Job Discussion Forums

[renovatio]

Hello everyone,

I would like to thank everyone on here for their contributions, and state that I've read quite a few posts on here before even getting an account from Dave. I have had many questions answered for me on this forum, but of course there is always more.

I currently live in California working on a BA in International politics and economics. I am in my late twenties, and I lived in Germany in 2004 and 2005. I took a year and a half of German in college, but I'm not fluent. I will be finished with my BA in May and plan to move back to Frankfurt to be with friends in either June or July to pursue an English teaching job; this of course means I have a place to live near Frankfurt. This brings me to my first question that I have seen mentioned on the forum here and there, but I would like to get a clear direct answer from some of the veterans out there.

What is the best time to go to Germany for an English teaching position? I am looking for an exact month if possible as I will be ready to leave at the end of May.

I would also like to add that I'm not going for the money, and after doing research on here and other places I would be fine with a job at Berlitz or another business like it. When I lived in Germany I worked for about 7 euro an hour for the DoD, and I feel that almost any job would be better than the job I had, but I did for a year and a half anyway because I liked Germany so much. I'm not an EU citizen, but I have good friends that will help me out as much as they can. I'll thank you now for any feedback given.

[stillnosheep]

[renovatio]

WOW, stillnosheep you have over 2,000 posts on here and you can honestly say that you've not read or replied to one post on here about an American actually working as a freelance or contract English teacher in Germany? I find that very hard to believe because I've seen quite a few, and I was thinking about going through them all so I can post quotes on here for you, but I thought, nahhh, they will just discourage anyway. Thanks though! P.S. For anyone else that doesn't feel an overwhelming urge to be discouraging I'm still looking for an answer to my question.

You know what? What the heck here is one of many from mid 2009:

[spiral78]

renovatio, I'm scanning posts and notice that you plan on relocating to Germany at the end of June. You might want to reconsider your timing - keep in mind that most job contracts are Sept - June, and that Europeans really keep holiday time sancrosact. You're unlikely to find an employer to consider you very seriously until end August or early September, and all that time, your 90 day Schengen zone time period will be ticking away. (I guess you're already educated about this, but in case not, google Schengen zone for a list of member countries and the 90-day rule).

You might think about arriving mid to end August to maximise your chances of finding work and getting legal paperwork filed before your 90 days expires.

[renovatio]

Now is that time frame you gave me the same for chain schools such as Berlitz or Acculingua spiral? I don't really feel qualified enough to get a contract. I figure if I go at the very begining of July I have until the very end of September to find something. Thank you.

[spiral78]

The time frame is about the same for all schools, as the holiday schedule affects them all. You're right that you would have until the end of September - I just think you might be a bit more secure if your clock started ticking at the end of August, and you had, say, 15 August thru 15 November to get paperwork filed, you see.

[Shaytess]

I agree with Spiral that August is a good time to come. Not many people want to begin English classes in June or July, just to take a big break for holidays in August. If you come in August, school will be getting ready for the 'fall rush' of classes.

I think that it will help your chances a great deal if you can do some volunteer ESL teaching or tutoring or get a TESOL/TEFL certificate before you come (even an online one can help).

[renovatio]

Thanks a lot. I am going to contact some language centers in the Frankfurt area to get a better idea, and I may reschedule my departure date. When would you say that the fall rush starts in Germany. I know in the states its mid to late August. I lived with five students when I was in Germany last time, but I didn't really pay attention.

I will definitely look into some volunteer ESL work, but I thought that those online certs don't do much, and are really a waste of a couple hundred dollars.

[spiral78]

I agree with skipping the online cert - they are generally considered substandard in the region. However, you may well find that many employers will want a CELTA or equivalent. There are many offered over here: Prague, for example, is a training centre mecca (one reason so many newbies in the region have a CELTA or equivalent on-site cert to begin with).

It may be that you can find something without certification, but if you find that employers want one, you can likely walk into a cert course at the last minute (so long as you can afford one!) and hopefully get a job immediately after it.

As backup in case you find that you really need certification, you might gather info about cert courses available in September in the region. I know there are tonnes in Prague, but likely there are some in Germany as well. It could be useful to know where to go and what to do should you find that cert will be necessary to land a job.

Remember, you've got to somehow do it all in only 90 days these days!

Shaytess, didn't you go over before 2009? If so, you had a bit more leeway in terms of deadlines for legal paperwork to be filed, right?

[Shaytess]

Yeah, I came before 2009... It was 'strict' then at the Auslanderbehorde, but I've heard that it's even much, much stricter now in terms of health insurance programmes they'll accept and how many 'Letters of Intent' they want to see from Americans. I think the time limit was also 90 days then, too, though...

Do you really think an online teaching cert. is a waste of money? I'd be curious to hear others' ideas... I haven't done the online thing myself - I would think the biggest disadvantage is that you get no real-world teaching practice and feedback from a tutor on your teaching in-class. But how is the theory part? Has anyone done both an online AND a face-to-face certificate to compare the two?

[renovatio]

The 90 day thing has been since the mid 80s hasn't it, brought in with the with the Schengen Agreement?

Also, spiral and Shaytess thank you for your replies, if I do go it will be at the end of July or early August.