Job Discussion Forums

[Gosta]

Hi guys,

I've been offered a position with IH in Bucharest and wondered if anyone has had any experience teaching with them, or of living in Bucharest.

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks

[Bebsi]

Er...yes...how much have they offered you?

Bet they offered you 300 euro a month plus free accom plus free transport? And did they tell you that the salary is twice the local salary and that it is enough on which to live well in Bucharest?

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, it's not. It is not even enough for a Romanian teacher, living with parents and with low living costs, but for a western expat with different expectations and standards it is a no-no...it's industrial revolution slave labour, basically.

The accom they provide is something I cannot comment on, but I am given to understand it is a very small flat in an old communist block in a...well, modest part of town. They do provide a free bus/metro/tram pass, however.

I could be wrong about all this, maybe they're now paying a lot more than they were a couple of years ago. Perhaps they have evolved into a commercially aware organisation intent on keeping up with changing times and have an index-linked salary. Perhaps they appreciate the concept of reward-incentive-productivity.

Or perhaps not.

[SITW99]

I can back up Bebsi's comment 100%.

300 euros a month (they do still pay that at IH) is now way below what a professional expects to earn in Bucharest (unless they are a local teacher in the state system, in which case they survive by offering private tuition, selling home-grown fruit in the summer, goodness knows). Those Romanians I know who are 5 or 6 years into their career see anything less than 800 euros a month as an insult. They are post-university of course, but not working for one of the magic six, or an oil firm either. Anything less than 1000 euros a month plus free accom is an insult to a native speaker teacher, IMHO. Bucharest costs a small fortune to live in.

This is why IH Bucharest employs 50 teachers, only TWO of which are native speakers! Presumably they are quite confused, and/or poor, as we speak...

[naturegirl321]

I found a place called littlelondon.ro a kindergarten that pays 600 to 1000 euros a month

[El]

While Bebsi and Sit have valid points, they still show a common thread of total dissatisfaction with Romania. Nature Girl follows up with a small but very enlightened post as is her usual from the thousands of posts I have read from her. It's like apples and oranges. People like Bebsi have their usual flair for the negative points, while NG comes in with the angelic points to soften the post. I love NG....

[Bebsi]

[El]

[Bebsi]

Well, I wear very strong contact lenses.

That must make me a complete w**ker????