Job Discussion Forums

omen72 · Joined: 30 May 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Scotland

Hi
I am a newcomer here but have been reading these forums for a while. I am undertaking my TEFL this year and am lining up some voluntary teaching experience locally at home, before job hunting for Indonesia in 2011.

There seems to be a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of working for EF on these forum pages but has anyone worked for any other organisation like The British Council, Wall Street Institute etc. and can relate some info about their pay and contracts?

I have visited Indonesia twice in the past 4 years and would welcome any posts from people currently working for any of these organisations.The reason for choosing Indo is certainly not the pay,but the experience as I want to see more of this country.
I am also learning Bahasa Indonesia at the moment,have a degree (unrelated to language studies)and my TEFL cert and class experience by 2011-so will this stand me any better chances of landing a job?better paid job?
I do not want to teach in Jakarta but would consider Yogya or Solo so would also welcome any advice from people who have taught or are teaching there.

Thanks for reading, all replies welcome Very Happy

Tudor · Joined: 21 Aug 2009 Posts: 339

Although the British Council has an office in Jakarta they don't run a teaching operation in Indonesia. Wall Street do, but all their branches are in Jakarta where you say you don't want to teach so there seems little point in giving you information about them.

Needless to say any school whose interviewer comes out with a statement along the lines of "in our staff room, the teachers don't talk about their weekends because they're too busy discussing the best way to present a grammar point" deserves a wide berth IMHO. I take my job seriously, but for goodness sake Rolling Eyes

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

There are EF franchises in Yogya and Solo. I believe that there has been some discussion of them here on this forum. You can use the Search function to find such postings/topics. You'll probably also find postings about Real English.

I recall that somebody once mentioned that schools in Solo pay quite a bit more in salary than those in Yogya.

eclectic · Joined: 09 Nov 2006 Posts: 1122

omen72 · Joined: 30 May 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Scotland

Thanks for the info Tudor and Henry. It seems like EF seem to have somewhat of a monopoly in Indo! It's not that I mind who I end up working for but would like as much info as possible so I can make an informed choice.

What are the starting salaries like and is it really enough to live on given that there seems to have been a hike in prices since I was last in Bali?

Also, there are so many horror stories on the forums (which don't put me off), is it worth engaging the services of an Indonesian/English laywer to ensure that I get completion on all that I'm promise?
-or do you think that the schools will see this as me just being a clever dick and employ someone thats more knieve and a little less willing to jump at "Any offer"?

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

You can live a decent life in Yogya or Solo on an EF salary, especially if you enjoy Indonesian/Javanese food. I'm not sure how much of the other islands of Indonesia you'll be able to see, but the budget airlines do have really low fares. On the other hand, exploring Central and East Java is a very rich experience that you can do by car and public transport.

There are many threads here about salaries in Indonesia (mostly, unfortunately, about Jakarta).

I doubt that a lawyer is necessary but if you have a legal friend at home to examine the contract, you'll probably feel more secure.

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

last i knew, the salaries for yogya was 3-4 millon without housing. maybe someone can provide the current salaries there. real english was paying slightly more, but no idea if they are hiring or still in business. they shouldnt be confused with real english batam as they had only sold their name and business model to the school in batam and were not involved in the management of the school.

ef solo is owned by the same person as ef yogya pay about the same. a year ago, a new school opened in solo offering salaries in the 6-8 million range, but i havent seen any ads from them in a long time. dont know if all the teachers are happy and resigning or they went bankrupt.

jhemmila · Joined: 15 Feb 2008 Posts: 49 Location: Batam, Indonesia

travelNteach · Joined: 14 Jul 2009 Posts: 222

other than buying the buisness plan, books etc. from real english jogya for 90 million, they have nothign to do with the yogya branch.

we all know u hated it there. i warned you before u took the job to stay well clear of them but u chose not to take my advice. at least now your posts will warn others away from working there

bule_boy69 · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 158 Location: Jakarta

dunno about EF, but i heard Real English are up to 6 or maybe a bit more if you do IELTS/TOEFL. Not sure if they are hiring and you should search for someones warning about that. Posters here claim to have been given the run around.

Yeah Solo is probably a better deal money wise, if that 6mil paying school (Forget the name sorry) is hiring, but depends what you want.

While Solo has things going for it, Yogya has more of a vibe if that turns you on. Are you planning on learning bhs indonesia formally or informally>? coz if u wanna do courses then Jogya is better set up for that. Alternatively, there'll be lots of teaching students giving cheap private lessons I reckon.

Personally, I wouldn't do it, even though Yogya's a great town. This is more likely to explain the low salaries than the cost of living - supply and demand.

Yogya might provide a nice environment to ease yourself into your first year of ESL in Indo, and if that's what you want then great. I spent a year in Yogya once and only left town when I had to really. However, you are kinda stuck there, because your yogya salary wont travel well.

You say that you arent here for the money, but also ask about getting better paid jobs. So maybe you could be more specific. Is it ok to break even or just travel in Java, or do need to save?

Are you anti Jakarta (I used to be) or anti cities? Surabaya or Bandung offer several alternatives to EF...pay isn't too bad either.

omen72 · Joined: 30 May 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Scotland

Thanks for the advice bule_boy.

I am not anti Jakarta or cities, but from what I read about the pollution and horrendous traffice in Jakarta I think I'd rather be a bit more rural with the opportunnity to travel.
I had considered Surabaya but recently met a british couple here (in UK) who had just returned from living in Indo for 12 years (Yogya).They said Surabaya was quite an industrial town with not much to do and that I would be better looking at Yogya.
My research into schools in these places is still in it's infancy. With regards to your question about money and motivation. I realise that even if I wanted to save money from teaching in Indo , it wouldn't be much, so I am happy to live comfortably and do a little travel around the island/islands. (and I do love Indo/Javanese food)

malu · Joined: 22 Apr 2007 Posts: 1344 Location: Sunny Java

omen72 · Joined: 30 May 2010 Posts: 6 Location: Scotland

Thanks for that malu

re: travel for more interest.

I have been to Bali twice and am quite familiar with the coast and central areas of the island, also have friends there and yes, I will probably would end going back on short trips/flights from Yogya? Can I get there from Solo as well as I believe they also have an airport?(or am I mistaken?)
I know EF have schools in Englishtown in Bali but as it's a major holiday destination, the cost of living would be a lot more I think and I don't know too much about the schools on Bali so would also welcome info from anybody who's worked there. Thats one of the reasons why I started to look at Java, it's close and accessible to Bali and I want to see Java, by bus,taxi,plane, bemo!It may be that I have my own transport (car/bike)when I end up there (wherever)

Think I will have to spend some time on the "search engine" to research a bit more!
Very Happy

bule_boy69 · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 158 Location: Jakarta

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

omen72, it all depends on what sorts of things you want to do in your spare time.

If you want to learn about Javanese culture -- especially language, music, dance, theatre, batik, and so on -- you'll want to be in Solo (a bit less so in Yogya). If you want a bit more cosmopolitan atmosphere, you could try Yogya, with its major universities that attract people from other regions. Both places have decent shopping malls and non-Indonesian food, but nothing like Jakarta. They also have small-ish expat populations (Yogya's is larger than Solo's).

Both cities are close to historical sites in Central Java. But Malang, in the mountains of East Java, has many more historical sites and spectacular scenery within driving distance. Malang is also a major university town and it has a (slightly) cooler climate. It is more cosmopolitan than many people would expect.

If you haven't considered the "outer" islands, you can find English language schools in cities in Sumatra (Padang, Medan, Palembang, Lampung) and in Sulawesi (Manado, Makassar). If you like outdoor activities and topographic variety, those islands would probably be much better for you than Java or Bali.

If you want real adventure, don't forget Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo), with the major towns of Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, and Pontianak.