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‘Growing up abroad – I feel international’

Mary Röttig was born in Bangladesh and adopted by an Austrian couple as a baby. She grew up in London and lived in New York and Texas before moving to Vienna where she set up a bilingual Montessori-inspired preschool and nursery.

Published: 29 June 2015 12:27 CEST
'Growing up abroad - I feel international'
Mary and her two children. Photo: Private

She spoke to The Local about her passion for working with children and what she loves about life in the capital.

What was your inspiration for setting up a bilingual Montessori Kindergarten?

I studied child psychology in London and I wanted to become a child psychotherapist – but I was told that I needed practical experience with children, which I didn’t have then. Someone recommended the Montessori method – so I studied at the Montessori Institute in Hampstead – and I fell in love with it. It really showed me how you can help children become independent and self-sufficient at a very early age. Children have such enormous potential and Maria Montessori (who founded the method) saw that children have an innate desire to learn and explore and that they are naturally creative and active – they never get tired of learning new things.

At Children's Academy we provide them with a learning environment to support the phases they are going through. When they are very small, 2 years old, they experience the ‘language explosion’. We support this with singing and learning rhymes and they master it with very little effort. They are like big sponges that absorb everything around them!

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Children relate to me very easily – I can get down on their level but at the same time I’m a figure of authority. I just have genuine love for children and they sense that. Everything I do with children is spontaneous and I really enjoy that. When you read them a story and are able to hold their attention, and they sit and listen with awe – that’s a wonderful thing. Singing and dancing also comes naturally to me! I studied tap dancing and drama in New York.

What do you love most about life in Vienna?

I came here to be closer to my family and I really love that it’s very clean and safe. I do miss living in an English-speaking country but my job means that I can speak English every day – we teach in German and English and my team is international. I don’t feel Austrian, even though my parents are Austrian, because I grew up abroad. I feel like I’m a bit of everything, without being attached to one country. But Vienna is becoming more international and open – I feel so comfortable here now. I try to bring the traditions of America and England alive for the children – so we celebrate events such as Halloween, which the children love.

Does it give children a real advantage to learn English before they start school?

Yes, definitely – back to the sponge idea – they just absorb it. We’re not teaching English from a book, it’s through everyday instructions and activities. They learn new vocabulary every day, naturally, just by living it and they process that and pick up the natural rhythm of the language. Parents are often shocked when their children start speaking perfect English. If a child starts with us aged two, and is with us for four years, I can guarantee that they leave speaking German and English fluently.

What are the challenges of your job?

Just maintaining the energy you need to keep the children busy and coming up with new activities that they find absorbing and engaging. They start at 8am and finish at 4pm. I really try and find things for each child, that captures his or her imagination. We make them healthy, fresh food every day. You do have to be patient and stay calm – and that’s something you learn over time. But I’ve been teaching children for 20 years now. We have two groups, a nursery group of 1.5 to 3.5 year olds and a preschool group for 3.5 to six year olds, with a maximum of 14 in each group. It’s very international and we prepare the older children for starting school with our special Preschool Plus Program. But I’m very lucky to have a team who are passionate about this work, it’s not just a job for them, it’s their calling.  

Children’s Academy is based in Vienna’s 3rd district, not far from Stadtpark. Click here to find out more from their website.

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WORKING IN AUSTRIA

First steps: What to do when searching for a new job in Austria

Whether you have just arrived in Austria or have worked here before but are now unemployed, this is how you should start your job search.

Published: 17 January 2024 16:05 CET
Updated: 4 April 2024 14:11 CEST
First steps: What to do when searching for a new job in Austria

Austria is known for its welfare or social system, and even people who do not have a job can receive assistance – but the full entitlement depends on factors such as previous work in the country, for example. 

If you are moving to Austria or have lost your job, there are tools you can use to help you get into the labour market again – especially with the help of the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS). Here’s what you need to know.

Registering as unemployed

The first step is registering as an unemployed job seeker with the AMS. It’s not a mandatory step, but the AMS can give you professional counselling from a personal advisor. You can also be recommended courses and get job adverts that fit your profile. 

A person can register as an unemployed job seeker with the AMS regardless of any entitlement to a benefit from the unemployment insurance scheme, so even if you have just arrived in Austria. Here’s a list of the regional offices of the AMS.

READ ALSO: Unemployment benefits in Austria: Who is eligible and how much can you get?

If you are entitled to unemployment benefits (for that, you need to have contributed to the social system in Austria), then you must register with the AMS by the first day of unemployment. If you register online before the start of unemployment, you have ten days after the start of unemployment to confirm the registration at an AMS office in person. 

Even if you are not at first entitled to benefits from the unemployment insurance scheme, some circumstances may entitle you to several forms of help from the agency. 

This is why it is recommended that you reach out to the AMS regardless of your situation.

AMS’s chatbot

Austria’s AMS also recently launched a new AI bot that usesChatGPT technology – and information from AMS – to help people looking for jobs and training in Austria, as The Local reported.

The bot uses ChatGTP knowledge and AMS’s sources to help users. It can also ask further questions to get specifics on each case, creating a dialogue and exchange of information.

The bot can give answers on training, salary, careers, visas, and more to anyone asking questions. It also provides links to the pages with the source information – all in whichever language you choose to interact with it. 

READ ALSO: How useful is Austria’s new AI tool for foreign job-seekers?

Looking for jobs

Besides the assistance of your advisor at the AMS, you can also use the agency’s job search tool to find employment. Several positions are advertised there, especially for service and trade jobs. It’s possible to narrow down the search based on work hours, place of work and state, among others.

READ ALSO: Six official websites to know if you’re planning to work in Austria

Besides the official site, people in Austria also use other ways of finding jobs online, including websites like LinkedIn and even posts on FB Groups (though be careful with false advertisements if you are in doubt when it comes to employment and work contracts, you can always reach out to your local Chamber of Labour).

In Austria, two sites are also popular among job seekers: Karriere.at and Xing.com. You can also use sites with classified ads such as Der Standard or Willhaben, for example. The Local has a page with English-language jobs in Austria as well.

It’s often common to find jobs through personal contacts in Austria, where the “friendship culture” is prevalent. 

READ ALSO: What is the ‘friendship economy’ in Austria and how does it work?

Even the official government website says, “Personal contacts should also not be ignored when it comes to successful job placement. It can be very helpful to ask around among family, friends and acquaintances for vacancies.

“The more people who know about the job search, the greater the chance of success”, it added.

You will also need to prepare a CV and, depending on the job, even a motivational letter – your AMS advisor can typically help adapt and write both documents. 

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