Job Discussion Forums

[Within-Temptation]

Hello Everyone,
I am making the move to Poland shortly and most likely for a long while. I will be seeking work as a teacher and should possess a Polish Passport soon as well. Also i will be doing the Celta in Poland. I am very interested in getting some opinions and answers of life in Poland from a teaching perspective and living in general perspective.
Firstly, is work readily available? and what are the hours of work?
Is the pay good for newbies?
What's the positives and negatives teaching in Poland? Do you have to follow a certain school syllabus or are you free to go on your own?

Also, do you miss home often? or is everyone just happy being and living in Poland?
Is anyone here for good?
Property i hear will rise much more when Poland adopt the Euro, so i think it would be a good investment buying soon as well? How do you see it?

I would be interested in any other opinions of Poland if you have any and any advice for a newbie teacher. Thanks your time and patience in this long thread with lots of questions, Regards Vic

[Grrrmachine]

A lot of the answers to your questions can be found here:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/search.php

The only fresh info would be about the Euro. Seeing as a completely unqualified and inexperienced pawn has been placed as the head of the National Bank (and cant be removed for the next 6 years) I doubt Poland will go Euro until 2013.

[Master Shake]

If you have a CELTA, work will not be hard to find.

In general, teaching hours are mornings (starting as early as 7:30) or evenings after the clients are done with their school/work. Weekends are also not uncommon.

The pay is OK by local standards. You'll have enough to live on and go out a few times a week.

The school I'm working for gives me a great deal of flexibility in what i can teach. They want me to make steady progress in the coursebook, keep the students from getting bored, and test them now and then, but the rest ios up to me.

Some schools (like Callan) are more rigid in how they expect you to teach.

[stubbletrouble]

From what little I understand of it, yes, investing in property now is a good idea. I can only speak for Krakow - pubs, clubs, cafes, language schools, hostels continue to open successful new franchises seemingly everyday.

I'm glad I experienced Poland for a while, but I'm ready to get out. Certain elements of the bureaucracy and the service industry are just baffling here. The money will allow you to live rather well by local standards, but don't expect to save much.

[Within-Temptation]

Firstly, thank you for the replies.

But i still would like to know how personally some of you are living, coping with polish life etc... Some may not want to share your personal experiences but i would be glad to read some of your personal experiences in Poland even better if they are funny

Regarding property, i was told prices will continue to rise even before they adopt the euro. Krakow is on the rise all the time and Wroclaw as well. Warsaw is steady. So there is a great opportunity to invest in Real Estate something i will definitely do this year.

[joshsweigart]

Everyone smokes. I had a small party this weekend and, like a fool, told everyone that they could smoke inside. Of course everyone lit up at once and chain smoked for the entire evening. Oh well, everything airs out.

[Grrrmachine]

At the beginning, Poland appears rude, whinging and overly proud. A lot of visitors get disheartened by the older generation constantly saying "no," the almost socially crippling level of Catholicism and the never-ending swathes of Communist apartment buildings.

Stick it out though, and like anywhere you'll find a decent community underneath. Aside from the endless civil servants you'll have to meet, Poles have an almost C0ckney level of wit, charm and morality (take that how you please.) The minus temperatures and lack of disposable income can crimp the local's sense of nightlife, but provide a warm room and some vodka and parties just... happen.

[zippy2k]

[gregoryfromcali]

Poland is what you make of it.

If you're intersted in Polish culture and history I think you'll like it.

I lived there for two and half years.

It was a good time.

I liked living in Poland and I liked all the holidays we had off which allowed me to travel all around Central and Eastern Europe.

As an American it's rare to be able to get to know so many European countries so well.

On the other hand, it's not without it's frustations.

As a colleague of mine once said, "In Britian conversations start with comments about the weather, in Poland conversations start with a complaint."

But then again what's the point of going abroad if you're not looking to be challenged in some way.

[magicmajenta]

[dynow]

Regarding the smoking thing, I completely agree. Sometimes being in a bar is unbearable, and I can't even go into any of the night clubs here because of the intense smoke.

Also, I think Americans are more inclined to smoke here than in the states because chokes are so damn cheap out here. When I left the NY area, smokes were around $8 per pack.

[Master Shake]

[gregoryfromcali]

[Grrrmachine]

I was thinking on a higher plane, greg; such as my girlfriend's entire family not voting for PO in the last elections because Tusk wasn't married...

[gregoryfromcali]

Hey, I wouldn't vote for an umarried man either.

When I was a bachelor I was a twisted individual.