Job Discussion Forums

new2travel · Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 4

Hi all!

I've been reading through a lot of the postings on this site and have found responses to be very insightful thus far! Thanks.

I'm curious to know if anyone that has been contracted as an ESL teacher with English First Pondok Indah, Jakarta has any comments. I'm really just trying to get an idea of their reputation and any other relevant info before I sign the contract I've been offered. Should I be looking elsewhere (keeping in mind that I have only an Associate's degree and TESOL)???

Also, can anyone tell me about the general living and working conditions in Indonesia; specifically, in Jakarta.

Any info you have would be appreciated, I'm new to the whole experience... but very excited!!! I'm trying to avoid being the token naive and jaded Canadian girl! Embarassed

Thank you!
Crystal

willy · Posted: Sat May 31, 2003 9:19 am Post subject:

well if you want to live here and are planing to have a few drinks and go to a club or 2 better have at least 8,000,000rp you can live on about 2,000,000 if you eat like locals do but if you are western you need 2 meals and yes you can get a coke for 1,000 or 2,000 o is 198ml so better buy 3. a taxi woy can get to arcoss town for 30,000 to 50,000. a bottel of vodka (sky 120,000) phone card 100,000 last about 2 weeks if you sms.
hotel in jakarta 250,000 and up

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

[quote="willy"]well if you want to live here and are planing to have a few drinks and go to a club or 2 better have at least 8,000,000rp you can live on about 2,000,000 if you eat like locals do [/quote]

My understanding is that on a salary of 8 mill IDR/month one can live comfortably if you aren't out at the clubs spending a lot of money on booze.

I'm not much for nightlife but I would like to travel around Java during my holiday time. It'd be nice to hear more on costs both in and outside of Jakarta.

Winmar · Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 125 Location: Melbourne

Outside of Jakarta you can live very comfortably on 5 million. I don't know about Jakarta though, but I hear it's a fair bit more expensive.

new2travel · Joined: 22 May 2003 Posts: 4

hey all!

Thanks for your responses; as worrisome as they have made me... It was mentioned that a "social" person would need at least 8,000,000r/month to survive comfortably... I was only offered 6,600,000r!! Does any one know if that is feasible in Jakarta?? Where should an semi-qualified gal look for a better offer (I was told that the 6,600,000r was starting wage for all beginners at EF locations)?

Thanks again!
Crystal

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

[quote="new2travel"]
It was mentioned that a "social" person would need at least 8,000,000r/month to survive comfortably... I was only offered 6,600,000r!! (I was told that the 6,600,000r was starting wage for all beginners at EF locations)?
[/quote]

Remember, these are rough rules of thumb. One person might live casually and not do a lot of partying, and think 8 mill is great; another might be a social butterfly and think 8 mill is peanuts.

As for 6.6 mill being the starting wage, remember that EF are franchises and wages vary from one school to the next.

willy · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2003 10:35 am Post subject: the good life

a few weeks ago i was in east java its a lot cheper. you can live on 6.600 thats it! anyway ilp is a good school too and thy pay better and we need teachers for next term. if you want $ Taiwan or Korea are better places and it TW a young girl is what all the schools want! more like a baby sitter than a teacher.

ilp thats in Jakarta in house not corp.

o my friend might be looking for some one but she cant pay a lot its a new school .

well like they say (i am not shure who) JUST DO IT

will

Winmar · Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 125 Location: Melbourne

I wish I had been getting 6.6 million!!!

willy · Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2003 10:25 am Post subject: it dont go so far

it dosent go so far here a house is 40-60 mil a year. my room is 700,000 a month and i have a wife and baby too thats makes dinner 60-70,000.
well anyway the air is so bad my whit bath to went gray after 3 months.

the only reason i stay is the school is good o and the pay is 2 times what ef pays. and,and,and...
will

reality · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Posts: 105

Jakarta, can be an expensive City, even if you party a couple of days a week. I don't believe a salary of six Million is enough, to live reasonably comfortably nor do many locals who earn more.

Most upscale language schools pay 8 Million plus per month, and always need Teachers. so, don't bother settling for second best, and a third rate lifestyle in Jakarta with EF.

Pondok Indah also is the Beverly Hills of Jakarta. So, I can't imagine surviving on 6.6 Million would be fun. Given, that locals and expats live and spend more than Four Times that a month.