The article analyzes the perception of employers on the performance of graduates of teaching programs, coming from Chilean universities that show different level of selectivity. A qualitative design is used, with in-depth interviews conducted in 2017 and 2018. It is concluded that the work performance of teachers is mediated by the degree of selectivity of the training institutions. Perspectives persist in employers that confirm social segregation, both in university education and in teaching work. The optimal teaching performance in high poverty contexts would be related to the adaptation to the educational context, the capacity for social integration, collaborative work and classroom management, among other attributes.