Job Discussion Forums

[ecocks]

around. I find Kyiv expensive but liveable. Before moving here from the Seattle metro I was paying the same amount for an apartment as I did up until a month ago. Living standards are different but I loved my apartment. Prices took an insane jump but I moved a bit further out and things are just fine. If you are competent, you will find a job in the $1400-1500 range and even more if you want to kill yourself working private students and running around town. So, after apartment rental, you should have about $850 or so for utilities, phone, food and social life. If you expect to eat in restaurants all the time and drink yourself into a stupor at the expat joints then you'll be disappointed but then again that isn't a nomal life for most folks. You're not really James Bond and this isn't Monaco.

[Atlantean]

All I know is the teachers at the school where I am taking the Celta loved it in Kiev. They didn't want to leave. They have an allowance for a flat, plus a salary better than AEC. If I can't land a job of this caliber, I guess won't be staying. If money were the prime consideration, I'd stay put. I need some adventure for a year or two at least. I'm not expecting to get rich. Sorry I asked.

[Atlantean]

Thanks, Ed. Now that was a good response.

[reddragon09]

Yeah, ecocks gives some good reasons for wanting to live here. Some of my own:

Cool people, I have some great friends here.

The endless dumpsters and shittiness could be seen as a negative, but if you're bored of the States and suburbia, it's pretty fun, sort of a post-apocalyptic lanscape.

Russian is a sweet language. I can't recommend highly enough to study it for 3-6 months before you come, and continue when you get here.

In terms of money, if you're hanging out with Ukrainians, they won't be able to hang with you if you throw around lots of money. So you actually can have some incentive to spend less money. I have my best times throwing huge house parties, which are cheap for everyone involved, but fun.

[ecocks]

Better yet, let your new Ukrainian friends lead the way to their favorite places. Its a great way to learn your way around. Don't play the big-shot expat moneybags and let yourself really assimilate, then sit back and enjoy Ukraine.

Post apocalyptic? ....I love it!

[Old Lion]

Look UA is OK...women are pretty and all but your better to go to Poland or some other eastern nations...
Also someone talked about sharing a flat....been there,done that...never again! I had some young guy who loved to stay out and booze it up....vomit doesnt smell good...
In kiev i was left with around 400-500 a month after the flat and bills....yes for some reason prices have skyrocketed in UA. Anyway 400-500 a month allowed me to go to Mcdonalds a few times and do some other inexpesive things.
\As for clothing Ochhh expensive in UA..buy them in the USA..a pair of nice pants-jeans runs 60-90 dollars.
Eaxh place has pros-and cons...I would live in kiev if I had an apt "to myself not room mating, and cleared 1,200 a month..
But to get 1,000 a month and pay 500 for a 1 bedroom craphole....well their are other places we can teach..I now teach in po make good $$ for here and have a nice flat..
kiev is a OK city...just pricey!

[ecocks]

Lion:

He's talking about making more than $1000 a month. Read the previous posts. Wages have risen a bit the last few months. I know a couple of people working in Warsaw and they aren't able to give many examples of how things are that much cheaper. He can live in Minska, Akademistechka or Kharkivska for $500-600 without a roomie. Your math doesn't work.

My present apartment would be ideal for 2 people and workable for 3. Cost would run $450/month with cable, utilities, phone and internet. Find your own roomies and be selective. Europe hardly has a monopoly on ending up with bad roommates.

[canucktechie]

[ecocks]

No one has mentioned before that he also hires Canadians. One of the first posts about them said the applicant was told he only hired Americans. When you look at his website and one of his more recent job postings he does in fact say "North Americans" in his Requirements section. When I setup my company I included "North American" in the name. It's certainly my intention to only hire Canadians and United States citizens who are native speakers. He has an interesting logo too.

Even with Canadians included, I still like that he only hires North Americans. I noticed an ad earlier today saying DOS candidates must be UK citizens but teachers could be any of the native speaker nationalities - what a laugh. While I think that the confusion about the accents, vocabulary, grammar and spelling are relatively minor in the great scheme of things, I am all for building the kind of organization and corporate culture that one wants for their business. As long as he is within the law, applicants just need to understand that culture and be prepared for the working environment/atmosphere.

[chuckd74]

I AM WRITIGN IN CAPS SO AS TO SAY BIG THANKS-

i FINALLY LEARNED HOW TO READ THE INTEL BEFORE JUMPING TO A NEW SCHOOL

SHORT VERSION = AEC SOUNDS DECENT/AVG, LOW NUMBERS

= Ukraine is a NO GO for me, I'll take Korea (ugh) until I get my MA, the back to Dubai

thanks a lot guys/gals

Chuck D

[ecocks]

Why? Was there anything in particular you felt was important when you made that decision? Ukraine is fun, exciting and very livable. AEC appears to be one of the growing language companies so they apparently do something right, but there are also dozens of others around. Different sizes, styles, methods, pay plans, etc.

[chuckd74]

b/c korean governmetn highschools pay $2500 USD a month, with free single non shred apt, plus an end ofteh month bonus ( +$2500) and as an american I can receive my pension back as well (anohter $2500)

this, and the info about how russian language skills seem very important and how teh school was good/avg, not phenaominal was a big part

mostly, doing Korea, with high spoeed internet, I can finnihs my online MA and walking away with $15,000 USD and still have a lot of fun

so, at the end, I"lll get my MA and in 2 years decide what to do next

thats why, there wasn't any "personal reason" from the school, it was really, mostly, a cash flow/number issue

[ecocks]

to me. I wondered if I missed something there.

If you're an English teacher and your goal is money, then Ukraine is an uphill climb. The Middle or Far East are pretty well established as the spots for that.

The MA is also a big part of your decision obviously. We haven't got a distance program available in this region yet. As for the Russian, I have been here two years and it doesn't cause me more than an occasional headache. Point and smile works for a few months while you pick up the numbers and basics.

Enjoy Korea, who knows, I might be teaching in the room next door someday!

[lexpat]

[ecocks]

that I don't know of any programs in this area. They have one up in Poland (Framingham State University?) which requires attendance a few times during the year. If you find one you can take anywhere go for it if it is what you want. If you try to request information from U of Phoenix for instance it indicates their program is not available in Ukraine. Check your University and see how their plan works. I would find it hard to believe that there was an accredited, reputable MA with absolutely no face-to-face contact during the course of study. Maybe there is though.

Bandwidth is fine.