Job Discussion Forums

Baileys · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Warsaw/Canada

Hello,

I am thinking of teaching English in Warsaw again. I lived in Warsaw between 2007-2009 , but had to leave for personal reasons. Can anyone tell me what the situtation is like for teachers in Warsaw right now. I heard that teacher's salaries have gone down and that there isn't a lot of work right now. Is that true?. I have CELTA and a BA and 6 years of teaching experience so I am not worried about the experience part. I am concerned becuse I heard that schools are paying 45 zl gross for a 45 min lesson nowadays. I have also heard that Warsaw is very expensive city to live in.

I would appreciate any advice or information especially from teachers who are currently living in Warsaw

Thanks Baileys Very Happy

lundjstuart · Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 211 Location: Warsaw, Poland

Why tell you anything when you already have all the facts?

AGoodStory · Joined: 26 Feb 2010 Posts: 738

Richfilth · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 225 Location: Warszawa

While the McSchools that employ natives for "conversation classes" have been slashing their wages, there's still work for those that can be bothered to shave in the mornings.

If you've got genuine qualifications and experience, I'm sure the reputable establishments will find work for you. You won't get a healthy block of 3-7 hours from any one school, especially not straight off the plane, but that was never the case in 2007 either, so it shouldn't be expected now.

Send your CV out to a number of the better schools, and you'll fill up your week soon enough. You just have to have the balls to ask for more than a zloty a minute net in the first place.

Master Shake · Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA

Baileys · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Warsaw/Canada

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all your replies. I really appreciate your feedback. I am happy to be back on this forum and I look forward to getting to know you all a bit better.

The only thing for me is that I am not in Warsaw right now ,but in Canada and I have found it difficult to be able to land an interview or a job in Poland before departing Canada. That kind of situation would be ideal for me as I don't know anyone in Warsaw and I don't even have a place to stay. However, from your replies, I understand that it is much easier to find a job by actually being in Warsaw as jobs aren't usually advertised.

To be honest with you guys, sometimes I wish I never left Warsaw in the first place. Don't get me wrong Canada is a great place to live, but only if you can drive if not , then it's more challenging;)

I only want to come back to Warsaw becasue I could easily get around, I don't like the fact that in Canada everything is so far away and that transit system sucks....

I will try to come back to Poland next year , maybe after the global crisis is over.

I talked with all my former employers and they told me the situation isn't good. Ideally , I would like to come back to Warsaw only by having a job and an aparment in place. I don't have the financial resources to come to Warsaw and look for a job and a place to stay;)

Btw does anyone know how I can change an email address on your profile on this forum? I tried to put a new email address , but it wouldn't work. Any suggestions.

Greetings from Canada Baileys

Baileys · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 3 Location: Warsaw/Canada

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all your replies. I really appreciate your feedback. I am happy to be back on this forum and I look forward to getting to know you all a bit better.

The only thing for me is that I am not in Warsaw right now ,but in Canada and I have found it difficult to be able to land an interview or a job in Poland before departing Canada. That kind of situation would be ideal for me as I don't know anyone in Warsaw and I don't even have a place to stay. However, from your replies, I understand that it is much easier to find a job by actually being in Warsaw as jobs aren't usually advertised.

To be honest with you guys, sometimes I wish I never left Warsaw in the first place. Don't get me wrong Canada is a great place to live, but only if you can drive if not , then it's more challenging;)

I only want to come back to Warsaw becasue I could easily get around, I don't like the fact that in Canada everything is so far away and that transit system sucks....

I will try to come back to Poland next year , maybe after the global crisis is over.

I talked with all my former employers and they told me the situation isn't good. Ideally , I would like to come back to Warsaw only by having a job and an aparment in place. I don't have the financial resources to come to Warsaw and look for a job and a place to stay;)

Btw does anyone know how I can change an email address on your profile on this forum? I tried to put a new email address , but it wouldn't work. Any suggestions.

Greetings from Canada Baileys

Jack Walker · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 412

Hi Mr.Baileys,
I am curious as to which part of Canada you are from.I spent 7 years in Poland from 2003-2010 and am also back home on the east coast of Canada now.

Yes,the public transport in much of Canada is abysmal and unless you live in a major urban area,you'll need a car to get around.After coming back to Canada,I didn't have enough money saved from working in Poland for 7 years to buy a used bicycle so I pretty much had to bum rides,borrow cars and take buses.

Poland is one of those places that you can live there fairly comfortably doing the ESL thing, but once you leave,reality hits you square in the face.

I never spent much time in Warsaw during my tenure in Poland but I was never very impressed with the place.Typical capital/big city superiority condescending vibe I got from there.I spent time in almost all of the bigger Polish towns and Warsaw wouldn't rank very high on my list but that's just me I guess.

What makes you want to return to Warsaw? What did you enjoy most about the place?
Regards,
Jack

sparks · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 632

Are you still enjoying Canada Jack or has the honeymoon period worn off? I'm leaving Poland in a few days after nine years and wondering how it will be trying to make it back in the States. It seems like you may miss it here.

Jack Walker · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 412

sparks · Joined: 20 Feb 2008 Posts: 632

Thank you Jack, and I hear you about should of having left earlier. Luckily I believe I still have a strong network of family and friends who seem happy to help me and are understanding of the nine-year void. Good luck to you too in your (continuing?) transition.

Jack Walker · Joined: 23 Oct 2008 Posts: 412

Yes,it is a continuing transition.I am currently doing some part-time freelance writing for a local mag and a bit of editing/product reviews to keep the wolves from the door.My sister hooked me up with that as she is in the journalism field.

Not much money in it but it'll have to do for the time being.

I've had a few interviews for some really good positions over the past year, but the time spent in Poland doesn't seem to count for much over here and I'm still looking for a stable career in a very competitive market.

blaz88 · Joined: 09 Nov 2010 Posts: 22

I also have returned to Canada after a 6 year stay in Poland. I have only been back in Canada now 4.5 months with my Polish wife. She actually just joined me in Canada 3 weeks ago. I have become very frustrated and disappointed with Canada so far. As Mr. Walker stated, all my friends are set up finnancially and in a different place than I. However, I look at the quality of life issue. Does Canada actually offer a better quality of life for me? In North America in general there is a preoccupation with materialism. This also is happening in Poland but not on the same level. I felt very happy living in a small but charming flat and utilizing the Rynek every week, enjoying my day with no car, and only working a maximum of 5 hours per day. Not to mention the trips I had that were spontaneous and still cheap, Prague several times, Bratislava, UK to visit family, Paris, and Croatia. Most of these were short term extended weekend trips, something that would have been impossible in Canada. Plus the fact that I was a head coach of a Polish American football team to make money at a passion of mine. This would of never happened in Canada. I believe I will return in 2012, after the Euro cup.

Baileys1 · Joined: 27 Sep 2011 Posts: 8 Location: Canada

Hi Guys,

Sorry for disappearing for a few weeks. I lost my password and I couldn't log back to the forum.

I can relate to your frustrations and disappointment with Canada. I am in Vancouver and just like you Jack, my experience had been similar. Employers told me that my Polish work experience was useless. With a grim job market and a lot of competition , I found it difficult to land a decent job. I am doing some sub work for a few schools now, but schools are actually closing down here on the west coast.

What I miss about Warsaw is the fact that everything was so close and that public transport was much better than the one we have over here.

I have also found that teaching English in Canada is quite different from teaching in Europe. Korean students are quite demanding and they just want to learn grammar.

I am really considering going back to Poland , if I don't find anything stable here.

Like other members have said, in Poland you could travel to Prague or Paris and I really miss that . Given the fact that Canada is so big it is hard to travel around. Generally speaking, I miss the lifestyle in Poland. With the money we were making in Warsaw, we could do a lot more than in Canada. After a one private lesson , I could go for a nice meal to a restaurant; in Vancouver that's impossible. Students pay 10$ for a conversation lesson; I find that insulting

How are things on the East coast of Canada?

Thanks for your responses , I wish all of you best of luck in getting your life on track in Canada.

My name is Aggie by the way;)

steviok85 · Joined: 31 Aug 2006 Posts: 87

Hi Aggie,
It seems that I have been in a similar situation to you.
I am frustrated with the situation in the UK. I came back from Poland thinking that I would get some EAP sessional work after the pre-sessional work I had already lined up for the summer. It simply is not happening. I was contemplating going to Warsaw three weeks ago as I was promised some hours teaching business English. However, not having an apartment in place and a few verbal promises of hours did not sway me. Actually, for once in my life, I thought about things and curbed my impulsivity. . .
So I will head to Warsaw next summer I think and present myself with CV, ideas and qualifications in hand. There are far more teachers with more than my four years experience in the area. However, having an MA and working for a top ten UK university will hopefully stand out.
In the meantime, I may do a training course, acquaint myself with medical and legal English, learn Polish some more. Anything to keep the CV ticking over.
I hope you can relate to this.

Stan