Work / Is there a market for teaching Dutch in Poland [22]

Agree with delphiandomine. Finding Poles interested in learning Dutch is easy. Finding students who are willing to pay is not. And finding reliable and dependable students is a whole other thing entirely.

Charging 60 PLN will attract few, if any students. That's my price for teaching English, and if it weren't for word of mouth, I would have few students indeed. Quality long-term students paying decent money comes only after you establish a reputation for yourself. Until then, you will have to put up with unreliable students who cancel lessons a lot or quit after a few lessons. You might bring in a few zlotys, but it's definitely not going to be much, and you won't be able to count on it. You certainly cannot assume that you are going to regularly bring in even 500 PLN a month.

Study / Rumor about racism - will I be fine in Poland as a black International student from Africa? [241]

Studying is certainly possible. Working, on the other hand, is extremely unlikely. Don't count on it. As a matter of fact, it's safest to assume that you will definitely not find work.

Study / Portugese erasmus student moving To Poznan. Job, rent, language? [9]


I'd stay at home and study my butt off for those college levels so that I can get into the best school possible. Perhaps help out at your parents cafe and save up a little money, which you won't be able to do in Poland. Nothing wrong with visiting your friends there for a week or two, but spending a year there is a bit unrealistic.

Work / Dutch speaker (native) experienced in Finance: job opportunities in Poland [63]

sobieski:
be able to join the Mon-Fri crowd.

MatteoCarati:
What do you mean by that?[/quote]

That option is generally for higher level managers and consultants on short-term contracts with foreign companies doing business in Poland. Sometimes also for instructors or product demonstrators. It's rarely for more than a few weeks, a few months tops, although it could be longer if you are visting branches in several cities. You would be paid at the foreign rate, and the company would provide accommodation, flights and perhaps a per diem. Unfortunately, the jobs for which this is the practice are all beyond your level.

Have to agree with the others that expecting to make decent money in Poland with your qualifications and experience is unrealistic. The best you're looking at is 2500 to 3000 PLN a month after taxes, and unless you get into upper level management or administration, or become a highly qualified specialist or consultant, you're going to top out at 4000 to 5000 PLN, and that only after at least five years. To make more than that, you have to be highly qualified, very experienced and in demand.. You have to be an ambitious self-starter and go getter, and have a great network of useful connections. You also have to be lucky.

Real Estate / Day of exchange of contracts with property sellers in Poland [12]

Indeed. I would not authorize any transfer of funds unless you are in FULL possession of the property, and the sellers have completely moved out for good. There is something fishy going on here. If you can't arrange things exactly to your liking, then follow your instict and pull out completely. Otherwise, you're likely to get ripped off.

Study / Portugese erasmus student moving To Poznan. Job, rent, language? [9]

Agree with the others that the only work you are likely to find is in a call center, and with your level of education and lack of experience, it's likely to be sales-related cold-calling, the worst kind of call-center work available for the lowest pay. Lousy job for barely enough to survive on, if you live like a monk and count every penny. Handing out leaflets isn't an option, as you will never make enough to survive. Teaching in a language school is flat out, and tutoring will only bring in a small amount of money, if you find anyone to tutor at all.

The question is why aren't you getting an education yourself? That should be your highest priority right now. Your future is bleak without salable qualifications.

Food / Is KALE sold available in Warsaw? Anyone fancy jarmuż in Poland? [5]

In Poland, Kale is a home-grown vegetable that is easy enough to get in the countryside. It's rarely sold in Polish stores, although you may see it in vegetable stands in January. Also, you're looking at the wrong time of the year. Kale is a winter vegetable, and requires a good frost before it becomes really tasty. December and January are peak kale season. It's one of the few green things available fresh at that time of the year. At the beginning of July, gardeners haven't even planted kale yet.

Australia / Polish language books for donation in Melbourne [4]

Try:
St Ignatius' Church
326 Church Street
Richmond Vic 3121

(03) 8420 6789

They serve the local Polish community, and would more than likely find a good home for those books.

Work / What are the average salaries in Poland for teachers, doctors, engineers? [16]


Average wages are useless figures and don't really provide any real information. Overall, wages are MUCH lower in the States for the same job. VERY MUCH lower. Especially for professionals.

There are only five groups of people who earn high wages (more than 6000 PLN, net) in Poland: 1) entrepreneurs who entered the market at the right time when there was little competition and made themselves into market leaders; 2) very experienced, highly qualified professionals working in high level administrative positions; 3) very experienced, highly qualified professionals and consultants that possess skills and knowledge that are in very short supply on the Polish market; 4) very experienced, highly qualified specialist doctors and lawyers who have their own practice, for which connections, especially family connections, are extremely important; and 5) very experienced, highly qualified professionals in high level management and admistration positions for foreign companies who get paid at foreign rates.

Aside from these positions, you're looking at a ceiling of about 4000-5000 PLN a month, net, and that only after many years of experience and in mid and upper level management and administrative jobs. Entry level jobs pay half that at best, or less, if at all. Many recent grads work in unpaid internships to get experience, and consider themselves lucky that they are working at all, even if for nothing.

As for cost of living, it's not all that much cheaper than the States. Some things, like computers and electronic consumer goods, are even more expensive. Rent ranges from about 700 PLN for a no-frills room in a student apartment in a city, utilities except internet included, to double that for a studio apartment in a city, to triple or more that for a one-bedroom apartment in a city. Many recent grads live with mom and dad if they can. Rents outside of cities are lower, but job opportunities are scarcer and wages are lower, too.

Food for a young male will cost 500-600 PLN for spartan eat-at home potato-and-macaroni-based dining, to double that for a better meat-based diet. Public transport will cost anywhere between 60 to 100 PLN a month. Few recent grads can afford a car.

For a single person, 1000 PLN net would be poverty existence. 2000 PLN would be spartan and no frills in the countryside, and poverty existence in the cities. 3000 PLN would be good in the countryside, but spartan and no-frills in the cities. Very few recent grads earn more than that.

The index you should be looking at is how many DOLLARS you can put away as savings at the end of the month. Few Poles can put away 300 dollars or more, and most can only put a little on the side for a rainy day fund, if that.

If you want to compare Poland to the States, compare it with small-town Walmart-is-the-only-business-in-town Alabama and Mississippi. Opportunities are scarce, and wages are low enough that most Poles have seriously considered working abroad, and many do. It's an extremely hostile and competitive job market that has little to offer American job seekers, unless they are very experienced and highly qualified. And lucky.

Life / Polish way of life? [34]


This is by far the best encapsulation you will find:

youtube.com/watch?v=V2sedTLIRWU

Law / trying to leave Poland with a traffic ticket [8]

Delph is right on this one. It's just not worth the worry. Get it sorted out.

Study / Vistula University in Poland. Any experience? Any student? [57]


Tell your friend that, whatever's he heard, studying at a lousy universtity in Poland is not a backdoor to the EU. Whoever gave him that idea is full of stinky moist brown substance. He's been scammed.

Yes, he should withdraw from Vistula. It's a complete waste of time and money. He should consider studying in his own country. If he's a SERIOUS student, there are far more better places to study than in an English-language program at a Polish university. Those programs are usually very bad, and the diplomas are useless, especially from schools like Vistula and C.C.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]


Actually, more like the major building firms not getting paid for a lot of the work they did to prepare for EURO 2012. They'll be in court for many years trying to recover a fraction of what they are owed. The city of Wrocław is being sued left and right. A lot of the minor firms and subcontractors were wiped out.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]


You did. Development in the infrastructure and building industry have slowed down considerably. A lot of my civil engineer friends have lost their jobs, or soon will. Even managers. Granted, it took longer to collapse in Poland than elsewhere, but collapse it did.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]


Apples and oranges. Poland was far behind the west 10 years ago, and, in spite of the growth, still has a good deal of catching up to do.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]

You forgot about all the British and Irish boyfriends of Polish girls who moved back to Poland to be close to their families. They're a perennial broken-record on this forum :)

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]


There are a lot of scams operating now that prey on unsuspecting citizens of developing countries, promising them a good life in the EU using Poland as a back door to the wealthier western European countries.

Apparently, this forum has gotten a reputation as the place to look. This forum is littered with posts from people from India, Nigeria and other third world countries asking about work, study or even paper marriages in Poland, and all seem to have fallen for the BS spread by scam artists, and regurgitate the absolute nonsense they have heard. It's amazing how many third-worlders post here.

Study / Vistula University in Poland. Any experience? Any student? [57]

@Researchers: Fake "university" run by some rich Turkish guy. For God's sake, it doesn't even have a Wikipedia article, neither in English nor in Polish. That's a HUGE red flag right there. Students are losers who couldn't get into real schools, and foreign suckers seeking a foot-in-the-door of the EU. Agree with the others that the diplomas issued are worth diddly-squat, even inside Poland. Your classmate will simply waste his time there, and get nothing out of the experience except an empty bank account. Poor little dope!

Work / Relocating to Poland, looking for a IT job in Krakow/ Katowice / Wroclaw. [13]


Finding a job is one thing. Finding a job that pays well enough to make relocating a realistic option is another.

Your best bet is to get employed by a foreign company at foreign pay rates. This usually isn't a viable option unless you are able to work at least as a project manager, research director, regional sales/marketing manager or very high-level specialist/consultant. Otherwise, you'd be paid the going Polish wage, which is not at all that attractive, especially if you have a family to support. You might be able to leverage your knowledge of languages into a pay increase, but that depends on the particular employer and job in question.

Contact international companies like HP, Nokia and IBM and see if they have any high-paying job opportunities that fit your qualifications and experience in Poland. It's best to land a job BEFORE you come. Competition is tight, especially for well-paying jobs, and you will be at a disadvantage not knowing the local language and having only a bachelors degree, though your experience could count for something.

Work / Teaching English in Poland (Poznan) with my TEFL Cert degree [14]


I wouldn't be surprised in the least. Even with a slightly lower pay, though, the savings in terms of cost of living will be substantial, and equivalent to a hefty pay increase.

Work / Teaching English in Poland (Poznan) with my TEFL Cert degree [14]


Not much lower than in the popular cities, if at all. Significantly higher if you are minimally qualified. Advantages are much lower cost of living, especially housing, scant competition, and schools desperate to find native speakers that retention is a serious priority. Country living does have its advantages.

I'm really happy that I spent my first four years in Poland teaching in a provincial city. The friendships I made were far deeper and longer lasting than those I've made in the city.

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]


If you're unable to get by on $100 to 170K in Chicago, there is absolutely no way that you will be able to get by at all in Poland, where your earnings will be much, much less. You obviously sorele lack fiscal discipline. You won't last long in Poland.

The rest of your posts are blithering nonsense. Your views on life, earnings and costs in Poland and the US are totally unrealistic. You're doing a lot of comparing apples and oranges.

USA, Canada / Shipping large quantity of Polish vodka to the US [14]


Definitely not worth the hassle and expense, and cannot be done by post. See
help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/212/~/requirements-for-importing-alcohol-for-personal-use

Work / Teaching English in Poland (Poznan) with my TEFL Cert degree [14]


Indeed. Wrocław is literally awash with native speakers desperate for any kind of work.


Seen it dozens of times myself. Anyone dumb enough for the "you can earn a lot as a native speaker" line would probably benefit from an intensive course in the school of hard knocks, though. TANSTAAFL.

Work / Teaching English in Poland (Poznan) with my TEFL Cert degree [14]


Yes, it is. You missed the word "reliable" in my post. 40 to 50 PLN an hour means 20 to 25 PLN if you're stuck with a flaky student who cancels every other lesson at the last minute (no shortage of those in Poland). Also, I don't advertise anymore, either. All of my students come to me by word of mouth. Fortunately, I work at the university here in Wrocław, and I am well known for helping kids get into foreign universities. Last time I looked, Wrocław Gumtree was loaded with ads from native speakers giving conversation lessons for 30 PLN. (And I bet most of them are Brits and Irishemen who came here to be with their Polish girlfriends). Private lessons are fine as supplemental income, but as a full-time job, it requires a great deal of work.


Absolutely. I said the best jobs go to the best qualified and the most experienced.


The best advice is to forget about it unless you know for sure that you will be making enough to fully support yourself all year round. Or consider working outside of the popular cities with large universities and plenty of competition from established native speakers. Try places in eastern Poland like Augustów, Mielec, Chełm or £omża.

Work / Teaching English in Poland (Poznan) with my TEFL Cert degree [14]


If "shortly" means before October, your chances of finding work teaching English in a good school are remote. Work is scarce during the summer vacation, and what few jobs there are have already been taken.


If it isn't a CELTA, it's not going to be worth much on the job market except outside of the the popular cities I list below..


The job market is tight in the larger "civilized" cities like Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, Poznań and Gdańsk because there is already an abundant supply of native teachers there, both qualified and unqualified. The best jobs with the best conditions and wages go to the best qualified and most experienced teachers. Other teachers have to fight over the table scraps, and end up working in the worse schools for lower wages and under worse working conditions.

Avoid Callan, Avalon and "Direct Method" schools like the plague. They're basically shady operations that pay very poorly, and sometimes not at all. Avoid any school that will not sign a REAL full time contract with you, or that asks you whether they can fudge your tax information.

Never take a job that pays less than 50 PLN per 60 minutes AFTER TAXES. If they can't guarantee you at least 20 hours a week, keep on looking. When calculating monthly income, realize that you are not going to be paid for the Christmas break, the two week winter holiday, and other holidays during the school year. As I said, work during the summer is going to be scarce. Don't count on it, especially in the popular cities.

If you're coming to Poland for fun, experience and adventure, fine. If you're coming here to make money, though, forget about it. You'll be lucky if you break even from October to June, and will most like lose out overall because of the summer doldrums. Very few English teachers make a real good living here in Poland, and those that do are highly qualified and experienced, are good businessmen and marketers, speak the local language well and operate independently.

Forget about giving private lessons. Until you're experienced, the best, high-paying customers won't even look at you. It takes a lot of time and work to build up a reputation and reliable client base, and a lot of business savvy. Hard to do without having considerable savings to tide you over, or with fluency in Polish. The competition is fierce, and never sleeps.

Lastly, about the girlfriend. She will drop you like a hot potato if you do not earn enough to support at least yourself. Think twice about living together with her family. Polish "in-laws" are fine if you're bringing in enough cash to support yourself and contribute your fair share to household expenses (expect to contribute at least 500 PLN for room, and 1000 PLN for board; if they expect more, they will let you know). After the third day of your stay, they will start counting every penny you cost them. Once you become a financial liability, they will very quickly unite against you and start making life hell for you. The best thing that can happen is that they will kick your sorry ass out on the street. Parasites are dealt with very harshly in Poland. Things will ever improve until your "account" with them is in the black, and promises to stay that way for the forseeable future.

Love / Asking her family for permission to propose to my Polish girlfriend? [28]

@David 91: First of all, asking for permission is rather old-fashioned and quaint. It's not the rule in modern Poland. It's more likely to come off as odd than as "proper". Second of all, if you are planning to move here, make sure you to find gainful employment BEFORE YOU COME. Don't try to play it by ear unless you have abundant savings to burn.

For God's sake, do not move in with her family. Get your own place where you have control over the environment. Whatever your relationship may be like now, it's going to make a major turn for the worse if you have to live in close quarters with your in-laws, especially if you are under-earning or not earning at all. You might be tolerated for a short while, but then they will start to make life EXTREMELY unpleasant for you.

Next, don't be cowed into throwing your money away on a big wedding. Live as frugally as possible until you have a good-sized nest egg built up. If you smoke, drink or like to buy unessential things, stop NOW. The only thing you shouldn't skimp on is education to improve your qualifications. Both of you should be actively improving yourselves now. That won't be possible when baby comes.

If, as your nick suggests, you're only 22 years old, wait another five years. Early marriages rarely succeed, both because the partners are not yet emotionally mature, and because they are not financially stable.

Last of all, never ever propose marriage unless you already have a stable source of income adequate enough to support two people in their own apartment at a reasonable level of comfort. Unless you are determined and able to be the sole breadwinner, never ever propose to anyone who is not in the same financial situation. Never expose yourself to the risk of having a child until you are mature enough and financially stable enough to provide for yourselves and it.

In short, when deciding about marriage, take love out of the equation. If it still makes sense, then fine. But never expect love to make up for material and financial deficits in the relationship. Love doesn't fill an empty belly, or protect you from the rain. Think of marriage as a financial contract that has nothing whatsoever to do with love, and you'll be fine.

Work / Any Speed School of English in Poland? [54]


You'll end up losing money over the course of the school year at that rate of pay, even if they pay you for thirty hours a week, which is doubtful. Definitely not a tempting offer.

Work / Any Speed School of English in Poland? [54]

Basically, it's not worth coming to Poland to teach English unless you are guaranteed a monthly income of at least 3500 PLN per month after taxes, and you have a genuine full-time contract to work from a school with a good reputation. That would be the absolute minimum to make it worth your while.

Second of all, avoid the big and popular cities like Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław. The market is way saturated with teachers who are better qualified than you, and with "teachers" who are willing to work for a lot less than you should be considering. Small provincial cities are the best, because your pay goes further due to the lower cost of living. The big, popular sities are fun only if you have plenty of cash to enjoy them.

Third of all, avoid Callan, Avalon and "Direct Method" schools like the plague. They're basically ahady operations.

Last of all, if you're coming to Poland for fun, experience and adventure, fine. If you're coming here to make money, though, forget about it. You'll leave with empty pockets, and probably won't break even for the year, if you take you plane tickets and residencey permit into account.

When calculating monthly income, realize that you are not going to be paid for the Christmas break, the two week winter holiday, and other holidays during the school year. Your hourly rate should be no less than 50 PLN per 60 minutes after taxes. Also, if the school tries to fob off the cost of the work permit on you, run, don't walk away. On the other hand, you are responsible for the cost of the residency permit.

Work / Any Speed School of English in Poland? [54]

There's one in Wrocław, too. It's a Callan method school. Some of my friends have worked there, but they didn't like it. It doesn't have a good reputation among the English schools in the town.