Job Discussion Forums

[Brunouno]

I'm no longer in Russia, so this is just out of curiosity. The last going rate at Language Stink was 32000 rubles for a newbie with a CELTA. With the recent dive of the ruble, it equates to $800 bucks a month! Surely this must be having an effect on recruitment and/or the quality of those being recruited if they haven't jacked up the base salary. I can't quite understand why one would want to live and work in one of the most expensive cities in the world when they could, for example, work in an Asian country for a higher salary with a higher standard of living (for the teacher that is!).

[teacher X]

Finding new teachers has been a general nightmare for most schools. With the whole Ukrainian situation the number of teachers willing to come to Russia has plummeted. Although given that many of these teachers think that the war is happening in Russia, it's perhaps a good thing that those with lower mental capabilities have been scared away.

I can't say for sure if salaries have gone up. Mine has, but as a teacher renewing his contract, it was due for a rise anyway.

You need to keep in mind that although the rouble has fallen compared to the dollar, Moscow prices are still Moscow prices. It's odd to demand a salary decent for a country which you're not even working and living in.
I wouldn't go to China and then demand a salary which would be competitive for the UK.

But, I agree, you could move to Asia and get a salary which was better compared to the cost of living. If money is what someone is after, they should go to the middle east or to Japan/Korea. I'm here for the alcoholism, so money isn't too important for me.

[Sashadroogie]

Not the chics?

[GotoRussia]

Money for nothing and the chicks for free!!!

Funny how teachers are more in demand yet they still don't treat us too well.

Had one interview cancelled with nary a response, they just didn't show up on Skype. No e-mail contact. I had to phone their Moscow office long-distance to get the scoop. Won't be working there.

Par for the course for Russian etiquette.

[Sashadroogie]

Teachers are in demand, but most spots have been filled already. Just not the best time to be job hunting. You'll probably get a call back mid- January telling you that you can start work ASAP : )

As for treatment of teachers, there is a wide range to be experienced. There's the McSchool level of rough handling, and then there is the regular professional standard in better schools. Job interviews and recruitment generally are quite undeveloped in technique

[teacher X]

I find that schools are slow to adapt. Treating teachers poorly was fine when there was a steady stream of new blood. They're somewhat confused at the moment because they're having to change their approach if they want to keep teachers.

Give them 5 years and they might work it out.

Anyway, I'm lucky to work at one of the rare schools which bends over backwards for teachers, even problematic ones who deserve nothing.

We frequently criticize schools on here, but we also need to remember that a large proportion of teachers are absolute cretins who wouldn't be able to hold down a job in McDonalds.

[Sashadroogie]

Very true. A case of truly deserving each other, very often. But many innocents get caught up in the nonsense too.

[GotoRussia]

Right you are teacher x, alot of the riff raff who segue into ESL teaching do it because they have no options back home.

Lots of people I know went over to Asia, China, Japan, Korea. partly for the adventure and job but they were stuck in a rut here.

They were just fortunate to have been a native English speaker.

[teacher X]

I have just been looking at the adverts on expat.ru and was somewhat disturbed by some of the terrible grammar posted there. When you're advertising yourself as a professional English teacher it would surely be advisable to write coherently and to demonstrate at least a basic grasp of grammar.

[Sashadroogie]

Hey, cut 'em some slack, will ya? They've just learnt how to get their big ignorant fingers to strike the keyboard and make like words and stuff. Not easy to do when your knuckles were dragging just a few months before...

[JamesonWhiskey]

I have empathy for the argument that it's odd/wrong to demand a salary increase because of poor exchange rates. We are living in Russia after all. If we were working in the US or UK, no boss would take a person seriously for demanding a raise because the Ruble was falling.

That being said, I prodigiously save my money. And at some point I will want to go back to the US. It's very disheartening to think that I watched my budget and saved for so long only to have my whole bank account depreciate by 30%

I can only think that maybe I will go live in Kiev for a year on savings or something of that sort. If the exchange rate doesn't move up, it would be so brutal to lose all that hard earned savings.

Overall, it's really unfortunate that my salary (and other people's salaries) has gone down $200 a month since I signed my contract

[spiral78]

[Sashadroogie]

There will always be some financial crisis or other. This is Piggie capitalism, with its endless boom and bust cycle. Paper money is by its very nature meaningless. Exchange rates just games for the exploiters to profit by.

There is only one way out. Declare a soviet! Then seize control of the means of production. Liberate mankind from the burdens of hypercapitalism!

It can be done! Just open your eyes to the inhumanity of the system that crushes you while you support it!

Free yourselves! Join the Party!!!!

[EHFuller]

The school I've worked for since September pays in Rubles according to the most current exchange rate to the Dollar or Pound Sterling wage in our contract, so I feel fortunate that I haven't suffered from the depreciation of the Ruble since I've been here. It also makes me really grateful that I held out and didn't jump at the offer I got from EF.

[Sashadroogie]

Do schools still do that? I hope yours will continue to honour their contract.