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hiddenninja
Joined: 29 Dec 2010
Posts: 96
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 Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:25 pm Post subject: Just arrived in DF - advice please |
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Hi Ive just arrived in DF looking for work. I have about $4500 saved up but Id rather avoid spending too much of it obviously.
Any advice -
1. Best websites to check for teaching jobs- so far I only really know computtrabajo.com but it looks pretty good.
2. Is there a newspaper thats good to check for jobs?
3. One advertised post said to turn up in person, send mail or call. (enviar mail, presentarse en domicilio o llamar) Which is best, I speak some Spanish but not perfect by any means, but I consider myself reasonably presentable. Should I turn up in person? If so, should I go the whole hog and wear a suit? (i have one with me)
Thanks in advance
(My background - 27. Degree and Celta. 2 years experience in Asia.) |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to DF!
Segundamano.com.mx is another to check though that's better to pick up private students. Check craig's list for Mexico City...
I'd call to set up a meet time, to be sure you know where you're going and that the person you need to see will be in. Go ahead and wear the suit...it never fails in DF. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: Re: Just arrived in DF - advice please |
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| hiddenninja wrote: |
Hi Ive just arrived in DF looking for work. I have about $4500 saved up but Id rather avoid spending too much of it obviously.
Any advice -
1. Best websites to check for teaching jobs- so far I only really know computtrabajo.com but it looks pretty good.
2. Is there a newspaper thats good to check for jobs?
3. One advertised post said to turn up in person, send mail or call. (enviar mail, presentarse en domicilio o llamar) Which is best, I speak some Spanish but not perfect by any means, but I consider myself reasonably presentable. Should I turn up in person? If so, should I go the whole hog and wear a suit? (i have one with me)
Thanks in advance
(My background - 27. Degree and Celta. 2 years experience in Asia.) |
try www.jobrapido.com There were about 100 jobs listed yesterday. Go to Chilango's website or see if you can find a copy of their school guide and start applying at different schools. What is your degree in? Are you interested in teaching at a High School, or even an elementary school? You might also find a thing or two on Craig's List. |
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hiddenninja
Joined: 29 Dec 2010
Posts: 96
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks very much for the input....1 more question. I've seen some attractive job offers online, advertised in english. Should I email them in English too? I could write it in Spanish and have someone look over it but I'm not sure if that's necessary and they'd soon find out Im currently only an intermediate speaker. |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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| Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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| You should absolutely respond in English--what makes you think the person doing the hiring won't be able to read your English application? I always binned any applications that came in in Spanish. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 12:24 am Post subject: |
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| MotherF wrote: |
| You should absolutely respond in English--what makes you think the person doing the hiring won't be able to read your English application? I always binned any applications that came in in Spanish. |
Really? Why? That surprises me to see you say that.
I agree though, go ahead and write in English without fear. |
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EFLeducator
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 1:03 am Post subject: Re: Just arrived in DF - advice please |
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| hiddenninja wrote: |
| Hi Ive just arrived in DF looking for work. I have about $4500 saved up. |
Welcome to the beautiful DF amigo! Hold on to that savings you have for as long as you can amigo. You'll want to make sure that the school you work for will pay you on time and the full amount they owe you. The schools don't do that a lot of the times and it can become a huge problem for a TEFLer.
Also make sure you keep enough of the savings for a plane ticket in case it doesn't work out for you. Always have an escape plan amigo.
Good luck and again...welcome to beautiful Mexico City!  |
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notamiss
Joined: 20 Jun 2007
Posts: 908
Location: El 5o pino del la CDMX
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 3:24 pm Post subject: |
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| MotherF wrote: |
| You should absolutely respond in English--what makes you think the person doing the hiring won't be able to read your English application? I always binned any applications that came in in Spanish. |
But you�re an English speaker. If the person advertising the job is a Spanish speaker with a low level of English, they may comprehend it much better in Spanish than in English. For example, if the job ad is in non-native English replete with typical non-native mistakes. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| MotherF wrote: |
| You should absolutely respond in English--what makes you think the person doing the hiring won't be able to read your English application? I always binned any applications that came in in Spanish. |
Really? Why? That surprises me to see you say that.
I agree though, go ahead and write in English without fear. |
Same here, when I was hiring teachers I would often get resumes and cover letters in Spanish - often with no evidence that the person even spoke English. I did the same thing as Mother F. I think it is safe to say that if the ad is in English you can reply in English. If the ad is in Spanish, now that's where it gets a little more complicated. Sometimes people hiring for schools might not speak English themselves, so if might be better to reply in Spanish. Or both. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| notamiss wrote: |
But you�re an English speaker. If the person advertising the job is a Spanish speaker with a low level of English, they may comprehend it much better in Spanish than in English. For example, if the job ad is in non-native English replete with typical non-native mistakes. |
Good point. Maybe take it on a case by case basis, like NotAMiss said, if there are lots of errors in the ad you might reply in Spanish, or even send a Bi-lingual letter/resume just to cover your bases. |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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Like BBB said--the ad was in English, the name of the person to apply to was an English sounding name, the job add mentioned that the department consists of 15 native English speakers. And yet, they applied in Spanish?
Unless you are certain that the person recieving the application will not speak English, apply in English. We want to see your English. At the very least submit it in both languages--in the old days of paper I had a resume that was English on one side and Spanish on the other. Of course if you English is terrible (wheter non-native or just poor native) and you are seeking to hide that fact...
I did respond with a short, we recieved you application, but are unable to process applications not in English if you still wish to apply please do so again in English. But 75% of the time that got no response. |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 4:36 am Post subject: |
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| MotherF wrote: |
I did respond with a short, we recieved you application, but are unable to process applications not in English if you still wish to apply please do so again in English. But 75% of the time that got no response. |
I did that a few times, as well as pointing out to a couple of applicants that they might not want to send out a resume with 5 or 7 grammar or spelling errors, but when I got less than positive response, and in a couple of cases, downright rude responses, I quit doing even that. I sure don't miss hiring, I never did like it, really. |
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Isla Guapa
Joined: 19 Apr 2010
Posts: 1520
Location: Mexico City o sea La Gran Manzana Mexicana
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:09 am Post subject: |
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| BadBeagleBad wrote: |
| MotherF wrote: |
I did respond with a short, we recieved you application, but are unable to process applications not in English if you still wish to apply please do so again in English. But 75% of the time that got no response. |
I did that a few times, as well as pointing out to a couple of applicants that they might not want to send out a resume with 5 or 7 grammar or spelling errors, but when I got less than positive response, and in a couple of cases, downright rude responses, I quit doing even that. I sure don't miss hiring, I never did like it, really. |
Getting nasty responses from those applicants must have been unpleasant, but it was one way to know that they'd be unsuitable candidates for teaching English at the school you were working for.  |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Isla Guapa wrote: |
Getting nasty responses from those applicants must have been unpleasant, but it was one way to know that they'd be unsuitable candidates for teaching English at the school you were working for. |
Good point! One woman actually sounded like she might be an OK teacher, but her resume had something like FIFTEEN mistakes. I sent her a nicely worked letter and she sent me back a note basically telling me to to to hell, and saying it was MY loss. Now I realize that there are lots of people who can't spell and are great teachers. But this is your resume. Make it work FOR you, not against you. Then there was a person who sent a resume where he had had something like 20 jobs in two years, some that lasted as few as three weeks! I realize that there are some lousy employers out there, but surely out of the twenty there must have been one that was good enough to stay on with. Maybe I have just been extraordinarily lucky in who I have worked for, aside from a couple of problems I have never had any of the things that some say are so common happen to me. |
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leslie
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Posts: 235
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:52 pm Post subject: Mextesol D.F. Academic Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012 |
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You might want to start your networking by going to a Mextesol (Mexican TESOL) Academic Saturday this upcoming Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012.
Their facebook says that they have 50 registrants already! So you'd start making connections and could tell people you're looking for work.
Check out their website at:
www.mextesol.org
and go to local chapter events and scroll down to D.F. Chapter.
It's cheap to join ($200 pesos a year) and attend the Academic Saturdays.
See the website for more info. |
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