You work that English degree, baby.
Chile is the first country I've been to where I can proudly say that going for my English degree was the best decision I could have ever made. Me and my TEFL certificate do a little turn on the catwalk down to every university, ESL company, and bilingual secretary position I know. And really, it kind of feels like shooting fish in a barrel, since there's a plethora of options (for an ENGLISH major!?!?!?! Yes, I died and went abroad).
If you want to go the university route, I've heard thus about the following:
Norteamericano: Great pay, great benefits, great company to work for. However super hard to get in contact with, for whatever reason. They do not help with work visas.
Diego Portales: Also pretty nice pay. My friend Tosh works here as a language assistant for business classes in English. He sounds like he likes it but has complained that some of the students are pretty stuck up (which is kind of typical here among the better off part of the population, unfortunately). He's still in the process of hopefully getting a work visa, which consisted of his boss hiring him out to another company to do translation work. I'm actually pretty confused about how he's getting his visa. I just hope he does so he can get paid.
Diego Portales: Also pretty nice pay. My friend Tosh works here as a language assistant for business classes in English. He sounds like he likes it but has complained that some of the students are pretty stuck up (which is kind of typical here among the better off part of the population, unfortunately). He's still in the process of hopefully getting a work visa, which consisted of his boss hiring him out to another company to do translation work. I'm actually pretty confused about how he's getting his visa. I just hope he does so he can get paid.
Smaller class-sizes (6 students tops) float your boat? The following companies sound pretty promising:
Bridge Linguatec: This is where I'll be working starting late February! I'm sure you'll hear more about it, so I'll save my space and your time for now.
Executive English Solutions: I have a friend who switched from Bridge to this company, also based out of Providencia. She preferred it to Bridge because there was less beaurcracy (paperwork) and, at least for her, more potential classes. The last time they had a job posting they asked for a personal interview of all candidates, so if you're considering this company I'd reccommend waiting until you get down here to check it out.
Potential red lights:
Tronwell: I'm on the fence about Tronwell. I haven't heard particularly glowing reviews about the company, but nothing potentially damning, either. Worth a shot. They have branches all over Santiago and seem to have high turnover. Also, they help with a work visa. However, the website looks as fancy as an 80's punk rocker, and I'm also kind of miffed that they never responded to my cover letter...or my phone calls.
Wall Street Institute: I hear they are soul-sucking slave drivers who pay you $3.00 an hour. I'm not going to even dignify this company with a snazzy hyperlink.
And, hey, you could always private tutor. Sell yourself on Vivastreet.cl and charge between $10-$20 luka per lesson (these are the average going rates for a private native-speaking tutor).
If you're really too sexy for your blue-collar shirt, you could freelance with Teatime Magazine - featuring interest articles written with non-native readers in mind - or grab an internship with The Santiago Times or I Love Chile, two of three (as far as I know) English-language newsfonts for ex-pats. You could also sell yourself out to a hostel - free room, but shite hours and living conditions for the most part; also very poorly paid.
Now, none of these options provide you a ton of money (a full time schedule might make you between $300.000 - $600.000 CLP a month), but it's enough to get by and enjoy the country on your own dime. If you're looking for something a little more concrete and possibly better paying, sites like trabajando.com might be a good place to start looking.
Happy foreign country job hunting!
