English native in Lublin (30zl for 60min) looking for a job

dtaylor5632Threads: 49 Posts: 4,459 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 13:44 #31
Well for Jaroslaw who owned Real supermarket chain I had to research a load of crap, would take me a couple of hours just to put together a 1 hour lesson. He was into "old English" and had many books he wanted explained in very fine detail.

Morad83Threads: 3 Posts: 30 Joined: Mar 5, 10 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 13:50 #32
Yeah that deserves a hefty price for all the work you put in :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 13:50 #33
Yeah, some can be pedantic/precise with their requirements. The key is to be adaptable and you get what you need :)

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Apr 27, 10, 13:59 #34

dtaylor5632:

Well for Jaroslaw who owned Real supermarket chain I had to research a load of crap, would take me a couple of hours just to put together a 1 hour lesson. He was into "old English" and had many books he wanted explained in very fine detail.

That's the thing - there are people out there who are very willing to pay high prices in exchange for a massive amount of preparation and knowledge. But - in general, I think the rule is that you are best to find your niche and stick to it rather than trying to be a jack of all trades.

I think as well, if you advertise "I can do everything" - people immediately assume that you're a master of nothing. And of course - advertising a price is always silly - what's the point, when you can set your price according to what the client actually wants?

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Apr 27, 10, 14:04 #35

Well, clients tend to like regularity as they can factor in learning costs. Economic forces can take effect, e.g inflation, but I tend to keep my prices the same. You always have to remember how their circumstances have changed in a material way. Salaries aren't rising proportionately with inflation so you have to accept that your money will buy you a bit less but teachers aren't exactly looking for maximum purchasing power. If they are then they are in the wrong profession.

dtaylor5632Threads: 49 Posts: 4,459 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Edited by: dtaylor5632 Apr 27, 10, 14:05 #36
I never advertised. All my students were friends of other students or from word of mouth. The job was the same as well. I'm interested in medieval times and history so it was a pleasure to teach him. Other students could be a bit erm....weird to put it nicely! :) I also have some horror stories that always make me smile when I think back :D

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Edited by: delphiandomine Apr 27, 10, 14:10 #37

Seanus:

Well, clients tend to like regularity as they can factor in learning costs

Oh, of course - once you agree a price, it's very unprofessional to change it unless what they expect has dramatically changed. Everyone I deal with has been told the same thing - that the price is set until August. Depending on what's happening with the Euro exchange rate then, the price will either stay the same or go up - impossible to tell right now, really.

I've heard of one tactic used by an idiotic native who offered really cheap lessons for the first two, then bumped his price up dramatically. Funnily enough, he couldn't retain anyone!

As for advertising - I advertise, but I want very specific students (those that want an invoice, and will pay for at least a month of lessons at once, either at the start or end of the month) - so I turn down quite a few people in the process.

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Apr 27, 10, 14:14 #38

delphiandomine:

I've heard of one tactic used by an idiotic native who offered really cheap lessons for the first two, then bumped his price up dramatically. Funnily enough, he couldn't retain anyone!

Haha, bet he was popular.

Price per lesson must really stay the same or you will be caught out in the end. In Krk I always tied down my students by asking for lessons paid up front. I.e 4 weeks in advance. As I got fed up with students who would constantly change their times. It also meant I got put time aside to dedicate to them.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 14:16 #39
I bumped up the price too for one student due to the initial 'feeling out' period leading me to conclude that what I was getting wasn't quite enough. I'm the last person to be greedy but you have to get remuneration commensurate with your effort expended. Besides, the raised price is still very good for her.

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Apr 27, 10, 14:27 #40

dtaylor5632:

In Krk I always tied down my students by asking for lessons paid up front. I.e 4 weeks in advance. As I got fed up with students who would constantly change their times. It also meant I got put time aside to dedicate to them.

Yep, this works for me too. Usually, what I do is offer them a small discount to pay upfront, so it's worth it for them too. Or of course, if they want an invoice to a business, then I'm happy to give them the invoice at the end of the month too as long as I have the company details in advance.

It's amazing how much work you can get by simply offering an invoice though!

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Edited by: Harry Apr 27, 10, 15:22 #41

Morad83:

120 pln an hour :() WOW! Do many people agree to pay it?

Lots. That price is slightly cheaper than the schools will charge but the client knows the product will be better. With me students get a teacher who's been teaching in Poland for 15 years and has taught at very high levels (VPs and board members of WSE-listed companies, dept directors at PKO and PZU, etc), with a school they will probably get somebody who's only been teaching for a year or two. It's a no-brainer for them. The trick is to pitch against schools, not against the '30zl for a one-hour chat over coffee' crowd.

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Edited by: ukpolska Apr 27, 10, 17:19 #42

Morad83:

I would have to disagree with you 30zl is the going rate here all the natives I know charge that including me. You can charge more but at this price it's reasonable and you get more students.

That is shocking because that actually means that the price has gone down and I very much doubt if you will get the long term natives settling for 30zl per hour.

I know six guys who have been in the Lublin area the same amount of time that I have been here and not one of them charge under 50zl and never advertise as all the people come to you by word of mouth and reputation.

I still do a little bit, but only for people who have been coming to me for years and occasionally I take on another one and I charge 60zl.

I guess it all boils down to what your used to and what your happy with and if 30zl is that that's cool :) But I will never charge anything less than 50zl, and never in ten years have I once been questioned once about the price.

dtaylor5632Threads: 49 Posts: 4,459 Joined: May 2, 09 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 17:38 #43
Reliability of the student would also be a question with charging only 30zl per lesson. But as it already has been said. If you're happy with what you get and the student is happy too then there you go. :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 22:29 #44
Thankfully, there isn't much of a problem of treading on toes here as there are fewer and fewer native speakers and there is a big polytechnic here. It is easy to pick up private students but hard when you work for 3 schools.

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Apr 27, 10, 22:38 #45

I started quoting 30zl an hour as that's what the other 2 natives I know in Lublin charge so I didn't want to be charging too much. But from listening to everyones comments maybe I should up my prices by at least 10zl. Although I think if it's only a conversational lesson 30zl is right but for a full lesson more should be charged. I can see now where the 120zl comes into it with Harry's wealth of experience and the people he teaches. Maybe after 15 years in this game I can reach that amount :) Well done Harry! :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 22:42 #46
Well, you can amass a wealth of experience in teaching in half that time but hats off to Harry. There is a certain amount of selling yourself involved. I can teach all sorts but haven't had the luck of having courses like LCCI put my way. The Cambridge courses are familiar to me but I need to break from the humdrum of regular lessons.

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Apr 27, 10, 22:44 #47

Seanus:

Thankfully, there isn't much of a problem of treading on toes here as there are fewer and fewer native speakers and there is a big polytechnic here. It is easy to pick up private students but hard when you work for 3 schools.

Are there fewer and fewer natives Seanus? I just met a guy from Bolton last week in my block; asked him what he was doing in MY block - I'm from Nottingham :) - and he said he'd been living here for 6 months 10 flats away from me.

I didn't smell the black puddings!

Morad83Threads: 3 Posts: 30 Joined: Mar 5, 10 ♂	Apr 27, 10, 22:48 #48
I would have to say the amount of natives coming here is definately on the increase it must be all the beautiful Polish women drawing them here!!!

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Apr 28, 10, 11:09 #49

Hej czesc morad83 I have been here for 2 years now and I think when I've been here for 10 my polish might be good enough to try for translation work as well. Like dtaylor and seanus said, its all about gaining experiences and working the market round to your way of thinking. I do teach at a good college of English and a private school, from here I've picked up a few private students and word of mouth is starting to slowly work aswell! All the best and to the scots chaps out there..I would never expect any support from you guys but thanks for the Bay city Rollers and enjoy repeats of "take the high road" this summer!! czesc ludzie

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Apr 28, 10, 12:22 #50

There are fewer where I work than some years ago but Dougpol makes a good point. There are schools that I've heard of that I'm not familiar with where you will likely have some. I operate within a narrower sphere now so am not as aware.

They are very shallow if they are drawn only by women. Really! I've seen the style of some natives and the chase takes forever with often no end result. You can't lose your focus chasing proud princesses. Well, you can, but be ready for the consequences!

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Apr 28, 10, 22:05 #51

Hej czesc mark 007 yeah hopefully I will be at that stage also once I've been here 10! I've only been here 5 months so far but worked with Poles in the U.K and employed many over the past 5 years. My girlfriend of 5 years helps me a bit too so all in all my Polish is ok I understand and speak a bit reading and writing is still a challenge though. So where do all you teachers hang out in Lublin it would be nice to meet some of you :)

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Edited by: Harry Apr 28, 10, 22:15 #52

Seanus:

There is a certain amount of selling yourself involved.

As the great unknown trader put it "I mean, it's like selling anything: washing machines, handmade shoes, blow jobs. As long as you don't take the p!ss, people will always come back for more."

If you work one-to-one lessons for a school here in Warsaw, they're going to charge the client about 120zl per hour. Why settle for less money than a client is prepared to pay for an hour of your time anyway?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07 ♂	Apr 28, 10, 22:25 #53
That's a very good point! They take an astronomical cut so why can those cnuts wheedle and leave us consummate pros out in the cold with a fraction of the taking? No way, Pedro ;) ;) There are many disincentives in teaching if you are unlucky enough to come across them.

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Apr 29, 10, 09:41 #54

I live in leczna, not far from lublin, with My wife and her parents, its cosy but cheap and the buses to Lublin take about 30 minutes. I work at The Methodist college of English and a private catholic school. I have a couple of privates now, but when I needed to, I had 6 or 7 on the books. Send me a private mail and i'm sure we can meet!, my friend dj papa zura is playing in CZARNE TULIPAN, in the old town tonight, thursday from 8pm. I will be there for an hour or so until 10, last bus back to leczna goes just past 10. Come down for a beer!

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Jun 17, 10, 11:20 #55

Skype is A good idea in theory, but only in theory. If someone is short of cash, in a poorly paid job and working long hours are they going have enough time to learn via skype? or even have a good computer with internet and a web cam? Another thing you have to ask yourself is how many people in the world want to learn Polish? compared to how many people in the world would like to learn or improve their English? If you find a good native speaker of English willing to exchange for Polish then good for you! But for most people in Poland, who learn English, the native speaker face to face is the best option. ciao for now peeps!

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Dec 4, 10, 06:36 #56

Sounds like it got a bit off topic there in the end but I want to add to this my recent experience in Lublin. I was there 5 weeks and was reasonably confident that I would get by with speaking, reading and understanding Polish. I was totally immersed in the language and culture which was great.

The biggest problem I had - even though I knew the words to say - I had a tough time pronouncing some of the words. Trying to read childrens books was great - especially reading to my little baby who doesn't know better. I found going shopping was one of the best ways to learn - you listen to people in the stores, read the advertising and menus and communicate with all sorts of people.

Another thing I found interesting was there were very few people that had a grip on the English language in Lublin - which was great for me since I was forced to communicate in Polish.

It would be interesting to hear the story now of the original person posting the first message thread. Also I loved it soooo much in Lublin that I now regard it as my second home - a city not too big and not too small. I have to say nice things about Lublin since my wife is from there.

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Edited by: guesswho Dec 4, 10, 06:38 #57
anglik: 30zl for 60 minutes. That's cheap, my dad was getting 50 for 45 min.when we lived there.

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