other as their main competition.

In addition, it may be possible to, for those with the freedom of extra cash and a humanitarian spirit, to work in the local public schools. Conditions are poor (though better than in many areas of the country, according to the newspaper), and so is the pay. But other rewards are probably greater.


Whew. OK, other aspects of life in San Jos�.

HOUSING
As everywhere, all housing is not created equal. There seems to be an enormous discrepency here, though, between rooms and apartments with the same price. Look around before you choose, don't assume that you can't find anything better at that price. Better sources for rooms than the newspaper are your fellow teachers, employers, and students (who will often be surprisingly willing to look for friends who rent rooms). You can live in a modest room for 45-50,000 colones, $110-30, per month. Be wary of committing to more than a month anywhere, especially if you work at a place with high turnover.

FOOD
Nor are all sodas (local cheap eateries) created equal. Once you find a house, snoop around for one with a good, cheap casado (traditional hearty lunch with rice, beans, meat, plantain, and "salad"). You shouldn't have to pay more than 1200 colones for this. There are lots of cheap pizza places, especially in student areas, and a few good restaurants. Food is cheaper in diners in residential areas and the farther out you get from San Jos�. I cook most of the time, so I'm not an authority on restaurants. I can give you the grocery store info, though. American analogies are provided when applicable.

Auto-Mercado: a cut above in quality and price. If you're picky about fruits, vegetables, and meat, shop for those here. Otherwise, everything's way overpriced. analogue: Wegman's

Hiper-Mas: Wal-Mart. No more need be said.

MasXMenos, Perimercados, Mi Mercado: decent selection, prices a bit high, but not bad. many locations

Pal�: The discount place, poor selection and a bit dirtier than other stores, but you get the best deals, especially in bulk.

AM/PM: Small selection, high prices, only go when you need convenience.
The same goes for the many pulper�as, albastecer�as, and mini-supers that are everywhere.

There are "ferias" in many towns on weekends, with varied produce at super cheap prices. Wash everything well, though.

Public water: They say it's safe to drink, if only for the quantity of chlorine that they put in it. Water sources differ for different parts of the city. Parasites are not unheard of, but not enough to be paranoid. Personally, a 3-week case of TD has converted me to bottled water for now, but I know many who haven't had any problems.

SAFETY
San Jos� is deceptively dangerous, due to the lack of police presence. There's no sense of fear when walking on the streets, but random petty theft is common, and violent robbery is increasing, even during the daytime. Walking after dark in unpopulated areas is not a good idea almost anywhere, especially for foreigners. Well-lit or crowded areas are fine before 10 or 11 at night. Be wary of living in most parts south of San Jos�. But you don't need to be paranoid, as long as you use some common sense you'll be fine. Just don't expect the polic�a to run to your aid.
Ticos will tell you to a man that the problem stems from an influx of Nicaraguans and Colombians, but the statistics don't bear this out.
For night classes, institutes will sometimes give you a stipend for a short taxi ride if you're persistant.

DIRECTIONS
San Jos� residents do not recognize street addresses. I don't know if it's a cultural thing or what. This causes confusion, the extent of which you won't actually realize until you find yourself becoming lost every time you try to find a new place. Ticos are also notorious for giving poor directions, and they won't use street numbers even when they're provided, as they are downtown.

When asking for directions over the phone, get at least two (preferably 3) landmarks for each step. Often, one or more may be well-hidden or torn down. Get a map of bus stops from the Tourist Info Office, NE corner of Plaza Cultural. Unfortunately, these don't show local buses, but it's a good map at any rate and at least you'll know how to get out of San Jos�.

The essential landmarks, with which it's worth spending an hour orienting yourself, are Plaza/Parque Central, Plaza Cultural (incl. Teatro Nacional), and the Coca-Cola bus terminal (no evidence of anything related to Coca-Cola here, btw). With these three, you'll be able to get directions to the buses, which in turn will lead you to further challenges...

BUSES
There is no bus "fleet." The range of quality and comfort of the buses is quite large, even among buses running the same route. 20-year-old converted school buses with ripped seats and screeching brakes are followed by well-kept, modern ones that give you a very pleasant ride.

#1 rule with the buses: Don't stand between the magnetic bars. They record the passengers getting on and standing between them may cause you to be recorded multiple times. The bus drivers will begin cursing you and those you love continuously until you pay them multiple fares or run off in fear. The bars are in different places on different buses, so be aware. Also, always ask if it's the right bus before getting on, because they love to trick you into paying for nothing.

Pickpockets work the crowded buses, but as long as you watch your stuff, you'll be fine.

Traffic in and around San Jos� moves at a snail's pace between 7 and 8:30 and 4 to 6 weekdays. Not much faster at other times, either. It can easily take two hours to get from E to W San Jos� in a rainy rush hour, so keep this in mind when scheduling.

TAXIS:
Legal taxis are red, have a yellow triangle with a registration number on the side, and a meter, or "mar�a." Make sure that the meter is reset when you enter and put on the "1" setting, as opposed to 2, which is more expensive and sometimes used late at night. I'm not really clear when 2 should be used, but it's usually not an issue. Pirate taxis are OK to take if you have no other option, but make sure to agree to the price before getting in. It's common for people to sit in the front with the driver, though many women don't do this. Also, many drivers try to take roundabout routes to raise the price. If you know where you're going, a quick question in Spanish usually solves this problem.

Ok, this is far too long for a single post. Remember, I have my biases like everyone else, so take it with a grain of salt. Feel free to ask other questions on this thread.

Matt

[ls650]

Great post! The level of detail is very useful for those of us thinking of trying to teach in Costa Rica...

[woodersn]

Bravo! I agree with ls650, especially in this most unlively of forums!

-Wood

[ThePeatMan]

Would a new teacher (ie- someone fresh out of a certification program) have a chance at landing a job in one of these business-type positions? What's the competition like?

[Justapirate]

There is no real comptetion for jobs. There are few Northamericans here. If you want a job, it is just a matter of time until you find one. Finding one that pays well will depend on your wits... but the jobs exist. Everybody here wants English. CAFTCA was signed this week...which will only increase the demand.

I have never heard of anyone being asked for a certificate or diploma.

[Munchen]

Sorry, Just a Pilate. Will you kindly enlighten me? What exactly is CAFTCA? Something similar to or related to NAFTA? Am afraid news these days here in the US is too preocupied with the Middle East, terrorism, et cetera.

Recently on this Costa Rican post or the Job Info. Journal under CR, there was a posting I recall entitled "Too many Gringos" but can't seem to locate it now. Probably a year or more ago.
The impression was that there were many North Americans looking for work there. Has this picture changed?

I was a former ESL instructor in Spain many years ago and have submitted other posts on these forums. My time in CR, however, dates to the '60s in another occupation when the principal mode of transportation from San Jose to the Province of Limon was by trains, all of which has changed now and for the better, I'm sure.

Now, retirement is in the offing. Although there is a possibility of outsourcing myself with my present occupation today via the wonders of the Internet, I suppose if I wanted to teach English to help with something to do in lieu of sitting at cafes and watching the georgeous Ticas go by all day, there could probably be something to be found for a retiree?

So in light of what I just mentioned, I'm curious when you said there aren't many North Americans there and the jobs do exist. Not even so sure I'd want to teach now anyway.

No, I never got a cert at all. Training in my job in Spain was given on site by the director of the institute in which I was working.

Could you elaborate more? Are there more Brits, Canadians, Australians, etc? Would like a first-hand contemporary account.

Thank you, indeed!

[Justapirate]

Dear Munchen...

There are a number of things in your inquiry that I could respond to...and a number of things that don't merit a response. When push comes to shove your comment ...'I'm not sure I would want to teach....', sort of merits this response....Why bother about any of this? Anyway, Mattymat has provided some really good information in a previous post. I would go by what Mattymat posted.

By the way, did Costa Rica have electricity when you where here?

[funk_delilah]

justapirate...

I am planning on moving to San Jose in a year from now to teach, so you what would you recommend? Do you suggest moving there and then looking for a job? OR, when I am visiting in December for a few weeks should I start sending out my resume?

Thanks,

funk_delilah

[Munchen]

Hi, Justapirate. Intrigued by your question about electricity in the '60s.
San Jose did, of course. In places like the Province of Limon, it was variable.
In the line communities along the old railroad tracks, generally no. In Germania, I recall celebrating the Eucharist at night with a big gas lamp in the ceiling for lighting. (I was based in Siquirres as a priest of the Episcopal/Anglican Church.)
In Siquirres, the town was powered by John Deere tractors in which the electricity was turned on at about 5 p.m. in the evening and went off at about 6 a.m. in the morning. If anything went amiss, the electricity was shared, like one half of the town getting electricity from 5 to 9 p.m., the other half from 9 p.m. till daybreak, more or less and back and forth.
Was able to use the power for US appliances, small stereo mainly. TV wasn't available in that area.
Our telephone communication was via the railroad phones, the old crank up jobs. I had one in my house, but anyone calling from San Jose had to go to the railroad station to call me from a station phone!
We all had battery powered short wave radios so we could get news and information during the day, usually from Armed Services or US Info. Service radio from the US. We used to get our kicks from listening to Radio Havana and hearing Castro sound off when he was much younger.
So, my friend, that was the scene in my time in CR with the electricity and strangely enough, we never really missed it during the daytime or other times.
Needless to say, I am curious to find how things have changed, roads that go all the way through to Limon as our existence was based on rail travel.
Trains had the rear salon car in which one could sit in the open like "balcon" as it crawled through the countryside.

[drewmaher]

Hey, if you still check this site could I PM you about teaching in CR?

[aaronsimon]

Thanks for the informative post. As someone headed to San Jose in May, the information / insight you provided is quite helpful. I was curious as to health insurance...and this goes out to anyone. I will have it when I arrive and I am wondering if getting it in CR is an issue. Also in the realm of health, how difficult are perscription drugs to come by?

Thanks again for your info.

Aaron

[treasurechess]

Health insurance coverage depends on your policy. If it is a US policy chances are that it will not cover Costa Rica unless there are special provisions determined in your policy. In general, private medical care in Costa Rica is good, cheaper than the US, while public clinics are not so good. You can get referrals to private doctors in San Jose from friends or contact the Clinica Biblica, a good medical services hospital in San Jose which has many doctors on staff. It accepts credit cards. Perscription drugs are available from the many pharmacies but....probably need a perscription from a local doctor

[treasurechess]

red faced spelling correction from an English teacher: it should be prescription

[NicoleSau]

hi matt-

my name is nicole, and i just recently began working for soluciones idiomaticas. I was wondering if the teachers have a good rapport with each other and if you guys ever hang out? i havent met anyone besides John yet, and im excited to meet other people who are with this company.

Your post was dead on. I've been in CR since January, and just recently quit a job i was working in guapiles.

my email address is [email protected] if you'd like to touch base. otherwise, i guess ill see you at the next meeting.

-Nicole

[drewmaher]

Nicole,
You mentioned that you quit your job in Guapiles.

Is that the job that you posted needing a replacement for?