Job Discussion Forums

[dmb]

This was inspired by something 31 said on the newbie forum. We both got in this field in the early 90's. In those days you applied for jobs in a newspaper and used slow mail. 31 claims that conditions and standard of living were better back then. Nowadays because of the internet employers get more responses and so can give the job for a lesser salary. Just for a change I disagree with 31. My first salary was 6 million and I used to drink Guzel maramara because that was all I could afford. Thankfully I no longer earn 6 million a month or drink the aforementioned vintage wine. Maybe we just had different priorities and we were young free and reckless. so a question for you oldies. Was it better then or is it better now.

[31]

Just to clarify a few points. My first tefl salary was also crap-13 million but I tripled it when I left.

I didn`t mean that the only reason was the internet/email but also other things like more competition. Just to focus on language schools. Compare how many there are now with how many there were in the early 90s. Compare the agressive marketing of ET with what there was back then. I am sure that others can come up with many more reasons for the stagnation in EFL salaries. Have a look at the BC website for salaries.

I believe that dmb and ekmekparasi had a thread going about the good all days and if I remember both of you agreed that conditions were better. The Fast paid airfares-not 300 dollars towards it but the full airfare, free furnished accomodation-not luxurious but you didn`t have to pay emlaks, deposits etc. The fast also gave a months paid holidays. In the main branches they got you a work permit and it cost you nothing. How many language schools do all that now?

Of course dmb is right that priorities change but Turkey is much more expensive now than it used to be.

dmb:

You mentioned snail mail and getting your first job. I got mine through the Fast recruiter who was based in Bognor Regis. I had to call him from where I did my CTEFLA-an expensive call, do a CV, fax it and have a telephone interview at my own expense. It was at the time really expensive and I only applied for the one job. Now it would cost nothing for me to apply for loads of jobs.

[dmb]

Intersting points. Turkey is indeed more expensive, isn't everywhere? Remeber when an Efes cost 40 pence? Now it is on par with the UK. You had a telephone interview for the Fast? I had to pay for a train from Edinburgh to Brighton for mine. The Fast was my second stint of duty in Turkey. My first job was a telephone interview but they phoned me.
Back then aswell to get a visa you jumped on a tram to Aksaray and got the visa in a day. None of this visiting your own country rubbish. About priorities changing, maybe you just thought you were better off because in your early 20s you are not thinking about saving for the future, etc.
I'll stop now, I'm sounding middle aged.

[31]

Just a couple of things:

Yeah my first tefl job which was in Ist-a beer in the local birahane which was an ok place was 25 000-that was about 40 pence.

I have been to Aksaray quite a few times and I almost used to enjoy it.

I remember finding it really curious that I am from the south east and could easily go to Bognor but I faxed and phoned him form abroad and then posted him my cv and phoned him again from my parents`house in the south east. He never wanted a face to face interview even though I was fairly local. Yet you had to travel all the way from Edinburgh and other Fasties did the same. I rember Ian who was the general DOS bloke saying after one of the t training sessions that the recruiter was such a great bloke and that he had worked for the Fast before when they had contracts to teach Forestry Ministry in the SE. Do you know anything about the Forestry stuff? I remember that me and a friend told Ian that we would like to break his legs over some lies he told us-chiefly about money but Ian was shocked.

[31]

wot no reply?

[sandyhoney2]

I was there in the late nineties for a couple of years on both sides of the Bosphorus. Just went back for quick vacation, introduce the kid to his never-before-met family, etc. Regrettably, was only there for just over a week.

Changes I noticed was, yes, things are a lot more expensive than in 1998. ET has grown bigtime. Kanarya is a lot cleaner. Sirenevler has changed a lot too.

Things that are the same: the Turks, thank god, have changed little. We had to transfer to the airplane in Paris on three crowded busloads of cranky people. The very last busload was almost exclusively Turks, having let the rest of us go on ahead of them and not complaining a bit.

I regret that I didn't have a chance to do a whole lot while I was there. It solidified a decision that we have been trying to make, though, as to whether or not we'd ever return to live and work in Istanbul. My answer: without a doubt. I'm jealous of y'all that are there now!