Working at a university can be very enjoyable.

If you want to work in a specific department, it’s necessary to have a Master’s degree closely related to that field.  The requirements to teach Preparation Class however are less strict, although they seem to have tightened over the last couple of years. These days a degree and a CELTA/DELTA are desired.

Most, but not all, students have to pass Preparation Class before being allowed to go through into their respective departments; it depends how much English is present in their course.

As a result this sometimes leads to student apathy as some feel they don’t need to learn English. They may also find out that even in an ‘English-speaking’ subject the lecturer/professor is explaining in Turkish which of course doesn’t help their motivation.

Another thing to be aware of is the attendance rule – ‘devamsizlik’ – which stipulates that students must be present a certain amount of classes. Again this can create some resentment but it is rarely aimed at the teacher.

Salaries are comparable between different institutions but not as well-paid as some private primary/high schools. This perhaps is relative though as there are less responsibilities teaching Prep.  No parents’ meetings, no lesson design, no surprise Saturdays…

Generally your work permit will be taken care of but there is still discrepancy between different institutions concerning who pays what.  Some will pay for everything, some will only sort out your work permit, some will pay for nothing.  It is helpful to find out this information up front as it may save you ~1000TL.

Be clear precisely how long your contract is.  I taught Prep at one university but was only paid for 9 months. Taking a 12-month contract, even if the salary is lower, may often be a wiser decision to make.

Teaching Prep Class certainly won’t take over your life and you will definitely have time after lessons to do the things you want to do.

It fits the individual who may not be thinking about her career from a long-term point of view.