Job Discussion Forums

[donfan]

Does anybody know if there is a reputable school in Kazan? I have a friend who is very interested in going there to work. Thanks

[maruss]

Linguamir used to have a school there which was affiliated to the one in Samara,but as I have read some horror stories about that place and don't know if the Kazan school is still even working,I would tread carefully!
By the way,Tatarstan is a law unto itself in most things-old,historical and interesting, but..........

[Cenobite30]

[maruss]

The Tartar culture and traditions are fascinating to study but Tartarstan has always considered itself as somewhat independent from the rest of Russia,much to the chagrin of Putin and the Kremlin.Given the international economic situation with plunging oil revenues etc, I would be wary about going to work anywhere in Russia for the time being,and even more so in out of the way places where you would be very much on your own,come what may!I know nothing about the firm which had a branch in Kazan,but the reports from former employees of their other branches in Samara etc. are unfortunately not encouraging.

[Cenobite30]

[maruss]

But at the same time,be very wary of agreeing to anything with people you know nothing about,especially in Russia.If you have a look at the recent posting by a Canadian lady under' English First-beware',you will see what I mean!This is a well-known, or should I say notorious, employer and she went to St.Petersburg, which is the second best known city in Russia for foreigners to go to after Moscow.Out in Kazan,you will be miles from anywhere and probably no other foreigners to turn to if things go pear shaped!Just make sure you have enough cash to get home and to survive on for a few weeks at least.

[Cenobite30]

[WanderingGentile]

Keep in mind, if the streets were paved with gold maruss would warn you about how awful the glare is when the sun is out

[maruss]

I don't know where you are right now,but I think this guy knows most people who post on this site are trying to be helpful,even if they have to describe some negative experiences,just as the Canandian lady did recently??
To get back to the subject of Kazan etc, if a person has some Russian friends who can put him up if need be,(a big bonus!) plus the essential cash reserves of course,then he is far better equipped to deal with whatever problems might occur.
As myself and many other people have said so many times previously,Russia is not just some kind of European country further East,like Hungary,Poland etc,but a completely different ball-game.Despite what the appearance of central Moscow and a few other major cities might deceive a new-comer into believing,it is still very much a third-world country,with all that might entail including corruption,inequality and an abscence of other institutions which many of us in the West have come to take for granted.But that's not to say that nobody should visit or work in such countries,just that they should be prepared accordingly.
Just a final point for now,Russia is very ,very 'foreign' for most first time visitors. nothing seems easy to accomplish and people are not usually very outwardly friendly to strangers(or may be for the wrong reasons!) so knowing somebody locally who can help you and offer moral support etc. is far more valuable than you can understand until you get there.

[Cenobite30]

[maruss]

Since Russia changed their rules a couple of years ago,you are supposed to have a work permit which your employer arranges for you before arrival and which is valid for one year,while previously many of us had the advantage of being able to buy one year multiple-entry business visas which allowed up to six months continuous stay at a time and were not arranged by employers,thus giving us the opportunity to work freelance.This effectively ended when the 90 day maximum restriction came in,meaning that although the visa is still valid for a year,you cannot stay more than 90 days each time you enter Russia,AND, to make it worse you cannot re-enter for a minimum of 90 days once your 3 months is up!It was apparently introduced to align with Schengen rules and not deliberately aimed at teachers but of course we got caught out by it!
So technically yes, your employer now has much more control over you by arranging your work-permit and can easily force you to leave the country if you upset them by informing immigration etc!This is never a good thing in Russia because power and authority are frequently abused....Also remember you have to get registration at the place where you will be staying with the local passport office and they can easily cause problems for you with this if they want to.

[coledavis]

It is quite common for employers to offer you a three month visa as a teacher, done in the usual way at your country's Russian consulate with a formal invitation brokered through the local OVIR. The company can then renew the visa every three months within Russia on a type of humanitarian basis (offered to teachers and a few other categories). I think this can continue for up to 3 years, when you then have return to your home country to repeat the process.

[Rumblefish]

PM me if you need specific info about Kazan.

[coledavis]

I can now update my previous comment about the teacher's visa with some authority. The organisation gets you an invite for a three month visa, which you apply for in your home country. Once you're in, the organisation can then apply for a whole year, with the whole process taking place in Russia. Unlike the three month visa, which is single entry, the year visa is multiple entry. (I think this would be renewable for yet another year, also within Russia, but I can't be sure of this.)

[LJKSU]

There is a school called the British - American Language Center in Kazan. This is a branch of the same English school operating out of Samara and Tolyatti. They also have a branch in Chelyabinsk.

I worked at the school in Kazan for one year until March 2009. About the school:

Pros:

1) Salary paid on-time very reliably.
2) Willing to give you partial pay advances if you ask.
3)Classes take place in evenings from 630-9pm. This is not promised but while I worked there, the classes all were in the evenings.
4)The office is at a separate location from the school - you don't have daily contact with the office staff/director - you work very independently.

Cons:

1) One secretary (Elvira) who basically handles everything and she doesn't know English. This is a problem for people who don't speak Russian. I did so I got by fine but the director, who also doesn't speak English is rarely available. You may have to use the main office in Samara via telephone as a translator if you need to discuss something.
2) Elvira is helpful but can't tie her shoes without asking the director first. If you need help, tell her everything at one time so she can call and ask the director everything at once.
3) The apartment. This can be good or bad it's just going to depend on your luck. My first six months I was there I had a great 2 bedroom apartment all to myself. Then I had to move and I was put into a 1 bedroom apartment in an apartment building under construction and that meant a whole bunch of construction-related issues within the apartment. They also selected the apartment without letting me see it first. (I was living a block away, you'd think that they would give you the courtesy of looking at it first)
4) They are kind of sneaky sometimes. For example, I took two weeks off to go to my girlfriend's hometown. This was allowed because at this time there simply weren't any classes. (This location is still new and has few students). Well, after that time I called to say I was returning to Kazan. They said, oh just take your time, there isn't any work here now for you anyway. We'll call you when there is a new class. Sounds cool, huh? Not cool on payday. I don't see the difference between me sitting in my apartment in Kazan not working and me sitting in an apartment outside the city not working. Had I spent those days inside the city of Kazan, I would have been paid for them but because I was not in the city, I didn't.

Anyway, I'd suggest avoiding this school if you can. I at first was very pleased working with them and there weren't any issues and everything was smooth but after I insisted that I get a new apartment (which I paid the agent fees, etc) things started going downhill from there. I suspect the second apartment they put me in was about 5000 rubles a month and I moved into one costing 11000/month and they didn't like that. (Even though I asked what the school was willing to pay monthly and they said 11000 so I didn't just pick that number out of the air. If they didn't want to pay that much then they should have said a different figure.