Job Discussion Forums

[Mehtap]

Anyone worked at English Time? What is it like?

Also, in general what hours do langauge schools expect you to work? I prefer daytime and saturdays... is this possible or do they tend to want teachers to work evenings?

Thanks!

Also, in your experience which is the best language school in Istanbul.

[sandyhoney2]

Wait for it......wait for it.....



P.S. Mehtap - you can do a search for English Time on this forum using the quote function and you'll get a handful of information. You'll also be getting a PM soon. Take it with a grain of salt.

[coffeespoonman]

I work at English Time, and have been for about 8 months now. (adopts defensive stance) And I am quite happy with my job.

Yeah, the hours are crap. In fact, that's the reason why I'm probably not going to renew my contract, but that's my only complaint. If you work at English Time, at least at my branch, you will work every Saturday and Sunday. 8 hours each day. However, once your schedule gets normalized, you can get 2 days a week off if you want, but never the weekend.

On the weekdays, you will also have to work split shifts, at least sometimes. 3 hours in the morning, 3 hours in the evening, with conversations sometimes thrown in the middle. Still, this means you will have EVERY afternoon off to do what you please. If you try really hard, maybe you can work out an evening-free schedule, but it will be difficult. On the weekends, you'll always finish by 7, leaving your evenings free.

However, other than the hours (and a certain new manager, who is really only a small problem), the job is great. It's easy-going and social. The students are, for the most part, motivated and social. If you have a good head teacher, like I do, you'll get a lot of help adjusting, but I've heard that some branches aren't so good about that. The pay is always on time, and the hourly wage is above average for Istanbul. Plus, there is a nice bonus at the end of the contract, and a rental allowance (not enough, though) added to your salary.

In the end, I have been very happy with my job at ET. It has been a good starting job here in Istanbul. While I doubt that I will stay full-time for another year (there are just too many opportunities in this city), I may continue to do part-time work there for years to come.

Flame on!

[thrifty]

[thrifty]

[Golightly]

whoop-whoop-whoop!
alien-hating ex-prime number on the starboard bow!

[molly farquharson]

thank you coffeespoonman for the balanced report.

[calsimsek]

Hay Mehtap, are you a native or of Turkish background. If you have one drop of Turkish blood in you, you will be treated very differently by the schools. They will expect more from you and in most places (90%) they will pay you less.

In general Languge school teaching is where you start your learning your trade. In the past there used to be contracts and you got a far rate, now you only get paied for what you do. 130 hours/units in March and 60 units in June and less than perhapes 20 units in July. So in short no secure income, no privet health insurance, most schools don't have you on the books so you work with out national SSK cover, and most schools don't get your vise done, so off you go every three months.

In other words:
If you have no resonsablities,
Like to live on the go,
Meet lots of new people (huge turn around rate at most schools)
Work with little to no stress,
Don't need or want to save alot of cash, (rates as low as 12 ytl a lesson) Enjoy going out mid week. (can't have a real late night on a Fri or Sat )

Btw I did my time at the L-schools, had great fun, learnt a bit, and meet real nice people. Overall I'm glad I did it. Yet that was then and now is now. Part time is enough for me, some extra cash once and a while.

[Sheikh Inal Ovar]

[calsimsek]

Entrailicus:

[jamessmart50]

I work at ET and I'm perfectly happy, it's a decent organisation. The hours are falling though and you're surely better off looking for work anywhere in Istanbul after the summer.

[thrifty]

Why would you be better off looking elsewhere after the Summer. The hours should pick up dramatically after the Summer. Surely it will be June to August when we will be short of hours. Or are you suggesting that Oxford House College will have such an effect on us this year?

[saloma]

My room mate works PT for Oxford House College. Due to the current shake up in management, it looks as though the teachers will not be recieving April's paycheck. OH says the old manager will pay them, the manager says OH will pay them. In the end, the teachers expect to be left out in the cold.

[Delpha]

Well, I wish that I had taken the job at ET. . .

But I didn't - because I was in a big hurry. . . .

I work at the Interlang Taksim branch (btw, Interlang is owned by ET).
For some reason Interland pays less. . .

Don't get me wrong, I took this job because I absolutely loved the lady I interviewed with. . .but had I known that students usually wait for a week or two after classes have started before they get their books I might have reconsidered. Also my school is very dirty and is currently inhabited by at least one rat (the shitter has left his mark and its mark still remains today). The bathrooms have not been cleaned since I started working here a month and a half ago. Everytime I have been paid it has been at 7 p.m. (despite the fact that I am usually at school bright and early on pay day).

I am hoping that things come together soon - the Taksim branch is new. We just got a new DOS and they are saying that more resource books are on the way
. . . did I mention that I don't work on the weekends!


D

[thrifty]