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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:50 am Post subject: Am I qualified? Advice please |
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Hello, I've been reading around these forums and you guys really seem to know a lot about the work situation in Mex.
I currently live in UK but want to move to DF for a couple years and teach english. I already speak quite good conversational spanish and really enjoy it so wish to increase my ability. I have a 2.1 degree(BA Hons Fine art) and some teaching experience(As a visiting lecturer and as TEFL to french school children).
My question is, How hard would it be for me to find a job? Given my relevant experience? Of course I'm a native speaker but would it be worth taking a short TEFL/CELTA course? I notice a lot of you saying that its more important 'who you know' and that hours on TEFL/CELTA haven't been implicit in obtaining work. Also, DELE's? Worth it?
What were your respective work experiences when you started to search for work in Mex?
Also when is the most fruitful hiring/application period in DF?
I think I have a grasp of living costs etc however initially this wouldn't be a huge expense because I have friends in Naucalpan that I can stay with. I spent 5 weeks there last Oct and became totally smitten with the city and country  .
Also I would be happy to work outside of education, what are these options like in the city?
Thanks very much, I know thats a lot of questions but any answered will be really really appreciated |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:57 am Post subject: |
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A little more on my experience...
Leeds College of Art, November 2011- February 2012
Leeds
Part Time Visiting Lecturer on the BA Fine Art programme
� Instructing 1st year students in hand production techniques
� Teaching woodwork, clay, plaster, metalwork
� Leading critical in-depth discussions of working methods and critical analysis of artworks
� Providing lesson support for members of department
� Teaching construction and drawing techniques
Spring House Group, June - August 2011
Harrogate
Teacher of English as a Second Language
� Directing classes of up to 12 children between the ages of 11-16
� Lesson preparation and creating and planning lessons (examples available)
� Making assessments of abilities, and writing reports of these.
� Leading group activities within classes.
� Supervising and maintaining a quiet working environment |
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MotherF
Joined: 07 Jun 2010
Posts: 1450
Location: 17�48'N 97�46'W
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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In my opinion, a TEFL cert, be it CELTA or other, would be useful because immigration may ask to see some sort of paper stating you are qualified to do the job. Who you know will get you a better job, but you still need to be qualified to do that job.
My experience is not in Mexico City, so I will leave the rest of your questions to the others . |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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You don't have a great deal of experience, but emphasizing the ESL work with kids will open up work a private colegios here in DF...middle tier schools I'd say, provided you want to work with kids of course.
Hiring for those jobs has just started, for the upcoming school year which begins mid to late August. There are usually still positions to fill right up to the beginning of September though.
If you plan to work with adults through language schools or in business English, hiring is done pretty much year round.
Naucalpan makes for a longish commute into the city, though are a number of decent schools out that way to look into. |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:33 am Post subject: |
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Yea I know, one day it took me more than two hours to return from Xola via cami�nes! I guess I'd stay until I could move out.
Thanks again for the advice
At the moment I am happy to work with whichever age group, just as long as I can make enough to get by. Of course I'd prefer to teach fine art in universities but a few years down the line I think. And business english would be amazing but its never FT so I hear?
On this subject I noticed people saying that its badly paid in comparison to other jobs, what jobs are these? I mean what(if there are) other career options for foreign nationals living in DF?
How many years did it take you guys to move up the career ladder in Mexico? And are most teaching jobs Sept - June? I starting to think of staying longer.
Once again really appreciate all the advice X |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 9:33 am Post subject: |
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Yea I know, one day it took me more than two hours to return from Xola via cami�nes! I guess I'd stay until I could move out.
Thanks again for the advice
At the moment I am happy to work with whichever age group, just as long as I can make enough to get by. Of course I'd prefer to teach fine art in universities but a few years down the line I think. And business english would be amazing but its never FT so I hear?
On this subject I noticed people saying that its badly paid in comparison to other jobs, what jobs are these? I mean what(if there are) other career options for foreign nationals living in DF?
How many years did it take you guys to move up the career ladder in Mexico? And are most teaching jobs Sept - June? I starting to think of staying longer.
Once again really appreciate all the advice X |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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Anyone? Tips for newbie teachers trying to get into employment or anything?
X |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:35 pm Post subject: |
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Other career options for foreigners in DF...outside of education? I've met foreigners working in sales, management, embassies, finance, energy...but the majority of those were sent down through parent companies in Canada and the US. Others have opened their own language institutes, another I know opened a bar, and one other freelances as a financial consultant.
As for earnings:
Language school chains - low pay compared to other teaching jobs and other jobs as a whole
Business English classes - highly variable and very rarely full time as you mention. Decent pay here in DF.
Public school teachers - generally inaccessible to foreigners, low pay compared to private schools and to other jobs as a whole
Private schools - lots of variety here and dependent on a teacher's qualifications. Low to mid to high level pay. More experience/qualifications, better jobs of course as in international schools.
The school year runs from mid-August to late June roughly. |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Guy
Thanks again for the knowledge you've been really helpful
I'm doing some cover supervisor work in the coming weeks to amount some more experience
X |
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Enchilada Potosina
Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 344
Location: Mexico
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| AdamBrownUK wrote: |
| How many years did it take you guys to move up the career ladder in Mexico? |
I don't think there's a ladder as such, more of a slippery slope if you ask me. The cost of living is rising fairly steadily in Mexico but wages generally don't and as seen in other theads, they can even go down. It's not like the UK where you can grow within one institution. You'll have to look for better paying jobs or better opportunities or really negociate with places for better pay otherwise they'll keep you in the same job for the same pay for as long as they can. Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:44 am Post subject: |
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| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| AdamBrownUK wrote: |
| How many years did it take you guys to move up the career ladder in Mexico? |
I don't think there's a ladder as such, more of a slippery slope if you ask me. The cost of living is rising fairly steadily in Mexico but wages generally don't and as seen in other theads, they can even go down. It's not like the UK where you can grow within one institution. You'll have to look for better paying jobs or better opportunities or really negociate with places for better pay otherwise they'll keep you in the same job for the same pay for as long as they can. Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
In DF? |
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EFLeducator
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| AdamBrownUK wrote: |
| How many years did it take you guys to move up the career ladder in Mexico? |
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| I don't think there's a ladder as such, more of a slippery slope if you ask me. |
You may be right, EP. When I was working for Harmon Hall in Mexico City back in 08, they were paying me 85 pesos an hour. I stopped working for them the same year and I went to another Harmon Hall branch in 11 just to see what their pay rate was and they told me 75 pesos an hour. Three years later and the pay was less. 
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| The cost of living is rising fairly steadily in Mexico but wages generally don't and as seen in other theads, they can even go down. |
True. I was paying more every month for groceries and other essentials while my pay was about the same. No upward mobility was my personal experience and the experience of many Mexican TEFLer's I knew in Mexico City.
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| You'll have to look for better paying jobs or better opportunities or really negociate with places for better pay otherwise they'll keep you in the same job for the same pay for as long as they can. |
Yeah. 
Harmon Hall and many other language schools AND private colegios come to mind.
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
Right! |
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AdamBrownUK
Joined: 07 Feb 2012
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| EFLeducator wrote: |
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
Right! |
Is this to say that CELTA certificates and the similar alternatives have minimal effect on salary? Only on 'employability'?
Thanks again X |
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BadBeagleBad
Joined: 23 Aug 2010
Posts: 1186
Location: 24.18105,-103.25185
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| AdamBrownUK wrote: |
| EFLeducator wrote: |
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
Right! |
Is this to say that CELTA certificates and the similar alternatives have minimal effect on salary? Only on 'employability'?
Thanks again X |
I believe that Enchilada lives in San Luis Potosi, which is not Mexico City, so it is likely that his experiences are quite different and not applicable to Mexico City. There are a few paths to making good money. First, be a certified teacher. By that I mean from a 4 year university, not a one month CELTA program. It is almost laughable to me that people think a one month program turns them into a professional educator that can now command high wages. If you are a certified teacher you are at the top of the feeding chain. Second, work for a language institute that give business classes. But choose wisely. Some students tend to cancel, but that was never a problem for me as the institutes I worked for had a cancellation policy written into the contract, so it rarely effected my income. You can do OK with private students as well, or a combination of institute and private students. Right now I have two private students that I have been teaching for close to two years in one case, three in another, and they have only cancelled a handful of times. I know that some people don't like this option, but if you plan to stay in Mexico long term, a language institute can be a great place to work. I have a number of friends who started a chains (Interlingua and Harmon Hall) as teachers and are now either in teaching training, materials development or management with good salaries and benefits. And, the other factor that always seems to be forgotten when talking about "low wages" is the fact that the cost of living is so much lower, in some cases as much as 75% less. A better way to look at this would be buying power, not raw earnings. |
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Enchilada Potosina
Joined: 03 Aug 2010
Posts: 344
Location: Mexico
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| BadBeagleBad wrote: |
| AdamBrownUK wrote: |
| EFLeducator wrote: |
| Enchilada Potosina wrote: |
| Don't worry if you don't have 'experience' as in most places teachers with decades of experience are paid the same as newbies. Good luck! |
Right! |
Is this to say that CELTA certificates and the similar alternatives have minimal effect on salary? Only on 'employability'?
Thanks again X |
I believe that Enchilada lives in San Luis Potosi, which is not Mexico City, so it is likely that his experiences are quite different and not applicable to Mexico City. |
True, perhaps the situation isn't as jodida there as it is here. Schools are desperate for teachers in SLP, wonder why there are no (foreign) teachers here anymore yet refuse to pay a decent wage. All jobs here seem to be bottom-feeder ones. I couldn't make a living from it after a few years and started doing other things. Maybe living in Mexico City makes these kind of jobs almost worthwhile as there's certainly no reason to live just above the breadline in SLP. |
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