Job Discussion Forums

[moongoat]

Hi,
I worked in Morocco for almost 2 years when I had to return home for medical reasons... Now that I have been here for a few months I can't wait to leave again! I have 3 interviews lined up at English Time (Istanbul), English First (Bursa), and Berlitz (Istanbul). I have read some unfavorable things about English First, but aside from that, any ideas? Which is recommended? Thanks!

[yaramaz]

And you haven't read unfavourable things about the other two?

I work at EF. For those little details like, um, a fixed monthly salary (not hourly rate), housing allowance, work permits, paid holidays, sick pay, and private health insurance, EF is the only one that actually offers anything decent.

Although I have heard some negative things about them from other people (as one inevitably does), I am happy with it and I am staying on. I find it to be professional, supportive, and respectful. They got me my work permit/residence permit within a month of starting work last year. For a language school, that is almost unheard of.

I was recently in a car accident and can't work. I was given over two weeks off, paid leave, to recover, and all medical costs (inc painkillers and crutches etc) were covered by the school. The owners even took me into their home for the first few days and looked after me because I wasn't able to walk without pain and couldn't get up the stairs to my own flat. My parents came over to look after me and the school arranged a driver to pick them up from the airport. I think this is amazing.

EF Bursa is the Vodafone contract, isn't it? It's a pretty sweet deal, to be honest. I'm working full time in the Istanbul Vodafone branch and the hours are good, the pay is good, the set-up is good. A four day work week is a beautiful thing.

Or you could go for the others which you've heard nothing bad about. Which is interesting because all people talk about here is how ET has screwed up in some way or another. I've never worked there so can't comment. I don't know much about berlitz except the pay is pretty low and you have to use their method.

Good luck in your move anyway, whichever you choose. Turkey is lovely.

[lovelace]

EF must have changed a lot Yaramaz. The last I heard - admittedly last year - was that they were cost-cutting in the extreme, trying to take away a week of the teachers' meal vouchers because they had been on bayram holiday, for example. But maybe it's different now, I understand they have a project team restructuring it so could be things are on the up.

[yaramaz]

Yep, there are massive changes going on, which will be implemented by September. They kind of realised that the stint of cost cutting and poor treatment of teachers wasn't working I was working at the Suadiye branch a few years ago and left because of these cutbacks. A lot of people did. The holidays sucked and the pay was disappointing (though I really liked the atmosphere)

When I was staying at the owners' house a few weeks ago after I was injured, we talked a lot about what had happened between the IH years and the early EF times and the massive stumbling blocks and mistakes that went on. They've realised that it's better to offer very good packages to fewer (but better) teachers who are working on more lucrative (read: corporate) contracts than to have lots of people flitting in and out on short contracts, doing housewife classes. And that it's a good idea to try to keep the teachers you have.

The housing allowance will be increased significantly as will salaries. They will be comparable to the private Unis. I will be getting more than I did at Bilgi, which is pretty cool (because I wasn't sure I made the right move leaving a supposedly nice job for a language school). There will be more teacher training workshops and support. Basically, the owners seemed pretty determined to make a big change in how things are done. I think they're going to be running some sort of MBA program through the Levent school as well, which sounds pretty cool, and will be hiring people with strong backgrounds in business, finance, marketing etc.

We'll see how it goes but I am hopeful. They really are trying to make the change.

[lovelace]

By the way, I'm sorry you got hurt. I'm always amazed that more people don't get hurt the way people drive here. Turkey's got a lot of other problems I know, but a road safety campaign is well, well overdue.

[moongoat]

I expect road safety is about equivalent to Morocco, where I saw a grand taxi rear-end another on an otherwise empty street... Regardless, thanks for your insight. In Pittsburgh, we would say "Yinz rock."

[dmb]

Is this the Berlitz job you applied to?

[yaramaz]

[Baba Alex]

[quote="yaramaz"]

[yaramaz]

You're too drunk to fly, and you know it, Baba.

[Baba Alex]

[moongoat]

dmb, yes, that did strike me as a little odd. But when I went ahead and applied anyway, I was a little alarmed by how quickly they sent me a contract. Their system of hours --> "credits" --> pay seemed a tad sketchy too. I think I already have a decision.

[dmb]

Moongoat, I had dinner last night with an old friend from qatar who is now working at the Vodaphone contract. He seems happy....... but then Yaramaz is still to get back to work

[yaramaz]

Yaramaz is still walking like a 9-months pregnant, recently circumcised frankenstein. Yaramaz will be back in beautiful sunny Ikitelli by the end of the month. Yaramaz wants to win the lottery so she can move to Bozcaada and buy a vineyard. But Vodafone will do if not.

[TeachEnglish]

Choose Berlitz... they are the lesser of all the evils. They will probably give you a place to live in and help you with your work permit and residency permit. İf you are in your home country, you should request a residence visa from your embassy if you can get one. İt will make getting the work permit and residence permit easier.. Good Luck