Job Discussion Forums

[Wero]

Has anyone worked for CETC, SDM, or Aviation English Center? I have just got job offers from them and I am wondering if it is worth considering.

[Qaaolchoura]

Chances are nobody on this forum has worked there, seeing as aviation English is a very specialized field (I'm not sure I've ever even met anybody who's taught it). But the rest of us can help you if you tell us more about your qualifications, the job description, and the pay/benefits package.

Regards,
~Q

[Wero]

I am Polish, have BA in English (Teacher Training College), MA in American studies and Mass Media (International Relations), CELTA, 7 years of experience teaching groups and individuals. I usually get offers like 20-25 TL per hour but I can already see it is 1. not that easy to find a job in Turkey online (I'm in Poland now) and 2. difficult to negotiate wok permit from the employers. Do you think it will be still easy to find a job in Istanbul if I just go there at the end of August?

[Qaaolchoura]

Since you don't hold a passport from a native English speaking country, the unfortunate fact is that you're likely to make less than say a Briton with the same level of experience, in part because some companies will pay you less, and in part because some places just won't consider you at all.

Of course Turkey doesn't generally pay all that well anyways, and someone with an English-speaking country's passport who has your quals and is on the ground is likely to make in the 25-30 lira range. (People with Turkish skills and connections may make a bit more, and I've heard of people tutoring privates for 50 lira/hour+, but that takes years of networking to reach that level.)

I'm also not sure if you'll be able to get a work permit. Most schools in Istanbul don't bother with work permits anyways, but I'm told that officially Y�K requires copies of three docs: 1. degree, 2. cert and 3. passport from native English-speaking country. That said, bureaucracy in Turkey is incredibly opaque and I can't speak to this for certainty. But again, I can say that in Istanbul, most places won't do work permits.

If you come to Istanbul between now and the end of September, you'll have no trouble finding work, though all the wages are likely to be about what you're getting offered, it's possible that you'll find a company that recognizes the value of experienced near-native speakers who will offer you as high as 30 lira/hour. Like I said, I don't imagine you'll get higher offers than that until you have connections, even if you had an Anglosphere passport.

Regards,
~Q

[Wero]

Thank you very much for your reply. It is very helpful Who are people with Turkish skills?

[Wero]

and one more question. Do you know anything about health insurance? do employers get their teachers any kind of insurance or is it a better idea to deal with it on my own? Or maybe people just get by without it..?

[Qaaolchoura]

Wero, non-Turks with Turkish skills have usually lived here for years and/or married a Turk. Of course it's possible to take lessons in many cities (including Izmir, a fact I didn't learn until I left the city), but as someone who didn't take any lessons I'd say that after a year here I'm at best at FSS level 1, more likely 0+. It's easy to pick up "survival Turkish," and you probably will with in a couple months, but getting to speak Turkish well enough to haggle and network will take longer and require deliberate effort, particularly since Turkish is so different from English or Polish.

As for health insurance, Turkey has a national insurance plan, but you need to have a work permit to be covered. So a lot of FTs get private insurance (based in Turkey or their home countries) or don't bother.

Regards,
~Q