Job Discussion Forums

[civi1968]

Good to hear that some older guys are getting attention. The intent of my original post is to get insight on whether giving up a good paying government job with healthcare for a teacher job in russia is a good idea. Since it would involve moving to another country, not only would I have to consider the job, but the chances of a social life.
If teaching English means low pay, being treated badly by your employer, and women, or people in general, considering you as a poorly paid lower class person, then I would continue what I have been doing. It is not good being a low paid person in a country like Russia! But if it means that I can have a rewarding career and social life, then it is something to consider. On my travels, I have not had problems meeting women. I am no stud and they are not falling all over me, but I get interest if I make the effort. Here, dating is resigned to competing for the few available attractive women and getting interest from numerous overweight women.
I am sure many of you had to consider the same issues when you made this choice.

[BELS]

I don't think you should simply give up a well paid job, to get a poorly paid job simply to get girlfriends in Russia.

But I d think you should try spending a visit in Moscow for a few weeks at least. and then make your decision after that.

I already had my Russian girlfriend of whom I met in London, and now my wife in Moscow region.

[maruss]

Anyone who goes to Moscow on an e.f.l. teachers salary expecting to pick-up girls easily is likely to end up lonely and dissillusioned!
I also very much agree that anyone contemplating taking a job there should spend a few weeks there first and decide whether the place is for them,rather than relying on the recruitment ads!(we all know of one which promises 'middle-class' salaries,the only problem being that the money they pay now would have been that level about 10 years ago!)
I suppose the fact is that unless you are a high-level executive who can get a short contract in Moscow with very lucrative ex-pat rewards,e.f.l. is probably the only way you can get a job in Russia and the idea of living in the place for a while will always allure certain people.....

[mdk]

Excuse me, but if you want to meet Russian women you could go to Yandex and look under "znakomstvo" and take your pick of several different services.

I met a nice lady who was pleased to spend a couple of weeks in Montenegro with me. There are all types and you can try your luck. I met a nice green-eyed blonde who was my age and didn�t want to get married. It was a fun couple of weeks.

I would certainly do that before I would throw over a state job to teach ESL in Russia.

As a general rule - in the interest of you and your students - you should only try teaching in Russia if that is your primary aim. The object of meeting a Russian woman is poorly considered. You are better off to get a tourist visa and go visit some of them.

[maruss]

If you can speak and write Russian it's o.k. but as with any internet dating site,caution is obviously needed!Women from Russia and Eastern Europe see it as quite acceptable for someone to offer them a nice time on holiday etc,. often with no strings attached and they are willing to respond accordingly!Problems tend to arise when the motives of either party are not made clear from the outset and foreign guys often get screwed-up when they want something more committed at the and of the stay and find the girl is not always interested,often because she has a boyfriend or maybe even a husband back home!

[rusmeister]

If you become an Orthodox Christian and don't live too far out in the boonies you may find significant numbers of decent, marriage-minded single women in church. Of course, the catch is that you have to be serious about the faith...
Christ said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you..."

[GF]

[coledavis]

On the other hand, should one only go to a country because of the deep joy of practising English in that particular country? I'm not supporting the idea that you go over there unqualified and uninterested; enthusiasm for your work is likely to improve your chances of socialising, meeting significant others and whatever. However, the idea that you might make such a major move for purely work-related considerations seems to be a touch unrealistic. For most people, in many situations, mixed motivations are usual.

[maruss]

Of course if you don't like teaching,you should not do it anywhere and certainly not in Russia!Commenting on Rusmeisters point though I would say that only half of the Russians are religious and of those probably about half go to church regularly.Because the Greek-Orthodox religion here in Cyprus where I live is almost the same as the Russian version many of the rituals were very familiar to me,even though I would point out that I am not a member of the church and do not overtly support organised religions,although I still consder myself as spiritually motivated.When I was in Moscow I used to go to churches to listen to the beautiful choral music which I always found very uplifting and inspiring and recommended this to other people as an experience that was unique and of clourse free for everyone!

[GF]

Of course, most people have mixed motivations but there has to be a balance. I find it disturbing when 'teaching English' is seen by some as only a means of supporting an extended holiday agenda. It does the ESL/EFL profession no good at all, damages the image of ALL teachers and is a great disservice to students.

[coledavis]

Yes, I don't like that extreme of the market. And, I admit, it is quite a substantial one. And it is an aggravating factor in the low pay problem, although I see the main factor as being a large number of English-speaking graduates as the main factor, which, returning to the theme, is why English teaching is an easy answer to the extended travel brigade.