Working in Poland in a Non-Polish Speaking Job? - How? What? (no teachers!)

So I'm wondering who on here is working in Poland but doesn't speak Polish (not including teachers)

What do you do? How did you get the job? How much do you get paid?

I'll start with me -

What? I'm doing some freelance work for a polish software company on a (very) temporary basis.
How? Through LinkedIn
How much? Not prepared to say.

I'll go next:

Now I'm a teacher but I started out working for an American company as PR Director. I couldn't speak any Polish at all then.

What about this... ?

Poland is headhunting seriously in IT, Finance and HR.
All Europe is trying to recover after the crisis in US... And guess what? Poland is still offering jobs. Even in the post-crisis times. They are headhunting seriously, and it is been hard to find people around here! So it is time to start looking around and building your network!

Check more:

poland business network

Everything about jobs and business in Poland...

It is my blog, which I am sharing my contacts, tips and several other important information about making yourself settled in Poland. Business, Network, Jobs, Poland.

Check the thread I posted, I put an ad of Helpdesk job that my company is looking for.

What? Working full time developing software for a german firm

How? Through Monsterpolska, after 4 months of massive job applications (my knowledge of German was decisive to get the job)

How much? Enough for living+having fun+saving, still not as much as I could be doing somewhere else, but hey this is Poland!

I'm really glad you got something sorted in the end. I saw some of your posts and I can relate to everything you wrote.

Poland has the highest proportion of male prostitutes, at 15 per cent.( europe )
And if you get to pick your clientele, what a lovely job it could be.
I would be curious to find out what the rates are though.

I started working in PR but quit shortly because being a teacher was so much better. The choice was

fun PR job but hard work with 40-50 hour workweeks and make 3500zl
or
work 3 days a week teaching and make 4500zl

Career-wise though, teaching is a lame duck unless you can manage to get yourself into management, and many people go mental in management. The only "good" jobs in teaching are in universities or for the British Council, as far as I can tell...

From 200zl a go for the classier ones (agency charges 300 and keeps 100) down to 10zl for the dregs. Ones working bars get between 50 and 100 depending on all sorts of factors, but the ones in saunas etc generally charge 20zl for a few minutes.

And people desperate enough to do it don't usually have much choice about who they do.

Damn ! Thats me out of a job then.

What? Programmer for one of the big Polish banks.
How? By contacts and my niche knowledge of a particular software package.
How much? More than I would earn teaching english.

Well, looks like I will just have to carry on busking down the subway.

" one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready............"

WOW ! They,re chucking it in and its all tax-free !

Oh sure I know that but Im hoping to open up my own business in the near future, and teaching gives me plenty of time to do whats good in life for now. Uni jobs are good if you crave authority and love paradoxes, besides that its pretty measly, and the BC jobs are for dudes who take themselves way too seriously.

If you set yourself up as a competent teacher I see 6k PLN no problem for "average teaching". If your lucky and land yourself a sweet corporate contract 10-15k can be had, but those are few and far between.

Teaching has been the stable career of many. A teacher trainer can often just be temporary and the increments aren't worth the ulcers. Although I'm glad that I have a CELTA, there is often just a large degree of money grabbing in course administration.

I share the same reservations about the British Council. I have no room for elitist or dry folk and they may fit that description.

Yes. Every teacher trainer also teaches students. There is a very limited aount of work doing that and a lot of people chasing it.


Maybe some do, but by no means all. Though you can certainly find that.

The Council is scaling back operations in Europe though, so it isn't the stable job some people think - some time ago they all had to reapply for their own jobs, and the staff levels in PL are but a shadow of what they used to be, the salary seems good, but locally recruited staff get a lot less than centrally recruited staff, and even then a good teacher can more than match that working freelance.

And they all seem tired and stressed due to the long hours, particularly the non-teaching time during which they have to be present and available.

True, jonni, true. I did a bit of training but, like as so often in life, set and setting (time and place). It was just a short task.

There's a lot of 'bumff' to sift through in such meetings. Coordinators have a hard time of it.