Job Discussion Forums

[Wide eyed wanderer]

Hello!

I am a North American (thus no EU passport). I have two years of ESL teaching experience overseas in Korea, Turkey and the Republic of Georgia and a TESOL certificate (only 60 hours unfortunately). I am now preparing to fly to Turkey to look for a job. I have spent endless hours online trying to find jobs before I get to Europe but I've had little to no luck. I have read many of the posts here and they often say the best way to get a job is to fly to Europe and start knocking on doors and handing out CV's. This idea leaves knots in my stomach. Last time I flew to a country hoping to find work it ended badly and left me in debt. I would really appreciate any advice on the best way to look for a job now and once I arrive, as I am leaving in less than a week. I am willing to work anywhere in Eastern Europe including Turkey and Russia. I am hoping to work at a school and would like to avoid jobs where I have to travel from company to company teaching for only a few hours at a time. I do have an agent in Turkey who is currently looking at jobs for me as a back up plan.

[spiral78]

I am not at all sure that your plan is on-track for short-term success, though it may work out fine in the long term (and you might even get very lucky in the short term, but it's not something to count on). This region is by no means a wide-open job market and with a substandard certification (CELTA and equivalent is the standard for the region) and little relevant experience, you are unfortunately competing at the bottom of the barrel.

It is true that few employers in the general Central/Eastern European region will hire someone sight-unseen. That's because they simply don't have to - there are lots of CELTA and equivalent qualified candidates for open positions here on the ground, ready to apply in person, do demo lessons, and generally make things easier for an employer to make a commitment.

As the major market in many countries for the region is businesspeople, travelling to companies is the standard for many schools.

Your timing is not so bad as there are always a few teachers who do not return from winter holidays and some few companies who start new contracts in January. But I don't think you can realistically hope for a 'good' job until September - it is much more likely you will spend the rest of the academic year until end June cobbling together something that will get you through while you make local contacts and try to arrange something more stable for September - June 2012/13.

Where exactly are you focusing on? It's obviously not feasible to cover the entire region in person - best to concentrate on one city where you actually want to be....

[Wide eyed wanderer]

Thank you for your help. I have been watching this board for a while and it seemed like everyone was saying 'go there yourself and just apply'! I am focusing on Istanbul, where my agent is organizing interviews for me. I know her well and know she will help me. She also said that very few of the schools in Turkey really know about a 'proper' TESOL certificate.

I just want as many back up plans as possible so that I can get a decent job. I don't know what else to do. I am constantly applying online and personally contacting school and no one seems to take interest. Is there another route to take? How do I apply for jobs once I am there? Look at local news papers and websites?

[contented]

Research the location of the schools you're interested in. Once you're in Istanbul go to the schools and present yourself. Take a lot of copies of your CV. You never know what can happen. The school might have had a teacher who became seriously ill, run-in with the law, couldn't handle it abroad, didn't like it and checked out... I've seen all of that happen, believe me.

[spiral78]

I suggest that you could also post on the Turkey forum - it's got some very active members who are currently in country and who can give you definite tips.

You are probably already doing all you can from abroad. I realise it's stressful to take off without arrangements already made, but that's really the nature of getting started on the continent. It's just not like the Asian job market, where you can have the peace of knowing you're employed before leaving.

When you arrive, you'll go around and visit schools and see what you can find, basically....I still think that worst case scenario is that you cobble together bits and pieces until the new contract season starts, by which time you'll have a good idea of who the better employers are, who offer the kind of job you want. Just expect that the first few months could be hectic and unsettled, and that you may not find a job in-school right away!

Good luck! And do post on the Turkey board, if you haven't already.

[Wide eyed wanderer]

Thank you for all your help!

[coledavis]

re Russia: I've always applied for jobs from outside the country. You don't have to travel here to get a job (in any case, you would have to go back home again in order to apply for a visa in your home country).