Job Discussion Forums

[ecocks]

[delphian-domine]

The post above should be made a sticky

I'd add only one piece of advice - don't be afraid to say no. I remember telling one language school that I'd only consider them if they upped their offer to at least 75zl an hour, and even then, I'd have to seriously think about it as I wasn't convinced by the interview.

The other thing - and I learnt this the hard way - always find out exactly what you have to do in order to complete the classes. Some schools are absolutely dreadful for insisting on ridiculous amounts of paperwork, others will send you to places that are absolutely not worth going to.

For instance - I once made a huge mistake of not enquiring as to precise details about an in-company class. It was 140zl for 90 minutes, and the company was quite close to where I lived. The time of the class was perfect, so I went to the first lesson quite pleased with myself and my negotiation skills.

A 10 minute drive to the company - no problem there. Then I realised that the visitor carpark was right on the edge of the huge site (Volkswagen in Swarzedz, for locals..). Ho hum, okay - so that was a 5 minute walk to the entry gate. The guy lets me in, then shows me a map - it was a 15 minute walk to the office in question. All in all, I'd be wasting 40 minutes just getting to/from my car - and another 20 minutes going to the class. 140zl for 150 minutes suddenly seemed like an exceptionally bad deal. I stuck it out for the duration of the contract (40 hours) - but it was a constant reminder to check every single detail.

[iceman201]

That's some really great advice guys, thanks

[ecocks]

[dragonpiwo]

1-Jeszyce is where quite a few of the expats I know live. Definitely a bit studenty, near the uni and handy for the town centre. It's also near the trams. Don't live on a street with a tram line as they are noisy buggers and start early. You know about checking the rates. You'll need to shell out a deposit and finder's fee if you use an agent.

2-You gotta do the footwork re the schools/unis etc etc as there are loads of them. Wear a suit, drop the CV in and ask if the director is there and try to speak to them and then make a follow up call and send an email. September, early is probably a good time.

3-Get your CV on the nativespeaker website, plaster your name all over the tram stops like lots do and keep an eye on Gumtree.pl. You'll meet privates as you go along.

4-Cheap shops for groceries are Biedronka and Lidl. Piotr I Pawel and Alma are probably the most expensive. The markets are cheap as is fast food and public transport. I'd get a good pair of winter shoes and a jacket wherever you are now.

5-If you are doing the camp with Bell, try and get a full-time gig with them but understand it's a survival wage and you'll need your partner's income.

6-Make sure you arrive with enough money to tide you over for a while ie about 3k GBP.

[iceman201]

Thanks for the advice Dragon, I already live in Poland so I know where the cheap places to shop are and that I need sturdy winter clothes

I've got a good sum of money saved, should be enough to pay for rent, deposit and possibly a finders fee with enough left over to keep us going until I can fill my timetable. Plus my partner will be working.

My CV is on the nativespeaker site already and I check gumtree regularly. Already planned to buy a new suit after camps (won't be anything flash but a new suit is a new suit) and put in the ground work as you suggest.

Good guess that it's the Bell camps I'm working on Yeah I am hopeful I will get a good number of hours with them post-summer. Perhaps the money isn't so great but I am still young (25) and early in my career so I can see some advantages to working for a school rather than being entirely freelance.


Thanks for the advice about where to live, yeah I can imagine those trams are a pain in the ass in the morning!

[dragonpiwo]

The other good thing about Jeszyce is that there's a pub called Agawa and there's a little expat crowd that drinks there. There's a darts league and you could make some good contacts there as some of them work at the uni. I don't know if Troy is still at Bell but he's been in Poznan ages and could give you some pointers.

[delphian-domine]

[Master Shake]

[dragonpiwo]

Bell pay around 50Zl/hour. They are reliable in Poznan I've heard and that means you get paid every month, which certainly isn't the case for the Bell in Bydgoszcz. All my pals have at least one horror story about not getting paid correctly in Poznan. However, I think it's the same the world over in this industry.

In my experience and you have to remember, I work with an older set of teachers, no-one gives a damn about who you worked for re language schools or whether you got a grade 'B' in the CELTA etc. We look for people who can hack it , fit in, don't rock the boat, aren't prima donnas with regard to teaching. I think the least experienced guy I work with has 8 or 9 years, most have 15-20. It's a given that the teacher knows his stuff.

Most of my past breaks have come through pot luck or personal contacts. Now I've got years in the oilfield, employers seem to like me and I get regular offers from an oil and gas website. I've used my time constructively, been on all sorts of training days and induction tours and have a good knowledge of oil and gas vocabulary and operations. I wouldn't be phased if a student asked what a separator was or an amine absorber. I can even explain the different types and how they work.

So get your early development in and then try and specialize in something. That would be my advice whether you are in Poznan or anywhere else.

[delphian-domine]

[Post Mortem]

[dragonpiwo]

I've managed several operations, no big thing.

This career path talk is risible. Cycling to VW on the footpath more like. It's all about money not status. Status is for people who forget to take the coat hangers out of their jackets.

[delphian-domine]

[Post Mortem]