Job Discussion Forums

[Tekelcat]

I've just finished a 2.5 year stint in Turkey where I started as an EAP teacher in a university and ended up as an associate professor. The PhD helped I guess. But being a woman alone in an Islamic society lost its appeal and now I'm footloose and fancy free in professional terms and eyeing Poland, having been at a conference in Krakow in 2007 and having found the place somehow sympathetic. Am I nuts? I'm currently in Oz attending to family matters. Can I apply for jobs in Poland from here and expect to find something decent? Or do I need to be on the ground, so to speak?

[Jack Walker]

When I originally came to Poland in 2003,I applied for,was interviewed,and eventually got my first job in Poland,all while being back in Canada.It's amazing what the internet,telephones and even snail mail can do for you.

Apply away from Australia.Good luck!

By the way,Poles will not be sympathetic to your cause, so don't even think about that.Also, remember that the language market is going through some tough times here and many single,foreign women in Poland usually don't last very long in the ESL business here.

I've met at least 12 single,foreign women working in Poland over the years,and only 1 or 2 of them stayed on for more than a year.Several of them quit mid-contract, if I remember correctly.

Poland is great place for single blokes with the cheapish booze,attractive yet neurotic birds, and its close approximity to other European hotspots.For single ladies,it's a tad more disheartening.

Read some of the posts on this forum before deciding if you want to come here.This forum is a great resource for prospective life/teaching issues in Poland.

We often come across as grumpy old codgers, but we all mean well!

Good luck once again!

[Tekelcat]

Thanks for the response. I'm 58 and have a German partner who works in Istanbul, so I'm not thinking about amore in Poland. In Turkey, it was hard to be a woman apparently alone because men hit on me despite my advanced age and because a woman alone in a public place is a curious thing. And in Turkey a woman is, well, a vastly inferior being. What I seek is decent town, a decent employer, enough income to save a little and visit Germany a little, decent students and an ordered, if not efficient, life.

[spiral78]

The only real problem in your requirements is probably the 'save a little.'
That is very difficult in this region (not just Poland) on a teacher's wages, particularly if you plan to do some travelling.

You may be able to work your way into a somewhat better-paid situation, but in your first year, when you have limited local contacts and language skills, you are likely to earn just subsistence wages. The pay for this area just isn't up to par - again, not just Poland.

[Jack Walker]

If you aren't looking for amore and are a little older,then Poland should be ok for you.

I've seen many younger,foreign ladies coming to Poland with expectations of being highly in demand romantically, only to realize that they oftentimes,didn't get a second look because of the abundance of attractive and well-shaped Polish ladies.

As the other poster said,you won't save much in Poland at all.You will be able to travel to Germany though quite easily I would assume.Also,you can throw the idea of efficiency out the window when thinking about Poland.Things can be very backwards here at times.Probably not as bad as Turkey, but I think you catch my drift.

My wife and I spent 3 weeks in Turkey last year.It was a great trip, but we found that the Turks can get tiring after about 3 days.They even try to hit on the attached women and are always trying to be over friendly in order to get at your wallet.

"Hello friend","Hello Master", "My friend,my friend", "Hello cowboy", "Hello John Wayne" etc etc You couldn't walk down the street in peace or browse in shops at all.

Beautiful scenery though!