Job Discussion Forums

Delpha · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 32 Location: USA

Hi!

I am thinking about getting a job teaching English in Turkey, and I am a bit new to the idea of it all. I have a few questions. . .

1. I have a B.S., I noticed that most English teachers have B.A.'s. Does that matter? - I will have tesol cert.

2. I want to take my partner along with me, can you bring a spouse with you on a work visa, or will my partner have to have to get a visitor's visa and re-entre the country three times?

Thanks for any advice -
Delpha

ekmekparasi · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 63

1. no one cares in the teffull game if you have a degree or not, ba bs-half the teffullers in Ist have fake degrees and the other half are social science-full time student -arent we having fun types. Your cert is an expensive waste of money and the only ones earning are the outfit selling these pieces of paper.

2. The wages are about 900 dollars a month, part will be ripped of by the practice of paying you in lira, crap accomodation etc. will also mean you spending part of your pathetic salary on this.

3. Trying to support a partner let alone kids is misery.

4. Your future is dissillusionment and then eventual departure

5. Ist is getting more expensive and they dont need more poor people.

6. Ist is full of Canadians Brits Yanks and you will be competinjg for the crap jobs and all of the above are stabbing each other in the back and bringing down pay and laughable conditons.

duchessnoir · Joined: 03 Dec 2004 Posts: 7

thank you ever so much. you have been very discouraging. i am coming in January and I look forward to meeting many people like you

vre · Joined: 17 Mar 2004 Posts: 371

Yes, someone got out of bed the wrong side this morning!

Firstly, I have cheered up considerably since my complaining post.

Secondly, lacarm, I'm sure you will be fine. It depends where you are going to work, of course. You do need to be quite bold to live in this city, but once you become part of the furniture, life is pretty good!

Good luck and enjoy one of the most interesting cities in the world!

ekmekparasi · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 63

of coure you are coming anyway you teffullers always do.

gelin · Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 144 Location: Istanbul, Turkey

You all forget about the teachers with teaching degrees -- we are the ones teaching at private schools and earning a decent living. There are plenty of us.

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

Delpha · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 32 Location: USA

Well, my questions have hardly been addressed.

Listen up! I don't care about how much money I make - I live off of less than $900 USD in America! Sure, I don't have a car and my teeth are falling out because of lack of insurance. But, I eat organic food and have a happy life!
I know the source of disillusionment! It comes from having ungrounded expectations, wealth without work, and not understanding that all systems engineered by human beings are ultimately flawed, to the point that they are detrimental to society and life in general.

You people are pathetic, it seems like salary is the only thing you guys care about. If you had money and no competition against foriegners you would still be unhappy.

You want to talk about competition! Hah! I can't even get a job waiting tables with a college degree where I live! The unemployment rate is extremely high here.

Sure, I am disenchanted with the U.S. and would love to take a break from my homeland - but it doesn't mean that I think working in Turkey is going to be like going to Disney Land, and money will just fall out of the sky!!

So, getting back to my question.
Can your spouse come with you for the length of your work visa? Or do they have to get their own visa as a guest?

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

Delpha · Joined: 08 Dec 2004 Posts: 32 Location: USA

Nope, Bush does not care! I don't care about him - he is not MY president. I will not, and have not paid for his war either!

I am going to outsource myself!

Anyways - I am looking forward for the chance to explore Turkey, it is in the region I specialized in for my Geography degree. Plus, I regularly perform traditional Turkish and Arabic music and dance here in the U.S. to audiences of many ethnicities, and I am as white as paper! Teaching English would only be a way for me to further subsidize my cultural/ musical education.

Thanks for the advice.

-Delpha

gelin · Joined: 09 Mar 2003 Posts: 144 Location: Istanbul, Turkey

Ghost, I make well in excess of $2000 a month, free housing, tickets home each year, private health insurance, free tuition for the kiddos at the school and the free lunch that most schools give. I am a bonafide English teacher. I've been teaching over ten years in Turkey. Stress? Yep, but not more than any teacher anywhere in the world has. Don't go painting the picture according to only your sad experiences.

As far as spouse goes, if the school is organizing and sponsoring your work/residence permits, then the spouse is entitled, too.

Volodiya · Posted: Sat Dec 11, 2004 7:44 am Post subject: two for one?

Listen to VRE and Gelin. A BS degree and a TEFL cert give good credentials for work in many countries with a shortage of English Language teachers- around the world.

Your Turkish work visa gives you the power to bring your spouse and have him/her given a residence permit too (be ready with an official, certified copy of your marriage license: I mean one issued by and certified by the county clerk, or its equivalent in your country).

As a TEFler for over ten years, I've enjoyed a freedom from financial worry and the pressure of "keeping up with the Jones's" inherent in life in the states, as well as the opportunity for travel to over forty countries. I could never have done this if I'd "stayed at home". Do you have to work hard; are there "pressures"? Sure, but with what serious job is there not?
_______________

One thing that seldom gets mentioned is that the teacher brings with him his life experience and his personal philosophy. If all he contributes to the students is to teach them English, he's done something useful: but, what if he also teaches them about life- I mean, gives them an education that makes them far more perceptive and thoughtful people- enhancing their ability to make a real contribution to the happiness of others with their own life? Now, there's a real reward- and the joy of teaching.

corall · Joined: 23 Apr 2004 Posts: 270 Location: istanbul, turkey

what ekmekparasi said is true to a certain extent - there is a lot of crap- but you can make a pretty good living here - it's my first year, i work in a kolej, i make decent money, stress is high - very high, hours are long, very long. but i get insurance, bank account, visa run money (or i could have had a work visa- maybe next year), accomodations, most of my airfare, blah blah blah. my salary could easily pay for two people...

as for visa runs, bulgaria is close and CHEAP - i make money from my school when they pay for my visa runs. it's that cheap. and for americans it is only 20$ us for the visa.

basically all i am saying is that it's do able... there's crap everywhere you go, you seem to know that and can handle yourself on this forum so you'll be fine. turkey can be a good time - just live somewher where there are things to do -trust me i know this from experience!

ekmekparasi · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 63

It had to come out. She is only teffulling because she really wants to get a ''music/cultural'' education. What a classic. Are there any teffullers in Ist who arent rally poets, artists, actors, writers-is anyone doing the job they are pathetically paid to do.

Cant make it in UK/US/Manitoba why on earth would you think you could do anything in Turkey?

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia