Job Discussion Forums

[stephschill]

I have been taking an online tefl course for the past few months and I am set to recieve my completion certificate at the beginning of September. I have a degree in Eastern European studies and am intent on teaching in Poland. I even bought a one way ticket to Warsaw last week.

Today, a friend of mine who is teaching in Warsaw informed me that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, for me to get hired with a distance degree. I have another friend who took the same online course and is now happily teaching English in Japan, so it came as a rather rude shock when my friend in Warsaw gave me this info. I thought I had done my homework. Guess I was wrong.

I am in a giant pickle. I have a non-refundable ticket to Poland and I have given notice at my job and apt. Here are my two options:

1. Go to Poland in mid-September as planned and hope that a school (any school!) will hire me with my non-celta cetificate.

2. Take a Celta course in Prague or Krakow, recieve a Celta certificate in late October and hope that I can find a job then, despite the fact that the hiring season will be kaput.


I would really appreciate some advice on the matter. Is there any hope?

p.s

I am not an EU citizen, which further complicates the matter.

[peekay]

I'd say try and get a job before you go. If not then try when you get there. If you still can't, then do the CELTA.

[joshsweigart]

You can probably find a job without the CELTA. Just make sure to find a job before you go so that they can send you the work papers and you can get your visa before you go. If your not English don't make the big jump without some certainty unless you have a ton of savings.

Check Tefl.com.

[Alex Shulgin]

You can probably find a job with only a distance certificate. Whether you would want that job or not is another matter.

If you don't have a university degree (BA/BEd/BSc/etc) and you don't have a CELTA or Trinity then you might as well forget about Poland though.

[stephschill]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I have a B.A in Liberal Arts as well as some great references from employers and former teachers. I have also been a volunteer English tutor here in the states and have taught esl students at a school in L.A. I can bring references from both these positions. I hope that these qualifications over ride my lack of a Celta certificate. If I don't have any luck getting a position in September, I suppose I will have to take a Celta course in Krakow in October.

[patrykt]

Unless things have changed, you better have your job and work visa lined up before you leave the States. I had problems due to the nimrods working at the Polish embassy in L.A. and my school in Poznan told me to fly back to L.A. for a day to get a new visa!!! We worked it out, but I'd advise getting all your ducks in a row before you get on that plane...man.

In my opinion, you should be able to swing it. Just get on it.

[Tumteetum]

[Grrrmachine]

I hate to see anyone in trouble. I have a nice big file of email addresses of schools in Warsaw - cant vouch for all of them, in terms of wages-on-time and tax-paying, but there's still work to be had here, CELTA or no. Just PM me and I'll email them to you.

[cezarek]

The stuff about getting a work permit before you go is very sensible. Or arriving with enough money to tide you over. Employers (especially the good ones) are wary often about hiring someone from such a distance away so the second option may be better.

They usually accept distance certificates if the person with the certificate seems ok - depends on the school and their requirements. Again better to be there at the time so they can decide in person.

Metropolitan College (apparently quite good, but my information is second hand) and Target (not well thought of [see other entries in this forum] but were certainly a fairly professional set-up when I worked there - I enjoyed my two years with them except for the pay ) are both hiring now.