Job Discussion Forums

mikesharp · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 5 Location: England

Hi All,

I was interviewed twice over Skype, and was asked to visit the campus to do face-to-face interview.

After reading this blog, I started to feel uncomfortable of going to Kuwait for 3rd interview.

Can anyone comment on my situation and offer me some advice please.

Thanks,
Mike

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

If they are flying you there at their expense and putting you up in a hotel for your visit... why not? You can see the campus and probably meet a few teachers.

If they expect you to pay for this visit and interview... I'd tell them no thanks...

VS

mikesharp · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 5 Location: England

Yes, they're paying for the hotel and the tickets, but I am just worried about that the University does not have a high reputation and so many people were invited and got rejected, and help please?

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

If you are looking for a job at a university with a "high reputation," I'd say that you are looking at the wrong part of the world. What we tend to look for is an employer that pays on time and doesn't abuse the teachers too badly. Cool

That is tough enough to find. AUME doesn't have a great reputation... AUK (or especially AUS in the UAE) has a much better one.

It's on their tab, so go and check it out. What have you got to lose? Maybe they are getting their act together...

VS

mikesharp · Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Posts: 5 Location: England

Do you know what is the average salaries in such university?

NinaGeo · Joined: 07 May 2012 Posts: 11

AUM has a very good reputation in Kuwait. You can clearly see and find it out if you check it with students, staff or in general people in Kuwait.

I'm very much interested based on what "veiledsentiments" knows all information about the university reputation, images in kuwait, has ideas about everything in Kuwait and the whole Gulf region? Does he have any tangible surveys, data or it's just personal experience and perception. I would be grateful to have an answer to this.

As for the interviews and then the campus visit, this is the international experience, if you want to work at the university and you're overseas candidate and you had 2 Skype interviews and then a campus visit, is not it a logical thing to happen? I don't understand why it sounds scary...

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

"She" is going by what has been reported by many posters here and friends who live in Kuwait. Not that she has any obligation whatsoever to justify herself to you. You are, of course, always free to ignore her posts.

BUT... Yours are the very first positives ever posted here.

So... the term "very good reputation" tends to sound as if it comes directly from management.

Buyer beware... institutions can turn around, but thus far, there are been no reports of that here other than yours.

VS

NinaGeo · Joined: 07 May 2012 Posts: 11

VS, those people who are happy what they are doing would never start looking for comments about this or that thing(s), I just commented when I came across this forum by chance. But there are some people who are negative about everything. Excuse me for being so honest but I could not find any balanced reply from you in this blog whatsoever.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

First off, this isn't a blog. And second, you have apparently not read every one of my posts. Feel free to come back and comment on that when you have.

From your English writing ability and comments, I strongly suspect that you are management, but others may make their own decisions on that. In fact, your comments on the other thread trying to justify 8 hour teaching days pretty much proves it to me.

Playing games here is very unprofessional on your part.

VS

NinaGeo · Joined: 07 May 2012 Posts: 11

It's nice to see there's nothing esle you can say Smile

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

NinaGeo · Joined: 07 May 2012 Posts: 11

"People will now know the value, or lack thereof, of your posts."

In this part I totally agree with you...

usa_in_gulf · Joined: 10 Aug 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Gulf

I do not work at AUM.

However, I do have family members who are students there.

Contrary to what a few people have stated, AUM has a very good reputation in Kuwait.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

As often happens, reputations vary depending on who you talk to... likely mainly due to their many start-up problems. As you know, usa-in-gulf, institutions that have a good reputation with students and/or parents do not necessarily have a good reputation as an employer. (Sabis being a good example of that)

But, I find it offensive when members of management come onto a board like this and pretend to be something else. It doesn't say anything good about an employer that has to come on here to blow his or her own horn because none of his teachers can or will...

VS