Job Discussion Forums

[TravelTeacher83]

I got offered a position in Warsaw. The teaching responsibilities seem pretty standard to what I was expecting but the thing I'm a little concerned about is the pay.

When I asked about the pay, I was told that teachers are paid by rate and that I could expect an average of about 3,000 zloty per month (of course this means there is a possibility of earning less or more).

Assuming I couldn't get extra tutoring jobs or extra classes and I was literally making 3,000 zloty per month and had to pay for my own housing and utilities, is that offer even worth considering? Would I have a semblance of at least some kind of savings at the end of a year (I rarely drink and am not a fan of the club scene)? Would I be able to have a somewhat comfortable life in Warsaw (I like keeping it low-key with nights in)?

P.S. I've had other offers in other countries that pay more and offer way more incentives. I love Poland and would be open to doing this job but I don't want to work essentially for free or need to dig into my savings to survive.

Thanks for the input!

[Richfilth]

3000 is the bare minimum for life in Warsaw. But you haven't stated if that's before or after tax, or how many hours of work and at what times of the day (which matters). Nor do we know what sort of qualification or experience you have, or whether you want to teach kids or adults.

But on 3000zl net you will be counting the pennies to see if you can afford a bottle of wine at the end of the month. You will have to turn down offers to see movies at cinemas because you won't have the cash to pay the phone bill. You will be reduced to wondering whether you can afford a new pair of shoes OR a new coat to get through the winter, but not both. There is no chance of any savings.

Bear in mind, I was making 3000 in cash PLUS free accommodation, fresh off the plane eight years ago, and Poland has got a lot more expensive since then.

[sparks]

I would qualify Richfilth's statement about that being bare minimum to survive by saying that it is bare minimum if and only if you share a small apartment, not near the center. Without getting into price specifics, again, paying for a place on your own, including electric, gas, etc. just doesn't seem doable, but hey! Maybe you have a rich grandmother or something... If the hours are low and convenient, you could make it work with private students.

[Master Shake]

[TravelTeacher83]

Thanks for the responses.

I have a CELTA, Masters, and prior teaching experience.

Regarding the work schedule, it would be mainly with adults with split shifts (7am - 12pm) (5pm - 10pm) along with occasional Saturdays. However, I am not certain if the 3000 is before or after taxes, I will ask about that.

[Master Shake]

[Richfilth]

I'd echo Shake's comments. 60zl/hour isn't just the gold standard, it's the bare minimum. Anyone getting less than that in Warsaw is either a bad teacher or a bad businessman... or both.

This job is offering to take your most profitable hours (before and after 9-5) and pay you half the going rate for it. In contrast, my prices for 1-to-1 classes at those times start at 90zl/hour, which will help you appreciate just how much this school is trying to milk you for.

A lower hourly rate can make sense if you can use the "dead time" in a teacher's schedule (after 10am, before 4pm), and it's up to you whether you want to charge more or less for your Saturdays. But 30zl per hour is a pure rip-off.

[delphian-domine]

[Master Shake]

TT83, why not share the name of the school? Perhaps we can tell you more.

[Daktari]

Don't go near a job like that as it's a truly pathetic offer. The split shifts also knacker your ability to do privates. I was making 6.5k with free accommodation back in 97 :-)....I lived like a king back then.

IH currently offer less than 3,000Zl and Bell aren't much better. After rent and bills, I'd say you need a minimum of 100Zl a day to live as a single person. Going out is expensive unless you go native and search out dreadful eateries and 5Zl bars. Who'd want to go native in Poland? As a westerner it's a big drop in the standard of living from everything to the quality of stuff, the bureaucracy, social attitudes and yes, of course the money. 100Zl a day is 20 quid or $30 more or less. Could you live on that back home? Doubt it. In the UK 20 quid is a packet of cigarettes, a gallon of petrol, a big mac meal and a coffee in Starbucks. The prices of many things in Poland match those in the UK. !00zl a day plus your rent and bills is approaching 5,000Zl, which for me would be the bare minimum. Got kids? That's a whole different ball park.

[Daktari]

The oft-quoted golden minimum of 60Zl/teaching hour means that some of the chaps claiming to take home 8-9k a month are teaching between 40 and 50 hours a week. Add the travel time to and fro and you might get a picture of the lives they lead.

Of course, they could all be working for the British Council ;-)-not.

[Master Shake]

[Richfilth]

60zl is the minimum with qualifications. And if you're still working for a school after three years, you should have enough contacts and knowledge of the market to go it alone and set up your own firm.

By cutting out the middleman and managing your timetable efficiently, 10k a month net can be done without busting a gut.

If you scramble around the city taking every lesson available (including that 45mins with a kid in Ursynow that everyone gets offered) then you'll do a 12-hour day for 4 hours' money. But target your work to one client area, such as the Srodmiescie skyscrapers or the Wola/Mokotow business estates, and you can pick up blocks of clients in the same buildings where the only travel time is the elevator between floors.

as an example, my five hours' work today plus one hour of travelling equates to just under 500zl net, all legal, declared and proven should I wish to take a bigger mortgage.

[scot47]

sharing accommodation ? Not for adults, thanks.

[dynow]