I have applied for an ESL job with this school and they offered me a position. But the pay will be between 25-30 zloties per hour. Will this be sufficient to live on in Tarnow? If not, what is the expected wage for someone just beginning? Someone told me they had worked for ESCS in Katowice and was getting 40 zloty an hour.
As much as I want to take the job, I do not wish to be borrowing money from relatives to subsist on while there. It is going to cost me close to $1000 Cdn for airfare 1 way to go. I do not wish to get there and regret taking the job.
25-30 of them polish money fingies is not a wad of wonga but you havent said if it is gross or net, how many hours you are contracted for or whatelse the contract offers
it's never nice doing a runner from a job but then if youre moving to a new country, its always nice to have a job before you arrive... find your feet... find another job...
They did not tell me if it is net or gross. The 25-30 zloties is per hour for 20 teaching hours a week for a 6 month contract. They also said in an email about business courses. That part I may have to tell them I am not qualified to teach. They did mention free accommodation. But I would be responsible for the utilities though.
Renting in Tarnow is not that expensive, food prices are like anywhere else. However, there is not much to do in Tarnow, few pubs, few restaurants that are "good". One theatre that is quite small, and I still wonder how it manages to stay open with only 5-10 people coming to see a movie.
The train station is a real good plus. Only 1.5hr ride to Krakow!
A Polish friend of mine worked at ESCS a few years ago, not in their Tarnow branch, but one of the 6 or 7 locations that they used to have. (I suppose that it could be of some concern that they are down to only 2 branches now.)
She had mixed feelings about the job. Most of her coworkers were Canadian and American, and she enjoyed working with them. She did have issues with being paid on time, but I think she was eventually paid all that she was owed.
25-30 zloty/hr sounds a bit low to me, but it really important to know if that is gross or net? At best you will take home 2400zl/month (30zl x20hr x 4 weeks). If accomodation is paid for ( I thought that they only paid the first week's accomodation), and you live a pretty modest lifestyle then you should squeek by. If you are ending up with something like 20zl/hr net, then you will have some trouble.
I don't think Tarnow is all that bad, although many Poles seem to detest the place. It is a good size city with all the services that you will need to get by. It is a bit dreary, but that is life in a Polish city (with a few key exceptions). The express train to Krakow is only 60 minutes, and the surrounding area is very nice. It is pretty cheap to live in by Polish standards.
It sounds like it could be a good entry into Poland. Get some teaching experience, life in Poland experience, and enough money to get by, and look for something better in the fall. Good luck
