Job Discussion Forums

friendmole · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 10

I've been offered a job at Maly Rynek in Krakow and will meet with the D.O.S tomorrow to discuss terms.I've been teaching at the University here and am not quite sure about salaries at the language schools.Any help?
Thanks in advance.

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

Ask them what their highest offer will be, then use your schpiel about any/all experience you might have and successes and go for some more. As mentioned on another thread, anything less then 1zl a minute isn't worth going for. Saying that, Krakow doesn't have a super amount of schools that pay huge wads of cash (so i've heard from my time in Krakow and since) but anything less then 1zl a minute with experience i wouldn't waste my time with.

friendmole · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 10

Simon---
Thanks for your help.When discussing salaries , does one generally speak in terms of net or gross? Are hours 60 minutes or 45?

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

It depends on the school. Most schools would work on the basis an 'hour' in 45 minutes long, although you can ask this in the interview. I'm just assuming and it seems most likely that the 1zl per minute is gross. If you can negotiate 1zl a min net (if the DOS isn't on the ball) then good for you. It'll depend on your circumstances/how dodgy the school is as to what tax you'll pay. This is another good question to ask at the interview. If you're seen as a resident i.e. you've been registered in Poland and have a document to prove it and you've been in Poland for a long time (as you seem to have been) then you'll pay different tax bands to a foriegner who is not classed as a resident. Alternatively, the school might have its own creative accountancy department.

hellohello · Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Posts: 2 Location: poland

hey - so I know I'm new in town, but I've had several interviews and several job offers here in Krakow, and have been reading this board avidly for months.
Hourly rates seem to go from 30zl/45 min (the low end) to around 45zl/45 min (the high end).
I am making 41zl/45 min as a new and fairly unexperienced teacher. This is after taxes. I have not heard of ANYONE making 60zl/60 min. If anyone makes this, please let us all know. Sounds like a great job.
I would negotiate around or over 40zl.

YakTamer · Joined: 29 Mar 2004 Posts: 86 Location: Warszawa, Polska

friendmole · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 10

Looks like it'll be around 45 zloty (netto) per 45 minute hour.Thanks for all the info.Much appreciated.....

phrodo41 · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 18

I am negotiating a contract in Katowice for a flat salary of 1800zl/month at 20 lessons/week (if I don't get the full 20 lessons, I still get the base salary) and 45zl for each additional lesson. They are also providing my housing and health insurance.

Mind you this is Katowice, not Krakow; I have heard that you get better offers there since there aren't as many native speakers headed that way. But it's about a 90 minute trainride to Krakow, so I'll probably get to visit often.

friendmole · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 10

Phrodo---
That sounds pretty good considering they're offering accommodation as well.
Housing in Katowice isn't as bad as in Krakow, but still not cheap.Good luck, and visit Krakow often......

dynow · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1080

bilbo baggins,

sounds good to me as well. having paid accomodation is clutch. salary is as well. it's a decent set up considering you'll know atleast minimally what you will be making every month, this will make planning those trips to krakow much easier. living in Katowice, i would assume you will be trekking out of there atleast two weekends a month.

phrodo41 · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Posts: 18

phantombedwetter · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 6:08 pm Post subject:

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

"There are schools in Krakow that pay well above the figures quoted, but not to people who think the world owes them a living."

If my post has been read and interpreted in such a way as to give you the impression that people can walk into a job and start arguing the toss about what they're entitled to for no reason - no experience, no track record, no evidence etc then my message has been misunderstood.

I'm a firm believer of being well prepared, professional and proud of what you're doing and if you search for my thread about how to get a job in Poland you'll see that I say turning up for work/job interviews in jeans and a t-shirt with no certification is no way to succeed.

Saying that, I don't believe that Johnny Bloggs who wants to work as a teacher in Poland and who does appear to give a damn should be railroaded into accepting a crap contract on crap money and advice about pay on this thread should be seen as a very rough guide. The more sensible would read this and know what, in interviews and contract offers, is a pi55 take.

"I've an idea, how about showing the school how much you are worth. How about working hard for a semester and then putting yourselves in a position to negotiate a higher salary? "

A very nice sentiment but in my limited knowledge and experience unless you've got experience this isn't going to happen or be successful in well over 90% of schools. It seems you have a heart and can recognise talent. A lot of schools are faceless organisations that couldn't give a monkeys and want to keep all the money they can. This is why those who have little experience and are clued up simply want the best deal they can get. I can't see the problem. Moreover, I�d recommend to every clued up teacher to do exactly that, argue out the best deal at the beginning (with a calculator, if necessary). If you're living long term in Poland after all, is it not in your own business interests to get the best deal you can?

phantombedwetter · Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 10:49 am Post subject:

simon_porter00 · Joined: 09 Nov 2005 Posts: 505 Location: Warsaw, Poland

"Now this I don't buy. Why should we offer Johnny Bloggs a job in the first place? If he doesn't make any effort, why should he be given a good deal?
If he is stupid enough to think he is behaving correctly and gets a job from someone, why should he believe anything else than the job's a scam? and it will be."

I'm not going to disagree with you here, if Johnny Bloggs doesn't make any effort, then quite rightly he should be binned. I guess i'm presuming (wildly incorrectly) that would-be teachers should see a job interview in the same light as a job interview back in their home countries and with the same level of importance.

"I take it by "Clued up" you mean experienced?
My advice is for clued up teachers to make a name for themselves in Krakow as people with a 'Special something' to offer and then covertly let it be known that you are looking for a change.
It is not unusual for owners and DoSes to try to outbid the other for their services."

Clued up would mean 'knowledgable to a certain level' i.e. done their homework about the country, town and job that they want to be in. And i would agree with you here again re clued up teachers if they're not being appreciated in their schools. Outbidding each other for a teacher? I'll believe you that it happens Smile