Teaching in Mexico - Different Types of Jobs

There is a good discussion at the ESL Cafe about the different types of teaching jobs one can find in Mexico, ranging from primary and secondary schools, to language institute work, to private tutoring and more.

MotherF writes:

In another thread there was some discussion as what consitutes a "better" job in English teaching in Mexico.

Obviously, what is best for one person is not best for another, but I thought this is a worthwhile topic and would be helpful for new teachers.

I work at a university. I have a full-time permanent position.

For me the pros are:
a comfortable salary
full benefits package
some nice perks like paid sabbaticals and options to take extended leave--I just got back from 6 months off to extend my maternity leave. a reasonable work load and a pleasent working environment
for the most part respectful students who recognize English as important for their futures

The cons are:
inflexibility in hours, as a mother, I'd like to be able to consider part-time work. (the hours most teachers work at colegios are very attractive to me)
vacations fixed into academic calander, the same times as sooo many other people.
a cap on my earnings, while I get nice cost of living increases and small antiquity bonuses, I can't work harder to make more like I could if I were doing private or free lance lessons.
my students are too busy to really commit the time needed to advance in their language learning
my class sizes are often near 30

Guy Courchesne replied:

Common to Mexico City is teaching English directly in companies, either yourself or through a language institute with a business focus. I've done a lot of this over the years.

Pros

Good hourly pay
Flexible hours, usually no Saturday work
Good stepping stone into other areas, such as translations, or into other fields
Small class sizes
Motivated students, for the most part
Independence

Cons

Usually no benefits
Difficult to maintain a full work load
Travel time a pain if not managed properly
Holidays and cancellations can cause havoc with a schedule if not managed

Dixie also writes:

I teach high school at a colegio and would echo MotherF's pros with a few additons:

PROS
Hours - I can be home by 3pm and feel as though I still have a full day to accomplish what needs to be done, to enjoy my family or to do nothing at all.

Resources - My school is full of the basics and the extras; I have an apple laptop, a digital projector, and opportunities for professional development (some better than others, but at least it is there!).

Colleagues - I work with amazing people who help me to grow as a teacher constantly; we are all qualified and dedicated professionals who provide unlimited support to our kiddies and each other.

Students - my class sizes are (usually) a good size; this year I have groups of 17 (2) and one of 15; they have a great level of English; great resources at home and for the most part are competent and thus successful.

LOCATION - I do not have to travel far to get to work (or home) and best of all, I do not have to move around (like some language teaching).

Vacation/Holidays/PD - I have the norm but I also have days off that others do not, meaning I can vacation when it is off-season and thus cheaper and less crowded. We also have full days without kids (nine this year) dedicated to pd.


CONS
Admin is weak in leadership, positive modeling and general knowledge but for the most part (and this is a pro) they do not interfere in how I organize and lead my classes.

I too am stuck at a certain pay now, but my pay is good, as are the benefits. The school claims to be looking into how pay is determined and more importantly, how raises can be earned so perhaps this will be omitted in the future.

My first job here was in a horrible place, filled with horrible people and weak students. I followed that with another job that I enjoyed, but travel was time consuming, the hours longer, and less holiday time. Like all places, job environments vary but for now, I am quite happy.

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