I was sitting in the living room last night and a friend of mine who has been living in Colombia contacted me and asked me how easy it is to get a teaching job in Ecuador. I shared some tips with her and I think they were really helpful for everyone out there who might be in the same boat.
Having been a teacher here for 5 years in both public and private schools,one of the ways to ensure that you get a teaching job is to look for it during the most appropriate time and have all the required necessities at the time when you are searching for that job and use friendly references. Let’s look into what that means.
1.The time during which you look for a teaching job.
Any person who is getting into teaching or even a teacher who is just continuing with this profession, the time at which you look for a teaching job is very significant in determining whether you will find that job easily or not.
If you are living at the coast in the provinces of Ecuador such as Manabi,Esmeraldas,Santa Elena and El Oro and others like Guayaguaquil and Galapagos(Guayaquil and Galapagos are on the list although not part of coastal provinces because they follow the same academic calendar like coastal provinces) consider searching for a job between January and April because that is when most schools(private) are laying off teachers and recruiting new ones and in addition to that, most teachers are also changing places of work during that period. According to the academic calendar of the ministry of Education of Ecuador, the scholar year(what is normally referred to as the academic year) starts in late April and ends in Late March of the next year so the best time to look for a job at the job is both towards the end and at the start of the academic year.
On the other hand, for those who are living in Sierra(the highlands)
in the provinces of Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Cotopaxi, Bolivar, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, Cañar, Azuay and Loja, the most favorable time to get recruited faster is by start looking around between June and August. The academic calendar of this region runs from Early September to early August of the next year.
2.Having the requirements necessary to be recruited.
Another factor that will enable you to be easily employable is to be equipped with what they need in an English teacher apart from having a University degree(it is not always a requirement in some institutions).
What are the requirements for getting a teaching job in Ecuador ?
a).Experience
Having experience ranks #1 when looking for a job as an English teacher. The experience employers are looking for varies from one institution to another.
Some institutions prefer a person who has ever worked anywhere, some require you to have any teaching experience regardless of the subject while others may require specific experience that is relevant with the level of students which you are going to handle. However this does not necessarily mean that a teacher with no experience cannot be given a teaching job( I’ve seen University students with no prior teaching experience getting recruited immediately and perform better at executing their duties then teachers with more experience)
b).Having a certificate of English proficiency.
Obtaining a certificate that demonstrates the level of your English goes a long way in aiding you to get a job easily in a school. College or language institute. Most of the time, this substitutes experience and a teaching degree. For native English speakers this is not necessary(all you need is yout passport) The most trusted certificates are those issued by Cambridge. Pearson and TOEFL and of recent iTEP certificate especially for those who would wish to join the Public school system. The basic level is B2 although some schools may ask for a higher level if the students you are going to handle are of an upper intermediate level of English.
Having this certificate reduces your time of search by almost 50%. Teachers who do not have this certificate have also a higher time bargaining for a good salary.
3. Use of personal references.
A friend referring you to a school or college for a teaching job is one of the easiest jobs that can facilitate and simplify the job-search process. If you have a friend or a neighbor or even a family member who works at school where you would like to work, you can ask them for reference when looking for a job in that similar institution. In some cases it can also be a different institution so long as that person is known in that place and they can vouch for you. Of course you would have to go and do an interview to prove your worth but their reference can literally help you at least put one foot in the door.
4.Having your CV ready in digital format.
One crucial yet overlooked thing in the business of looking for a job is having your CV standby. Companies no longer require the employee to deliver the CV in person, rather they first want to look into your CVthen they can assess whether you are a perfect fit for their school or college.
You have to have your CV rady in electronic form so that it can be easily accessible via email or whatsapp. Having this CV ready on standby can make a difference between a person who is employed immediately and one who doesn’t.
If the employee likes your CV, you have higher chances of getting the job.
5. Your place of residence.
A person looking for a job in a big city like Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Manta has higher chances of landing a teaching job with better pay easier than a person living in a small town. This is due to a number of factors. Big cities have higher numbers of schools,colleges,universities and English institutes i.e if you fail to get a job in a school an English institute can employ you easily on a part time basis at $400 a month. Another thing is that good schools in cities normally employ more than 1 English teacher per class to ease the teacher’s job which is not the case in rural schools where not even a single ENGLISH TEACHER might be found.
SEARCHING FOR AN ENGLISH TEACHING JOB ONLINE
Another way you can look for a teaching job is by using online resources. These range from websites to social media foras although they are usually underlooked by many people. These websites will come in handy for a person looking for a job.
1.Ministry of education website.
The ministry of education normally recruits teachers both virtually and by visiting their offices in person. The website is https://educacion.gob.ec/educa-empleo/.
You have to register first with an account then go through the steps and wait for a response from the ministry.
My best recommendation is to keep on changing from time to time to see if the ministry has responded.
2.Computrabajo
This is another great website for teachers are are seeking to get jobs with less stress and worry. The website had hundreds of jobs posted daily for those who might be interested.
The website is https://www.computrabajo.com.ec/.
The site requires you to register and create a profile which you have to use search for a job.You have to click on a job and look at the requirements for each job to see what works for you.
3.Opcionempleo
This is yet another place where thousands of jobs are posted daily by companies who are searching for employees.
This is the website https://www.opcionempleo.ec/
Like the previous 2 websites,it also requires you to have your profile posted in the form of a CV. It also has remorse jobs for those who would like to work online.
4.El universo
This is a website of one of the leading newspapers in Ecuador. It boasts of having thousands and thousands of jobs posted on an hourly basis. It has both presencial and virtual jobs for teachers and other professions.
The link to the website is https://clasificados.eluniverso.com/
You can even post your advert free of charge to attract clients.
5.Jobomas
If you are looking for a place where you can both look for a job and a market for your services, this is another place to visit. It advertises all types of jobs and products.
The website is https://ec.jobomas.com/
Registration is not required. Just go to the site and go to the search bar and type in your preferred job.