Job Discussion Forums

[simon_porter00]

There are many threads covering various aspects of this. However, i've compiled some information for a website that never took off, so rather then store it on my computer i'll share it.

**Please bear in mind the below is my personal opinion, if you disagree/agree, want to suggest anything or ask a question, please go ahead.**

Finding a school to work at.

There are basically two ways of doing this. Choose the city you want to go (this bit is up to you) to then go to www.google.pl and type in Szkoła Język�w Obcych (+ the city name). This will bring up the information on schools in that town. Then

1) Send emails off to all and sundry in September hoping to get a response and tie up a deal before the semester starts.
2) Get to the city of your choice in September, hit the road with copies of your CV and try to get interviews with the Director of Studies at each school.

Certainly there are benefits to number 1. You�ve got job security, you know when you get to Poland you�ve got a job. However, you won�t know what the school looks like, what resources they have or the area the school is in.

There are also disadvantages to number 2. A large amount of uncertainty � who will employ you? Will I find a job? Etc etc.

In general, I�d favour option number 2. This is just my personal opinion. These are the reasons why:
� You get to see what the school looks like
� You see what area the school is in
� You get to meet the DoS
� You get to meet the secretaries
� You can ask about the schools resources and see them
� You can talk about money and contracts

Yes a lot of things you may be able to do on an email, but there�s nothing like a face to face conversation to iron out the finer details. If you hand your CV into 10 of them you�ll get some bites.

Generally speaking, language schools aren�t the most organized of places. You may get no answer � keep on chasing. On the flip side a day or two before semester starts you�ll get phone calls from all the schools looking to fill their quota of native speakers.

These are my top tips to getting a job in Krakow, assuming you�re hitting the streets.
� Dress smart. You�re going to make a first impression on the secretaries and maybe the DoS. Don�t look like a slob and treat this as any other first interview
� Get a Polish mobile/cell phone number. They�re nearly all pay as you go type deals. Once you got one put that info on your CV.
� Prepare photocopies of your CV, teaching qualifications and your degree. If you can, staple them together so the school can�t lose them.
� Take the schools business card and see if you can get the DoS�s name and email address. It does no harm to contact them directly after 2/3 days without any response.

It is probably advisable to begin the job hunt in the first or second week of September. At the end of September, the schools will be doing all their entrance exams to sort people in to groups and get bums on seats. This is where they get their money and their focus will be entirely on this process, so don�t be surprised if you don�t hear anything for a day or two.

Assuming you�ve got an interview with the DoS:
� Dress smart. It shouldn�t need to be said, but trust me, you�d be surprised how many people turn up in jeans and a jumper.
� Take your CV, teaching qualifications and degree again. They might have lost them and it never hurts to have a spare set.
� Don�t be afraid to ask about your salary, gross and net, amount of hours and the level of classes you�ll teach, health insurance, type of contract you�ll have.
� If you want to sign up there and then, do not sign a Polish contract. Make sure the contract is in English and read through it thoroughly. Ask questions about anything you�re unsure about.

General advice would be not to sign there and then but to hold fire until you�ve had a few interviews, see how much each job will pay (let�s be serious here, money is quite important), what you feel about the school and how did you get on with the DoS.

I�ve seen some contracts in my time and they range from the ridiculous to the sublime. Some contracts prevent you teaching in private lessons or for other schools as you take competition away from the school. Some don�t care what you do as long as you don�t steal students, steal materials or burn down the school.

[afowles]

I agree, adding that I had a great deal of luck with e-mailing various schools.

As per finding a school to work at, there is a good list of schools at http://www.ang.pl/szkoly_jezykowe.php

You'll have to google each school to bring up an e-mail address, but the list is good to have and if you have a Polish-speaking friend you can read the testimonials.