Job Discussion Forums

[kaz_AZ]

Hey all,

I've been in discussion with Direct English in Surabaya about a possible position they have for a teaching opportunity. Since it's my first job off of my CELTA (and I've had a bit of a break between getting it and job searching, about 8 months :-/) so although it's not a lot for pay (125,000 per hour w/ 20 hours per week required and overtime available, no accomodation allowance) I recognize it may be better than jumping into an EF 8 mill per month situation (this one adds up to min. 10 mill with the 20 hours per week requirement).

Is anyone familiar with the school? Can anyone give me some pointers?


Thanks all.

[Uncle Gweilo]

IDR 125 K an hour works out to around IDR 11� juta (11,2500,000) for a month of roughly 4� weeks at 20 hours per week. Is this figure before or after tax?

One site I visit has a series of cost-of-living guides and it reckons a furnished two bedroom apartment in Surabaya will set you back around 2� juta a month- dated September, 2010. You could probably house or flat share with another westerner and even employ a full-time maid. Other costs will be down to just how "local" you want to go, or live like a westerner.

As you're getting paid by the hour, will there be any compensation for public holidays and annual leave? Working visa restrictions in Indonesia, I think, prohibit you from taking outside tutoring work- at least legally.

The only thing I can really glean from the 'Net is that Direct English is a franchised operation that adheres to the Linguaphone method. Maybe there's little to no lesson preparation.

Would love to know wha the school is expecting of you. If they're only paying you for direct CCH and not for lesson preparation...

Also, is the school going to require you to turn up for school activities like sports days and work unpaid. What is the shift roster they're offering you?

I'm looking at Indonesia as a possible destination to start my career as an ESL teacher. I have even less than you as a starter- online TESOL Cert, not a CELTA. Mind you, I could take the time and get a genuine CELTA if it really proves to be a major stumbling block to employment.

[Uncle Gweilo]

Let me know how you get along. Their website has not been updated for two years, by the look of thing, and their info e-mail address bounces back as a delivery failure.

[Tudor]

I don't know anything about Direct English in Surabaya, but I once had an interview at one of their Jakarta branches and I wasn't particularly impressed. They came across as professional enough, but they expect you to work six-day weeks every week and offer only 12 days annual leave. They don't even close during Christmas and Idul Fitri (Ramadam) except for the actual public holiday days which is very unusual for a language school here.

Are those 20 hours guarenteed? If not, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. What happens if there's a downturn in business, or during the quiet holiday periods like above when most students will be otherwise engaged? This is a private language school so there'll be nothing like sports days or the extra-curricular activities you'd have to do in a regular school. I've no idea what the Linguaphone method is, but I think the bulk of their work is teaching test prep (i.e. IELTS, TOEFL, SAT etc) and there will probably be a lot of one-on-one teaching. These students are paying a lot of money and they, quite rightfully, expect the teachers to know their stuff and be fully prepared for lessons, so it could be quite pressured for a first job. Of course, this depends on the level of support you get from the management.

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss EF; their Surabaya branches have a good reputation and a friend of mine spent two happy years there. He said they provide new teachers with a lot of support which is what you need when you first start teaching. Bear in mind as well that you'll get much more variety of teaching here - kids, teens, adults, business, test prep etc. It might not be a good idea to 'pigeon-hole' yourself into one particular niche of teaching (i.e. test prep) for your first job.

Don't forget there are other schools in Surabaya as well such as TBI and KELT which may be worth trying.

[godmachine12]