News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]


You'd find very few young Poles outside of nationalistic fringe groups that would agree with that. Poles under thirty have largely abandoned the church, especially educated, urban Poles. In all my years of mentoring high school and university students, I encountered only one who was an active Catholic. All the rest had rejected Catholicism, and organized religion in general. Catholicism is strongly associated with fascistic nationalism among young people. The church is going to lose a lot of influence (and cash) over the coming years as the older generations die off and are replaced by the non-religious younger generation. And no, there is no sign that young people will "return to the church" once they get married and have children. Religiosity is now continuing to drop at every stage of life in every age group.

Work / Job prospects in Warsaw, Poland with top-10 MBA [25]

Again, wages don't matter as much as savings potential, which is a function of cost of living in relation to wages. For a prospective MBA, you seem to have some difficulty grasping that point, as many younger people do. When you get older and approach retirement, you will realize how important savings are.

Let me put it another way If you work in the States for ten years, and then retire early to live in Poland and live off of your savings. you will be in a better position than if you had worked 35 years in Poland and retired at age 67. That's 25 years of extra retirement at better conditions. That is the magnitude of your sacrifice for "personal" and "sentimental" reasons. It's not just the overall lower wages.

The other big sacrifice will be opportunities to improve yourself and your qualifications, which are MUCH more abundant in the West than in Poland.

If you don't mind my asking, what is the nature of your personal and sentimental ties to Poland. If it is a romantic partner, it will be far, far easier for her to advance herself and make a living in the West with you than the other way around.

Work / Job prospects in Warsaw, Poland with top-10 MBA [25]


First of all, you are not a Pole, and the rules that apply to them simply do not apply to you at all, so don't even start thinking along those lines. They have family ties that bind them to Poland, they have the home court advantage, and they have extensive networks of family and friends that enable them to save a considerable amount of money, and to help them advance in their careers.

Second of all, hundreds of thousands of Poles have been so discouraged by the lack of good opportunities in Poland, especially for young people, that they go abroad to work that they go to the richer countries of Western Europe to work. A forklift driver in a warehouse in the UK can make a lot more than a physician in Poland, for example.

Poles are struggling a lot more than their counterparts in the West. Wages are much lower and savings potential is drastically lower. The Poles that stay do so because they either have snagged one of the few decent jobs available, or because they do not want to leave their families behind. Or because they are to demoralized to have the time and energy to look for better jobs abroad.

Sorry, but you are vastly underestimating the downsides of living and working in Poland. There is a very good reason that so many Poles go to work abroad, and why so few people from richer countries come to Poland to work. There is nothing you have written that would make me think that your coming to Poland to work would not be a major mistake, again, personal and sentimental reasons notwithstanding. It is difficult for me to imagine that any personal or sentimental gain you would experience working in Poland could ever offset the huge drop in savings potential and personal advancement that you would suffer.

Work / Job prospects in Warsaw, Poland with top-10 MBA [25]


You missed the point, because you,like most young people, are focused on EARNINGS potential (salary) instead of SAVINGS potential, and you are probably not taking into account the rather high cost of living relative to wages which greatly limits savings. You might be resigned to the fact that your salary may be a third or a quarter of what you would make in the West, but what is more shocking is that your savings potential could well be a tenth or a twentieth of what you would end up with in your savings account.

As an example, someone working in the US can often SAVE more per year than a corresponding Pole EARNS per year, and sometimes much more. When you think in terms of saving up to establish a family, buy a home, send the kids to good schools or retire comfortably, working in Poland can be an extremely unwise choice, personal and sentimental reasons notwithstanding.

Work / Job prospects in Warsaw, Poland with top-10 MBA [25]

The biggest problem you may encounter working in Poland, and the figure that should be the key to your decision, is that your savings potential in absolute dollars may be quite a bit lower than in richer countries. Wages are generally much lower, and cost of living is somewhat lower, so that the relative cost of living is quite high.

It would probably make sense if you got a job in the West for a Western country and get transferred to Poland at Western wages. However, that is unlikely to happen until you have some serious senior-level experience behind you, either as a specialist, a manager or a consultant.

So what you should be comparing is how many dollars you would have in your savings account at the end of your stay in Poland versus how many you would have if you were to spend those years working in the West. If this amount is comparable, go for it. But if it's substantially lower, there is little point.

Law / Old Polish money banknotes - what's their value today? [415]


Basically, no. Even when it was in circulation, it had very little value because of inflation, and bills from that period have little collector's value.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Ukrainian. See this: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Trisko-Darden and lots of others sites that turn up with a simple Google search.

Food / The most typical ingredient used in Polish cuisine [40]

Bryza- superb, full nutty flavor and chewy, meaty flesh. The only good variety I have ever met in Poland. Similar to Bintjes, if not the same. Good for any purpose, though not fluffy when mashed (which is fine by me).

Irga and Astra- mediocre, blander starchier potatoes

Wineta and Denar- AWFUL, watery and tasteless, but make mashed potatoes that looked good. Why these are popular on the market, God only knows.

When I lived in Skierniewice, between Warsaw and £ódź, Bryza were popular and plentiful, as well as Irga and Astra.

Then I moved to Wrocław, only Winety and Denary were available, and Bryzy were not to be found at any price. It was terrible until we found a outside source for Bryzy.

Law / Polish Visa Refused, Going To Make Appeal, What should I do ? [81]


... especially if they have very, very strong ties to your home country themselves.

Actually, Kenu, here's a simple test. Ask yourself, would you HONESTLY be much better off staying in your home country than living in the EU? And can you easily prove it with lots of credible official documents? If the answer is no to both of those questions, then there is little chance that you will be able to convince a consul.

Law / Polish Visa Refused, Going To Make Appeal, What should I do ? [81]

Provide solid documents that prove that, in your home country, you have:

1) a well-paying, high-status job of at least several years duration;

2) a substantial amount of immobile property, like a comfortable house or sizable and profitable farm;

3) your own successful business, or a working interest in a corporation, of significant value;

4) a substantial amount of net savings and/or investments in your local economy; and

5) play a significant role in your local or regional community hold an significant office on a local, regional or national scale.

All of which show that you are thriving in your homeland and would lose a lot if you were not to return to your homeland. The more of the above you have and the stronger they are, the better. The fewer and the weaker they are, the more likely the consul is going to suspect that you plan to violate the terms of your visa and stay in the EU.

Language / Why is the Polish language so difficult? [309]

Put periods after "hard", "hard" and "sound".

Work / What kind of CV for a job in a multinational company in Poland; Europass or traditional one? Address problems. [19]

Yes, if you are applying for a job in the US or for an American company.

Work / What kind of CV for a job in a multinational company in Poland; Europass or traditional one? Address problems. [19]

If you are applying in the US or for a US company, NEVER include a photograph or anything that overtly indicates age, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation or disability status on your CV. Otherwise, company policy may require that they put your CV directly in the bin without even reading it. I remember seeing CV's with photos on them when I moved to Poland, and thinking how bizarre that was.

Language / Slavic languages words similarities with Polish [240]


This one is actually quite interesting. The Polish word "kravat" is borrowed from French "cravat", which is a poorly-formed Frenchified form of the Croatian word for Croatia. Apparently, some Croatian mercenaries serving in France in the seventeenth century wore distinctive neck scarves that caught the eye of the Frenchmen of the time, who introduced it into their fashion repertoire. It eventually evolved into the necktie we know today, as well as what is now known in English as the cravat.

Work / Got a Job Offer in Poland but a 3 month Visa and Probation Period concerns me [15]

God knows why why you think there is anything attractive about this offer. It's terrible. You would be much better off staying in India. Forget about Poland and concentrate either on building up your qualifications at home in India, or looking for better opportunities in countries that are richer than Poland.

Study / Between Poznan University and University of Lodz. Which is the best choice? Business study [6]

A degree in business from any school in Poland is just about worthless. Actually, a business degree from just about anywhere is just about worthless. Save your money and time, and study something that actually means something on the job market. Business degrees are dime a dozen, and enable you to get a job sweeping floors at night or putting cans on shelves at the supermarket.

If you want to do business, then study engineering, especially petroleum, geological or biomedical engineering. Or if you are more interested in the financial side of things, then study a financial field that is heavy on mathematics like financial mathematics, financial engineering, econometrics or actuarial sciences.

The world needs more business graduates like it needs cockroaches. And the same goes for other useless "humanities" majors like As for other fields, degrees in the following fields are just about as worthless as one in journalism: psychology, sociology, anthropology, political sciences, communications, media, art, music, film, photography, performing arts, architecture, languages (including English), literature, philosophy, theology, economics, finance (non-math based), business, management, administration, international relations, tourism and recreation, law, criminal justice, history, agriculture, marketing, gender studies, ethnic studies and just about anything that contains the word "studies".

Work / Got a Job Offer in Poland but a 3 month Visa and Probation Period concerns me [15]

Agree. 2000 dollars is the very minimum that would make a move worth considering, and even that is lousy by western standards, and that only for a young, single male.

Your time would be better spent exploring better opportunities in richer countries.

Work / What would be a good salary for an MBA graduate in Poland? [27]

Look up "fallacy of small numbers" and "observational selection". Your post is a classic example of both.

Work / What would be a good salary for an MBA graduate in Poland? [27]

About 5000 to 10000 PLN a month, gross, depending on skill-set, qualifications and experience.

salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=173&loctype=1&job=326&jobtype=3

Perhaps a little more if you have an exotic skill-set, and a bit less if you are working in gaming or graphics. PMP means at least five years experience, so you can expect more toward the upper part of that range, which works out to about $34,000 a year at the current rate. Perhaps a little more if you have more experience.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]

You see some Asians in Wrocław, especially Koreans, but not many Africans. At least one of the large electronics firms is Korean, and the management seems to be largely, if not entirely, Korean there. A few Indians, and a sprinkling of Pakistanis and Iranians, almost all programmers or systems administrators. Actually, you can scratch that "almost".

Right before I left, I noticed an upturn in the number of Chinese. Again apparently from some plant. Quite a few Vietnamese as well, but these have been living here a very long time and have adapted somehow that they don't stick out.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]


I'll have to take your word for it. I haven't spent too much time in Warsaw in the last eight years.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]


Funny you say that. After twelve years in Poland, even I woulds reflexively turn my head if a black person walked by in Wrocław. It's not something you see everyday, even at the universities.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone of color working in a service job except perhaps at a kebab shop or a Vietnamese-run "Chinese" restaurant.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]


You're probably right there. Not much of a chance, but at least a non-zero chance.

As for Warsaw, it never grew on me. I used to live in Skierniewice, and actually enjoyed spending time in £ódź more than Warsaw. But that was more than ten years ago, when Galeria £ódzka was still new and Manufaktura hadn't yet been built, so that Piotrkowska was still very much alive.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]


Agree, that is, if you have the cash to enjoy what they have to offer. Otherwise, not all that nice.


Warsaw is probably the worst choice because of the high cost of living. And it is nowhere near as charming as Wrocław or Kraków (which are likewise rather expensive). Probably the best city in terms of balancing academics, cost of living, and attractiveness is Poznań.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [245]

Basically, there is little reason for a non-Pole to study in Poland. Polish universities do not rank high on the list of universities on a global scale, and programs in English are generally of poor quality, with few exceptions.

The biggest problem is financing. While Polish universities may appear to be cheap, no financial aid or loans are available, and it is next to impossible for foreign students to find a job to finance their studies. Count on earning nothing at all during your stay in Poland, and on not finding work in Poland after your graduate.

With few exceptions, there are better educational opportunities to be found elsewhere, and probably even in your own country, both academically and financially.

You don't give any information about yourself, so I can't say whether any of this is true in your particular case. But, with few exceptions, it's generally true.

As for racism, there isn't generally a problem with outright racism in Poland. Violent acts are few and far between, even though they do sometimes occur. But I think there is less of a problem with this than in other European countries, mostly because there are few foreigners in Poland. You will have a problem making friends, especially if you do not speak Polish well. Many of the international students I know in Poland are loners, especially those from Africa. Students from Africa appear not to associate with other Africans in Poland, so there is little in the way of an international student community, and nothing in the way of an African non-student community.

Also,most of the international students from Africa that I have met have found the Polish winter difficult to deal with. It can be quite depressing for people from warmer climates that have never experienced it before, especially in that it lasts 24 hours a day for five months. At least two African students I knew quit their studies and returned to Africa because they could not deal with the winter. Of course, this is also true for all the other countries in northern Europe, as well.

Work / What would be a good salary for an MBA graduate in Poland? [27]


The cost of living for your family will be about 5000 to 6000 PLN a month in Warsaw, and that is without any savings. That means 7500 to 9000 PLN a month gross, before taxes. If you want to be able to put away half of your paycheck in savings, that means that you will have to earn between 15000 and 18000 PLN a month. That is very unlikely unless you have super-duper qualifications and experience.


Zero chance. The job market is over-saturated, and unless she is extremely highly qualified and experienced, no one will go through the trouble of obtaining work permission for her. Her only chance is to get hired by an international company BEFORE she comes to Poland and get transferred.

USA, Canada / 18 and moving back from USA to Poland?? [19]


Even illegal aliens can get social security numbers in the US since 2012, and there are more than half a million undocumented aliens with social security numbers. The Social Security Administration does not report them to the INS. Having a social security has no effect on resident or immigration status.

Read about it here: cnsnews.com/news/article/barbara-hollingsworth/administration-gave-social-security-numbers-541000-illegal-aliens

Work / What is a good monthly salary for an English teacher in Poland? [124]


Let me guess: Berlitz, or some lousy Callan/Avalon/Direct Method school. The bottom of the barrel schools. That's less than half the going rate, and with no guarantee per week, that's a truly lousy offer. Plus experience in schools like that won't enhance your CV, and might actually work against you. I would think long and hard before accepting a lousy offer like that.

Work / What is a good monthly salary for an English teacher in Poland? [124]


Again, people say stupid things. I learned Danish before I went to Denmark without any contact with Danish speakers, and that was before the internet even existed. Now, the resources available to you are legion. You can download tons of books, audiobooks and films online for free, and there are tons of websites to help you keep abreast of local affairs.

If you want to move to Poland, that's fine. Getting a job teaching English could be a problem, though, because few schools are willing to go through the hassle of hiring a non-EU teacher on a full-time work contract, which is what you will need to establish residency. Also, if you do not have a CELTA certificate, the better paying jobs will be mostly out of reach for you.

Work / What is a good monthly salary for an English teacher in Poland? [124]


Believe it or not, I'm one of them myself. I've studied in Germany, Denmark, Greece, Israel, the UK, Pennsylvania and California, and have lived in Chicago, Indiana and twelve years in Poland, in Skierniewice and Wrocław. But believe it or not, there are also people who think they can escape from the reality of life by coming to Poland where they delusionally think that they will land great jobs and make big bucks in spite of the fact that they have no salable skills, education, qualifications or experience, nor any plans to get any of the above, and that everything will somehow, someday magically work out.


Can't imagine why. I retired at 42 and was able to come to Poland to help teens, students and scientists further their careers, something which gives me great satisfaction. And before you mouth off again about what you assume I'm like, I'm an rather ascetic Buddhist, very happy, and committed to helping other people be productive and happy, too, thank you.