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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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Everybody is looking at bottom feeder jobs. If you have a DELTA/MA check out all the adverts on jobs.ac.uk and baleap.org for pre-sessional teachers in the summer from April onwards.
Salaries at many universities are 650-700 GB pounds a week + free accommodation in most cases.
If you do a good job, this is often "the way in" to a more permanent contract. It saves the university from advertising. |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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Amongst the summer school jobs already advertised, I was stunned to see some last a whole eight weeks, which is presumably the sort of time required to pocket 2000 Pounds? To do that, to be in such close proximity to students and teachers for eight long weeks, and then to return to the normal job at the end, a hardened executive would get stressed out. |
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slapntickle
Joined: 07 Sep 2010 Posts: 270
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Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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Dedicated wrote: |
Everybody is looking at bottom feeder jobs. If you have a DELTA/MA check out all the adverts on jobs.ac.uk and baleap.org for pre-sessional teachers in the summer from April onwards. |
These jobs don't pay as well as they used to and many of the summer jobs are given to returnees who are already known. Hundreds apply for these jobs and many don't even have their application acknowledged.
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Salaries at many universities are 650-700 GB pounds a week + free accommodation in most cases. |
I've taught on presessionals at 3 universities in the UK and none of them offered accommodation for free. Many universities are in bed with private companies who will rent out rooms over the summer to teachers they employ, but the price isn't cheap.
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If you do a good job, this is often "the way in" to a more permanent contract. It saves the university from advertising. |
You're right up to a point, but at the end of the summer most presessional students migrate onto their courses, which means that there are lean pickings at the end of September. If there is extra work available, it usually goes to those who are already have 'permanent' contracts with the Language Dept.
Summer presessional jobs are great for those that are working overseas and have time on their hands to pop home and top-up their income. However, as has been mentioned by other posters, summer presessionals are often quite stressful because the students are low-level and they need a lot more attention. Besides the teaching and grading and project supervision, there are also a myriad of admin tasks to complete. You'll often be working a 40+ hour deal and you'll soon start to realise that the attractive hourly rate that you saw advertised at www.jobs.ac.uk before you took the job is actually a lie. If you're lucky enough to get a summer gig, make sure you check the contract very very carefully before signing on the dotted line.
I'd also just like to mention one other problem with summer presessionals. Don't forget that you're an outsider. The Dept already has its cohort of teachers who have often worked together for a while and built up a certain level of camaraderie. Often you as an outsider will be made to feel like an intruder. Very soon it can become a question of us vs them, or old vs new, and the atmosphere becomes quite tetchy. As the end of presessional draws to a close, you, as a new teacher, start thinking to yourself: "God, I can't wait to bail and get back on a plane." |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:06 pm Post subject: |
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650 quid a week for 8 weeks is fine. Then what ? TESCO shelf-stacking ? |
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slapntickle
Joined: 07 Sep 2010 Posts: 270
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2012 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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scot47 wrote: |
650 quid a week for 8 weeks is fine. Then what ? TESCO shelf-stacking ? |
Exactly! Once the summer is over, you are no longer wanted. Images of queuing at JobCentre Plus start whirling around in your mind, or if you have pride and need a job, you may start thinking Tesco's? But then you read The Sun and check the headlines and realise that Tesco's sales have been falling of late and they've even sacked their CEO. You start to wonder if that job stacking shelves at Tesco's that originally looked so safe and secure has now slipped through your fingers . . . ? |
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barabbas
Joined: 22 Aug 2009 Posts: 58
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:57 pm Post subject: |
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The discussion seems to have got a bit maudlin.
For example, I knew a guy who lived in southern Africa, who came to England to do a summer school, then used the money to pay for his visits to family and friends in the UK, then pay for his flights to the States to visit family and friends in the States, then fly back to Africa. It suited him perfectly as it suited his circumstances.
If you are settled in one place then seasonal work there is never going to be a permanent solution. |
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slapntickle
Joined: 07 Sep 2010 Posts: 270
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Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:49 am Post subject: |
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barabbas wrote: |
If you are settled in one place then seasonal work there is never going to be a permanent solution. |
Yes, that about sums it up. The best jobs to be had by qualified teflers are the summer gigs at the universities. However, outside of the summer, there is little that is either permanent or well-paid in the UK. Having a job overseas and popping back for the summer might work, but once you factor in the cost of the round-trip ticket, accommodation, food and other costs, is it really worth it? If I had a job overseas and had a nice long summer break, I certainly wouldn't come back to the UK. No, I'd be drinking a nice cocktail on a tranquil island and gazing up at the twinkling stars in the night sky . . . |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Sun Apr 08, 2012 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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Now you know why all those EFLers head for the Middle East ! A pay cheque every month for 12 months ! |
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Denim-Maniac
Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2012 5:38 am Post subject: |
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I quite like my summer work in the UK. Maybe Im the only one?
I teach German teenagers in Sussex. Its not residential, and its in my hometown so its convenient and normally fun. I teach 3 x 90 minute classes a day, and each lesson is repeated so I actually only prepare one class per day. My students last year were all with me for just 7 teaching days, then I had a new group. So I basically prepared 7 lessons and taught them all summer. The day starts at 8.30 and we normally finish at about 1pm. No other duties required.
I spent most of last year in the UK, and I get enough work from March to October to get by. I have the regular summer/easter/whitsun groups, and get the odd day/morning here and there from the same company. In between that I did some exam invigilation and online teaching. Yes, it doesnt pay fantastically well, but it pays enough for me to continue doing the work I enjoy. I think from memory it was about �56 per morning.
I have seen occasional jobs at a local college. Pay is much higher, more than double, but Ive never had a call back from them, pretty hard to get in I think. |
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Mrguay84
Joined: 03 Dec 2009 Posts: 125
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Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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I heard a rumour that the UK tax-man steals a lot of your hard earned wage anyway. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2012 10:38 am Post subject: |
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You can earn up to a certain limit without liablity to Uk Income Tax. If it is deducted by employer you can claim it back. |
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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I agree with scot47's post.
For the 2012-2013 tax year, the personal allowance is 8,105 GB pounds.That means you can earn that amount without paying tax. So if you come from abroad, work on a pre-sessional course, for example, and get taxed, then you can claim it all back. |
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Hod
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 1613 Location: Home
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 11:01 am Post subject: |
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Mrguay84 wrote: |
I heard a rumour that the UK tax-man steals a lot of your hard earned wage anyway. |
I'm sure tax isn't only a British thing. |
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JimJam
Joined: 06 Mar 2010 Posts: 69 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 1:59 pm Post subject: |
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Dedicated wrote: |
For the 2012-2013 tax year, the personal allowance is 8,105 GB pounds.That means you can earn that amount without paying tax. |
That's only on yearly income tax. What about national insurance which is the weekly income tax.
Someone earning �600 a week for 8 weeks' work will pay �730 income tax which they can reclaim at the end of the year, and �442.56 national insurance, which they cannot reclaim. |
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Dedicated
Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 972 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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Everybody who is employed in the UK, up to retirement age, pays National Insurance which goes towards state benefits etc etc.
If you live abroad and want to maintain your state benefits entitlement (eg. pension) it's worth paying. |
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