Job Discussion Forums

[becrumbled]

After years of daydreaming, I think I'm finally ready to take the plunge and do this:) I've been browsing all of the boards and I feel like I've gotten answers to many of my most important questions:

Do I need a degree? Not necessarily in LA and although I don't have teaching experience, my resume includes business management and copywriting/editing experience.

Do I need a certificate? Not necessarily, though I'm taking this seriously and I want to know what I'm doing! The plan is to head down there and start with a month long CELTA or TEFL course.

Will I be able to find a job? It's very likely, though the pay won't be great. Private classes and continuing to be paid in USD for freelance work online will definitely help.

Am I on the right track? I hope so...but there are more important questions about choosing a place to go. The most important issue is my significant other. We will be going together and he will not be teaching. I have two main concerns with him. He has Type I Diabetes and he's insulin dependent...does anyone have experience with getting medication and supplies in Latin America? Number two is really for both of us - I'm white and he's black. I have read about racism in certain areas and I wonder if this will be a particularly concern anywhere, especially given out interracial relationship.

We plan to make this a long term adventure/way of life and I know that where I take my course and my first job is not where we are committed to staying forever. However, we would prefer a smaller city to major urban areas. We live in Philadelphia and part of the reason for doing this is to get away from our hectic, consumerist, urban American lifestyle and just...appreciate life a little more. Any suggestions for places where I will find a good job market AND a slightly more laid back atmosphere? I would like to teach university students/adults, not children. Again, a small city would be ideal - for my fellow Americans, think more Portland, ME than NYC.

Why don't I see anything here about Guatemala? After a little preliminary research into each country, Antigua seemed like a good choice - but maybe I'm wrong about that. I was also considering Buenos Aires. I feel totally ridiculous even saying this, but my main issue is I'm afraid I'm too fat. Ok, stop laughing. Honestly, everything I read says that anorexia is practically a national epidemic and that looks are super important, especially in the business world. I'm a size 10, so not huge by US standards, but I've read enough to make me worry. Seriously, stop laughing. The internet and guidebooks have made me feel this is a valid issue.

I MUST be somewhere that has fairly consistent internet access. As I mentioned before, I will continue to do some freelance work online. It doesn't have to be the DSL I'm used to, but it has to be reliable.

Now for the money question. I know experiences vary and some people go down with nothing, others with much more than I'll have. We'll have about $5,000 after airfare and cost of my program to sustain two people. If it comes down to two or three places, how far that money will take us will be the definite deciding factor. Since we will be starting with some money and I will be doing limited freelance work, I am definitely open to lower teaching salaries if the cost of living is pretty low. I should also add that we plan to live like the locals as much as possible. We're hardly wealthy by Philly standards, so a small apartment in a decent neighborhood, cooking meals at home, and living a fairly simple life with a little left over to travel is all we want.

Thank you so much to anyone who took the time to read this! I look forward to participating in the forums. We hope to move by February if all goes as planned.

[TeresaLopez]

I think perhaps in South America some of the things you have read are true, but in some of those countries, Argentina, for example, people are far more European than Latin, so things like size, race, etc. are more important. But I don't think a size 10 will be considered fat anywhere. I lived in Guatemala for a year, and taught in a school in Guatemala City. I have toyed with the idea of returning for a year or two, but there don't seem to be any jobs, and none in Antigua that I could find. You might find something in Guatemala City, but crime is very high, and there is really nothing there of interest, though Guatemala is small and easy to travel around. It is also harder to find jobs in small towns, so that is something you might want to consider as well. If you consider Mexico, I don't think you would have any of the problems you mentioned - people don't tend to be thin, and while your SO might be a curiosity to people who have never seen a Black person, in the vast majority of cases, it won't be racism, just curiosity. It's not considered rude to comment on physical features, and they are just considered neutral or descriptive. It's very common, especially for men, to have a nickname that refers to a physical characteristic. As for how much money you will need to spend, well, that depends on you, and your SO, and how much you want to integrate into the country and community you are going to live in. If you plan to learn to speak Spanish, it will make a HUGE difference in what you pay for everything. In the larger cities in Mexico, you will find medical care that is as good, or better (doctors tend to spend more time with their patients than in the US) and far less expensive. But again, you should probably be in at least a city of some size.

[becrumbled]

Teresa,

Thank you so much for the quick response! Unfortunately, my foreign language skills are limited to enough french to feel comfortable traveling and enough spanish to umm...find the bathroom and order a beer in Tijuana. That said, Pimsleur Spanish is on its way via a friendly Ebay seller and we plan to immerse ourselves once it arrives. I learn quickly, so I'm planning to be able to speak enough to get by as far as everyday necessities (finding a place to live, buying food and toiletries, getting directions, some communication with students, etc) by the time we arrive.

One of the things I want to do is learn spanish well. The other is to expand my food horizons (cooking is a major passion and I'm actually ridiculously excited for that reason). We're fairly quiet people and we're actually pretty happy without a lot of excitement and nights on the town. We'd like to live, well...like we live there.

Thanks for mentioning the crime, as it is an issue. Sometimes I'm unsure how to take what I read...on one hand, it freaks me out to read about violent crime. On the other hand, I live in Philadelphia and it seems like someone is shot every day (often either in my current neighborhood, my last neighborhood, or in a neighborhood I pass through on the way home). So, I won't say I'm comfortable with the idea of jumping from one frying pan to another...but I'm fairly street smart and savvy.

I assumed the jobs were few and far between in Guatemala since there's so little here. Perhaps it will be best to look elsewhere. Any thoughts on Montevideo? As far as Mexico, where to look? I lived in San Diego, CA for a few years, but unfortunately my travel experience was limited to Baja. Thanks!

[naturegirl321]

First off, Latin America is a big area, so answers are going to vary. I sent you a PM and I can tell you about Peru if you're intersted.

About the degree. You MIGHT not need one if you have substantial experience and are a bit older. That being said I worked in 7 institutions in Peru and was only asked for my degree once. I was in 2 unis, 2 schools, 2 publishing companies, 1 institute.

TEFL certs, as far as LA goes, I'd say they're less popular in LA than in Europe. They will help you in the classroom. BUt there are alternatives as well. I never had any place, in LA or otherwise ask to see my cert.

JObs, yep, you can find one. Good jobs, however, are hard to find.

About medicine, you'll want to get the generic name and info in Spanish. As for him being black, I haven't seen any people have probs in Peru. There is a large black native Peruvian population in Ica.

Piura might be good in Peru.

Guatemala, I think there was a school in Antigua that was good. Not sure if it's still open.

Argentinians might be thin, but Venezuela is the capital of plastic surgery.
Also, you will probably lose weight when there.

Internet is usually good.

$5k should be enough to start with.

[becrumbled]

Naturegirl,

Thanks so much for the response and for the links you sent me via PM! About needing a degree - I do not have any teaching experience to take the place of a degree (a bit of tutoring, but no one I've kept in touch with to provide a reference). I do have a background in business with some freelance writing and editing experience. I'm 29 now and will be 30 by the time I arrive, so I'm old enough to appear mature and serious about the job:)

I think I've decided that the TEFL (probably CELTA) is necessary for me. I keep going back and forth on spending what looks to be about $1600-$1800 for the reputable places in BA, but the bottom line is that I'm thinking long term. I don't plan to teach for just a year and frankly...I want to feel comfortable in the classroom and confident that I know what I'm doing.

I think I've decided that Buenos Aires is where I want to be for the first year, but I know who to PM if I need info on Peru.

-Wendy

[TeresaLopez]

At least in Mexico, many schools will hire you on the strength of being a native speaker, and train you in there own method. There is a large chain called Interlengua that has many branches in Mexico City and Guadalajara, amoung other places, that will hire you and give you a training course in their own method. It's almost as much training as a CELTA, and not only don't you pay, they pay you (not a lot while you are training, but something). The good thing about Interlengua is that as a starting out teacher, they supply EVERYTHING you need, books, posters, CD's. CD players, even lesson plans, so it's not a bad starting point. They have a fairly rigid method, so eventually you might want to be more creative and move somewhere else. But it's a good starting point for someone without training, with no cost to start up. You also might want to do an online certificate. I know a lot of people don't like them, but I have done a couple of them, and you get out of them what you put into them, they can be quite useful at a much lower cost than a classroom. I know you said you didn't want to be in a big city, but big cities in Mexico aren't like big cities in the US. Neighborhoods have their own flavor and are like little small towns, you get to know your neighbors, you get to know the storekeepers, even bus drivers on your regular routes. I know everyone on my street, I know the cop on the corner (not that that's worth much here), lots of bus drivers, it's NOT at all like living in a big city, even though it IS one. Also, if you are willing to live like middle class Mexicans to, learn Spanish, etc., your expenses will be half what they would be otherwise. Even being willing to learn goes a long way with people. I know people who have lived here many years and know no Spanish, but they pay a price for it every day. If you are planning for the long term in Latin America, there are other ways to get training besides a CELTA that will give you more training for less money. Workshops, etc. Again, many schools/institutes will offer workshops, for a low price.

[AGoodStory]

[brian1972]

As another poster mentioned, medical care would be a concern. Although you can find inexpensive medical care and supplies in LA, with a chronic condition you might be paying a lot more for these things.

I also agree that a university position is going to be difficult without a degree. Seems that a language school would be more of an option for you.

In regards to race, I would say that curiosity will be the big thing... as someone else mentioned. My kids are blonde, blonde and we were constantly stopped and stared at, people would want to touch them and their hair. It was uncomfortable at first, but you do get used to it. I would imagine it could be the same for you significant other. Might get stared at, questions asked and or people wanting to touch his skin... he might also be called a negro, or a negrito. Which in Spanish is the word for black. This is NOT considered rude at all.

Good luck!

[naturegirl321]

[Higo]

Please keep us posted on how things go in B.A. I have been interested in Argentina as well but the cost of getting there alone...it's daunting.

I google'd cost on insulin and came up with nothing...except I did find something on yahoo answers that said a vial was 10pesos in Mexico -- not Argentina...but surely it is less expensive than in the US.

[TeresaLopez]

[Guy Courchesne]

I've met quite a few Argentines here in Mexico City (a large number relocated to Mexico after the 2001 economic crisis)...have to say I haven't experienced the snooty arrogance Mexicans believe of Argentines. And they certainly tend to operate the best steakhouses here in the city!

I'm hoping to get to BA some day...

[TeresaLopez]

[Isla Guapa]

I agree with Teresa that a lot of this snottiness is directed at Mexicans, not the rest of us, especially if we look more European than anything else. I recall an Argentinian psychiatrist who was living here telling me how neurotic and basically screwed up most Mexicans were. Since I'm not Mexican, maybe he thought I would agree with him or at least not take offense .

[Guy Courchesne]