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current job situation in PL?
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Janek



Joined: 25 Sep 2006
Posts: 79
Location: Krakow, Poland

PostPosted: Sat Jan 10, 2015 1:12 pm    Post subject: Re: Montanaland Reply with quote

xxx

Last edited by Janek on Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, there are such things as quality of life and being content with enough money to enjoy it (without raking it in). These are some of the reasons I'm contemplating a move back to Polska after I finish my contract here in Japan.

The money's alright here, but the culture of workoholism, having to plan every social activity well in advance, and spending ages on a packed train to go anywhere, are starting to get old.

Warsaw feels like a big university campus compared to Tokyo. Smile
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Tue Jan 13, 2015 8:30 pm    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

Good luck in Warsaw. I'm in the UAE right now. Just a a few days in warm weather and I feel better. Meanwhile, the large chain school I've been working for since early Nov 2014 still hasn't paid me 1 cent. Maybe not in Warsaw, but in Poznan a Zloty/minute is the going rate and you'll have to work your ass off. I had an interview with the BC English Club some months back and it's nice to see they are now advertising on the international exchange board to get some 'green' mug. My 70Zl/hour was too much for them.

I could scratch a living together in Poznan if I were prepared to drive all over the place doing split shifts. The business classes I do start at 8am, which means getting up at 6am. If you do a morning shift, there's a gap then an evening shift. Waste of time if you ask me. Working that hard defeats the object of being in Poland especially when it's just such a grind to even get paid on time. Then there's the running about cos I don't have a fully equipped office. The paperwork done in triplicate. I believe that most of the teachers running about in Poland are no good. That's part of the problem. The Polish teachers I share 3 classes with haven't responded to one email I've sent them. What a drag. It really is depressing and I feel bad that I'm leaving my students, who have been great. Having nice students isn't enough. Bills have to be paid and my house needs a remont from stan deweloperski.

Better to earn 30k a month in the lap of luxury. This is a really nice place. Doing something easy in a really complicated way is a Polish trait. Some of you have gone native. Anyone drive and extra 100km to avoid a 9Zl toll? Anyone drive to the other side of town to teach a 1 hour lesson and not include petrol, parking, copying and time spent travelling in their calculations for their real net hourly rate?
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A comparison between Poland and its Western neighbour will reveal that Poland has some problems !
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 1:03 pm    Post subject: yup Reply with quote

Sisyphus might have been sentenced to working as a TEFL teacher in Poland but the devil took pity on him.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

All I can say is that there seems to be a lack of people able to work in a traditional elementary/primary school. I'm hunting high and low, and for the alleged amount of native speakers in Poznan, it seems remarkably difficult to find anyone that can actually do the job.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:50 pm    Post subject: reply to D-D Reply with quote

I think you're probably right on that one but I don't teach YL,have no history of it and don't want to start now. My private student is 16, is the best payer (FCE) and that's about as young as I go.

There are undoubtedly a lot of male, TEFL teachers in Poznan. We both know why they are a-men and b-young(ish). At one of Empik's clients they told me I was the first professional one they had ever met. At another, other members of staff have approached me for private work based on the rep I have there.

I've always really enjoyed teaching Poles. They are dedicated, appreciate a 'good' teacher and they are up for trying out new ideas.

However,it seems that if you go down the work for a school and do lots of privates route then you are asking for trouble. Many of the schools are dishonest and privates cancel for Christmas, winter break, illness and so on. I have pretty fixed expenses and simply don;t want to worry about what I'm going to do come June. Doing a camp or popping of to the UK is a frightful proposition. If I ever teach here again, it will be for pin money with only privates. That will become more difficult as the 2-year ZUS rule kicks in and you have to pay 1500/month whether you work or not. I don't see a future in it. Running a car, an absolute, is also going to cost if you go down the privates route. Get ill and you will be royally screwed.

I want no part of it.

Regarding my current employer? I'll be telling them exactly why I won't waste another minute of my time with them when I get back to Poland. I'll also be suing them for non-payment if they don't divvy up. I didn't go self-employed, I paid into their fund. 65 days later, I'm still waiting for payment. i haven't received a Zloty.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do believe you when you say that you were the first professional native that they've ever had. I've spent 3 hours now scouring the internet for native speakers, I've spoken to a few mutual acquaintances and it's the same story - no-one wants to teach YL's, even though it's in a proper school environment and not a language school factory. It seems that the "cheap flights, beer and tefl" crowd that seems everywhere has no interest in a serious job - and I'm honestly bewildered.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yoof in Yoo Kay are all like that. I suspect over the pond they are similar !

Those under 40 are like aliens ! I would not let ANY of them in a classroom !
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simon_porter00



Joined: 09 Nov 2005
Posts: 505
Location: Warsaw, Poland

PostPosted: Sat Jan 17, 2015 12:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DD, if it's not a secret, how much is a YL job in a proper school paying? What are the benefits, holidays, working hours etc?
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 9:06 am    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

The silence means it's not a living wage Simon.
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:32 pm    Post subject: Re: erm Reply with quote

dragonpiwo wrote:
The silence means it's not a living wage Simon.
Give the guy a chance to answer. Simon posted that 1 day ago.

I'm also curious about the details of the job.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

simon_porter00 wrote:
DD, if it's not a secret, how much is a YL job in a proper school paying? What are the benefits, holidays, working hours etc?


In this case (an entry level job without any responsibility beyond teaching)

- somewhere between 2800-3500zl net dependent on qualifications. Someone with a recognised teaching qualification that allows you to work in public schools will be able to get even more than the top range.
- umowa o prace (which explains the not-so-high net salary - social insurance contributions for employee and employer are horrifically high)
- 18+2 academic hours (standard in Poland - academic hours are 45 minutes)
- paid for 12 months of the year
- all sorts of other fringe stuff (teacher's ID card for discounts on public transport, personal development paid for, conferences, etc etc)

If someone was willing to open their own business and be self-employed, that figure would be closer to 6000zl a month gross. Anyone who employs people in Poland will tell you about the horror that is ZUS contributions and how it acts as a huge barrier on employment.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 8:13 pm    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

Let's say he/she gets 3,000 PLN. After rent and bills, there ain't much of that left. Here in Poznan studios cost 1000+/1,500 near the centre and bills on top. What's the poor fella going to do except eat, sleep and work? As I thought, not a living wage. Took my son to the Hobbit today (82PLN) then had a no frills meal in My Thai (200PLN). Do the people you hire know it isn't cheap here?

The 50ZL change they'll have to spend daily equates to a pack of smokes, a coffee in Starbucks, a kebab, a tram ticket, a burger and 1 beer in Piwo Pijalnia. Alternatively, they have to not eat for 5 days to buy a pair of shoes. Simply pitiful.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, for a start - it would be odd for someone to expect to have their own place when it's an entry-level job. Sharing a place is pretty much normal for most young (single) Europeans - so a quick look on Gumtree tells us that a normal room would cost you about 700-800zl including all bills.

Food? The place you mentioned - http://www.whythai.pl/#/Menu - is not exactly "no frills". It's rather towards the upper end...

http://www.pizzeriasorella.com/#!pizza/c20ak is much more "normal" in Poznan, I'd say.

Remember, it's a job for someone starting their career. It doesn't have much responsibility, and the person will spend a year more or less training how to do the job properly.

Don't forget - it's 60 clock hours work a month. It's not exactly a 9-5pm job, is it?

(and yes, I'm the first to say that it would be far better for teachers if the working hours were at 30 with a corresponding 50% increase in salary, but alas, culture differences...)
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