Job Discussion Forums

[shaykh1985]

Anyone gone through them?...

They are the only online recruiter I have found for Romania...they offer salaries of around �150 a month with accommodation provided free...

Is that enough to live on...ie buy food during the week and have a nights out on the weekend?...

Are there any other options for Romania?...and what kind of salary should one be expecting?...preferably in Transylvania...

Thanks...

[Mike_2007]

�150 would be very tough. Ok, you get the accommodation, but my monthly bills come to about �100 not including food. Lots of Romanians live on such salaries, but they generally have better survival skills: growing their own, shopping around the markets for the best deals (difficult if you can't speak Romanian and the supermarkets here aren't cheap), and pooling resources with relatives. For a person living on their own with no local knowledge or contacts, �150 would be subsistence level at best.

If you have absolutely no bills to pay (electric, gas, heating, block bills, council tax, internet, cable TV, or whatever) then you could 'survive' on that, depending on how you live. If you go to the markets, choose seasonal and local produce, cook for yourself, don't buy exotic ingredients, then you could eat for a month on that and have a few quid left over for a beer at the weekends, but you can forget about doing much travelling or saving anything.

Most of the well-paid jobs are in Bucharest, at international schools. There might be some provincial language schools, but I doubt they'd pay you a salary, just an hourly rate, and that won't be too great once they've shaved off their cut and paid various taxes and expenses. You could try looking up for international high schools in Sibiu, Cluj, or Brasov - you might get lucky.

[shaykh1985]

Thanks...may have to cross it off my list then unless I save money elsewhere...

What is a good amount of money to have a month?...

[Mike_2007]

You'd probably want about 200-250 Euro for rent, 100 Euro for bills, 200 Euro for grocers and other essentials. So 500 Euro per month should mean that you live ok. Plus whatever you'd want on top of that for going out, travelling, saving, or whatever you like to do with your disposable income.

I'd say if you can earn 800-1000 Euro a month (maybe a bit less in Transylvania) then you'd be looking at living easily and making the most of your stay. Can be done on less, of course, but depends on your reasons for coming here.

[shaykh1985]

[Mike_2007]

I don't know either of those cities well, but I would imagine that it's harder to find work compared to Bucharest, although you might be able to pick up private lessons still, to supplement your salary (if you manage to find a job). On the other hand, they are probably going to be nicer cities to live in, and the people perhaps friendlier than in Bucharest. Also, the surrounding area is more attractive (especially around Cluj, I believe).

[shaykh1985]

[Peanut74]

I currently teach in Romania and found my position with Sharing One Language (SOL). They are just a recruiting firm for teachers, but were the only ones I could find a couple years ago and had been working in Romania for a while, so they did have good connections with local public schools. Currently, there is another option available, http://www.teachromania.com/ that just went live a couple months ago. It is run by a former SOL teacher in Romania and does list SOL openings; however, it also lists openings for other NGOs and private schools in Romania. I would recommend checking that site out.

As far as the cost of living, Mike_2007 is correct with his figures, but the rent might be cheaper in some of the smaller cities. I teach in Timisoara, and near the center, they run around 200 euro/month. However, with SOL - and other schools posting on the website I listed, the cost of the apartment and utilities are covered, so you are only left with the food and essentials. I think that after taxes, at public school, you would probably see about 200 euro per month for your salary, but that is at about 18 hours per week. It would be enough to cover your costs, but extras (like trips, etc.) would probably require some private lessons. If teaching in a city like Bucuresti, Timisoara, or Cluj, I am sure that you will be able to find plenty of opportunities. I have actually had to turn away students this year.

As for hiring times . . . SOL is currently trying to fill all their spots for next year, and others are just beginning to post openings. I think most schools would probably try and take care of this before the end of June when they go on summer vacation, but even then, there may be positions available until the beginning of the next school year. Sending your CV in early always helps make sure you have more options.

In my experience, the younger generation does have a decent level of English, and I have been able to get by fairly well as I try and learn Romanian. In the beginning, it was helpful for me to know basic words and phrases for those stops into the corner markets, but most of the time, you should be ok getting by - especially in the larger cities.