The Ugly Truth: Jobs in Cali

Wastelandlive says on Feb 14, 2006, 15:39:

There aren't many postings because there are no jobs ??

Please do post when you find something. This isn't a blog, but a forum, and it's maintained by its participants.

Wasteland

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litost says on Feb 14, 2006, 17:59:

Sorry about your luck... but I don't think the posters on this site have ever led to believe it's easy to get a job in Colombia. Certainly not in just two weeks, and most definitely not enough to save and take home to the 'developed' world. Besides, popping into a new city as a foreigner and expecting to get employed off the bat is way optomistic from any perspective... to pull it off you need planning, patience, and luck.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 14, 2006, 18:23:

Well litost..... "Besides, popping into a new city as a foreigner and expecting to get employed off the bat is way optomistic from any perspective."

That is not really true. Remember where he said "This is not Thailand". Thd point is that in courties like Thailand, you can get a job over night. There are quite a few countries where native English speakers really can find teaching jobs pretty quickly. I know this girl that has been doing this for over 10 years, so I know a little about this.

The reality of the situation is that Colombia, especially Cali,is not exactly one of the "hot" countreis that people want to go to. I know one thing, given the problem that this person is having, and the time frame, she should leave Cali immediately because there are many many more opportunities in Bogota. There are simply many more schools there on the north side. Staying in Cali at this point waiting for something to open up is a waste of time

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caslug says on Feb 14, 2006, 19:25:

teaching in cali.. 1) you arrived AFTER the new semester started, most of the interviews were held back in Sep/OCT.
2) If you are a foreigner with dual citizenship, then getting a job that sponsor workvisa is difficult ESPECIALLY considering you arrived late.
3) IF you have COL citizenship, then you can get hired at langauge institute the pay is low BUT they will hire you.
4) IF you want work and get good money and saving then head to ASIA, the pay is better, many places will give accomadation.
5) IF you have NO teaching certificate then finding job is that much harder.

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Coqueton says on Feb 14, 2006, 21:25:

And do you have any qualifications other than speaking English as your first language? I've found that many Colombians don't speak English and few have a need to so i'm not surprised that there is low demand as well.

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utopiacowboy says on Feb 14, 2006, 21:47:

Just today my wife was telling me that she had never imagined that she would ever need to speak English for anything ever in her life. Now all day every day she has to speak English and it's giving her a headache.

Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult.

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msekulov says on Feb 15, 2006, 02:06:

My good friend is from cali..even though she works outside the country, when she had to find a job recently in cali it took her 2 months(because of the festive season) to find a "good" job in a university there( with a great resume she has)...the job paid a bit less than $200.00......
i think cali, the whole of colombia, is very nice to visit...but to work in...hmmm
apart from teaching english jobs as caslug said.
Good luck!!!

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msekulov says on Feb 15, 2006, 02:06:

My good friend is from cali..even though she works outside the country, when she had to find a job recently in cali it took her 2 months(because of the festive season) to find a "good" job in a university there( with a great resume she has)...the job paid a bit less than $200.00......
i think cali, the whole of colombia, is very nice to visit...but to work in...hmmm
apart from teaching english jobs as caslug said.
Good luck!!!

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landcruiser77 says on Feb 15, 2006, 07:23:

is gonna be a short answer!!!11 cali is dangerous and a ugly city!!and for you white boy!you gonna be an easy target to get punkd

£æ

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toneloc24 says on Feb 15, 2006, 07:44:

Since when.... did Colombia become this major center for jobs for foreigners?

I'm really confused about where people are getting these ideas. As if the Colombian trees will part and make way for your gringoness and adorn you with a job. Meanwhile, the overwhelming majority of people there live on salaries of $250USD or less monthly.

Forget the millions of qualified and/or educated Colombians who are also in need of employment. You're more special. Is that about right?

The demand for English is pretty low in Colombia. Therefore, getting a decent paying job teaching English (maybe $500USD/month) is pretty difficult, and usually requires connections and esteemed professional recommendations. Walking in off the street, LOL!!!

Even if you're an entrepreneur, there are TOO many hurdles involved. Forget making money, you'd be best served aiming for breaking even. Then, there's the issue of trusting your employees. I won't even get too deep into that. Another thread has addressed that.

Look around Cali. Your answers are all around you, staring you in the face. Whether you just listen to your own common sense is your own choice.

As much as you and I may love Colombia, it's not Utopia.

"PBH is dead!!!!"

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