Job Discussion Forums

[maccamlc]

I have not completed CELTA yet, will do this in June.

I will complete the course in Kyiv, and ultimately I would like to find work in Kyiv or Baku.

But I have continually heard that it is getting harder and harder to find work, even for experienced teachers.

So should I be contacting schools, or applying for advertised jobs in these 2 cities while I am still in Australia. Or should I wait until I complete the CELTA and then either apply for an advertised job or present myself on the doorstep?

Any thoughts would be appreciated

Thanks

[ecocks]

About a month or so before you come to Kyiv, prepare your CV/resume and put in it that you anticipate completing your CELTA in June. Do a cover letter explaining your goal of finding work in Kyiv (or Baku) and ask for consideration for the coming year. Be sure to identify a reliable email method of contact. If you want, one of us can pick you up a cell phone so you can put down a contact number in advance. You can send it out to the schools just about the time they are starting to hear from their staff who will and won't be back next year. Companies will begin hiring but most will not have you start before late August/early September timeframe.

Jobs are not THAT hard to get, sometimes you just have to make a few mistakes before figuring it all out.

When it gets closer to the time you will have an idea of how things are going.

BTW, the visa situation is presenting more and more of a challenge. It isn't impossible, just confusing and in progress of change. Stay on top of that and be aware that you will have to take a trip out of whatever country you land a job inf AFTER getting the job and paperwork.

PM me and I can skype or IM with you on the companies you might want to consider in Kyiv.

[maccamlc]

Thanks for the reply.

Will send you a PM now.

BTW, as an Australian I have a zero visa-free time frame in Ukraine. Therefore I am going to get a 12 month Business Visa. I have been told that this all that will be required to work as an ESL teacher. However, is that situation changing?

[maccamlc]

OK, I can't PM as have not written 25 posts

I was able to PM in the past. Is this a new feature?

Guess the only option is to post my hotmail, which is maccamlc

[zeke0606]

maccamlc

You can go to work today in Baku! Let me know - I worked there.

[maccamlc]

[zeke0606]

maccamlc -

There are lots of schools in Baku, most I would stay away from. My friend and I worked at one that even the owner seemed to be a backpacker type and they are advertising on Daves right now! They hired Brits with NO higher education and only a paper from some school in England that allowed them to teach. It was easy and no pressure to do any real teaching - salary was OK, but you pay for your own apartment and utilities and that can get expensive. In Baiyl $500 to $700 is usual rents and in the central city $1200 is about average rent.

We have MSc's in language studies and real credentials

Not much help - I know - I've not enough postings to use PM........

[maccamlc]

I need to build up my post count, so can use PM

Thanks for the info. Would be great to chat with PM later, about some of the schools in both Baku and Kyiv

Damn 25 post minimum

[ecocks]

You will have to get a work permit also, but people manage to get it done. Shouldn't prove to be anything more than a page or two in your memoirs....

When you hit 25 send me a note. Probably can figure out something for you.

[maccamlc]

Still waiting to get upto 25

In regard to visas for Ukraine. I am planning to acquire a 12 month multi-entry Business Visa. Would this be enough to enter the country and look for work? But in order to get the work permit, does your employer arrange this?

Thanks for the info

[ytuque]

I am in the process of getting a work visa in the Ukraine. An experienced employer can do everything in less than a month. An inexperienced employer like my university will take 2 months just producing the required docs. There is a laundry list of documents required by the government from the employer including your work contract in addition to getting your diplomas, CV, and certificates translated into Ukrainian, a health check, and a police background check that is done here.

All this is sent to a commission for review, the probability of success is high. The probability of a speedy result is low. 3-6 weeks is what I have been told. It will be faster if you hire a lawyer or better yet, your employer has connections. Be careful hiring a lawyer since very few have experience with immigration. Fewer yet are trustworthy. Never pay in advance!!!! I can't stress this enough.

After 2 months, my documents will go to the commission next week. So far, I have spent $100 on notarized translations and $300 for a lawyer. I had to the hire a lawyer because my employer was clueless. Translation was expensive since one of my diplomas is in Latin. Finding a certified Latin to Ukrainian translater took some work.

Finally, I have been told that I must go to a Ukrainian embassy to get the 12 month work visa processed. My lawyer tells me that I must go back to my home country to do this as opposed to a neighboring country. There is also a fee associated with processing the work visa by the Ukrainian embassy. The Ukrainian embassy in the US has this posted on their site.

BTW, many private language schools have offered me jobs without work documents. Private universities have uniformly required an official work document. Somehow, I got it into my head that I wanted to work for a university.

My advice is come here on a business visa. If you want to work at a private language school, worry about the work visa later. If an employer won't provide the required docs, you can't get a work visa. Good luck!

[maccamlc]

Thanks for the information. Definitely sounds like a lot of hassle! But good luck in getting your work visa