Job Discussion Forums

[dannypoet]

I'm thinking of doing my CELTA and then either working in Poland or Russia (I'm 24 and English by the way). I've had a look on the BKC website and their terms of $800 a month + free accomodation seem really good by eastern european standards. I know Moscow can be quite an expensive city though so I just wondered how good this really is and if anyone has any experience of doing their CELTA with them and/or working with them?

Also is there any oppurtunities in other Russian cities then Moscow? Not just St.Petersburg but elsewhere too?

Thanks for all your help.

[maruss]

If you enjoy working split-shifts in grotty suburbs, sharing a grungy flat with someone you don't know and being crushed in the metro and on the buses etc. and seeing other people around you doing a similar job for at least double what B.K.C pay then go ahead and apply by all means!Their site is very alluring and tempts you to try the Moscow experience,but like any sales and recruiting drive they don't tell you about the cons!If you look through the postings on this site and on moscowteachers.com you can find-out plenty about living and working in Moscow before you decide whether to go there or not!If you read the article in yesterdays Obsever about Russia on the guardian.co.uk website you will probably change your mind anyway and stick to Poland,the Baltics or maybe Prague,all of which are definitely better than working for someone like B.K.C.in Moscow!
As for working outside Moscow and St.Petes,it can be done and if you are adventurous is probably more enjoyable than suffering the stress and crush of Moscow BUT DO BE VERY CAREFUL with who and where you go to work etc.( There are several notorious schools which advertise regularly in places such as in Togliatti-Samara in the Volga region and in Voskresensk near Moscow, for example!)At least a basic knowledge of the language is almost essential and don't forget that Russia is still very much a third-world country, despite the deceptive impressions of elite living which the centre of Moscow gives to a first-time visitor!Anything that might go wrong has to be considered as probable, especially regarding working conditions and getting paid on time etc. so always have some back-up funds to tie you over.
Sorry if all this sounds a bit negative,but people like myself and other regulars on this site have heard of many victims of firms like B.K.C. over the years!

[dannypoet]

Hi Maruss,

Not at all, thats why I asked! Thankyou very much for your information, I think I'll follow your advice and look through these posts and possibly look elsewhere.

Thanks again.

[quietguy]

I'm at BKC right now, and I've got no problems. I won't argue with Maruss...I would hate working in Moscow. I'm outside the city. Do read all you can on this site and others, and if you've still got some questions send me a message. Good luck!

[rusmeister]

BKC used to pay better than the sweat-shop minimum in the 90's, until they were (undoubtedly) 'run over' by the authorities and dropped to the dismal pay levels of this decade. Judging from what most people here post, things have gotten worse in Moscow/St Pete, in part due to the large number of unemployed desperate native speakers willing to come and work at the sweat-shops for the minimum.
On the other hand, they're making the visa system a little more draconian now, so maybe a fair percentage of that class of people will leave.

[maruss]

The last posting hits the nail squarely on the head......while there is demand, the 'goods' will continue to sell!I suppose we can't blaim the Russians for adopting this capitalist business principle which applies all over the world!

[canucktechie]

For what it's worth, I know a couple of people who used to work for BKC and now work for IH schools in Poland and Slovakia, and they said they had more disposable income when they were in Moscow.

The real issue here is how much you have to sweat for that income, and as the other posters have said you have to sweat a lot in Moscow.

If you want some exposure to Russian culture without the hassles, may I suggest you take a look at working in Tallinn or Riga, both of which have large Russian populations. A lot of non-EU people work in Moscow because those options are not open to them.

[jonniboy]

With a TEFL cert you'd get at least 500 quid (ie almost 1000 USD) a month plus flat working here in Riga. I don't have a cert and currently get a fair bit more than that a month but that includes privates who currently make up a rather uncomfortable 40% of my income.

[maruss]

It wins hands down,not just because it is an E.U. country now with more civilised rules etc. but also it is environmentally in a different world and much less over-crowded!However,$500 per month is probably just enough to get by on,even if you have a free appartment etc. as prices have risen considerably and like you already said'private lessons make up an uncomfortable 40%' of that!
Sorry to keep knocking Moscow,but all I hear, even from my Russian friends there is that the place is getting nastier, more over- crowded,more polluted and more expensive and most people there would do anything to escape if they could!It's a place to visit more than live in,just like London,unless of course, you have a six figure income!And of course, the climate change is driving everyone crazy!

[adavidwatson]