Job Discussion Forums

[dragonpiwo]

A lot of newly-qualified, mostly male teachers head towards Eastern Europe. If you are heading to Poland, there are some things you need to know. I've lived in Poland on and off since 1995. During that time the market has changed considerably, especially here in Poznan, where I currently reside.

The Current State of Play
1-It's not an easy place for Americans to work legally.
2-The big name employers have gone the way of freelance contracting. This means you have to set up a 'school' (you are the school) and invoice schools, who are effectively now middlemen between you and the client (students). After 2 years of this, you have to pay about $350 a month, whether you teach that month or not. You also stump up your copying costs and materials purchases. Hire a good accountant, which involves more expense and you can claim stuff like that back. Some schools will do this for you but you will have to pay a fee anywhere between $50 and $80 a month.
3-The going rate of pay outside Warsaw is about 1 Zloty/minute minus tax, insurance, your costs for copying, stationery, transport and the accountant. Not a lot when you factor in getting to lessons, planning, making materials, marking home work.
4-There seems to be a lot of work for YL and very YL.
5-Schools which offer full-time contracts will generally pay you between 3 and 4K a month depending on whether or not accommodation is included. Four thousand Zloty is about $1,185. Renting a one-bedroom flat will cost you about $500 with the bills. Groceries are cheap but clothes, toiletries, electronic goods and medicines are expensive and in many cases cost more than the UK/America. $600/month to live on is really just subsistence.

Advice
1-Take at least $3,000 start up money.
2-Look for privates on Gumtree and Szukaj Lektora to improve your income.
3-Beware of illegal contracts.
4-Don't pitch your hourly rate too high. Look at what other people are offering. Poles will always compete on price.
5-Lower your expectations. The golden age of ELT Poland is long gone. Now you have to work your ass off, compete with hundreds of native speakers and much better Polish teachers. Age will also count against you. Split shifts are also pretty normal.
6-If you can get a uni gig, it's the easiest option since you'll get paid 12 months a year, have a ready source of privates and other opps, which a freelancer will struggle to find so readily.
7-Don't arrive thinking Poland is cheap because relative to income, it's hugely expensive.
8-Invest in a few books with ready made lessons or use Breaking News English, BBC 6-Minute English or the Guardian Free Materials sites.

[sparks]

I won't go into it about wages and if this is an overly-grim assessment of Poland, it's not too bad, I guess.

If you start a sole trader company you should be looking to sign contracts directly with business, skip the school, otherwise you're getting screwed. Work with a school for a year, then steal their clients. They might try to put some kind of penalty in your contract for this but it's just to scare teachers, plus once the contract expires it is invalid anyway.

About the paying ZUS whether you teach or not, you can zawiesic your dzialnosc or stop business and stop paying ZUS if you go home in the Summer for a couple months or whatever, as long as you don't send any invoices that month and you officially suspend your company, no ZUS payments.

[dragonpiwo]

I don't think it's grim, it's how it is. Going home and not working for a few months every year is going to cost and having to do summer schools and work 12 months of the year is grim I'd say.

I've had meetings with companies here in Poznan and the highest rate I've come across is about 70-80Zl/hour for an hour here and there. The schools pay between 45 and 60 Gross, some much less.

To make a good wage you'll be working like hell all over the place teaching from dusk till dawn. Teaching 30+ hours a week, I don't think you'll be teaching that effectively. It's a big ask for a newbie.

Everyone who stays here is a love refugee

[sparks]

I see more and more women coming to teach here. This I can not figure out. I guess Warsaw is becoming more like Europe.

[dragonpiwo]

Poland is definitely becoming more like old Europe in many ways. Poles are also much more confident in their new found European status.

Here in Poznan, the vast majority of native speaker EFL teachers are still men though. On the other hand, many of the Polish teachers are women. Just about every kieruwnik I've ever had here has been a woman for start.

Currently, the course books haven't arrived and every single one of my lessons is done from scratch. Without the backup resources of a school, it makes life a real hassle and increases my costs quite a lot. To be honest, as you get older, you just don't have the energy to run around all over the place.

6 weeks where I normally work plus the associated holiday is more than I'd earn in a year here, so I will go back to what I normally do soon.

I'm done with Poland as a going concern and much prefer an easy life. As you get older, you also tend to get pigeon-holed into business English, which ain't all that exciting.

[adaruby]

[dragonpiwo]

It's looking more and more like western Europe but the Poles ain't changed much . They are still as tight as you can imagine when it comes to money and they frown like nobody else on the planet on the streets. A Pole will also drive on a zigzag route to avoid paying a 9Zl toll on the motorway even if it means spending an extra 30Zl on petrol. Their 'spacial awareness' ie their ability to stand between you and your seated missus as they order a drink hasn't changed much either.

Once you know 'em it's a different story though.

[sparks]

[dragonpiwo]

Was in some student places this morning.....burgers 15Zl, coffee 6Zl and beer 5-6Zl.