Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Hi All,

Vitals:
Age - 28
Sex - Male
Ethnicity - African American

Education:
BS Business Admin Emphasis: Finance and Security Analysis
AA Business Admin Emphasis: Economics

Relevant Experience:
Financial Analyst (Industry: Visual Effects/Media/Technology) 2.5 years
Budget Analyst (Industry: Film) 6 months
Intern (Industry: Asset management, specifically credit derivatives) 6 months

Languages: English and very, very basic Spanish

My brother is co-owns (with his a wife) a small manufacturing operation in Irapuato. I will be staying with him initially. My brother says he may be able to get me in touch with some expats who may be able to get me a job (no guarantees though).

I'm very flexible and welcome any ideas (brick and morter, online, etc.). My reasons for moving are being sick of my career in the states, wanting to learn Spanish and computer programming (my brother is also a programmer) , and in general looking to take my life in a new direction away from the drudgery of American corporate life.

Grad school may be on the horizon, if I can ever get a high enough GRE/GMAT score, which despite my best effort, I have not been able to do working 60 hours per week. Assuming grad school doesn't work out, I'd like to make my way south once I am fluent in Spanish and possibly settle somewhere in South America.

Any insights into ways I could potentially support myself and preferably earn Euros or American dollars would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

George

Rolly

Mar 14, 2010, 8:08 AM

Post #2 of 22 (8723 views)

Re: [MediaShopMaven] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Two things you need to understand first.

1. Without good Spanish, you are not likely to find what you want.

2. You cannot work in México without permission from the government, and that is often very hard to get. You must first find a job and then apply for a work permit. The permit will be issued only if you can demonstrate that you possess a skill or specialized knowledge that cannot be provided by a Mexican citizen. That usually boils down to teaching English or selling time shares.

You can learn more here: http://rollybrook.com/workingfm3.htm

Good luck.

Rolly Pirate

(This post was edited by Rolly on Mar 14, 2010, 10:12 AM)

Mar 14, 2010, 10:00 AM

Post #3 of 22 (8696 views)

Re: [MediaShopMaven] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Well, George, as usual, Rolly's succinct advice is to the point. I was wondering how you expected to possibly earn dollars or euros in Mexico, where the peso is the currency.... ( :

sfsmurf

Mar 14, 2010, 1:19 PM

Post #4 of 22 (8643 views)

Re: [MediaShopMaven] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Set up your own web-based business that sells things to the world and operate it out of your home in Irapuato. Otherwise, you will go broke quickly if you think you're going to get a job in Irapuato with virtually no Spanish and no work permit. Why do you think so many Mexicans---including middle-class professionals---go to the U.S. to find work? There is massive unemployment in Mexico. I suggest you read the news and do some research on the subject. I'm not trying to discourage you, but you must be realistic. And yes, as Rolly says you could teach English or sell time shares (I taught English for years in Mexico City), but Irapuato is far from the beach (no time shares) and isn't big enough to support the kind of language schools and classes for corporate clients that provide a liveable wage.

There are U.S. owned maquilladoras in the Bajio, so you might find a job as a mid-level supervisor or manager through an ex-pat who works in or owns one. But those kinds of jobs are few and far between and are best arranged in the U.S., and you'd have to get the work permits worked out at a Mexican Consulate in the U.S. and/or deal with the the paperwork there (the owner of the language school where I worked arranged mine. It took a year and lots of bribes to get it).

(This post was edited by sfsmurf on Mar 14, 2010, 1:28 PM)

MediaShopMaven

Mar 14, 2010, 1:45 PM

Post #5 of 22 (8629 views)

Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for the replies. I have no illusions about the reality of finding a job. It's going to be hard, very hard.

I'm basing my prospects on what my brother has told me. Obviously teaching English is most probable. However, he was pumping the idea of getting a job at a multinational (that pay dollars or euros) through his expat network. He made it sound like it was doable. Maybe it's all hype, maybe not. Given the interpersonal nature of getting a gig in Mexico, I'm not going to find out for sure unless I take the risk and make the move.

SFSmurf:

I like the online business idea. Do you know anybody whose successfully operating an online shop? If so, can you maybe describe their operation? Thanks!

sfsmurf

Mar 14, 2010, 1:59 PM

Post #6 of 22 (8624 views)

Re: [MediaShopMaven] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

I know a few ex-pats who make a living in Mexico with their own businesses. One does freelance web design for U.S. clients. Another makes jewelry and sells it on-line and in shops. I'm sure there are many other examples. Think of your skills and experience and see if it translates into a web-based business. Your laptop/computer and internet connection in Mexico is your portal to the world.

Mar 14, 2010, 3:04 PM

Post #7 of 22 (8612 views)

Re: [sfsmurf] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

I live in Irapuato. In our area we have a large General Motors plant (Silao) and the many afiliated supplier-plants. We have a new "interior port" which is attracting some new international corporations. Right in Irapuato we have plants/factories for Dannone Yogurt; Green Giant; Con Agra; Purina; Bimbo (bread); and many, many others with names you have never heard of including a large supplier to McDonalds. A new Proctor and Gamble razor blade plant which will offer 3000 jobs is under construction right now. We are an agricultural area, but we have a Tec de Monterrey (over 30 years old), a branch of the University of Guanajuato, the University of Leon, University Cervantino, and University Quetzalcoatl--as well as 10 or more English schools and a branch of Alliance Française. We have a population of about 500,000.

Mar 14, 2010, 3:54 PM

Post #8 of 22 (8600 views)

Re: [sfsmurf] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Quote

....you'd have to get the work permits worked out at a Mexican Consulate in the U.S. and/or deal with the the paperwork there (the owner of the language school where I worked arranged mine. It took a year and lots of bribes to get it)....

Just in case you decide to try and make a living in Irapuato teaching English: Right now, at least in Mexico City, it's not so difficult to get an FM3 (aka a residence permit that allows you to work) from Migración, though in your case it would help to have some sort of TEFL certificate since you have no teaching experience. The FM3 that I received a couple of years ago allows me to work as a free-lance English teacher. I will admit that I hired an experienced immigration lawyer to help me negotiate all the red tape, but no bribes were paid as far as I know. I also know other expats who have applied for FM3s on their own, and they received them without paying any bribes. And I've never of anyone having to wait a year to get one, though maybe things were different when sfsmurf was working in Mexico City.

(This post was edited by La Isla on Mar 14, 2010, 4:07 PM)

richmx2

Mar 14, 2010, 6:45 PM

Post #9 of 22 (8560 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Really, the idea that bribes and long delays are involved in obtaining your FM-3 usually means either you don't really fit the job description -- in which case, it's usually not a question of your qualifications or lack thereof, but the person writing the job description who is at fault -- and/or the employer is stretching the process out, either because it's a minor issue to them, or... as happened to me, the lawyer was some crony of the directora, with no experience in immigration and no business doing this kind of work. If anyone was getting a bribe, I suspect it was more in the form of a kickback to the directora (who ended up fleeing Mexico for her native Cuba after she was caught pocketing student fees for a private school she also owned, and was stiffing the teachers).

But, based on the OP's resume, I don't see anything particularly useful to an employer that can't be filled by the available labor pool. Many of those "on-line" jobs probably aren't legal, existing as they do in a gray area -- technically in the United States (where they should be paying taxes), but the physical plant is in Mexico. As the saying goes, "substantial penalties may be assessed."

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com

Mar 14, 2010, 7:56 PM

Post #10 of 22 (8536 views)

Re: [richmx2] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Probably one reason I didn't have much trouble getting my FM3 is that I am a highly-qualified English teacher with many years of experience. Even so, my lawyer advised me to get a TEFL training certificate since none of my three degrees are in TEFL or something obviously related to what I wanted to do in Mexico. Apparently my B.S.ed. in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language wouldn't do in spite of the obvious connection between it and TEFL. The other reason I had no problems is that I used a highly-recommended immigration lawyer with many years of experience, with offices right around the corner from INM in Mexico City.

richmx2

Mar 15, 2010, 9:16 AM

Post #11 of 22 (8427 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

But then again, you're a lot smarter than I was :-)

I compliment the OP on researching the question first. I did... sorta. But, like the OP, I only considered ESL as a "default" job (and nothing wrong with that) -- a means to other ends -- whereas you were coming with the intention of teaching. I may have a Masters in English, which at least was relevant experience and training, and back then the demand for ESL teachers was such that I could just walk into a job. Now, with tighter standards and pickier employers, it may be harder to just "wing it" with your immigration papers. And -- as I discovered -- you might get winged if you wing it.

http://mexfiles.net
http://voiceofmexico.com
http://editorialmazatlan.com

Mar 15, 2010, 9:36 AM

Post #12 of 22 (8420 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

The univerisities in Irapuato only require a US bachelors degree (any subject) for teaching English. They handle the FM3 process for you. The English schools don't care if the teacher has an FM3--so if a person has the nerve he/she can teach illegally.

Mar 15, 2010, 10:16 AM

Post #13 of 22 (8395 views)

Re: [gpkgto] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

Well, schools, universities or otherwise, that have low or irrelevant standards for entering English teachers are not probably not great places to work. This is especially true of English schools that are willing to let you work under the table. The better schools do things legally and provide their teachers with contracts and decent wages and working conditions. I feel sorry for the students learning English from unqualified, though perhaps well-meaning, expats from the North. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is not something you can do well, or even in a so-so manner, just because you're a native speaker. Now I'll get off my soapbox!

Mar 15, 2010, 12:19 PM

Post #14 of 22 (8366 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

I didn't say it was a good idea--just that work was available. I am not trained as a teacher, but all of my students have said they think I am a good teacher--not that that counts for anything.

Mar 15, 2010, 5:09 PM

Post #15 of 22 (8323 views)

Re: [gpkgto] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

I'm sure you were trying to be helpful to the OP. I just wanted to offer another point of view. Since you don't have formal TEFL training, I was wondering if the schools that hired you offered some sort of orientation or training before plopping you down in front of a class for the first time. Even with the proper pedagogical preparation, this can be a really unnerving experience! Your students' opinion of your teaching is very important, as long as it's based on more than your native-speaker status and number of high grades you give out (-: !

Rolly

Mar 15, 2010, 5:24 PM

Post #16 of 22 (8322 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

INM will not (is not supposed to) issue a working endorsement without proof of qualifications. For ESL that usually means something like a TEFL certificate.

Here is what I wrote on my website:

The law says that you must provide proof of your ability to do the job for which you are requesting a work permit. The nature of this proof will vary depending on the job as well as local requirements by your INM office. In general, this includes college degrees (diplomas), professional certificates (TEFL for teachers), etc. These will need to be notarized and have an apostille attached. They may need to be translated into Spanish. The INM office will tell you where to take the documents if they want a translation.

So far as I know, this is still the policy of the INM.

Rolly Pirate

Mar 16, 2010, 6:22 AM

Post #17 of 22 (8273 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

I've taught at 3 language schools and 2 universities over the last 10 years. Some offered an orientation or training, but it was minimal and pretty worthless. I give lousy grades--the students hate that part. I would undoubtedly benefit from proper training, but ...

Mar 16, 2010, 7:39 AM

Post #18 of 22 (8259 views)

Re: [Rolly] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

An apostilled bachelors degree form a US or Canadian university will qualify you as a teacher of English--at least for INM in Leon, Gto.

Mar 16, 2010, 9:35 AM

Post #19 of 22 (8238 views)

Re: [gpkgto] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

An apostilled bachelors degree form a US or Canadian university will qualify you as a teacher of English--at least for INM in Leon, Gto.

It won´t in Mexico City, unless your degree is in something obviously related to TEFL. Just any old degree won´t do!

Mar 16, 2010, 12:23 PM

Post #20 of 22 (8216 views)

Re: [La Isla] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

Was this because you wanted to qualify as a free-lancer or would it be required by a university also? Here in Guanajuato, if the university says it wants you as a teacher, INM lets the university decide on the qualifications. As we all know, INM can and does change all regulations and procedures periodically and sometimes arbitrarily.

I know people who teach at Tec de Monterrey in Guadalajara and their degrees are not related to the subjects they teach--so Jalisco is flexible also

Mar 16, 2010, 12:28 PM

Post #21 of 22 (8211 views)

Re: [gpkgto] Moving To Irapuato. Please Evaluate My Profile For Job Prospects

Can't Post | Private Reply

It's possible that INM was stricter with me because I was applying for an FM3 to work independently. Though their criteria are ridiculous considering that when I applied I had over 20 years of experience teaching English in schools, colleges and universities in the US and Mexico. But all they were interested in was a piece of paper that certified that I had received basic training to teach English as a Foreign Language. Yes, it still angers me when I think about it, but there was nothing I could do but follow my lawyer's advice!

Marlene

Mar 16, 2010, 1:51 PM

Post #22 of 22 (8192 views)