Job Discussion Forums

jashworth · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 12

I have a job offer. So far everyone says its not a good deal. 6,500,000 plus housing. How is it in East Jakarta compared to West? Thanks.

laughing_magpie06 · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Posts: 282

Depends on where, East Jakarta is very broad but Cibubur is a nice area. I would say anywhere from Matraman to Cawang is overcrowded and not nice at all. Bekasi, never been there but haven't heard anything good from those who have. South and Central Jakarta are the only places I would live.

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

If that's 6.5M in Jakarta (East or West) and you have the minimum of a degree and a TEFL cert then that salary is way too low.

There are good bits and bad bits in all parts of greater Jakarta so it's impossible to say whether East or West is 'better'. My own opinion is that W Jak has a bit more going for it as far as entertainment and amenities go, but on 6.5M you probably wouldn't be in the market for much entertainment anyway.

Jakarta's a fun place if you have cash to spare and time to spend it, but it's a miserable hole if you're broke.

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

reality · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Posts: 105

I do not know who is offering you this salary, but its much too low for Jakarta. I know even Indonesian Teachers who earn 20% more than this salary. It works out at 65.000 ph, when some Indonesian Teachers earn 90.000 ph.

Tell the school to get real.

Michael_Indonesia · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:34 am Post subject:

Any school (EF included) anywhere in Jakarta that isn't paying expats at least 8 million per month should be avoided. And any expat who takes less than that should have his head examined.

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Michael_Indonesia · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 7:55 am Post subject:

At the risk of over-generalizing (and I'm sure I'm gonna get busted on this), I stand by my original statement. ANY expat, including all those Dutch, Indians, and Filipinos who somehow manage to be considered native-speakers, but who really just bring down wages for the rest of us.

I wonder what my salary would be if my school didn't have so many Indians and Filipinos.

TEAM_PAPUA · Joined: 24 May 2004 Posts: 1679 Location: HOLE

Given the choice between an educated and experienced Indian/Filipino teacher and a 'genuine' native speaker who possesses that one single quality of being a 'genuine' native speaker, I know who I would choose.

Educated/expereinced expats should be paid more. As for the other expats, the EF doors are open & the salary is appropriate IMO.

I read an article in today's Jakarta Post about a local school principal whose salary is so poor he must collect plastic spoons from garbage heaps in order to sell them to get enough money to make ends meet.

Now that is more shocking than EF's current payscale for their babysitting services.

Llamalicious · Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:16 am Post subject:

Very well put, Michael, I couldn't agree more...

...I'm sure you're going to get busted on that, too. Smile

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

Ironically, some of the first victims of the downward spiral in salaries are the Fillipinos and Indians of whom you speak. Now that bules can be hired at such cheap rates it makes no sense for schools to risk parents' ire like that any more.

The schools with high proportions of non-native speaking foreign teachers these days are the ones with high staff turnover.

The Dutch, on the other hand, are a strange choice as teachers of English.