Job Discussion Forums

jrwilheim · Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 34 Location: New York

Does anyone have any experience with a school called English Unlimited Moscow? I have a phone interview with them this Weds.

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

Ihave not heard of any bad reports about them but found the Russian woman director who is married to an American not very friendly when I went to see them a couple of years ago.A girl who freelances for them said she is very'picky' about who she employs and if you don't have good qualifications and experience or are too old,forget it!But I gather they have a new DOS who is an ex-pat so you may be lucky!

maruss · Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 1145 Location: Cyprus

I know someone who did some freelance lessons for this firm a couple of years ago and she told me they were o.k. regarding payments etc. but also that the director/owner was quite 'picky' about the qualifications,experience and age of the people she employs!
But with todays cost of living,even $25 per academic hour is not much in Moscow.

plainjane · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

sje0008 · Joined: 06 Feb 2008 Posts: 1

I too, start working for English Unlimited Moscow in early March. Wanted to respond earlier but it took me a while to get registered on the forum.

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

123go · Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Posts: 7

Plainjane and sje - have you started working at English Unlimited? I'm looking around for alternatives in Moscow and I'm interested in hearing anything about them. I'm looking more for in company / adult classes.

Thanks in advance

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

canucktechie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 343 Location: Moscow

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

I said for freelancers, I have pasted it appearing many times on expat.ru vacancies section. It's even more if you are prepared to travel outside Moscow. And why not, you are a self employed individual, and prices should be negotiated with you anyway. Remember when they are after a freelancer, they are generally desporate.

Of course it's not for a proper fulltime work contract with a complete package. You will be responsible for your own costs and tax.

canucktechie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Posts: 343 Location: Moscow

That's what I was talking about too. They currently pay full timers about $1000/month plus benefits maybe worth about $700 or so. That's for 120 hours of work, so that works out to around $15/hour total cost for them. They are not going to pay an hourly rate much higher than that when they can just bring in more peons to do the work.

My currently employer pays hourly and has many former BKC employees, and I guarantee you all of them would still be with BKC if their hourly rate was anywhere near what you said.

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

I have pasted their advertisement many times on expat.ru from the expat.ru vacancies. How can an experienced live on $15 an hour and pay rent separately. My fee is now at least 1500 rubles an academic and I get it. But admitedly not from BKC. If a company asked me , that's what I would charge, whether it be shared amongst a group or one to one.

Perhaps it might have been a misprint, but the evidence is still around, in another forum.

kazachka · Joined: 19 Nov 2004 Posts: 220 Location: Moscow and Alaska

Haven't been in here in ages...busy, busy, busy.....
I freelanced for English Unlimited (20-24 some odd hours a week) July 05-Aug 06. I did most of my lessons privately and used the E.U. income as extra. Well, then it was 20 some $acad hr,which 3 yrs ago wasn't too bad/ FORGET THAT NOW! I left that job for Bonne and when the visa laws went down last fall, I ended up going to work for Business Class (where I now make a little more FT than I did at Bonne). Bonne still hadn't got their stuff together as to how they were going to get authorised to do work visas, so I found another job and bailed from Bonne. That's the only reason I left the governess job-the visa mess.
I called E.U. last fall to see what the freelance rate was and it was a very lame 550rub/acad hr. Um....NO ...I'm not going to work there just to solve my visa mess. So, she really hasn't raised her rates much despite INFLATION! I never signed contract when I was there because there is a weekend obligation. I DO NOT TAKE STUDENTS AT WEEKENDS! I'm a athlete and compete, plus, I need a break from my work. A few yrs ago, it was a nice starter job. I was treated well and never had any problems.I was always paid on time. However, the director has been losing good teachers recently because of the not so great salary in today's market. One of them is working with me over at Business Class.
Full time at E.U. now is 24-26 hrs and that still only comes out to about 2000$mo. You are going to have a hell of a time trying to live on that. The average price for a 1 room flat is 800-1000$range and more if you want to live in the center. I pay 580 and I have another friend at Paveletskaya paying 18000rub, but I think we are exceptions to the rule.

E.U. does provide health insurance and work permit/visa. They did the work visas long before the stuff hit the fan last fall.

BELS · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 402 Location: Moscow

I'll join them if they stick in a 3 bedroom family flat, rent free.

Of course i'm only kidding, not even then would I work for any of these schools.