Job Discussion Forums

[Houston]

My question is how much does having real corporate experience help your job prospects in Russia? Do the schools even care? My specific experience is that I've spent the last three years at a global consulting and accounting firm in Houston, which has given me a lot of exposure to the culture of the oil and gas industry. I'm not some sort of bigshot, I was just in a position where the people I was an assistant to dealt frequently with oil and gas executives.

I worry that I may be under the impression that knowing American business etiquette and culture is some sort of bonus skill set, when it really isn't.

I am working on my tefl certificate, and contemplating taking the CELTA as well, and I have the required four year degree from an accredited U.S. university. I do not have any teaching experience yet though.

Thanks in advance for any answers or experiences you can provide.

[spiral78]

I worked on one of Exxon's programs, teaching English for the oil and gas industry to their new Sakhalin staff in Canada. I was also sent by a Canadian university to LUKOil in Moscow, to teach useful English to their international executives. All this, however, after CELTA, 8 years of international experience, and an MA TESL/TEFL.

Your experience with the oil and gas industry is a plus - but not a huge one, mostly because you've been working with native English speakers - non-native speakers are quite a different prospect.

I think you could most usefully exploit this by considering ways non-native English speakers can listen and speak effectively in the industry, both to native English speakers and in international situations where English is the language of communication. You may consider doing some research on this topic. A CELTA will get you on the way to how to work effectively with non-native English speakers.

You can definitely highlight this on your CV as well - it most certainly won't hurt, and may help your CV stand out a bit above some other newbies.

[Sashadroogie]

Everything that Spiral has said is basically correct, but I'd be a touch more hopeful about your prospects. Yes, you'll need real teaching skills and certs etc., but I can honestly assure you that there are plenty of staff working in companies, oil and gas especially, that are crying out for knowledgeable native speakers to help them - the usual things like giving presentations, writing reports, technical writing etc. A lot of my students just don't really know what is expected of them (in either language, I suspect). So, yes, your experience would be highly sought after.

However, most students that I teach in oil and gas have problems with just basic telephone and/or face-to-face communication with their American counterparts. And they don't always deal just with Americans either - many other non-native Europeans. So knowing a little about teaching would be needed too

I think you should try and go for it. Good luck.

[Houston]

Oh I'm definitely going for it. I'm pretty good at presentations, and I have had the benefit of proofreading for some very high level presentations our oil and gas consultants were working on. I think that I can go beyond just being an english teacher, in order to help them become better professionals as well.

I'm currently working on the ICAL online tefl cert, because I originally had planned on working in Korea for a year. After examining the options, I've really fallen in love with the idea of teaching in Russia. My degree is in history, and I find that the Russian history and Russian women are a lot more interesting than Korea, although don't take that as any sort of slam on Korea. Most of what I have read though tells me that I really need to put down the cash and take the CELTA class.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and opinions, I appreciate the guidance.

[maruss]

Also remember that must never sell yourself short-in Russia,everyone is on the make and you have to be very stoic,especially in a place like Moscow!!Generally speaking,oil companies have the money to pay for good people like yourself so don't be afraid to take it-just make sure you deliver what they expect though!
Just one other point though-Russian women are often stunning, but wow do they know it and equally stunning is their sheer arrogance and how much they expect from their admirers!

[Sashadroogie]

Oh Maruss, come come. The ladies aren't all as bad as you make out. The oil companies look after people relatively well. Let's just wish this fellow well - he sounds like he will be well able to look after himself.