Job Discussion Forums

[cholodeuce]

I have had a job offer in Bali for EF Englishtown. The documents they sent look awfully dodgy. Incomplete contract, application and info look thrown together on MS word with copy/paste logos. They offer 5.75 mil IDR for a four week month and 6.75 IDR for a five week month with 900 k bonus for 35 hours of teaching (way too much!) I don't think this is enough to live in Bali...no indication of a monthly rent average. Anyone else know anything about this school?

[Atoms for Peace]

NO!

A saying containing the word "bargepole" springs to mind. This is a ludicrous salary and ludicrous hours. You could work in Jakarta for at least double the salary (and fewer hours) and have the odd holiday in Bali.

Just in case a freak computer virus has removed the first line of my reply:

NO NO and NO again!

[deadzenpoet]

Well I got an official offer today and the actual contract has even less pay! It states only 3 mil IDR monthly salary for 25 lessons a week. And 50k per lesson after that. I guess that is where they factor in the extra 1-2 mil who knows..I'm afraid to even ask.....kinda bummed it sounded fun. But at that minimum pay maybe no way.

[malu]

That is without question the crappiest salary I have seen in Indonesia for several years. Bali is also a surprisingly expensive place to live.

No, no, no.

[Henry_Cowell]

They will hire some rich expat's spouse, already living in in Seminyak or Sanur, who doesn't really need the salary anyway.

[skunksounds]

I worked at EF Englishtown for 7 months. My pay varied as I was not on contract and therefore was working illegally. With that being said, only contract teachers are guaranteed a certain number of classes per week, leaving non-contract teachers like myself to work whatever shifts were thrown our way. The most I made for one month was 9.5 million IDR (not bad as long as you don't think about the amount of hours I spent there that month!). The least I made was a measly 1.5 million IDR (that was a very rough month for me).

Keep in mind that Englishtown is ONLINE TEACHING! Good and bad things go along with this. It was by far the easiest job I have ever had in my life. I remember thinking "I can't believe I'm actually getting paid for this!". But you are in front of the computer ALL DAY LONG and some of the chairs they have there aren't very comfortable or conducive for this.

Bali is the only place I have lived in Indonesia and thought the cost of living was very low. After getting my housing squared away with a bit of luck (I rented a 3 bed, 2 bath house furnished for 22 million IDR for 1.5 years), I was fine. And when it got to be that time of the month when money was a factor, I could easily stretch 200,000 IDR over the course of a week. Unfortunately for me, shortly after I got my house paid off, I decided Bali wasn't for me and started saving up for a ticket back to the States, so I was pretty much living frugally the entire time I was there. And the ironic thing? Now that I have been back in the USA for 6 months, I find myself wishing I had never left the island

My advice to you is take them up on the offer. Whether or not you want to commit to a full year and be legal or go month-to-month and work illegally, at least you will have your foot in the door and you will be getting paid while you can be searching for a quality, high-paying job.

[skunksounds]

One more thing: you actually get paid more per class if you are not on contract! If you are on contract, you get paid less per class because they give you something like 500,000 IDR housing expense each month, so they discount what they pay you per class. But like I said in the previous post, you are not guaranteed a certain number of classes per week if you aren't on contract. So it is a bit of a conundrum; does a person work illegally and hope to get enough classes to make the money he/she needs, or does a person work legally by signing a contract and actually get paid less per class with a guaranteed number of classes. I consistently made more than many of the contract teachers, and you still get paid more for any number of classes over 35 per week (I think that was the number when I was there). There are also bonuses based on Student Evaluations. As long as your average is above a certain number, that's a little extra loot in your pocket each payday.

[duduanna]

I worked for Englishtown Bali in Denpasar (they have 2 branches in Bali,the other one is in Kuta)over the summer of 2012.The fulltime hours are 35 online hours per week (you can do more as overtime which they pay you for ).I found the hours to be a little tiring but you get used to them.If you are on contract that is what you have to do.Theres plenty of teachers there that have been there a long while and are happy enough.You can earn around 7-8 million Rupiah a month without overtime.I had a very nice place to live with hot water,wifi and Satellite TV for 2.5million a month.You can get cheaper if you dont want that luxury.I lived on the salary well as I cooked at home and enjoyed the beaches etc on my days off.You can get delicious local food so cheaplk on your lunch hour nearby too and the school provide coffee,tea and water so you dont have to buy it.You can rent a bike for 500,000 a month or a small jeep for 2million a month so it definately can be done on their salary.To get the chance to live and work in Bali for a while Id definately recommend it.My advice is go for it! some people love it some dont.Youl never know until you try it.As regards the salary..its fine!

[alexthelion]

I'll be heading to Bali Englishtown next month provided my visa comes soon. The contract seemed fine to me as I'm not going there for the money and I've saved enough to get started.
Duduanna - how did you find housing? I've been looking around and am getting kind of freaked out about just showing up without long term accommodation.

[duduanna]

Hi Alexthelion

Good for you! I stayed at the hotel near to the school (Bali Rama) for the first month for 2.5million Rupiah (approx �175)as they offer long term rooms.It has modernish rooms with hot water,air con,Satellite TV and free wifi connection so I could kick back,watch TV and skype home etc very easily.I found it a basic but great base while I looked for a place to live.The school will show you a few places when you arrive anyway as part of their welcome and if you like the look of any of them then you are set.You can pay between 1million and 3million per month depending on what you want.1 million is no hot water etc and then you can get 1.5million with no hot water but air con etc.It goes up from there.You will have no trouble finding somewhere to live. All teachers pay different amounts and some share so costs are cut even further .Once you make friends you will probably change anyway.I liked living near the school so I wasnt commuting everyday and preffered to travel out to the beaches on my days off.Lots of teachers live out and travel in everyday to work so they are already at the beach on their days off.I found the traffic a nightmare so didnt want to add a long commute to a long shift.All personal preference.Good luck!

[alexthelion]

Thanks so much for the reply, I'm also looking for something with more western comforts so hopefully I won't have too much trouble. Out of curiosity, why did you only stay for the summer? Do they do short term contracts?

[duduanna]

Hi Alexthion

No they dont offer short contracts. I had to to go back to the UK unexpectedly after only working there for 5 months.Was a real shame.
Type in WAYAN Mansions Denpasar into Google search.That is the type of place you can rent near the school for top end of budget.Lots of this type of thing going.All the best in Bali!

[rdobbs98]

Did anyone have families with them?

[Voyager2]

Entered post in error, apologies

[Voyager2]

Hi all,
Am a mature-age grad with a BA (EC) and am ticketed to, and have organised an interview with Englishtown, in DPS soon. I've read as much as is here on the Indon forums, and will pass on my thanks to all who've shared.
V2

Thanks for your thoughts below Baishou comparing Indon to SKr, I know what you mean. Rgds