Talaat had a powerful build and a dark complexion. His manners were gruff, which caused him be expelled from the military secondary school without a certificate after a conflict with his teacher. Without earning a degree, he joined the staff of the telegraph company as a postal clerk in Adrianople to provide for his family. His salary was not high, so he worked after hours as a Turkish language teacher in the Alliance Israelite School which served the Jewish community of Adrianople. At the age of 21 Talaat would be involved in a love affair with the daughter of the Jewish headmaster for whom he worked.