Job Discussion Forums

[NMB]

I have been contacted by a Mr. Kaminsky at The London School in Sochi. Does anyone have experiences to share about working for this institute and/or in this city?

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Dear NMB,

Sochi is one of Russia's favourite holiday destinations. It is a "beach town" and is located on the Black Sea coast. Probably the nicest, warmest weather to be found anywhere in Russia. I haven't been there myself, but several of my students have told me it's very nice.

As for the school you mentioned, I have *no* first-hand information to give you. There is, however, *one* post on the Job Information Journal which you can read regarding this school. It was written in August of 2000, so it is a bit out-of-date, but worth reading anyway. The post is entitled "Sochi's Life". It is the 12th post from the bottom.

Other than that, feel free to write again with any specific questions regarding job offers, contracts, general info, etc. I'll try to help.

Regards,
kent

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Dear NMB,

I found another post on the Job Information Journal about the "London School" in Sochi. You'll find this post down near the bottom of the board. It's called "Disgruntled Teachers of the World Unite."

Hope this helps.

[NMB]

Dear Kent:

Thank you for your response. Actually, I had previously read the two posts on the Job Information Journal you have mentioned . However, I hope to obtain some updated feedback before dismissing the institution altogether -- As you pointed out, the posts are quite outdated.

Probably, the best route would be to ask the director for contact information of current teachers.

Thanks, and please post again if you hear anything at all.

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Dear NMB,

You are absolutely right. Talking with a current teacher is your best bet. As I've mentioned in previous posts, schools *do* change, for better or for worse. Managers come and go, teachers come and go, business goes up and down...and this can all have a dramatic effect on the atmosphere and general working conditions at any given school. I've seen it happen several times myself.

And...when angry teachers quit en-masse, (as was apparently the case with this London School) this can be a kind of "wake-up-call" for school directors. If the director is smart, he'll make improvements and mend his ways. If he's not so smart, he may end up filing for chapter 11, and so it should be.

Returning to the subject of Sochi; I'd love to spend a year there myself. I spent one year in Constanta, which lies on the other side of the Black Sea...in Romania...and I had a GREAT time. Pity that the salaries in Romania are so low.

Anyway, good luck with your research. Write again with an update, and I'll do the same if I happen to hear any *first-hand* info that would be of use to you.

Warm wishes,
kent

[No Moss]

Hi, Kent

Well, I'm changing my opinion about moving to Russia. I want to try Romania (Constanta or Bucharest). I have a degree, experience, and no TEFL Cert, although I could pick one of those up this summer if necessary. I don't really need money for 6-12 months, having saved quite a bit in SE Asia. It would be nice to find a job that was laid back and paid a few hundred a month along with an apartment. Could you comment on Constanta and Romania in general--quality of life, expenses, schools, and hassles.

Thanks!

[rogan]

My info on the London school is about 6 months old - no real change

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Hello again No Moss:

I left Romania in 1995, so what I'm telling you here is now 8 years old. First: I had a wonderful experience in both Constanta (on the Black Sea) and Cluj-Napoca (in the Carpathian Mountains). Romanians are warm, friendly and sexy. On top of that, they tend to be more "pro" American than many other Europeans.

Now the bad news: I can't recommend Romania for EFLers for the following 3 reasons:

1. There is no EFL market at all, organized or otherwise.

2. If you do find a job teaching English, your salary will be laughable.

3. The red-tape with regard to getting a proper working visa makes Russia look like Heaven on Earth.

I can still remember vividly having my entire CV and diploma translated painstakingly into Romanian, then notarized, then sent via express mail to the Ministry of Education in Bucharest ... where they turned down my application for a work visa anyway ... under the pretense that I didn't have a bona-fide teacher's license from my home country.

Basically, that meant having to do a visa-run every 6 months into Bulgaria and then back again.

Having said that, I would not hesitate to suggest going there on Holiday. You might get lucky and find that elusive, well-paid EFL position afterall. Speaking of which: I found my job in Constanta after seeing a small, home-made A4 advert taped to a telephone pole.

At the time, I was earning $150 per month and was considered pretty well off. Nowadays, I just can't comment on the cost-of-living and/or potential EFL salaries, since I haven't been back for over 8 years.

I wish I could offer more concrete tips, but 8 years is a long time.

Normally I would tell you to check out the Job Information Journal, but there's only **one** post there for the entire country, and it sounds like the guy who wrote it was tripping on acid when he decided to share his experiences.

So, No Moss: If you have your heart set on Eastern Europe, why not take a closer look at Poland, Czech, Slovakia or Hungary?

Good luck

Regards,
kENt