Job Discussion Forums

[Lilith]

I'm considering a job offer from Bratislava that will guarantee me 25000 to 26000SKK to start. The rent will be 12000SKK. As I have no experience with Slovakia, I was wondering if someone out there can tell me if this is a relatively good prospect. Any advice on this or on teaching in Bratislava in general would be most appreciated.

[spiral78]

Is your 25,000 - 26,000k monthly BEFORE or AFTER taxes?
Makes a very significant difference.

[Lilith]

Dear spiral78
Thanks for your advice. I never thought of that. I'll ask!!

[spiral78]

Very important! Taxes can be around 30%, so it's an important issue in terms of quality of living.

[Lilith]

Hi spiral78

I've emailed the school, no reply as yet. However, understanding that about 33% for SLovakia is about right, and that you apparently receive a portion of that back at the end of the tax year, would you agree their original offer of 26 000SKK (assume before taxes) and accomodation of 12 000skk per month is probably pretty shabby? For Bratislava.
Thanks

[spiral78]

I'd be afraid that I'd end up with something around 6,000 max in hand monthly...that would be skimpy.

You don't usually find the better jobs from abroad - I am assuming that's what you're working on. The standard througout Europe is to hire only those candidates who are standing in front of you, CV in hand, looking like people you want to trust your valued clients with. This is because in the past, people either haven't shown up, or proved to have misrepresented themselves in some way when they did.

Unless you are seeking some position that requires unusual quals, like an international school or a school that caters to small children, the standard is:

Beware most schools that try to hire from abroad. There may very well be good reasons newbie teachers here on the ground won't work for them.

[Lilith]

Hi spiral78
Thanks once again for your invaluable info and advice. Have just returned from a visit to the UK (to talk to family there about this and other things) and have to make up my mind about this Slovakia thing STAT. You've really given me a lot of help, and I thank you.
Lilith

[spiral78]

Best of luck!

[dlarcheuk]

Hey Spiral78-

Have you ever heard of the University of Seattle in Slovakia? Seems to be a real up and up operation, and I've opened correspondence with the Dean of European Academic Operations. Still, hoping to hear from someone who has firsthand info... Thanks!!

[Lilith]

Hi
Lilith here again.
Sorry, dlarcheuk, I don't know anything about the U of Seattle in Bratislava, but there are many teachers out there with experience in these matters so I'm sure you will find out one way or the other soon.
I sought and received very wise advice from Spiral78 (i hope you're out there, my friend!) and have decided against moving to Bratislava to teach at the CBI.
After asking a couple of key questions (three time in fact) without a reply to them, instead asking me if I had made up my mind, I asked a final time. I received no reply whatsoever. Now I don't know the circumstances of this, but can guess.
I must admit I felt disillusioned and somewhat naive after this, especially coming from fellow Canadians, but I'm very glad that I am not going there now.
I have decided to go to Europe in person and try that way.
If I don't go in early September, I will use the intervening months to put some more time in on my almost-finished BA.
I did hear that in Spain, the best time to look for jobs is in January. Is this true, and would the same be true for, say, Portugal?
I do have an EU passport, which I know is to my advantage, and am older and can look and present myself in a very professional manner. (when I must ) so am hopeful for my chances.
Thanks again for any advice you may have for me. I look forward to it, and, as always, take it most seriously, as you may have guessed by now, I have very little experience in this field.
Lilith

[spiral78]

Sorry, I don't have first-hand info about this specific school - First of all, though, I would suppose that the administrative staff are Slovak, and if you're contacting them in August, it's no wonder you're getting no response since nearly all of Europe's on holiday for the month!

Also, you should be aware that university positions in the 'new' EU member countries generally are not higher-paid than private language schools positions - this unfortunately applies across the board. For example, I'd love to teach at Charles Uni in Prague, and have the credentials and experience to do so, but these positions pay subsistence wages, not only to expats but also to their local staff. Doctors and professors in these countries are still (generally speaking) dreadfully underpaid compared to their western counterparts.

I can give you the conventional wisdom on getting hired from abroad, for whatever that may be worth.

I've written this many times before, but I'm not sure how long it's been, and may be worth pecking it out again...

It's just not common to find jobs in Europe from abroad at the newbie /general/ private language school level. I realize that the school in question is technically a university, but if they're hiring you for the ESL department, this likely applies.

While specialist positions may sometimes recruit from abroad (experience and credentials in working with children/English for Specialized or Academic Purposes) newbie-level and general language school positions from REPUTABLE schools go to people who are here on the ground.

As Lilith writes, you have to be here, CV in hand, looking professional, before they will give you a serious thought. (And. Lilith, all the best - I think you'll be fine in January for either Spain or Portugal)

This is simply because the labor market is not tight in Europe generally. There are plenty of teachers - hence the relatively low wages and benefit packages as compared to, say, many parts of Asia.

Schools have been burned in the past by hiring teachers from abroad who never showed, or, when they did, proved to have misrepresented themselves in some way, or to be otherwise unprofessional.

Language schools work hard to get contracts with local corporations (there's fairly strong competition for these contracts in many locations) and they obviously don't want to chance sending some new teacher out who will make a bad impression on a valuable client - and they are ALL valuable clients! Ditto those invaluable students who've traveled to Slovakia to attend a university with ties to the west -