Help! - Jobs, average pay, average rent, living expenses

Discussion in 'Expat Life' started by rossy, Aug 29, 2004.

  1. rossy

    rossy New Member

    I need your help!I'm planning to move to Czech Republic next year and I have to know some things.Please help me.Here are my questions:
    1.How can I find a job?
    2.What's the average pay in Czech Republic?
    3.What's the average rent for an apartment?
    4.How much money cost the food there?(I mean how much money you gave for food?)
    5.How much money you gave for the apartment things?(current/electricity,water and etc)
    I think that's all if I have more questions I'll ask.Thank you very much! :)
     
  2. Karel

    Karel Well-Known Member

    Hi Rossy,

    Through job centres
    http://urad.prace.cz/
    and/or online job sites
    www.hotjobs.cz
    www.jobs.cz
    www.najdipraci.cz

    According to "Hospodarske Noviny" 17 000CZK per month. Nevertheless, only 31% of people earn this much or more. If you`re going to settle down in Praha, your chances of getting a job are highest.

    In Praha, a studio or a one bedroom apartment starts from 5000CZK a month. I think you could get something slightly cheaper but you`d have to have a friend there with connections.

    It`s difficult to answer this one as I don`t know what your diet wherever you are now is like. If you can cook, 4000CZK a month should be enough to have decent meals.

    Up to 1000CZK a month

    All the best,

    Karel
     
  3. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    My 2 Cents: if you are an American, with no Czech Langauge skills I wouldnt suggest the Czech Republic. Your odds of gettting a job here w/o czech are as little as 1%. I live in a 2+1 Karel and my utilities are 2,000 at a minimum, and caluclated so I know it is the truth. I know of no one that pays only 1000 for utilites. I know one Czech guy that lives in a Garsonka for 5000 kcs, but the odds of an American with no czech geting one are nill...

    Sorry to be pessamistic, but after 4 years here, making 1300 USD a month, I cant wait to count my losses and get out...I dont suggest it for others either, it is getting more expensive daily and the wages are not increasing.

    The 2 biggest jokes to the expat community here are: everyone is a business consultant or works in HR ! Job sites are a dime a dozen, yet only a few operate legally (the law governing them is in dispute)
     
  4. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Rossy,

    You might be better off finding a job with a U.S. firm before going over. Most of the Americans (businessmen, mainly) I knew in the C.R. worked for U.S. firms. I'd guess your best approach to finding a job in the C.R. will vary widely, depending on what type of job you are looking for.
     
  5. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    But if you look closely at the US firms here...Microsoft, Oracle, etc. they will NOT hire you without fluent Czech...it has been that way for years...:{

    Americans without Czech are English teachers (and that is no life career move), or start their own business, and without dramatizing it, there are few other options...
     
  6. Karel

    Karel Well-Known Member

    You`re right KJP about the utilities. I somehow deleted what were going to follow. Up to 1000CZK for water (I think it`s 200CZK for 1m3 of hot water and 40CZK for cold water). 400CZK for electricity, 130CZK for gas). These numbers vary according to the type of your housing and the way it`s heated/powered. TV, radio, phone cost another several hundred crowns. You were dead right. (also, not 17 000 but 17 800CZK per month)

    I also agree with you about the necessity of being fluent in Czech. This is also true of American corporations in Japan. 2 JLPT (Japanese language proficiency test) is the "bare minimum" for you to apply. (1 JLPT is to have a full command of the language; native proficiency)

    Quite a few Americans work in bars, pubs and clubs in Praha as well.

    Karel
     
  7. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    and thats the shame of it Karel, many Americans come here with a diluted sense of reality, so I tend to side on the pessamistic approach when giving advice. I spent no less than 50K here in 3 years searching for work (I will not teach english nor work in a bar, far to old and educated for that)

    Then there are the HR and business consultants (one on every corner).
    It amazes me how a Marcus Evans could operate in a country that has made a pyramid scheme illeagal (txs 2 NuSkin and Amway) yet they come right out and say they r a pyramid and dont not sufer the same results.

    So, in the end, I do not advise ANY Americans to come to Prague except for a holiday (that way it is great) and we all know the reputation that we have abroad now (way 2 go Bush, you moron). couple that with the fact that ebonics is distrying outr language, and the Czechs make it a point of saying it ( extreme preference for British teachers) leaves a non czech speaking American in the shitter...dont even come to teach, you will find yourself insulted (and hopefully you would have had the correct credentials prior, but even then, it is not like teaching in other countries)
     
  8. Sova

    Sova Well-Known Member

    Hmmmm.... That didn't seem to be the case 10 years ago, when I was there. Most of my American business friends spoke little to no Czech. Of course, that was 10 years ago. Things may have changed since then. I'll take your word for it.
     
  9. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    You are correct, back then (I was also here then) there was a big push on for westerners to come, now it is the opposite, they dont want Americans here and reflect the above in the public school system, and most recently, in the business commnity also ( we r part of the First Tuesday org.)
    I just dont want to see another 25 year old girl from the south coming here thinking her skills and status as an American are highly sort after, it is the opposite now, and one too many times I have watch these youngesters go home crying and broke...:{
     
  10. Rebekah

    Rebekah Member

    Say if I were to fluently learn the Czech language would that help my odds at surviving in the Czech Republic (preferable Brno .. maybe Praha)? Does anyone here know anything about the qualifications on becoming a Policie ( Police Officer ) ?
     
  11. Halef

    Halef Well-Known Member

    That would surely help. Unless you get a management job in an international company, speaking Czech is needed for virtually any job, and also surviving in the daily life (shops, pubs,...) is much easier when you know the language.

    The basic rule is that you must be a Czech citizen, sorry.
     
  12. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    Czech is not an easy langauge, and to learn to speak it fluently is no less than a two year battle, if you study daily within a structured environment. I agree, it is mandatory if you want to work here. While there are a few jobs for non czech speakers, they are rare and tend to be abusive types (i.e. Marcus Evans, Leader investments, englsih teachers) that pay poorly and have a high turn over rate as a result. There are no 'career' type jobs here for English only speakers. The reason is simple, Czechs speak English, they have a vested interest in this, for travel and employment. After three years of studying Czech, I am at a loss as to why I did. Only 10 million people worlwide speak this language, and in fact, it is slated to be extinct within the next 75 years (along with may other languages). It wasnt time well spent, so I'd advise English combined with another more popular langauge, like German, or an Asian language, Spanish...

    Yes, worlwide you cannot work for the police force unless you are a citizen of the country, born in the country. There was talk a few months back about creating a foreigner police force here, for so few cops speak English and it has caused some problems on the international forefront, but the plan was scrapped due to a lack of interest. You had to be fluent in Czech and a native Englsih speaker, for which the starting salary was 400 USD per month, not many showed interest :{
     
  13. Wicker808

    Wicker808 Well-Known Member

    KJP: I'm taken aback at your negativity.

    Your claim that the Czech language will be extinct in 75 years is clearly ridiculous, but even if I believed it, I wouldn't be dissuaded from learning Czech. I hold the opinion that the value of a language is not based only on expected monetary rewards. My time spent learning Czech has been very rewarding, not only because it allows me to stay in the country, but in its own right, as an intellectual challenge. Yes, there aren't as many Czech speakers as Spanish speakers. On the other hand, there are many more speakers of Czech than, say, Yapese. However, Czech is much more useful than either Spanish or Yapese if you happen to be in the Czech Republic. And there is even something very special in learning a language that isn't so common. My relationship with the Czech language feels much more intimate than if I were learning German.

    Compared with most other countries, there are a lot of job opportunities in the Czech Republic for those who don't speak the language. Consider how many good jobs are available in the US for those who don't speak English. Teaching English is, for most, not a viable long-term career solution, but it is a good opportunity to learn about Czech culture and simultaneously learn the Czech language, perhaps as a first step to getting a more serious job. Teaching positions for native speakers are still quite available outside of Prague. The fact that native English speakers are not automatically accepted into high-level professional positions in a foreign country without knowledge of the local language is at it should be.

    And regarding the ongoing debate about whether Czechs value American or British English more: The opinion of the Czechs is understandable in the light of these forums, where it seems that everyone except the Americans heeds basic rules of spelling and grammar. "Ebonics," as you title an American English dialect common to urban blacks, has nothing to do with it. "Hw do i Lrn Chech?" is not Ebonics.

    I'm sorry that you feel that your time learning Czech, and, I assume, therefore your time in the Czech Republic, wasn't well spent. I hope that your future career decisions are more successful.
     
  14. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    The fact is that the world language institute has deemed Czech as one of 75 known langauges slated for extinction. It is based on THEIR research, and not mine to debate! I can see why, if you live here you will note the advertisment in which an SMS is being sent w/o diacritics and took on an entirley differnt meaning as a result. Charles U also supports this in their writings, trying to start a campaign to aid in the longevity of the langauge. Yale U states that : Of the more than 6,000 languages currently being spoken, fewer than half are likely to survive the next century
    A tad of research prior to speaking is always helpful...

    Take an empirical view on things, this will not occur during our lifetime, educators are making long term plans..

    As far as the comment on ebonics, I sense a bit of distain towards the Americas. I completely dislike and dont not encourgae the use of ebonics, for, unlike ASL ( a non verbal language, yet still classified as a language) ebonics has no syntacs to follow, no grammatical rules in place...

    By my stating that I felt it useless towards my future in learning Czech is a given fact. It will not, cannot benefit anyone outside of this small country, which by the way, I happen to reside in and love (just unwilling to wait further for economic reforms).

    What kind of German, Canadian, American, etc. would give up a job at 4x's the income level to live here? A retiree or a youngster, willing and able to forgo a few years.

    To proclaim that it is ridiculous that it is slated for extinction in the coming decades is, well...ridiculous and shows you have not researched it at all
     
  15. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    Wanted to address one more issue: Compared with most other countries, there are a lot of job opportunities in the Czech Republic for those who don't speak the language

    At 44 years old, I have lived for at least a year in more than 14 countries. I am gainfully employed in an organization here. It is very easy to employ yourself in Germany, Japan, Nederlands, etc. with English only. Here there are 4- 5 organizations and the teaching field that is offered to non czech speakers. I have no problem with my Czech. I mention this for far to many come from abroad thinking that it is as easy to work here as in say Spain, Mexico,etc...... even in Poland jobs are more pleantiful. You have a better chance of finding work in an English only capacity in the Ukraine, where few speak English and there is a need in business. Czechs speak English just fine, and after 10+ years of coming/living here I am sure that it stands out as a very unque country in that respect, English only people had best start their own business to survive here...
     
  16. Halef

    Halef Well-Known Member

    Stating the source of not generally known information is very helpful as well.

    We are lucky :) Anyway, did you mean that Czech will disappear in 75 years, or that 75 languages will disappear? Or both?

    It may be surprising, but there really are people for who the income level is not the most important thing in their life.

    And trusting blindly to some report is ridiculous as well :) I mean, Czech may disappear in a hundred years, it is indeed possible. But I would not state it as a given fact, just because someone tried to guess the future. There was a period in Czech history, when the language was much more endangered than it is now. In 18th century, after many decades of rule of the Austrian - Hungarian empire, German was the official language, most people in cities spoke German, many of them know nearly no Czech. In fact, it was mainly the countryside where you could hear Czech in daily use. In those years, Czech language seemed almost doomed to disappear, and were it not the National Revival, maybe we would now correspond in German.

    P.S. What is the "world language institute" anyway? No luck with Google, apart from the World Language Institute for the whole world... er, sorry, for Nothern New Jersey :wink:
     
  17. KJP

    KJP Well-Known Member

    since you searched Google, I found it interesting that you overlook the Yale research :lol:

    Stating the source, why not look 4 urslef prior to comment?(like my ebonics ((ebonics it is not))? Plz.--- noteworthy that da net has dun some damage 2 duh english )

    I agree with your history however, there was a day when the land now known as Czech ruled most of Europe...

    Not much to do at work today, (so I play the php drama game) so I just brought up the subject with colleagues (that arent as anti american, that comment about income was a dead giveaway) and they agree that in all liklihood it will fade away, as does my friend, a professor here at Charles U.

    No offense was meant by it, just that acknowledging the truth (like, telling an Englsih only speaker that finding work here is possible, NOT!) is indicative of a good education.

    Possible I come off a bit disturbed by the sito.? Not at all, as I mentioned, it isnt an issue for me, but I do beleive in giving good, sound advise to others enbarking on the adventure of living here, namely, dont delude yourself....

    BTW- I dont trust blindly to reports, I note souces and investigate prior to speaking (has something to do with making through grad school maybe)
     
  18. Halef

    Halef Well-Known Member

    I only searched for the "world language institute". Could you give me a link to that research? Might be interesting.

    I don't have time to research validity of every argument someone gives me. If you want me to believe something, it is upon you to prove it.

    When time do you mean? From what I remember, the biggest part of Europe a Czech king ruled was maybe the Holy Roman Empire in 14th century, but it was rather coincidence, Czech army was never powerful nor famous (except the Hussites, but they were rather fighting than building an empire).

    That was not antiamerican, that was antiyou :) Surely there are people in America who fit that comment, though the outer world rather notices those more ambitious ones.

    Well, I somehow agree too, if the run of the world does not change dramatically and four riders do not come :) I'm just reluctant to accept a prognose as a given fact.


    That will be always appreciated.
     
  19. Wicker808

    Wicker808 Well-Known Member

    I don't mean to hijack this thread for a personal debate with KJP, but there are a couple of factual points that need to be resolved.

    First of all, the definition of a "dead" or "extinct" language is one that has no native speakers. Last week my coworker and his wife had a child. This child is being raised as a native Czech speaker. KJP, in his assertion that Czech will be extinct in 75 years, is claiming that my coworker's son will be dead before that time. While this is possible, it is unlikely that all native Czech speakers will be dead in that time. It is this kind of analysis that I used in meaning that your claim was on its surface ridiculous.

    But it was suggested that I do research, so I did. I found the same site as Halef, which on its web page describes itself as "an intensive and sustained professional development program which is specially designed for teachers who are responsible for attainment of the New Jersey Content Standards for World Languages in grades K-12." Nothing about extinct languages. I wonder if this is the World Language Institute that KJP has in mind, and if not, if the other World Language Organization has published its findings somewhere? And I would hope that such published findings would be supported by a detailed analysis of their method for reaching such a conclusion. If KJP would like to provide a concrete link or citation, I'm sure we would all be grateful. Otherwise we might think he just made it up.

    Wikipedia provides a list of endangered languages here. No Czech.

    I'm also not sure what to make of KJP's statement that
    Well, maybe it won't occur during your lifetime. I like to think that I'll still be around in 75 years.

    I don't really understand KJP's particularly heated criticism of "Ebonics," more correctly known as African American Vernacular English, or AAVE (although even that title isn't very accurate, since it isn't spoken only by African Americans). It is one of many nonstandard American English dialects, but I think that it's very misguided to suggest that it alone is responsible for "degrading" American English. As the web page linked above shows, it is in fact a dialect of English, having rules, that, while different from those of standard American English, are, nevertheless, rules (and apparently KJP doesn't in fact know them, according to his attempt to speak AAVE). I don't think that it's appropriate to teach AAVE to foreigners, but I think it's equally inappropriate to blame AAVE for corrupting mainstream English, especially considering that AAVE is in fact spoken by a very small minorty. I think it's even less appropriate to blame AAVE for one's own grammatical and spelling errors, especially if one isn't a native AAVE speaker. It would be like blaming hantec for the degradation of the Czech language.
     
  20. Rebekah

    Rebekah Member

    I am in the process of getting a Czech citizenship because my mother is Czech so it is possible for me. Any other advice?
     

Share This Page