Job Discussion Forums

[SiThep]

Anyone ever worked for this bunch? Put my CV in with them and they have asked me for an interview. Would welcome any feedback on how they are as an employer.

[chezal]

Never heard of the school but having looked on google it is based in Solo. Solo is a lovely town. I'd love to live there as I play gamelan and would love the chance to study it more. If you are interested in learning cultural traditions such as Javenese dance, music etc then living there would be great for you. If you aren't into that it maybe a bit boring as their isn't a whole load of expats. It depends what you are looking for.

[Gajah Oling]

IELC is a great school. The owners (Nina and Anthony) are honest, very supportive of their teaching staff, and genuinely sincere in their aim of running a school (as opposed to running a money mill, like so many other English language schools in Indonesia.) They're very easy to get along with, and both have a great sense of humor.

That said, Solo is definitely not for everyone. People who crave the night club scene of Jakarta or other big cities will find Solo's provincial nature "boring". If you want to experience the culture of Central Java, Solo is the place to be. Even more so than Jogja. It's also quite easy to get out of town and visit the mountains, or the sea (about 4 hours by motorbike to Pacitan) on the weekends.

PM me if you have any questions, or want more details.

[jaybet3]

I haven't worked there (yet), but I know some teachers who worked at IELC and they were comfortable and liked working there.

As far as Solo life, I came back here from Surabaya and was so happy not to fight the traffic/gridlock everyday. While Solo doesn't have the spectacular malls and upscale lifestyle of Surabaya or Jakarta, there is a new hotel/mall called Solo Paragon which is upscale. There is also a Cinema XXI which has digital cinema unlike in the past.

In regards to expats, there is a small, but tight-knit community called Solo Expats Association which has monthly meetings, Hash Harrier runs, Christmas parties and many other events. There are three bars/restaurants run by expats which make it easy to connect with other foreigners living here. While Solo tends to be more family oriented, it is more laid back and a lot less stressful than Jakarta or Surabaya.

When I first came to Solo back in 2008, I met some locals and they said that you can find most everything you need here, you just need to look. Since then, Solo has grown and now has more to offer than in the past.

In my experience, you couldn't pay me enough to work in Jakarta. The traffic, flooding, expenses are enough to make even the most hearty adventurer want to flee for safer haven.

While Solo may not be a place for a young teacher to spend many years, it's a great place to start and get a feel for Indonesia.

Good luck on your journey.