Job Discussion Forums

[gloomyGumi]

In some few places like Indonesia, China or Korea, finding a job in ESL has often been referred to as a shoe-in, or even a no-brainer. I guess this is due to the overwhelming quantity of available positions.

Is the same true in Turkey? can I expect to land something within say 4 weeks of being there and actively looking? And what % of the time would that employer sponsor my work visa? I prefer to not work under the table.

[coffeespoonman]

Yes. More likely in 4 days, though it may not be the best job.

Work permit? I'd say about 2% at the language school level. Very rare to vet a work permit, but very little risk associated with not having one.

[dutchman]

http://www.csgb.gov.tr/csgbPortal/yabancilar/eng/index.html

According to the Ministry of Labour's website, if you are caught without a work permit, both you and your employer get fined. Your employer pays 5723 TL, and you pay 572 TL. And also if you get deported, your employer bears your (including your dependants') travel costs.

[gloomyGumi]

2%??????????? wow........... yeah language school level is all Im eligible for as I have nothing but a 4 year college degree in english literature and 3 years teaching at above-mentioned cram schools in south korea.
therefore it looks like Ill be teaching illegally? and do the infamous visa-run to bulgaria every 90 days whilst smiling politely to border police and swearing Im just staying in Turkey to do research on Hittite civilization??

[dudeteacher]

[coffeespoonman]

Dude's right - the residence permit is nearly as useful as the work permit. You won't get deported unless you break the law in another way (get caught with drugs, for example) or give someone a reason to report you.

The only differences with the work permit are that you'll have gov't insurance and retirement payments (which, if you're American, you can get back when you leave. If you're British, they'll transfer to your home retirement plan. Don't know about other nationalities). In my opinion, those are pretty important, but if you're young and early in your teaching career, not strictly necessary.

And, gloomy, you're wrong about your qualifications. Unis will hire you with those quals if they need someone. Might not be the best uni, but it'll be a foot in the door if higher (subjectively speaking) education is the route you want to take.

[atoklas]

coffeespoon, I've read a bit about getting money back or transferred to your retirement account on mymerhaba, and the way folks make it sound, while that is "legally" the case, it's almost impossible to actually get paid, even if you get a lawyer to help you.

do you know anyone who has actually gotten their money paid or transferred?
does this process require bold action on your behalf on the part of your employer? (which, let's face it... most turkish employers are not hyper-vigiliant even if you aren't quitting!)
do you know of any lawyers who specialize in this type of thing? [/i]

[coffeespoonman]

Aktolas,

Knew one guy several years back who said he got approx. 11,000 TL per year that he worked (his salary must have been around 3,000 a month). He has a reputation though for stretching the truth, so I wouldn't count on that as confirmation... However...

I tutor the head of HR at my uni, and he's confirmed that you CAN get the money back (he's a corporate lawyer and has a PhD, so he should know). He was going to contact some friends for me and find someone to talk to. If I hear back about that, I'll post it on here and would prefer if others do the same.

Oh, and I think all the employers have to do is give you a statement showing how much they paid - no action at all, really.

[gloomyGumi]

coffeespoonman are you saying a bachelors in english and 3 yrs experience is enough for atleast a mediocre-quality fulltime teaching job? this is good news for me as i dont really feel like getting that tefl certificate i hear is usually always required.

i guess my only other question(s!) is this: where would one stay during the 4 week job search without burning thru 3 or 4 thousand US dollars in an expensive city like Istanbul? What month is best to arrive to start the search? just tell me and i'll break this contract faster than greased lightnin'

[coffeespoonman]

Whoa there tiger!

I'm not advocating that you break your contract straight away. Use it to get over here and feel the place out. Yes, you could very feasably get a uni job with your BA English and 3 years experience... But you may not be able to. It depends on how badly unis need teachers. I know teachers here with less than you working at some of the best and highest paid unis in Istanbul. I also know people with a lot MORE than you working at dumps. It's all about persistence and how you sell yourself.

Oh, and you should tell any prospective employers that you plan to start a DELTA course soon. Whether you actually start it or not, that'll show that you're serious. Of course, I would actually recommend doing it at some point - and ITI Istanbul is a great and comparatively cheap place to do it.

If you decide to come contractless, most unis start hiring around April and continue through July or so. I'd throw down at a hostel for a week or two, and if you decide to put in the commitment for at least a year here, look on Craigslist to find a roommate. Try to get in around the Taksim or Kadık�y areas (depending whether you plan to work on the European or Asian side). Expect to pay at least 600 TL a month for a room, possibly including bills, but possibly not.

[cartago]

Personally I would say that a good job is harder to come by than in China or Korea and the cost of living vs pay is not nearly as good but you can certainly find something and with patience probably find something that fits you after awhile.

[gloomyGumi]

awesome javabean man!!!!!!!!!!! yeah i'll hol off abit b4 breaking this kimchi-tract. b ut taksim soundz great. btw i have a significant other and she will be with me so i cant get a shared roommate thing.

[coffeespoonman]

Well then, it depends what you're looking for. You can get a small, kind of dirty flat in a crappy (but safe and fairly central area) for like 700, or a really nice, ok sized flat that's not at all centrally located for about the same. If you want to combine the two - a good flat in a great, central area, you're looking at 1000+.

That's just an average, however, and there are always opportunities to be found. You can look at loads of flats www.sahibinden.com (it means from the owner). I think you can browse in English as well.

[gloomyGumi]

thx coffee!!!!!!!!! awesome info

[maastricht]

I've been browsing this forum and Turkey sounds pretty great in many respects. Just to clarify, it's normally possible to get a one-year residence permit by paying for it and showing money in the bank. With the residence permit, you can stay in the country and legally search for work, and you can give private lessons or even work at a language school (not legally) but most likely won't run into problems.

With regard to the beautiful properties listed at www.sahibinden.com, is it normally assumed that you sign a 12-month lease? Would it be possible to get something decent in Istanbul on a 6-month lease or even month-to-month?