Job Discussion Forums

willow85 · Joined: 27 Oct 2010 Posts: 5

Hello all,

I am planning to start job hunting in St. Petersburg and I would really appreciate some help!

I am a U.K citizen, 1st degree in Business, CELTA qualified over 2 years ago, two years experience in South Korea with kids and adults since.

My contract in R.O.K finishes start of February and I am planning on coming home to Edinburgh with a 2 week holiday in St. Petersburg on the way... I was hoping to approach some schools while I'm there on holiday and hopefully convince someone to support a work visa for me... I will then return home and apply for the visa and head back as soon as I can.

I am a little worried about the timing, as it is not peak hiring season, and summer will be just around the corner.
Do you think there is any hope that a somewhat decent school will have any openings?
Also, is it very difficult to find schools which offer visa support that are not the dreaded "McSchools"? Will having an interview in person help with this?

I also want to work with adults this time, hopefully in a Business English context. I have experience, though I have heard it is not highly regarded if it was not with Russian students, is this true?

It has to be St. Petersburg as my boyfriend is Russian and I want to work in the same city as him, so Moscow is out.

I'm sorry for all the questions! Any advice would be great!

Houston · Joined: 04 Apr 2010 Posts: 44

The growing market right now is actually for younger learners, starting at 7 years old. Having a business degree will definitely help you though, but there might not be enough available slots for your initial contract, so you may end up teaching kids, teenagers, and regular adult classes. 2 years of teaching experience is a plus though, so you may find some luck.

Things can move kind of slowly in Russia. I would email every company you can find a link to a few weeks beforehand, to let them know you'll be in town and available for an in-person interview, in the event that they are interested. 1-2 weeks is a fairly normal response time to the initial job inquiry email, in my limited experience.

Is your heart set on St. Petersburg? Moscow still has a big demand for native teachers with a CELTA, if you have trouble finding work in St. Petersburg.

Good luck in your search
Cheers

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Check out http://visarus.co.uk/
They specialise in St Petersburg teaching jobs. Ads, forums, etc.

willow85 · Joined: 27 Oct 2010 Posts: 5

Thanks for your advice, has to be St. Petersburg to be close to my boyfriend, we're going on 2 years long distance so really looking for something close.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

Try also http://www.eslbase.com/schools/russia

willow85 · Joined: 27 Oct 2010 Posts: 5

Thanks coledavis, that's a great list of schools in St. Petersburg!

I was wondering, considering new semesters, job hunting in January might be better? I may have the opportunity to go over there end of Dec / start of Jan... would that be better for hopefully finding a school to sponser a visa than say end of Feb?

Thanks again for all your help!

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

I'm not sure that that makes sense. Remember it isn't just a case of putting you in front of a class. They may need to advertise your presence as a native speaker, organise classes etc. If you are applying for September, then your application will be in the spring/summer. If you want to work in January, you should be applying right now. I think trying to start at other times is a touch unlikely.

willow85 · Joined: 27 Oct 2010 Posts: 5

Sorry Coledavis, I am being a little unclear... I am currently working in South Korea and won't be finishing my contract until December. Should I start emailing schools now about possible January starts? I won't be home and able to start applying for a visa until December... maybe that isn't enough time?

smithrn1983 · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 320 Location: Moscow

If the school starts working on your visa in the beginning of December, you should be able to start working in Russia in the beginning of January. It takes them a lot longer to get letters of invitation together than it takes you to get your visa. I believe it typically takes about a week from handing all the documents over to the embassy to you actually getting a visa. You can pay extra (legally) and have the process expedited. Also remember that you can't enter Russia until five days after the visa is issued. Hope this helps.

coledavis · Joined: 21 Jun 2003 Posts: 1838

You still should apply as early as possible, while still working in Korea. Also, note that people are 'gearing down' for the (lengthy) new year festivities, so I would suggest November.