Venezuelan person asking for some advice about a job and a working visa in Poland

Hi guys,
My name is David. I'm from Venezuela living in London for about 8 years now.
The reason of this post is to ask for some advice to get a job and a working visa in Poland.

Well, as I said before I have been in the UK 8 years with 2 years remaining on my UK working visa, therefore I'm not going to Poland because my visa is running out, I actually have a decent life in UK which during these 8 years have given me the fortunate opportunity to have met and made so many great polish friends, and learnt so much about polish culture that I have decided to move over there next year (beginning of 2011).

I am just at the starting point of this research, obviously the main place where I should go is the polish embassy/consulate in London or ask my polish friends; I just want to find out more info if someone knows or have had similar experience that might want to share with me.

To tell you a bit abut myself I'm 29 years old, with a Degree in Audio Visual Arts (BA Sound and Media) which I finished this year (July 2010) and also I did a National Diploma in Music Technology both courses done in UK institutions.

I have done various type of job ranging from making coffee, sales assistant, stockroom control, waitress and catering, to jobs more related to my profession such as a live sound engineer for music venues and also as a sound recordist/sound technician/sound designer for amateurs film makers.

I was told that I should start as a Spanish teacher, or working as a Spanish translator for International/oversea Companies, do you guys have some websites where I can register to apply for this kind of jobs? Will, by having a degree already, although not related to teaching, make me a qualified teacher? what courses should I do in Poland to b a qualified teacher? any websites?

My ideal job would be working in the film and music industry but I think it will be a bit harder to get mainly because my polish language is not that good yet. Do you think I should try to look for these sort of jobs?

Regarding to working visas, does anyone knows if a employer will sponsor someone with the right qualifications from a non european country to work as a teacher or translator?

Lastly, I just want to tell you that if you are going to insult or being racist, I will respect your freedom of speech but I won't bother to reply that kind of posts, I'm sorry.

Thank you very much for your help in advance.

David

Maybe yes, maybe no - but as you need a visa to even get into Poland, it's not going to be easy. If you had real qualifications relating to Spanish, it would be easier - but there are many, many Spanish people already in Poland - and they're the ones who can take the jobs. You're going to find it very difficult to find an employer willing to go to the hassle of getting a work permit, especially as there are very few dedicated Spanish schools.


Qualified teacher? You'll need a recognised teaching qualification to work in schools. Private schools, you need some sort of teacher training course - I have no idea about Spanish, but you need something that includes an element of assessed teaching time. Of course, this isn't essential for private schools - but any school that can offer you enough work to get a work permit/visa granted isn't likely to hire someone "off the street".

Basically - it's not going to be easy. In fact, it's likely to be quite tough - especially as Polish employers like to hire people in-country.

Hi delphiandomine
I really thank you the replies you have just posted. In such a short time you have told me something that none of my polish friends have told me. They made it look kind of easy to work as a teacher in Poland but I always thought it wasn't that easy anyway, you just confirm my theory.

I'll have a look at some of the posts already in PF to find out more info.
Do you know by any chance what sort of course I should do in Poland in order to be a qualified teacher?

I am aware of the courses that UK institutions provide to become a qualified teacher, but I have no idea about what curses to do if I decided to do it in Poland.

Your help will be very much appreciated.

Thanks.
David

No - they are available and they hire English speaking engineers, that I can tell you for a fact. I have been behind the scenes on a couple of different production locations, and heard English people.


Cervantes and Sin Fronteras are the two Spanish schools in Warsaw, there was a shortage of Spanish teachers in Warsaw. What the status is now I am not sure.

Here is another one as well academiadelalengua.pl

Good Luck

It's easy enough if you are an EU citizen, or someone who can come to Poland on the 90 day tourist stamp. But as someone who needs a visa to even enter, it's much more difficult - it's all to do with the mentality of Poles. Probably - your friends are looking at it from the perspective of someone already in Poland.

It's worth pointing out that there isn't such a huge demand for Spanish either.


For Spanish, not a clue. The equal for English is the CELTA or Trinity TESOL courses.


If Warsaw is anything like Poznan, then there's been a massive influx in recent months of many Spanish guys. The "rate" for a native Spanish teacher in Poznan is now down to 25-30zl, all because of too much supply.

Contact: Jose Gomez
School sinfronteras.pl

Contact Jose, I am sure he will be able to advise you what is required for Spanish teachers in PL


delph, is normally on the money when it comes to the "teaching sector"

I try to be, there's so much nonsense posted online about teaching here that it drives me mad.

One guy was claiming that he was paying "Scandinavian" prices in Poznan for alcohol. Knowing a little bit about those prices, I'm still stumped as to where he was drinking beer for 20zl for a half litre. About the only kind of place that would charge anything near that would be either a strip club or one or two clubs - which your average ESL teacher wouldn't be in!

English would not be a problem if you refer to the language, I can also speak Portuguese and Italian.
Thanks for the valuable info anyway.


I might be wrong but as far as I know Venezuelans don't need visa to enter a country in the European Union under the 90 days tourist visa.

I have been in Poland visiting friends in 2006, 2007 and 2009 and I never had any issues at the airport apart from the normal questioning by the officers, but it might have changed, I will confirm this info!

Cheers!


Great, many thanks!


Good to know this too!

As was mentioned before,things get done on the ground in Poland, not at distance. No company is going to relocate you in the current financial climate,when they can hire locals. So the sooner you arrive in PL, even if it is only for a week, and start knocking on doors,the sooner you will have success.

If in doubt, ask Chavez ;0

Seriously though, the above posters have pointed you in the right direction.

totally agree with you!


he he he I knew someone will mention him at some point, it was quicker than I thought.
I'm sure he won't have time to answer my questions, he is too busy dealing with his great friends Putin, Ahmadinejad, Lukashenko, Jintao and obviously Castro. He doesn't have time for Venezuelans as most of the people around the world would think.

Anyway, this post was to ask for some advice, I hope it won't turn into a politic post.

Two more bits of bad news to consider in terms of Spanish teaching.

Your only real chance is probably through connections. Otherwise they're not so interested in hiring a non-EU national when there are EU citizens already in Poland.

Spanish people are often prejudiced against Latin American accents in general and that attitude is often transferred to Polish teachers of Spanish. Keep that in mind if you ever do reach the interview stage with a Polish teacher of Spanish - be as hyper correct as you can manage and don't drop any s's.

Thanks for your tips, I will consider what you have just written on your post. The info you have given me is very important!


I actually never thought of this. I would have not paid to much attention to this point if you haven't mentioned it but it's very true.

Cheers!

why dont you open an AREPERA?

I would be really happy if I could get a business visa to open an Arepera. I'm not too sure if the business would take off but in order to make it appealing for polish people I would add some other interesting features such as live music.

Most of my polish friends like dancing Salsa so I guess it wouldn't be a bad idea if done properly and well thought.
Cheers!

FWIW the extremely limited experience I have with Venezuelan food makes me think it could be popular in Poland. Especially the shredded beef and arepas...

The main problem would be getting them in the door in the first place, but once they try it I think they'd like it (more so than Tex-Mex or Indian at any rate).

If you've got the funds to start, the visa is the least of your worries :)

Poland is open to anyone with cash, basically.

I think the way to get a polish person to step inside a Venezuelan eatery would be combining some aspects in our culture (both Polish and Venezuelan) that attached us some how.

Then, you might think, what are those aspects?
Well, first of all, friendliness. I have been lucky enough to have met really friendly polish people in London, an Arepera with friendly staffs would help to make a customer to come back. I've been told that Venezuelans are quite friendly too.

Second of all, religion. Venezuelans as well as Polish people are catholic. That will give away a sense of closeness between us. We celebrate Christmas, Easter and some other religious holidays in a similar way as you do, and also on the same dates.

Next, some food are quite similar too. For instance, you guys have the delicious polish soup called flaczki, whereas we have a soup called "mondongo" that has quite similar ingredients, google it up!!.

Polish girls are very pretty, so Venezuelan girls.
You guys used to live in a communist system; we unfortunately are heading towards the same direction.
You have extremely beautiful countryside, full of lakes, rivers, mountains such as Zakopane and a seaside up north with the Baltic Sea. So we have, with the exception of we have the Caribbean Sea up north, a little bit warmer though :-).

Venezuelan soup operas are quite popular in Poland, so are they in Latin America among with Brazilians, Colombians, Argentinians and Mexicans soup operas.
You guys like drinking quite a bit of Vodka, so do we, but instead of vodka we drink rum. Vodka is very popular too but not as much as rum. You can actually find Zubrowka in Venezuela. Is quite expensive and is considered a good quality vodka, but my polish friends have told me that zubrowka is considered in Poland just another simple normal vodka, nothing special. If you guys like rum, I suggest you to try Cacique or Aniversario Pampero, but please drink it responsibly!!.

I could mention many more aspects that we have in common and would make it easy to break the ice between Polish and Venezuelans.
I intended to write this post as a fun way to explain what I think we have in common according to my experience with polish people, by no means I wanted to offend or insult polish culture. Please forgive me if I did.


Thanks for the tip!

HI david I am from Venezuela (Caracas) I live in Warsaw contact with me Some good things can be done here in poland

Hi Erinson, i have sent you an email today.
thanks a lot for your reply!!
Best regards
David