"I am thirty years old and I work in a private school of secondary education, teaching the class of Fine Arts. This is the first long-term job I have done. Before that, I had been working as a freelance artist, taking part in festivals, exhibitions and artistic projects, as a stage designer for theatrical productions, as art director in television commercials, and as a short-term teacher in private schools.

I chose my current job mainly for financial reasons. Since it is the only job that provides financial independence and at the same time temporal convenience for my own artistic pursuit.

I learned about this job through relatives, who were teaching at the same school in the past. Before me, the class was being taught by a schoolteacher and not someone of my profession. In order to become accepted, the good references of my relatives were needed, as well as two interviews, one with the schoolmaster and one with a member of the school management. The interviews that I had did not need any special preparation from my side – it was enough to convince them that I will continue in the existing direction of the school and be punctual in handing in assignments.

At the moment I have 700 pupils, aged 7-11. They are divided into classes of 30 and each class is taught Fine Arts – in a specially formed classroom – once a week. Apart from my teaching work I am responsible for the illustration of the school’s printed material and the occasional decoration of the building. In addition, I help with designing the stage for school fests, should it be assigned to me.

My so far impressions from this job are positive regarding my relationship with the pupils, the environment of work and my financial gains. I am not however satisfied with my additional assignments, since they are overloading my working schedule and have little to do with my appointment as an Arts teacher."