How I Found Teaching Jobs in Russia: My Real Experience in Moscow

Today I’m going to be sharing with you how to find a job in Russia, and more specifically how to find an English teaching job in Moscow, because this is exactly what I’ve experienced and what I’ve been doing since I moved to Moscow back in December 2020. I’ve been a full-time English teacher both in person and online too, so I’ve had lots of experience on both ends, and I’m aware of all the opportunities that are in Russia as an English teacher.

In-Person English Teaching Jobs in Russia: The Best Way to Earn Money

So let’s start off with in-person teaching, because obviously this is really specific to teaching in Russia.

The first way, and in my opinion probably the best way as well, to make money living in Russia and working as an English teacher is signing up to an agency which finds native speakers for wealthy families. Your pay obviously really depends on the family, but for the agency I work for, the hourly rate starts from 60 an hour, and you can negotiate up from there, which is amazing and is so much higher than even working in London at a normal job. It’s just really well paid per hour.

But you do have to organize your own teaching materials and that sort of thing, so you have to do some prep behind it. So it’s not only 60 an hour—there is a little bit of preparation before and after as well.

By the way, I’m going to put loads of names of different agencies which hire for these wealthy families in the description if you’re interested in maybe signing up for one of these agencies. You go on their website, you fill in the application, and then if they’re interested in you, they’ll set up some sort of online interview. Sometimes they’ll use this interview to advertise you, just to show families: “Oh, this is what this teacher talks like, this is what they look like,” that sort of thing.

After the interview, you can start applying for jobs, which is great. Usually you just text the agency and say you’re interested in a job, and they’ll put you forward. It is very competitive because obviously it’s very well paid, so all native English-speaking teachers here want these jobs. But once you do get it, it’s definitely worth it.

From my experience, they pay either in cash or they send you the money to your bank account via transfer straight after the lesson. So it’s not one of those things where you wait until the end of the month—you get paid directly from the client, which is great.

Also, these agencies don’t only look for native English speakers. They also look for native Italian speakers, native Spanish speakers, native French speakers, all sorts. So it’s definitely worth checking whether they are looking for native speakers of your language.

Summer Camp Jobs in Russia: Fun Way to Teach & Travel

The next way you can teach English in Russia is by doing a summer camp. This is very specific to summer time, so you have to plan a little bit ahead if you want to do this, but it’s definitely worth doing.

I did a summer camp in Italy and it was so, so fun. I actually know a recruiter who is currently recruiting native English speakers for a summer camp in Russia very near Moscow. The pay is around 750 pounds a month, plus you get accommodation and food included, so you don’t have to pay for any of that, which is great. You also get your weekends and most of your evenings off, so you don’t have to work on those.

If you are interested in this job opportunity, I’ll put the recruiter’s email address in the description, so do drop him a message to hear more about it.

Teaching in Schools in Russia: International vs Regular Schools Explained

A really obvious way to teach English in Russia is becoming an English teacher in a normal school. This won’t be very well paid because teachers generally aren’t that well paid in Russia. But if you want to earn a bit more for teaching, you can also apply for an international school, because the students pay to go to these schools and they all speak English—that’s kind of the point of them.

These schools are usually better paid, and job opportunities are advertised through various job sites. I’ll put a few links in the description if you’re interested in looking at them, whether you’re comparing job titles like English teacher or science teacher.

You can also contact schools directly and send them your CV in both English and Russian.

After-School Teaching Jobs in Russia: Flexible But Busy Schedules

Another option is working for after-school tutoring companies, where they hire native English tutors—or sometimes just fluent English speakers—to teach children after school in group classes. The schedule can be a bit irregular.

I know someone who does this, however it’s not as well paid as international schools. But if you want a different schedule and don’t want to work in a school environment, it is an option. The pay is around 800 pounds, but if you are a native English speaker, I would definitely negotiate higher than that. You should really be earning over 1,000 pounds a month as a native speaker.

These companies often provide accommodation, usually shared apartments with other English teachers. So if you’re coming to Russia to learn Russian, it might not be the best option, because you’ll mostly be around English speakers.

It’s not something I personally chose, but it is definitely an option if you’re interested.

Private English Tutoring in Russia: Earn More by Teaching Your Own Students

Another in-person teaching option is finding your own students. This means tutoring them directly, either at their home or inviting them to your place.

This requires more effort because you have to find your own students, but if you are sociable and already know people in Moscow, it’s a great option. You can advertise yourself by printing leaflets and promoting yourself as a native English speaker.

There are many English speakers in Moscow and Russia, but very few native English speakers, so this really helps you stand out.

A big advantage of this is that you can set your own rates. You can charge £20 per hour or even £60 per hour. It depends on what you want to charge and the clients you can find. If you can find them, you might as well charge more and earn more per hour.

Teaching English Online from Russia: Work From Anywhere

Now moving on to teaching online. This is a great way to earn money if you want to travel around Russia and see different areas, because you can just pack up your materials and work wherever you have internet connection.

I have been working online since around October 2020, maybe even late September or early October. I work for a company called Palfish. You basically teach very young children from the age of 4 to around 12 years old.

One reason I chose this is because I didn’t want to spend too much time planning lessons. With Palfish, they provide all the materials for free and they find the students for you. So all you need to do is show up, teach, and that’s it.

Each class is 25 minutes, and you get paid from £6 to £8.50 per lesson.

If you’re interested in working for the app I’ve been using for months, I made a full blog explaining the process of signing up, including a clip of me applying for the job. I’ll link it below.

Preply Teaching Jobs: Teach Adults & Set Your Own Rates

The last thing on my list for today’s channel is working on an app called Preply. I’ve talked about it a lot, especially when I was learning Italian, because I actually found my Italian teacher through this app and used her for about a year.

On the other side, you can become a teacher. English teachers on Preply charge around £20 to £30 per hour, which is quite good compared to typical rates in Moscow or Russia.

The app takes a percentage of your earnings, but it gives you access to adult students who are looking for tutors. Unlike Palfish, students usually find you rather than the platform assigning students to you.

I personally prefer teaching children, so I didn’t go down this route, but it’s a great option.

Final Thoughts: How Long It Takes to Build a Teaching Income in Russia

In all teaching—whether online or offline—it takes time to build a stable student base. It can take around 3 to 6 months to build a schedule that gives you a reliable income.

So before moving to Russia, I recommend starting to build your student base online so you can support yourself when you arrive.

I hope you found this blog interesting and helpful. I’m thinking of maybe creating a second channel focused only on teaching, or even a channel for kids learning English as a second language.

I’ll always be posting content on this channel, so don’t worry about that. I’m just brainstorming at the moment.

Also, if you’ve read this far, thank you so much.

1. Teaching English in Russia
The most popular ways to find a job include getting recruited by firms that match teachers with private families, applying to international schools, working in after school tutoring centers and teaching online on sites like Palfish and Preply. Choose different hours and pay for each choice that works together with your knowledge and lifestyle.

2. Do I need to speak Russian to teach English in Russia?
Not necessarily. There are many teaching positions that require just English abilities, such as with private families, overseas schools and online platforms. Basic Russian on the other hand can be beneficial in everyday life, and in some school or teaching roles where you need to talk to parents or staff.

3. How much does an English teacher earn in Russia?
Not all jobs pay the same. As a private teacher or through an agency you might earn between £20 and £60 an hour. Online platforms may pay £6 to £8.50 each class. Native speakers can earn £800 and £1000+ a month for full time jobs in schools or teaching centres.

What steps should be taken if the legal status of a foreign worker has been altered?

HR professionals and accountants often experience a great deal of stress if there is a change in the legal status of a foreign worker. The new article on World Immigration Hub should be reviewed in order to guarantee that all of the papers are in proper order.

Let's continue the chain to get answers to the questions that are most often asked: "ordinary foreigner — foreigner with a temporary residence permit — foreigner with a residence permit — person with a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation." Two or three components—human resources, migration, or taxes—may be subject to change depending on the stage. In order to implement these modifications, specific actions (or, alternatively, abstaining from them) are required.

In the event that a citizen of the EAEU receives a temporary residence permit

First, let's have a look at the activities that the employer need to do in the event that a temporary residency permit (TRP) is issued to a citizen of the European Union.

When we verify the TRP, we look at the area in which it was issued. It is necessary to terminate the employment contract in the event that the area in which the employee is employed is different from the region in which the workplace is situated on the premises. There are a few different justifications that could be considered, including Article 78 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, Article 80 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, Clause 14, Part 1, Article 81 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, and Clause 5, Article 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ dated July 25, 2002, which is titled "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation."

There is a reference to the employee's former legal standing in the notice of termination, which may be found in column 3.1. The reference is specifically titled "Agreement on the Eurasian Economic Union." The most effective method of delivering the notice of termination is via the mail.

Taking the following activities is what we do in the event that the area corresponds to the one in which the employee really works.

The human resources department is responsible for drafting the language of an extra agreement to the contract. This is included in the content:

a) We delete from the contract any references to the supply of medical treatment to the employee in accordance with the EAEU Agreement (if such terminology was used);
b) We add information about the TRP (series, number, granted by whom, and when) to the details of the parties.

Regarding the migration component, we take into consideration the fact that the TRP status is more important than the EAEU Agreement. To a certain extent, the employee is restricted in their capacity to work outside of the area that the TRP is valid for. Please refer to paragraph 2 of the appendix to Order No. 564n issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Development on July 28, 2010, in the event that work has to be carried out outside of the region served by the TRP.
The insurance contribution rate for temporary disability and maternity benefits has increased from 1.8% to 2.9%, marking a shift in the tax component.

In the event that an employee who was working under a work permit or patent was granted a period of temporary residence

In the event that a TRP is issued to a foreign worker who is employed under a patent or work visa, let us analyze the activities taken by the employer.

When we verify the TRP, we look at the area in which it was issued. It is necessary to cancel the employment contract in the event that the area in question is different from the one that is indicated in the patent or work permit. There are a few different justifications that could be considered, including Article 78 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, Article 80 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, Clause 14, Part 1, Article 81 of the Russian Federation's Labor Code, and Clause 5, Article 13 of Federal Law No. 115-FZ dated July 25, 2002, which is titled "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation."

The information on the patent or work permit is included in the notice of termination, namely in column 3. The most effective method of delivering the notice of termination is via the mail.

Taking the following activities is what we do in the event that the area corresponds to the one in which the employee really works.

The human resources department is responsible for drafting the wording of an extra agreement to the contract, which includes the following provisions:

Both a) we delete references to volunteer health insurance policy information from the contract (if such terminology was used), and b) we add facts about the TRP (series, number, issued by whom, and when) to the details of the parties.

Taking into consideration the TRP status is a component of the migration. Within the TRP area, the employee is restricted in their capacity to work outside of the location. Please refer to paragraph 2 of the appendix to Order No. 564n issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Development on July 28, 2010, in the event that work has to be carried out outside of the region served by the TRP.
Tax component. Variations in the rates of insurance contributions:
• from 1.8% to 2.9% for those with temporary disabilities and those who are pregnant;
For mandatory health insurance, the percentage ranges from 0% to 5.1%.

If a citizen of the European Union obtaining a residence permit

Take into consideration the activities taken by the employer in the event that an EAEU citizen is granted a residence permit (RP).

The human resources department is responsible for drafting the language of an extra agreement to the contract. It is:
a) eliminates references to medical treatment under the EAEU Agreement (if such terminology was used);
b) adds facts about residency permits (series, number, granted by whom, and when) to the details of the parties involved.
Component of migration is not present. It is not necessary to provide alerts.
The insurance contribution rate for temporary disability and maternity benefits has increased from 1.8% to 2.9%, marking a shift in the tax component.

In the event that a foreign national who was working under a work permit or patent was granted a residence permit

In the event that a foreign worker who is employed under a work visa or a patent is granted a residence permit, what activities should the company conduct?

The human resources department is responsible for drafting the wording of an extra agreement to the contract, which includes the following provisions:

First, we delete any references to the specifics of the optional health insurance policy (if such language was used); second, we add the specifics of the residency permit (series, number, granted by whom, and when) to the parties' information.

Component of migration is not present. It is not necessary to provide alerts.
Tax component. Variations in the rates of insurance contributions:
• from 1.8% to 2.9% for those with temporary disabilities and those who are pregnant;
For mandatory health insurance, the percentage ranges from 0% to 5.1%.

In the event that a foreign national with a temporary residence permit was granted a permanent residency permit

Let's take a look at the measures that the employer takes when a residence permit is issued to a foreign national who has a TRP.

The human resources department is responsible for drafting the language of an extra agreement to the contract. The specifics of the residence permit (series, number, granted by whom, and when) are included into the parties' details rather than the details of the residence permit (TRP).
Component of migration is not present. It is not necessary to provide alerts.
The tax component is not subject to change.

If a foreign national who was granted permission to stay in the Russian Federation becomes a citizen of the country

When an employee from another country who is in possession of a residence permit obtains a passport belonging to a citizen of the Russian Federation, what steps should the employer take?

Component of human resources: the contract is not terminated. An extra agreement to the contract is being drafted by us, and it includes the following provisions:
a) We erase the information of the residency permit;
b) we input the details of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation rather than the data of a foreign passport.
Component of migration is not present. It is not necessary to provide alerts.
The tax component is not subject to change.

How to Compose a Cover Letter for a Proposal or Resume

Is it necessary for you to put in the work and time to write a cover letter? If the answer is yes, then what is the correct way to write it? You should follow the information that is provided on e-immigration.ru in order to give yourself an advantage over other people.

Is it better to write or not to write?

The majority of people who are looking for work ask themselves this question on a daily basis. According to the Research Center of e-immigration.ru, every second candidate believes that cover letters are a waste of time because essential information is already included in the resume. This is because the resume contains all of the relevant information. On the other hand, one third of people who are looking for work believe that having a cover letter that is written correctly considerably boosts their chances of being successful.

In this discussion, both sides are correct in their own particular ways. The majority of businesses, as stated by e-immigration.ru, take into consideration all resumes, regardless of whether or not they include a cover letter. Eight percent of firms only work with resumes that include at least a formal cover letter, and just one percent of employers do not take into consideration resumes that do not include cover letters at all.

When it comes to cover letters, why do not all recruiters take them seriously? One of the reasons for this is that the quality of these documents is inadequate. As a result of the fact that the majority of candidates do not know how to correctly compose cover letters, hiring managers just dismiss messages that are illogical and contain a large number of errors. On the other hand, this fact presents an opportunity to acquire more points! In the event that your cover letter is logical, well-written, and includes information that is significant to the company, it will become a very advantageous tool! All you need to do is learn how to compose this paper, and the road to landing the job of your dreams will look much more streamlined.

Arrangement of a cover letter framework

First, let's get to the most important topic. The objective of this document is to attract the attention of the recruiter to your CV, to encourage the recruiter to study it attentively, and to pique their interest in your employment opportunity. The composition need to adhere to the norms of commercial communication that are universally regarded. Only if you are certain that the creativity and comedy you are displaying are appropriate and of high quality are they acceptable. Exceptions to the standard business format are only acceptable if you are applying for a position that requires innovative thinking.

What sort of information ought to be included on a cover? This is a list of important items to keep in mind.

It is very important to address the receiver in the appropriate manner. The contact information for a human resources manager who is responsible for the position is typically included in job ads on the website e-immigration.ru. Directly addressing the letter to them is the most effective method. "Good afternoon, Elena!" and "Dear Igor Anatolyevich!" are examples of suitable greetings that are commonly used. If there is no individual person specifically mentioned, you are free to use more general forms of politeness, such as "Dear Sir or Madam!" The use of informal greetings that are not appropriate for business correspondence, such as "Good time of day, employees of LLC '***'!" and similar expressions, is something that experts advise against.

Additionally, it is common to provide an indication of the origin of the vacancy. For example, one may say, "On your company's social media page, it is stated that you are looking for a sales manager." Another example could be, "From your employee, IT specialist Sergey Sergeev, I learned that you have an open 1C specialist position." On the other hand, if you submit your application through e-immigration.ru, this step is not required because the recruiter is already aware of the source.

Next, you should provide a brief explanation of who you are and the reasons you are interested in working for this particular organization. The most significant aspects of your resume that set you apart from other applicants should be highlighted, but you should avoid repeating yourself entirely. The majority of the time, this consists of professional accomplishments and experience. For instance, "I have four years of experience working in public relations." Within the same budget, I was able to increase the number of media publications about the company by a factor of two at the job that I am currently holding. Because of the scope of the responsibilities and the possibility of working in a creative team, working with you is something that I am interested in doing. In the event that the recruiter is interested in your profile, they will open your CV and carefully examine it.

In the cover letter, you should not discuss your professional goals or aspirations. The fact that they are currently hiring for a specific post rather than establishing a talent pool of top managers may discourage the recruiter, who is currently involved in the hiring process. Therefore, it is preferable to eliminate the statement "Working in your organization fascinates me because of professional advancement opportunities” from the sentence.

Additionally, you should avoid concentrating on those gaps in your CV that are problematic. At the interview, it is preferable to provide an explanation for why you did not work for a period of six months. A cover letter is nothing more than a brief introduction to oneself.

Avoid using cliches. The statements "I am a fast learner, communicative, and stress-resistant" are commonplace in resumes and cover letters; nevertheless, recruiters do not pay attention to them because they so frequently appear in these documents.

Please make sure to state at the end of the letter that you are prepared to attend an interview and answer any questions that may still be outstanding in the event that your candidature is considered to be of interest. Not only should you sign the letter, but you should also provide your contact information. Etiquette in the workplace requires that this information be included, despite the fact that it is already included in the CV.

I am interested in working for your organization because...

What aspects should be included in a decent cover letter? An individual who is applying for the position of sales manager might, for instance, write:

Dear Ekaterina, good afternoon to you!

I was able to acquire information regarding the available sales manager position by visiting the 'Careers' area of your company's website.

There is a possibility that you would be interested in my experience in this industry: I have been selling software at '***' for the past five years. A significant growth in sales of forty percent on an annual basis and substantial contracts with a number of state corporations are among my own accomplishments.

My interest in working for your organization stems from the fact that it gives me the opportunity to put my previous experience and expertise to use on a more extensive scale. If you find my resume (which is attached) to be of interest, I will be pleased to respond to any questions you may have during the interview.

Yours faithfully, Natalia Kovalenko, telephone number: +7 (910) --*

Concluding remarks

Take the time to thoroughly examine the length of the letter and resume before sending them out. Just remember that brevity is the soul of wit. This is the rule. It is sufficient to grab the attention of a recruiter on the basis of two (no more than three) brief paragraphs.

Use online dictionaries and text editors to check the text for spelling errors, do not forget to check the text for spelling errors.

A List of Topics That Should Not Be Discussed During a Job Interview

As children, we were taught that lying is dishonorable. A "white lie" is another type of falsehood that we become aware of when we entered adulthood. On the other hand, what about employment? Is it appropriate to tell a falsehood to a prospective employer, and what are some things that should be avoided when conducting a job interview?

Read the article on e-immigration.ru to learn more about the situation in which silence is gold and words are silver.

The mysteries are all brought to light.

One of the most important guidelines for successfully passing a job interview is to avoid lying to the person conducting the interview. This is a cliche, but it is a fact. A person who is working toward a successful profession should never, under any circumstances, attribute to himself obligations that they have not fulfilled, abilities that they do not genuinely possess, or workplaces that do not exist. All of these things are outright forbidden. When you lie, an expert recruitment manager will be able to readily discover it because they have a wide variety of instruments at their disposal.

But even if they are unsuccessful in doing so, a candidate who is employed by deception is almost certainly not going to be in a good position in the future. Colleagues will rapidly come to the realization that, for instance, the alleged "fluent English" is actually not too far from the level of schooling, and the "extensive experience in event organization" is nothing more than the ability to purchase coffee for meeting attendees on time.

Nevertheless, it is not a secret that certain information might become a substantial barrier to employment or employment opportunities. Should you willingly disclose certain aspects of your life to the person who is considering hiring you? In both your CV and during the interview, what is it that you should avoid including?

A term of employment that is insufficiently long

There are situations when a candidate has a particular unfavorable encounter in their professional life. For instance, a brief time of employment that was not documented in the work book; for instance, a worker departed after one or two weeks because they made a mistake, did not like the team, or found the tasks to be uninteresting. Or even did not freely walk away from their position, but rather was asked to leave by the boss; as the saying goes, things simply did not work out.

Do you think it is appropriate to mention such a brief duration of job on the resume? One of the documents that reflects the candidate's skills and capabilities is called a resume. Have the candidate acquired any abilities that could be relevant in such a short period of time? In no way. Therefore, avoid providing the recruiter with material that is not necessary and just include the information that is actually significant.

On the other hand, if the brief job duration is documented in your work book, the subject of the reason for such a rapid termination will unavoidably come up, either during the interview or when the documents are being processed. Rather than trying to deceive the employer, you should be honest and tell that you made a mistake, that you chose the incorrect job, and that you later realized it and decided to leave rather than waste time on a job that was not attractive to you. Prior to discovering the record in the work book while the recruiter is completing paperwork, it is preferable for the recruiter to get this information.

Disagreements with the previous management

The question regarding the reasons for leaving a previous employment will be asked of the majority of candidates during the interview process. If you left your former firm only for the sake of professional growth and development, this is a positive response because it reveals that you have a high level of internal desire and works in your favor. On the other hand, what if the reason was a significant disagreement with management or with coworkers?

In the eyes of the recruiter, a comprehensive account of how your employer mistreated you and how you suffered from the petty sabotage of your coworkers will be a significant aspect that will create an unfavorable impression. This is something that must be understood. One could say that such a candidate is prone to confrontation, unconstructive, and incapable of working well in a group setting.

In contrast, blatantly lying about your intentions (for example, saying something like "I had a great relationship with my manager, I just wanted to develop in a related field") is not only unethical but also potentially harmful to your professional career. If the recruiter decides to call your previous place of employment for references, it is possible that the truth will be revealed.

Exactly what should you do? Find a happy medium. You should give careful consideration to your response in order to ensure that it is not a deception and does not diminish your prospects of being hired. Not only should you avoid criticizing your former boss behind their back, but you should also be prepared to emphasize anything positive that you learnt from the experience. "When it came to certain situations at work, my manager and I had different points of view. For example, "I am grateful to the team for teaching me to work in frequently changing conditions, but my goal is a somewhat different role" is an answer that, if it is authentic, would satisfy the recruiter. "I realized that the company was not ready for the changes that I was proposing, and I decided to look for another job."

Regarding one's family life

Sometimes, recruiters will inquire about a candidate's personal life and ask them questions. In the event that candidates consider them to be unethical, you may choose to respectfully avoid answering their questions. It goes without saying that you should not lie, but you are also not required to voluntarily discuss your divorce or your plans to have a child beginning in the next year.

When responding to this circumstance, it is essential to word your response in a diplomatic manner. As an illustration, in your résumé, it is stated that you are divorced... Regarding the divorce, what were the reasons for it? "Since you are asking, I am prepared to answer your question, but I do not fully comprehend how this is connected to the work that I will be doing in the future." We simply did not have personalities that were compatible with one another.

Issues, failures, and employment on the side...

The question is, if you are not directly asked about it during the job interview, what other things can you leave out? You should not willingly disclose to the employer any side jobs that you worked while you were employed by your former company. Doing so may cause them to wonder whether or not you are really devoted to the position you are currently holding.

Please give careful consideration before informing the recruiter about a project in which you participated that did not succeed, unless they directly ask you to do so. Additionally, it is preferable to keep quiet about previous alcohol problems that you have conquered, as well as other personal concerns that have been successfully resolved for a considerable amount of time.

The distinction between lying and omission, on the other hand, is a very fine one. If you choose to keep quiet about significant events that could potentially have an impact on your professional life in the future (for instance, if your child is sick frequently and you often find yourself in need of sick leave), you are putting your reputation as an honest person at danger. During the course of the interview, it is entirely up to you to determine what you will speak and what you will choose to keep quiet about.

Our genuine hope is that the suggestions made by e-immigration.ru will be successful.