Mechanical design engineer, no Polish, will company like GE hire me?

oops damn typos...."say" not "way"....but to be fair you dont have any "way" in my life either whatever that means

Harry....when I started reading this propaganda outlet a while back you were suspended....why was that? Couldnt be because you are so friendly and honest could it?


Well how do you expect anyone to keep track when the most busy threads all have you saying "CAW CAW....THE LAW THE LAW" like an annoying parrot? Anyway 99% of it applies to him regardless of nationality. Funny how a grumpy Brit expat is as rabidly defensive of this place as the football chavs screaming "POLSKA POLSKA" all night.

The 150zl I pay mine a month is money very very well spent!

Why do you keep mentioning Polish girls when no-one else is mentioning them?


How much are you paying, if you don't mind me asking? Trying to get an idea for what's a fair price for one...

To the original poster - the vast majority of people posting on this site that live in Poland are here quite happily, apart from one. Draw your own conclusions from that on how difficult it is to live here as an expat, particularly one that has the benefit of an EU passport and thus doesn't have to bother with tedious visa requirements.

Well Harry gets his for 150zl a month is it seems but I really dont think you could even get one of the fat, old ones what streetwalk on Wilcza for that price. But it seems we cant agree on anything.


God are you the Propaganda Minister? Be honest...you have an unnaturally persistent need to sell this place. How much are they paying you?


Hey moron...the original poster said he was considering the move because he was with a Polish girl. Its the same reason anyone from the West comes here unless they are gay. Nobody would set foot here from the West if it weren't for how the girls look and the price of beer. Dilute yourself all you want.

Alright Chris.

Just to say I passed your details to a couple of people to see if they could help. Not sure if they have anything within your specific field just now but I've asked them to give you a shout if anything comes up. How's it all going anyway?

How about if, for example, he was fluent in Polish and of Polish origin but UK-born (like I am) - do you think the experience would be the same?

A serious question, btw. Because every time I'm over there, someone tells me I should move there and teach English, but no-one ever tells me I should move there and practice my profession, lol

As I'm VAT registered I pay my accountant 200zl per month (plus VAT) but that is of course tax deductible, so it comes down to a bit over 150zl net. A friend of mine who is not VAT registered uses the same accountant and pays 150zl (gross). There are cheaper options, I think the cheapest I saw advertised for a VAT registered company was 100zl but that is all done by mail and there's no chance your accountant will speak English.


Which profession is that?

Which part are you talking about? The moving for the Polish girl part...that rarely ends up well. The thinking you will get a good job here as a foreigner....rarely if ever goes well. And you will not be seen as Polish by the locals, you will be seen as a re-immigrant and they will be able to tell by how you speak. All the other stuff like bureaucracy? Yes as you have grown up in the West.

A lot of people of Polish origin move back here out of some romantic ideal of "home" or they meet a girl from here. Most all I have known who did this ended up unhappy with the choice as they had done what so many people do and thought the grass would be greener.

Rubbish. I enjoy a far better quality of life here than my friends in the UK.

Haha that's a no brainer for me:

"Rubbish! Rubbish!" You need a new vocabulary list. "rarely if ever" doesnt mean it is impossible you twit. And Since you and yours were likely wall dwelling chavs I am not surprised you find Poland a step up.

If you were unhappy to begin with, in your own country, and thinking that changing location will improve your outlook at life; than you are setting yourself for disappointment. If you are keen on finding faults anywhere you go - you for sure will find plenty.

Wasn't the point. The point was they had unrealistic expectations of what Poland would be. These expectations are due to places like this refusing to admit how messed up things really are here and spreading some ******** view of how good it is. Poland is quite simply not the first world modern nation is claims to be. It is stuck in the past. Selling select Western goods at super inflated prices and playing Western music on the radio does not make you modern. The kids are worse than the old people...they use the excuses that they old people really did have and they don't. I was a cheery person before I lived in this place. I know MANY other expats who are the same. It is a depressing place that drains the life out of you. Of course the patriots and people like Harold who like to argue with everyone will try to blame me or those people I spoke of...and that just shows yet another crap quality of this country...they blame everyone else. It is a cultural problem.

A simple point illustrates the fact that in their hearts they KNOW they are behind the times...if they didn't want so bad to be Western do you see Western fashion, music, food, etc everywhere? People like Harry who cant make it or get laid back home come here and play on their nationality to get some desperate young girl who wants the prestige of being married to a rich foreigner...and there are plenty of those girls.

Honesty is the biggest problem in Poland. Everything here is based on lies and scams...even the national image.

If you want another example, what is the reason people bring manufacturing etc to Poland? Cheap labor...just like China, India and other lesser developed nations. If Poland was so advanced and great why would they have such cheap labor?

I am not saying it is some genetic flaw but it IS a cultural flaw. Polish culture LOVES misery and depression...they perpetuate it and feed on it.

Hi Jay,

Thanks for your help so far. It's really appreciated. I've got around to updating my details so I'll send them later this evening although there's not a great deal that's changed.

It's still early days so no new developments. Just taking it as it comes for the time being. Any news with you?

So just leave. Make the country a better place.


No there aren't plenty of those girls. Which is most probably where your problem comes from: you're a fat ugly talentless loser who thought that he could dangle his passport and fat wallet (filled exclusively with money given by daddy) at any woman and she'd immediately fall to her knees and start sucking you off. Now you've discovered that Poland isn't like that and you really hate it.


The only thing round here which loves misery and depression is you: which explains why you can't do us all a favour and get your fat arse either onto a plane leaving Poland or to the bottom of a lake.

Now you are just being a meanie. Is your wife working overtime and the Brothel and you aren't getting enough attention at home?


Well I wasn't going to flat out say this is what you were like...but since you have admitted it yourself I guess the healing can begin.

Pretty much what I thought ;) especially this bit:


But don't assume that all of us born outside PL have an "accent".

I'm not planning on doing this, btw... it was just an enquiry. Just because I hate the UK Government doesn't mean I hate the UK (or its women, lol) ;)

Complete rubbish!! You can complete a course called "basic proofreading" through distance learning, which takes 5-6 months and costs £395. It is then possible to complete a test to become accredited with the "society for editors and proofreaders" at a cost of £135 - £155. So lets say that it would take you 7 months at a cost of £550 to become fully accredited and prepared for a new career as a proofreader.

Basic proofreading course. train4publishing.co.uk/distance/basproof/

Accreditation. sfep.org.uk/pub/quals/arfees_info.asp


That's a pretty vague and sweeping generalisation. Would you like to elaborate on the difficulties of using a dictionary and thesaurus?


I live in Wales: I am not about to embark upon a leap of faith!!


You really are a condescending tw4t!!

Hey Chris....in Warsaw at least I can tell you that so many English speaking expats are trying to make an easy buck doing proofreading on the side that there is not a whole lot of business available. Poles are cheap...they won't hire a credentialed professional for a higher wage when they can hire some 19yo desperate for beer money. They will avoid doing anything officially unless it benefits them.

Ah...I was going to mention too...they often hire Poles to do this stuff as well...and the signs all over the city that say stupid things like "Please for your safe being be sitting if the car is having movement" show how bad of an idea this is.

If I could be bothered I could start one of those "Engrish" sites about Poland.

Try telling that to the course instructor after you fail because you assumed that teaching English is easy. Virtually anyone who has successfully passed the CELTA will tell you the same story - for a month, it was balls to the wall with pressure and stress. A friend of mine told me how one girl cracked after 2 weeks and quit the course in tears. Other people fail because they assume that weekends are drinking time and not studying time.

Perhaps you might want to consider the part where you have to actually get the business? Getting qualifications is one thing, but getting the work (and reputation) is a much harder job. Then there's the fact that you have to be completely familiar with the subject matter - anyone trying to 'blag it' will be found out pretty quickly.

As I understand it, a dictionary and thesaursus will only get you so far.

Why is the federal minimum wage in the USA only about 60% of the UK minimum wage? Must be a sign of a backwards society...

Why? I'd imagine the cost of living is much higher in the UK.

I wouldn't even bother with the courses, because without a long list of clients you have already worked for, it's a difficult market to break into.


Let take a normal 300 page txt, how long do you think it would take, scanning every word, every punctuation, making sure the technical parts are spot on, checking that the grammar is fit and proper, and on and on.

Then you will be made to work within very small time scales, miss a deadline and kiss your ass goodbye. Another point is that larger firms will employ 2-3 different proofreaders, and from time to time the others will check on your work, another potential slip up.

Unlike teaching, which for me at least is the easiest thing in the world.

You can take my word for it if you like, I'm heavily in the business;)

No no, according to our friend here, labour costs are the measure by which to judge a society's development by.


Aha, so you're actually angry because no-one wants to hire you and no-one wants you as a proofreader, so you're actually the worst kind of expat, the unemployed, unemployable type!

Where on earth did I say that I thought teaching English was easy and how on earth do you know what I would find difficult?? What do you know about me??

You will find that Harry seems to think teaching English is easy albeit compared to proofreading. I wouldn't say either are rocket science but I apologise if this offends you!

I think you missed my point.

Calling Harry a condescending **** because of telling you bluntly that the CELTA is difficult for practically everyone was pretty offensive, I'd say.

And where did he say that teaching English was easy?


What was your point? You replied with prices to the point that Harry made that proofreading is a difficult business to get into - which it is! Qualifications mean nothing in that particular game - though it might help, you still have to deliver the goods.

From everything I've heard, it's all about building up a reputation for being fast, reliable and accurate - but building that reputation from scratch is much easier said than done. I know at least personally, I'd take a personal recommendation over membership of some made-in-a-bedroom Society.

I can't imagine the English proofreading market is *that* big in Poland - and word spreads quickly!

I think some of what delphiandomine has stated is bang on.
The amount of people I know h=who have come into this line of work and failed when the carpet was swept from under their feet.

The course teaches the individual "how" to proof read. Everyone has to start at some point!!

There's approximately 100 words in the quoted text above. 300 words wouldn't take very long at all.

Congratulations on becoming a restaurant manager by the way.


I'm sure that he couldn't care less what my opinion of him is.

My point was that you can fully prepare yourself quite easily and in this day and age why does it have to be just the Polish market? Everything can be emailed or sent by post. A career change is never easy for anyone so I say again. Everyone has to start at some point!

300 page txt. PAGE.


I'm a partner, but all the same really ;)

All I can say is good luck to you. My only advice would be not to take the course.
Qualifications aren't the big thing in Teaching or proofreading, it's all about rep.
To have the big contracts you need to be able to walk before you run. I'm not saying this course isn't a great thing, I just have never heard of such a thing...and I do have relevant experience to back up what I say.

I am a team leader at Electrolux, creating and updating all their product manuals. Through that I have established contracts with some of the major international companies in Krakow. But that didn't come easy, for me to get them I've had to work damn hard teaching English for 5-6 years...with that came the rep, and after I never needed to apply for any job again.

So to cap up what i'm trying to say, start off teaching, get to know the language you use everyday, learn why we say somethings and not others in a certain way. And, if you are really enthusiastic about this, get in touch with me and I might be able to help you out starting. And that my friend is something worth thinking about.

School boy error!!

Thanks and I completely agree with having to walk before you run. I'd prefer to do something in my specific field but if needs must! Did you become fluent in Polish during those 5-6 years? I'm curious about your story as it sounds interesting. How about becoming a partner in a restaurant?? Updating product manuals is the way forwards by the looks of things :-))

Now that my friend is a damn decent offer and you are a gentleman.