Job Discussion Forums

[scooby_rex]

i know that lots of people may have had bad exp. with the british american language inst. and all, but they offered me 650 us a month in a place called Chelyabinsk, ok so 650 bucks sounds plain horrible, but surely a place like that wayyyyyyyyy out from moscow etc should be relatively cheap IF you dont go stupid and blow your cash right?
oh and when they say approx 25 hours, is it ONLY that or is it like a 'full time 38/40 hour a week job'

just curious, cause im still finishing off my degree and 40 hours odd a week is too much for me whilst studyin as well

maybe i should just go to china or thailand, but russia, for some reason, just appeals to me because it seems the challenge is "more"

[kazachka]

Chelyabinsk has MAJOR ecological issues! If you care about your health, please do your research first. For starters, can you say nuclear waste?

[coledavis]

If you are earning the money on top of free accommodation, then you'll survive. But it has to said that prices in Siberia are quite high (Siberia imports most of its foodstuffs). From what you are saying, however, you sound new to teaching, so I doubt that you could often get more than the amount they're offering on a first teaching job.

Your 25 hours contact time doesn't include the unpaid extras: lesson preparation (although you'll find that the time devoted to that reduces as you get used to teaching) and also travel, if you are working off-site. You might find yourself starting on 40-55 hours but with practice, it should reduce to about 35-40 hours after a few weeks.

As the last contributor suggests, you need to do some research. For example, I don't know if the living will be easier in Thailand or China, because I haven't been to the forums about them. I would suggest that you do. Unless you have a particular reason to want to be in Russia; if that is the case, then go to Russia and get some experience there.

[maruss]

so I will re-enforce her warning about Chelyabinsk,even though I have known some nice people from that city and the appearance of it is no worse than many other Soviet-era built places,but there are contamination issues in the Urals area,including Perm and quite a few other places.The same applies to Arkhangelsk and Severodvinsk up in the north but you are most unlikely to find any jobs there anyway!Probably the worst place of all is Norilsk,but it has been put back on the closed list for foreigners,not that you would want to go there anyway, believe you me-unless you have a thing about Nickel in the Tundra etc!
Do bear in mind that there is high inflation in Russia and as many foodstuffs are imported,the cost of living is high,especially since the rouble was devalued quite recently so $650 per month really is not much,even in a provincial city and as Cole has rightly pointed out,Siberia is even worse because most stuff in flown in.

[scooby_rex]

hmmm

i guess after that then ill take Chelyabinsk off my list, i read and sorta knew that inflation in russia was beyond crazy, so im assuming this would apply to Samara, Kazan, Togliatti as well? as you said you could scrape by but it could be a very s**t way of experiencing russia

i nearly signed up for a job in asia with those ef schools? then the contract said 40 hours!! PUCK THAT! gotta finish my degree!

thanks for the feedback though, you have certainly helped

[spiral78]

scooby_rex, just on a general note, contracts usually state ONLY actual time in the classroom.

That's for EVERYWHERE!

You can always count on prep time, marking time, and administration on top of what the contracts state. Additionally, travel time in some teaching contexts.

It seems misleading - I know! Nice, respectable job requiring you to work really only half-time. But it's not true- and not just for English language teaching - this is academia.

Bear in mind that schools are actually paying what they consider to be a full-time wage - they are NOT paying it for part time work, honestly.

[Red and white]

At the risk of being picky, Chelyabinsk isn't in Siberia, surely? Southern Urals, last time I checked.

Doesn't mean it isn't a nasty industrial city with relatively limited scope for entertainment, whatever you're earning.

Of the other cities you mention,Kazan is likely to be the most interesting place to live. However, I don't know any of these well enough to comment on cost of living and the likely spending power from $650.

[rusmeister]

[scooby_rex]

im very aware of the fact that 650 us dollars is pretty much nothing,
but there is a reason why im picking russia or china, i could go to japan if i wanted and not have to worry about cash,

if you think that 650 is impossible to live on, then i will take that as a 'dont go there'

if you could scrape by on it then say that.

as i said,the money part im not worried about to a certain extent, its the power of having it on my cv

or i should just go to china on pretty much the same money

[jpvanderwerf2001]

$650/month is really scraping by. Truly. China would be a much better bet; Russia is quite expensive, and not much cheaper in the "far out" places, such as Chelyabinsk, than in Moscow.
Good luck.

[canucktechie]

Housing is certainly a lot cheaper in the boonies than in Moscow but if your school is supplying accommodation that's a moot issue.

Sure some penny-ante things like bus fares are cheaper in the provinces but shopping is not.

China is way cheaper than Russia and if you're being provided accommodation then $650/month could go pretty far outside Beijing and Shanghai, you could even eat out most of the time.

[Uncle_chop_chop]

650 will get you by, IF you be very careful and wise with your cash.

usually the people here will say 650 aint enough because they blow all that on food u dont need, or drinking every night etc etc

now, IF you dont plan on doing much at all, and getting fresh fruit and veges and hold back on dairy items and so forth, drink once a week/fortnight,

then YES u can, but alas, it will be scraping, CERTAINLY NOT IMPOSSIBLE

[rusmeister]

[Uncle_chop_chop]

yea, i mean, i dont know how much fresh food is in chelybyiansk or wherever u wanna go, i dont know if GOOD fruit and veges are available for a decent price, and yea say goodbye to milk and bread etc etc, thats a luxury item

look man, if you wanna go to russia for the exp. and to have it on your CV AND pick up the lingo of the natives ( which you will ) and talk a bit of ruski, then yes come.

had you said that your'e salary was around 800 us dollars then i would say YES thats very possible

[expatella_girl]