My eyes have seen many things in Russia, and the city I am currently in might just be a contributing factor.
Everyone knows Moscow is the happening place. It is a land of good opportunities and I also wished to be there especially because of the teaching opportunities I heard were available.
Well, I still believed I could get a job in my city, but I was convinced it wouldn’t pay as much as if I was living in Moscow.
So E-solutions had a webinar in late 2022- on September 25, I believe. That webinar was like a push for me. Omo, after everything I learned that day, I was determined to find a job even in my city. And so I took all the pieces of advice dished out that day (I’ll share them below) and started my quest for a job.
It wasn’t easy at all. First of all, I opened an account on hh.ru, published my job description, price and the like and I started job hunting seriously.
Ah, those hh.ru employers tested my patience. I wrote a lot of tests and interviews and I encountered problems mainly because I didn’t have a Russian passport. I was also not experienced and I was only checking for online teaching jobs.
I wasn’t really active on Avito and did not do much there until months later, I heard that it was a good place to find jobs like this.
I opened my account on Avito with a lot of expectations and after two months, I had still not started receiving any invitations. And when I got messages, they were always from weird-looking people with weird requests. I always declined obviously before they cut my head, abeg oh!
Finally, I got an offer one day from a lady who wanted her daughter to have private English lessons, and physically in my city. I went for just one lesson and after the class, she politely called me aside and said my services were no longer needed. Omo, my heart broke, but I still continued putting myself on Avito sha.
A few weeks passed and the woman I currently work with wrote to me that she has a language centre and wanted two lessons per week. I gladly accepted and I have been working there ever since.
So, generally speaking, it was not easy getting this job and there were a lot of contributing factors. But in the end, with much perseverance and patience, I was able to land a stable and decent job that fits perfectly into my schedule as a student. It was all worth it.
I promised to share the tips I got from the E-solutions webinar, so here they are below:
- Optimise your profile- We were told how important it is to establish a profile on prominent freelance platforms like Avito, hh.ru, and expats.com, with your bio saying expressly that you are an English teacher. Don’t be scared to upload a picture of yourself or videos of you teaching, for example.
- Be confident- Try to prove your worth by being confident, negotiate your pay and don’t be scared to ask questions if you are ever in doubt.
- Attend interviews and prepare accordingly- Equip yourself with all that is required to impress and prove to your employers that you are who you are. Speak well with a proper accent. Anticipate further questions and answer them smartly.
- Don’t give up even if you get rejected at first- If you continue applying, something will definitely fall into place. You can even have schools or language learning centres approach you by sheer coincidence in the long run. Just put yourself out there.
- Don’t be too focused on getting high-paying jobs- Since you are just starting out, accept jobs whose hours are fair and pay is averagely okay. This will help you gain exposure, confidence and experience.
- Remember that Moscow is not the only place you can get these jobs- In fact, banish this thought. You too can get a job in any city, but you have to position yourself to discover and take these opportunities.
Teaching in Russia is definitely a good source of income. You will have to work hard, of course, but the reward is equally profitable.
I wish you all the best in your journey!
In case you missed it, we wrote a whole article to discuss the points shared in the ‘E-Solutions Teaching in English’ webinar last year. Read the original article here.
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