 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi all
My boyfriend and I love the mountains - So much so we've decided to relocate to move there. I'm currently changing career to become a secondary school English teacher - and my boyfriend works from home so can live anywhere.
The only question is where - and thought you all might be able to help and suggest some suitable places.
So the requirements are:
- A decent ski area and all year area with good rental potential.
- Also an area where there are schools for me to teach in and enroll any future kids I have.
Our budget is around £300,000 to buy somewhere large where we can live and also gain an income. (Large Austrian chalets potentialy divided into appartments are a possibility as we could stay in one and rent the others - either to tourists or locals.)
So far the placces we have liked have included Chamonix (too expensive) and Zell am See.
Austria property seems cheaper but the banks require 40% deposits compared to 20% in France. We don't mind doing something up - but are looking for good value for money.
Does anyone have any good suggestions - particularly resorts which seem under valued, up and coming or potentially about to be linked into a bigger ski resort?
Hope you can help 
Funkykitten
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To have much chance of working as a secondary school teacher you'd need to be in a pretty big city with an international school (e.g. Geneva) and international school jobs tend to be very competitive especially in areas which are desirable to live in, because many expats (e.g. those working in the finance sector) have spouses who are qualified teachers. Also, as an NQT you might struggle - might be best to get some solid experience in the UK first.
Do you speak German or French?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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funkykitten, take a look at the Austrian education system. They like to employ native English speakers, BUT you will have to have proper internationally recognised ESL qualifications and preferably experience (but not essential). A good way to pick up experience is to approach language schools and also Volkshochschule (they provided evening/afternoon classes for mainly adults). This work is hourly based but is excellent for getting a foot in the door. Most local towns have private language schools where you can send your CV to see if there is any interest. The Austrians are much more open to teachers trained elsewhere than the Germans, Swiss or French. If you are only an NQT, your training may be recognised but your status as a teacher will not and you may be asked to complete a crossover training. If they do take you on, you apply to the provincial education ministry for recognition and actually you have more chance of getting a position in one of the smaller rural Bezirks than in the large towns. This would fit in with you working in a ski area quite nicely. So it may be difficult to find work in Salzburgerland (Sport Amadé) but across the border into Steiermark (Schladming, etc) you may find it easier to get work as it is not seen as being so fashionable because it is a rural area.
A reasonable standard of the local language is always useful as you can double up working as a translator, although the freelance rates are pretty miserable. Avoid legal translations like the plague unless you have a legal background, the same with Patent work. They both pay well but the cost of making a small error in either make it a difficult field to get established in if you have no experience. The easiest option is to focus on a technical area and develop experience there then branch out carefully into other areas.
The International School system is one option but it is pretty well a closed shop and very difficult to get a foot in the door unless you have lots of experience and also have a subject combination that makes you particularly attractive to these schools. Nearly all the schools now work to an IB syllabus in the secondary sections and many have moved to the American system for the primary and kindergarten classes. If you do not have experience of these systems it does work against you. The majority of contracts are fixed term ones and it is difficult to get full-time permanent ones.
Before any others jump in and counter these claims - this is the field I work in and unusually I have even gained approval to teach in Gymnasiums in Bavaria - virtually unheard of unless you retrain in their system (takes 6 years and is exam and teaching practice based). I have taught in both the local system and international school schools here in Bavaria and am currently employed as an In-House Business English Trainer and Technical Translator. I was head-hunted away from my previous position as a Grade 7 to 13 teacher of English and Sports in a private Gymnasium near Munich. The working atmosphere in the German schools is very competitive and I had already looked into and applied for (and received) recognition to teach in Austria.
Good luck - I came out here with no job or money in 1997. I found an initial full-time job within 3 weeks by sending out literally hundreds of CVs to all the language schools I could find listed anywhere. On arrival I was offered TEFL teaching posts by 3 language schools, paid on an hourly basis leaving me to sort out my tax, insurance and other obligations. Luckily, I got offered a post as a translator with a fairly low but acceptable rate of pay and the schools told me it would be better for me to go for that as the basis and top up with teaching hours in my free time. I gave myself 2 years to get a firm foot on the work ladder, I'm still here and have no intention of returning to the UK other than for the occasional holiday.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I wouldn't disagree with much of what Samerberg Sue says, but in my experience International Schools are not a closed shop. I taught in International Schools for over 30 years and have taught and examined the IB since the mid 1970's. Whilst IB experience is obviously an asset most schools would take a good teacher with no IB experience over an average one with experience. I can't speak for every school, but have worked with many who appoint in this way. They are, however, unlikely to offer a NQT a job and don't often appoint teachers under the age of, say, 25. The quality of International Schools does vary and not all offer a good experience, but many do and it can be a very attractive job. There are also European Schools offering their own Baccalaureate. Only two are anywhere near skiing, Munich and Varese in Northern Italy, but they have very attractive salaries and conditions of service, and mainly appoint from UK maintained schools. Switzerland probably has the greatest number of International Schools, most of which are very good.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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funkykitten, sorry, should also have said welcome to snowheads.  Is your qualification in teaching English to English kids, or TEFL?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We looked at buying in Austria and the area of Salzburg/Salzkammergut looked fabulous.
We have been there many times,and it's a fabulous area.
Huge skiing within Ski Amade and even busier for rental in the Summer !!
Easy access from Salzburg and surprisingly reasonable house prices.
Met someone who purchased a property and the Austrian vendors were keen to sell to English !!
The only downside would be the volume of tourists in the summer months....
All the best with what you do......!
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immer schuss, so which area would say is best to buy a property?
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blockhead, look at the border area of Steiermark (Schladming is right on the border with Salzburgerland). Good skiing options but prices are lower as it is not perceived to be as fashionable an area. another area with a good all year round potential is Upper Austria where is borders Salzburgerland
You also can pick up a lot of summer trade from Austrians and other Europeans who travel to the area for the outdoor activity options. However it does help to have information in German and perhaps Dutch (big travellers and very flexible).
Try to think outside of the box a bit when it comes to selecting property - prices are high and so is the competition when you are actually in a prime skiing location.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Samerberg Sue, thanks for the info much appriciated
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks again for the help Sue.
I will definately be sending you a PM as soon as I get back to a more frequent internet connection in the UK.
Hope you're enjoying the new year.
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Thanks for this thread. I'm considering a move to Austria and looking for as much info as I can gather. At the mo I'm focusing around the Flachau area
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You know it makes sense.
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Holy thread resurrection.
I wonder whether funkykitten was successful with her move to the alps and whether she got a teaching role?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Holy thread resurrection.
I wonder whether funkykitten was successful with her move to the alps and whether she got a teaching role?
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Poster: A snowHead
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emwmarine, haha... Was reading this intently and then saw your post.,.. I had no idea this was nearly 4 years old... Looks like funkykitten, got her info and bolted 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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jdski77, have you seen a place in Flachau? There wasnt much about in July.
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FAQ
Still no guarantee that you'll be a good teacher though as I observed during my last training course!
