Job Discussion Forums

[Theresa]

İ want to tell everyone that finally İm happy here. When İ first arrived İ foundit hard to believe that it would be possible and even though İ decided to stick it out İ couldnt envisage myself thinking of staying here for more than a year.
What İd really like to do is to encourage anyone who has recently arrived or who is in the throes of culture shock and let them know that there İS light at the end of the tunnel. İve had some really crap times but that would have happened anywhere going through culture shock but now İ realise that it really was all worth it. The longer İ stay here the more attached İ get to this country . Even to Antalya which as everyone knows is perhaps not the hippest place in Turkey. (İ did however find bacon products and pesto recently- super expensive but there all the same- so theres a positive side to tourism after all.) Ghost had a bad time here ( in Antalya ) but İm proof that a reasonably attractive European female can live here in peace once you get the hang of the rules
Really dont give up anyone!
And of course we are very lucky to have this site for gripes and advice.
Keep up the good work Dave

[calsimsek]

Well done, great to hear about someone who has found joy and feels at peace. I think that some people, will always be at war with the world around them no matter where they are.
PS I still have had no reponse from Ghost as to what evil things happened. here. If it is personal, then I'm sorry for asking. If its general stuff about the city or country, then air it out.

[yaramaz]

Nonononononooooooooooo! Ghost aired plenty already and I'm just regaining my faith in Turkey-living after a bit of a topsy turvy winter... If you want to know what happened to our fine friend, refer back to any number of threads-- ie Teacher Fired, Besiktas face punishment, Tomer Turkish course complaints, the famous Yaramaz ve Tembel Ogrenciler Var, Teacher victim of Antalya Hotel Rip off, Teacher earns $3000 for 20 days work, etc-- from back last autumn and winter. Plenty of info already worked through ad naueum.

I'm hoping ghost is a pretty happy camper these days now that he is away from the two-faced lazy republic of monotony!

[Pine]

My husband and I are planning to move to Antalya next summer so I'm getting ready to start my job search. I have a MA in TESOL with just 2 yrs teaching experience in the US. References to Antalya on this site appear to be mixed. What do people like/dislike about the city?

I'd also appreciate any suggestions that might help with the job search - Where to look, the best time to apply, schools to try, schools to avoid, etc.

Thanks in advance

[ghost]

Here's how to get a job in Antalya.

Around May/June/ go to the west side of the city of Antalya. There are three private Kolej there, all located a short distance from each other. All of these places have names starting with "A"

Go there with your resume and copies of your Diplomas. You are virtually guaranteed of being offered a job in at least one of the places if you are an English speaker, have a pulse, have a few certificates (a B.Ed. helps) and don't berate the Turkish nation during your interview. Even if you don't have a B.Ed. you can still get in.....it's supply and demand, and not many B.Ed's tolerate the anarchic conditions prevalent in most private Turkish K-12's...you have been warned.

There is also a University in Antalya which hires native speakers. Do the same thing...but it is more difficult getting a job there, because there is less turnover - hence less openings.

Ghost got his contract on his second day in Antalya, at a certain prestigious Kolej, which is affiliated to the European Council of International schools. He just went to the Kolej with his documents, and on the second day was offered a contract following a short teaching demo. The Kolej in question paid for a return airfair to home to process the work visa and permit from the Turkish Consulate.

Keep in mind that virtually all private Koleji have yearly turnover of staff because very few teachers renew their contracts, not to mention the large atttrition rate in many of the Koleji.

If you have super class management skills, you might do well. If you have average class management skillls, the experience might turn out to be a painful one. Reality check.

[Pine]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.

[Theresa]

Dear Pine
Before coming here you need to get it clear in your head exactly what you expect from the place so as not to be disappointed. İ havent worked at the kolej that ghost worked at but İ know someone who was there for 5 years so it couldnt have been all that bad. You just have to readjust your expectations. Speaking Turkish woulsd be a great advantage as well. Ghost had a bad time here but dont let that cloud your opinions. İn fact pay wise it would be best to aim for the Kolejs as the dersanis are not that reliable as İ found out. İf you need any more info PM me.

[Otterman Ollie]

ıts good that you have found your feet so early,some give up too soon (ghost) others don't know when its time to quit .Antalya is not the best example of where to start ,but, if you can hack it for the first year or two the going does get easier ,its a good idea to hone your skills before you find a place thats worth staying with ,good luck .

[calsimsek]

These sites might give you some information, but in the end you have to decide for yourself. If you look at all the regular posted items. You will see that some like (myself) have a positive view while others (ghost) see only evil here. It's up to you. I think Antalya would be good for a year or so, but for me the summer months there are too much. The money is also better in Istanbul and Ankara.

[Pine]

Thanks for all the additional input and sorry for not acknowledging your posts. I haven't looked at the site for a week or so.

Why Antalya over Istanbul? Compromise I guess. When we decided we wanted to move back to Turkey we talked about cities we'd live in and Antalya is the only one we've agreed on so far. We're trying to pick a city we'll both like, can both find jobs in, etc. (My husband isn't a teacher.) Antalya's not a done deal, just the direction we're leaning. That's why I was asking what people like/don't like.

We visited Antalya a few times when we lived in Turkey so I'm familiar with the city, but on a pretty superficial/touristy level. We lived near Fethiye about 6 yrs ago, but I think it's going to be a lot different this time around.

Again, thanks for the input and encouragement.