Job Discussion Forums

[papillon]

Does anyone have any experience of working for either of these schools in Indonesia?

[rayman]

I haven't worked for them, but was offered a job at their Kelapa Gading branch a couple of years ago. My impression was they were spacious, modern schools with semi decent resources. They were inflexible on the salary though, regardless of qualifications or experience. It was only around US$1100 a month with no benefits. I can't help you on the Bali branches.

[DeSas]

I was looking for a job in Bali as my husband is Balinese. That's where we want to settle down. I flew down to Bali at my own expense for an interview. The guy I had been talking to the whole time got sick at the last minute and told me I would have an interview with his father instead (who was about 70). When we got on the topic of salary, he wouldn't tell me how much they were paying until I told him how much I was making at the time. That sent up warning signals. They offered me much less than anticipated and with the benefits of the job I had at the time, would have worked out to much less than i was making at my current job, but I chose to accept because Bali was the place I wanted to be. He told me he'd e-mail the contract to me. I got back to Medan and received the contract that not only omitted things we'd talked about in the interview (namely incurring the costs of getting the work visa etc.) but also had things in there like: 'the school would hold on to my passport' and 'if I chose to leave the country for whatever reason (i.e. vacation, etc) I would have to remit one month's salary to them'. I turned them down and decided to continue working here in Medan and got promoted, which in the long run was a better option for me professionally anyway.

The salary was crap, so were the benefits. Maybe I'm spoiled where I'm working now, but as far as jobs at International schools being hot commodities, this one ain't.