Job Discussion Forums

[kerohaha]

Dear friends

I'm looking for a position of teaching English or Chinese in Central/Eastern Europe but am quite disappointed at the search. I have the TEFL certificate and over 4 years of EFL teaching experience. I don't mind low pay but i do prefer working for an organized school (high school, university) instead of language schools.

Where/how can I apply for jobs in the regular schools? There're very few job postings online and those posted are from language schools.

How does one do "cold-calling"? (please excuse my ignorance) i.e. should i send my CV to the general English department address (will they even pay attention?) or any specific professor's address? (how can I look for this specific professor to send my CV to?)

Also, where can I apply for Chinese teaching positions around the world? (e.g. any websites?)

Any information will be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Carol

[bnix]

First you need to decide on which country(ies) you are interested in...Central/Eastern Europe covers a lot of terrotory,and of course there are differences.The first question is:Are you from an EU country?If not you may very well have difficulties getting the necessary paperwork in a lot of the countries in question.
If the EU thing is no problem,for you,you still need to decide which country(or several) you are interested in.It is a bit late for schools in at least some of the countries(state schools).They have already done their hiring for the fall.If you want a contact link,send me a PM.
I am talking about teaching English.I have no idea what the demand for Chinese teaching may be in these countries.It is probably a lot less in demand than English.

[Mish]

Dear Kerohaha,

I don't know where you may search for a Chinese-teaching job, but you may want to shop for an English-teaching position on www.tefl.com. That was where I found my job, and my employers have treated me quite well throughout my contract year.

My contract is almost up, and I will be moving on soon, hopefully to another Central/Eastern European country. I'm still waiting for my work permit to be processed.

I'm a non-EU resident, by the way, but it is possible to receive job offers and get your official documents processed, though admittedly, it is slightly more difficult. Experience and qualifications help.

Provided that your potential employers are prepared to do things legally, you will need a work permit (your employers should apply for it from the county authorities), then a general medical report certifying that you are fit for work (which should be translated into Hungarian later), translated and verified 'true' copies of your qualifications (done by the Hungarian Consulate in your home country), and finally a work visa, flight ticket and enough cash to set yourself up for at least the first month and a half before your first pay-cheque.

It also helps to produce a copy of your work contract (that's the first thing you should get from your future employers; read the terms carefully before you commit yourself) along with your work permit to the Consulate when applying for your visa.

Health care cover and insurance should be part of the deal. Accommodation provisions depend on how much you'll get paid. Generally, beyond Budapest, if you are getting less than 1,500 forint per lesson (45 minutes), then you should expect accommodation as part of the deal. If you are getting paid more than 1,500 forint/lesson, then you may be expected to fix yourself up with accom.

You should get the school to commit to a minimum number of teaching hours per week. The summer months can get quite lean, and you should at least have a minimum wage agreement in place. They may give you administrative work instead to make up for the loss of teaching hours.

Re: applying for jobs on the phone. It helps to know who the Director of Studies (DOS) is at the school. If you are making a cold call, ask to speak to the DOS of that particular department. In smaller schools, the proprietor is also the DOS.

Always have an updated CV ready to be mailed off. Best to have it as a Word document to be sent off as an attachment via e-mail. You should also have a cover letter written specifically to the DOS/person-in-charge at the school.

One last thing, you can have your cover letters and CV stored at www.tefl.com, and it makes applying for jobs on the site quite simple. You just have to put some time aside to get your CV up (it's quite a detailed format), and draft out your cover letters (the site also offers samples).

All the best,

Mish

[scot47]

It is a big place. From Szczecin to Sofia ! Countries in this region are very different. One thing that they may have in common is a dislike for doing things at a distance. Decide where you want to go and go there. Start knocking on doors.

After 1989 there was a certain lure in having a native speaker of English teaching English. The gloss has worn off, but some places might still offer you something. Not likely though at long distance. Face to face. That is the way.