We recently had a live webinar on our Telegram Community for foreigners living in Russia— ‘Everything you need to know about teaching English in Russia’.
Here are our top picks from that discussion:
- Create a profile on the popular freelance platforms in Russia— hh.ru, expats.com, Avito etc. present yourself as an English teacher with a bio that fully represents your work. You can also upload a CV or have one that you can present when employers reach out to you.
Your CV needs to be properly formatted, highlighting all relevant teaching/tutoring experience while proving that you’re qualified to teach English— any related degrees, classes, exams etc.
You might be sent emails to notify you of new jobs relating to your interests. Always apply to these jobs by uploading necessary documents. You can also show your interest by sending emails to schools you find or even call them directly.
- Make sure you attend interviews and prepare accordingly. Have a proper teaching methodology and equip yourself with the right teaching materials. You can check on YouTube and Google for these.
Grow gradually and get better with time. When you attend interviews, you need to be confident. Speak smartly with a proper accent. If you are afraid or poorly prepared, you will be perceived as a novice.
You can get better on the job. Keep developing your English knowledge and approach your teaching job with enthusiasm.
When starting out, try to work in a school to gain enough experience so that you’ll be equipped, confident and ready for freelance work for the future.
- Be confident. Charge your worth by negotiating the pay according to your needs and your experience level. Decide if you want to be paid per month or per lesson.
Be straight-forward so you won’t be cheated with low pay and/or unreasonable hours. Ask the employer your own questions, “What is the average salary for this position in your organisation?”
You can also mention how much you were getting paid in your previous job and give them reasons why you need to be paid more, by proving that you have gained more experience since then.
- Keep applying and don’t get discouraged by the rejections. Once your profile is up, you may even be approached by schools you did to apply to. Don’t be lazy or give up after a few weeks. Be consistent and it will work out eventually.
When you’re still starting out, you can accept jobs that aren’t high-end yet just to gather experience. Don’t be too focused on getting the highest paying jobs. Just make sure the hours are fair.
You can then use that exposure to apply to better-paying jobs that better suit your current level of experience.
- You don’t have to live in Moscow to get these high paying jobs. The pay rate in Moscow is, however, much higher for obvious reasons- cost of living, more opportunities etc. You can also apply to schools in your city or apply to teach online in schools located in other cities.
Online teaching is gradually becoming more popular even for established schools. Just look for the specific opportunities that apply to your current situation and preferences.
Teaching online is also more difficult for people who are just starting out, so you may need to put in much more effort. Online teaching also pays lower than having physical classes. It is also hard to figure out the logistics and exercise control of your class when you’re online.
Some schools are even willing to fund your relocation and process your documents, visa, flight if you don’t live in Russia or Moscow currently, depending on what you can find and negotiate.
It is great if you can find these official positions that provide a legal way to work. They will want to know if you have a working visa or if you’re still a student. You must be honest and discuss all the essential issues with your employer to avoid any future issues.
Have any more questions?
Join our Telegram Community for foreigners in Russia to listen to the full webinar recording and access other materials shared by our speakers.
