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Wages per 90 mins lesson?

 
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iPetem



Joined: 11 Jul 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 12:23 pm    Post subject: Wages per 90 mins lesson? Reply with quote

Hi there.

I'm applying for a position in the Czech Republic through James Cook Languages. They've asked me to fill in an application form, which is no problem. The only issue I have is they're asking that I cite my pay expectation for a 90 minute lesson. Given that I've no experience teaching, nor any of living in the Czech Republic, I've really no idea what to say. TEFL Scotland's website (who put me in touch with JCL) state that earnings may vary from 22 000 krone to 36 000 krone per month. Given that, what would be a fair number to claim for a 90 minute lesson?

Thanks for your time.
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TinSardine



Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Posts: 14
Location: Prague

PostPosted: Tue Jul 20, 2010 10:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ridiculous for companies that are paying peanuts to ask how many peanuts you want.

These schools operate on the belief that they can get high-quality lesson for the lowest possible price. Only fools believe that this is the way a market works. Your price is too high - no job. Your price is too low - you'll spend a year in Prague scraping by.
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mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

somone needs to tell TEFL Scotland that the high end of their scale is ridiculous Laughing

i've no idea what you should say, i don't understand why you can't just say "i've no idea" - why would they expect an outsider to know what a realistic figure is?!
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iPetem



Joined: 11 Jul 2010
Posts: 3

PostPosted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks, I just quoted the TEFL Scotland monthly range.
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ronett



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 9:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hia,

Have a friend in Brno who charges 250CZK per 60 minute PRIVATE lesson. She also teaches in companies and the pay is similar. Cannot tell you how many hours she teaches per week, but she travels around Brno quite a bit (you do not need a car there as the transport is pretty good and still quite cheap). She gets around 30,000CZK gross a month as a self employee.

Important to say that she is Czech native with MA in German and Pedagogy, with 2 years of aupair experience in the US.

If you are looking to go to Prague, have a look at the link below. This will give you an idea how much native and non-native teachers charge.


http://www.naucim.cz/vyuka-anglictina/stredne-pokrocily/kraj-praha/cely-kraj/

Best of luck

ronett
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ronett



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 9:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
somone needs to tell TEFL Scotland that the high end of their scale is ridiculous

i've no idea what you should say, i don't understand why you can't just say "i've no idea" - why would they expect an outsider to know what a realistic figure is?!


Not sure why but I'm not finding this response particularly helpful for someone who already is in Prague has a pretty good idea what the rates are. Sad

R.
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ronett



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi again,

Have also found the following website that should give you a pretty good idea who is your competition (in various places in the CR) and how much they charge for PRIVATE lessons

http://www.myteacher.cz/english/

V.
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mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 4:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ronett wrote:

Not sure why but I'm not finding this response particularly helpful for someone who already is in Prague has a pretty good idea what the rates are. Sad

R.


fair enough. i'm a little bit of an outsider though, i just keep in touch with various people in the industry.

anyway, i think i'd find it odd, as an HR person, to receive an accurate answer to that question from someone who wouldn't reasonably know. my honest opinion is it's a stupid question, and i've mentioned elsewhere this week that JCL's recruitment strategy seems strange (re: mock lessons)

your Brno figure's interesting. i have 400kc per 60min as my idea of the "standard" figure for private lessons here.

re: the original, from what i understand, it's difficult (as TinSardine said) - go too high, they won't employ you; go too low and they'll be happy cos they get to underpay you for at least a year. and there's been a lot of downward pressure on salaries here recently.

i would honestly go for "i don't know, i'm new here" and hope that they're reasonable. if pushed to give a figure, 500? (for 90mins) i'm not sure you'd get it but......
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ronett



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
i think i'd find it odd, as an HR person, to receive an accurate answer to that question from someone who wouldn't reasonably know.


I am actually not finding this odd at all. Right the opposite. For example, in the UK it is very common that you state your previous annual salary (gross) whenever you apply for a new job. Companies and agencies not only ask you that to make sure you pay the right tax etc, but also to get a picture of what sort of 'earner' you are. On that basis they can asses whether they can afford to pay for your skills and whether you would have a growth potential in the job (no one wants to be in a role where you are bore and underpaid). Even if you are a first time 'jobber', depending on the contract (temp/perm) you get asked about your salary/wage expectation.
You are not expected to provide an accurate answer... I mean what is an accurate answer anyway? You are expected to have an idea of how much you are worth, particularly in the current market. What you need to provide is 'more or less' or 'something in between' figure.
Wheter what your expectation fits in the frame of expectation of your employer is a different story. Czech mentality in terms of money- hm... also a different story. Trust me on this- I am Czech...

Can't possibly comment on JCL's recruitment strategy- have no experience with them.


Quote:
your Brno figure's interesting. i have 400kc per 60min as my idea of the "standard" figure for private lessons here.


I did mention this is a rate a native Czech speaker charges (some more than others). I would imagine the rates for private lessons are higher for native English tutors.... that is why I provided the two links so whoever is desperate to get an idea what to charge there, can do their research.

V.
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mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks V.. R.. whatever your name is Wink
"trust me on this, i'm Czech" makes me instinctively yearn to get more information. there can be such a "Czech" mentality sometimes, and it's not necessary. the logical solution is the logical solution - but sometimes, people say "oh we can't do it the logical way, we have to do it the Czech way". that's not an answer, that's crazy-talk.

anyway, i've been here 3yrs now. i don't need "trust me i'm czech"

if i put my last UK salary when i arrived here, it'd have been double what i earnt in my first position in Czech. again, not sure what the "point" of that information is.
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ronett



Joined: 18 Jul 2010
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Fri Jul 23, 2010 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Mr Tree

you lost me... Shocked Very Happy

Quote:
there can be such a "Czech" mentality sometimes, and it's not necessary


Not sure what you mean by ''it is not necessary''. It is what it is and it is hardly ever gonna change. Anyway...

Quote:
anyway, i've been here 3yrs now. i don't need "trust me i'm czech"


Did not realize my comment would annoy you to this point. It was never meant to. What it was meant to do was to demonstrate that I do very well understand the following:
Quote:
go too high, they won't employ you; go too low and they'll be happy cos they get to underpay you for at least a year
. Us Czechs seem to be somewhat specialists in cutting the corners. But hey, who is not these days...

Quote:
if i put my last UK salary when i arrived here, it'd have been double what i earnt in my first position in Czech


That made my day Laughing indeed.... Naturally you would not do that. Only a fool would. My UK example was to demonstrate that when one is out in the job market, they have to know their value. If they have no clue what it is because they simply do not have the experience, they ought to do some research on what someone with similar skills is 'worth'.
Frankly, if I were to move back to the CR and looked for the same job there, I surely would not state my UK salary on the application form- expectation that any company in te CR could match that would be pretty unreasonable, so why even bother.
I do not even think I previously suggested in any way that it would be wise to state a UK salary on an appl from in the CR.... again sorry if I did not make myself clear on that.

Anyway, explained myself here enough I think.

There are some willing to guide and help in this forum. But I see there are also others who may have some useful topical input but decide not to share it. Instead they would rather 'twist & shout'. I would like to think I am in the first category... Where do you place yourself Mr Tree?

S pozdravem V.
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TinSardine



Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Posts: 14
Location: Prague

PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2010 7:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

To be honest, in the uk and indeed normal jobs it's perfectly normal to be asked about your salary expectations. Yes, companies want to know if they can afford your skills and if they can keep you motivated. I doubt that these are the reasons for language schools in the Czech republic though. Language schools aren't really that interested in skill anymore. A tefl certificate is the minimum and even that is often ignored when schools decide to give lessons to sb who happens to speak a bit of english because they once were an au-pair or just because they happen to be a native speaker.

The trend in Prague is quite worrying because salaries have been low for years and cost of living have been on the rise since they joined the eu. Life in Prague on. A very low salary can be misery.
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mr tree



Joined: 09 Oct 2007
Posts: 98
Location: Prague, CzR

PostPosted: Sun Jul 25, 2010 2:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ronett wrote:


Not sure what you mean by ''it is not necessary''. It is what it is and it is hardly ever gonna change. Anyway...

[...]

There are some willing to guide and help in this forum. But I see there are also others who may have some useful topical input but decide not to share it. Instead they would rather 'twist & shout'. I would like to think I am in the first category... Where do you place yourself Mr Tree?



i know a lot of Czechs who seem to think that you can explain things being done in an illogical way by just saying "oh, that's the czech way". that's just an excuse for being lazy and not finding a better solution.

anyway, i accept that in general asking for salary expectations is reasonable. in this situation, i think it's nonsense.

i certainly place myself in the helpful category on here, and i think my advice to the original question was entirely appropriate. i think i explained my reasons behind my possibly-unhelpful-looking answer. and honestly, i'm not annoyed, but i think i've explained too why the mentality of "trust me i'm czech" can be irritating
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