Job Discussion Forums

[redcard23]

Hello everyone To the person and others who mentioned capita, anymore info about them? I was interviewed by them for a position at PNU and now they have asked if Im interested in going to Asia??? Im not sure if that means that I have not been accepted by PNU and they are rerouting me somewhere else. does anyone have some info on these ppl.?

[nomad soul]

Redcard23:

In another forum thread, you mentioned you're Jamaican, which is probably why you're being "rerouted" away from ME positions and to potential TEFL jobs in Asia. I suspect this is likely due to visa issuances for certain nationalities and not to your qualifications. You could certainly confirm this with the recruiter.

By the way, recruiting agencies for ME jobs are just that---recruiters, and not employers. Always find out who the actual employer or sponsor is and then do your research on that particular entity.

[redcard23]

Thanks for your reply nomad soul,

[redcard23]

By chance has anyone ever met or heard of a Caribbean national working in KSA?

[abayababy]

There is one Jamaican/American that I know of working at PNU. I believe she has dual citizenship.

[redcard23]

@ abayababy, thanks for your reply.

The recruiter has been very polite and helpful so far. Im holding on to a bit of hope that something will be worked out. I enjoy teaching esl and have the qual and exp. but Im always so depressed when it comes to finding a job because of my nationality

[abayababy]

To those contemplating working at PNU:

Please don't bother coming if you can't work under authoritative conditions. If you let your classes out early, if you can't get your administrative work done on time, and you leave campus without permission during work hours, you will just make it harder for the responsible ones when ridiculous and draconian rules are imposed due to the actions of a few slackers.

If you can't handle last minute changes, don't come. If you need pats on the back and acknowledgement of your hard work, don't come. This is not the place for those with low self-esteem or who lack self-confidence. You will get no boost from the students or the administration.

Be a good role model for your students. Dress appropriately for work and for God's sake do something about your hair and please wear decent shoes or sandals. There's nothing worse than an English teacher who looks like an aging hippie. Represent your culture with pride and respect theirs too.

And above all, don't come if you resent the cultural norms. You can't drive or even ride shotgun in a cab and you have to wear an abaya almost everywhere. You might not be served in some restaurants and businesses. Get over it. Nothing you do or say will change things here. You are asking to be fired if you try to buck the system.

Still, it's a fascinating place to live for so many reason and as a Westerner you will have more freedom of movement than most Saudi women. You really only have to cover your head if the muttawa tell you to and when they move on you can uncover it again. Most Saudis are educated and could care less if a foreigner bares her hair in public. However, many of my friends feel more comfortable covering and some even wear the niqab. I'd rather have a root canal but fortunately I don't have to make that choice because it's no problem showing my face in public.

For me, the great accommodations, the paid time off, and the salary for direct hire are the benefits that outweigh the negatives. Plus, I love to teach and even the frustration I feel from teaching spoiled teenagers who could care less about learning is outweighed by the few gems in my classes. Of course, not everyone agrees with me. They are those here that never smile and walk around like zombies. There are those that are vociferously vocal in their dislike of their jobs and Saudi culture and assume everyone else feels the same. There are those that look confused and disheveled and off their meds too. And there are those who are perfectly normal, but have decided that a year in Saudi is enough and plan to move on after completing their contracts. It's an interesting mix of nationalities and personalities at PNU which adds to the unique experience of living in KSA.

[scot47]

Reminds me of a quibble I have about idiom.

"I could care less"

OR

"I couldn't care less" ???????????????????

When I say "I couldn't care less about your opinion" I mean "I don't care about your opinion."

Thoughts on this gripe ?

Johnslat ? Any other aging prophets and Wise Men/Women around here ?

[veiledsentiments]

Yes, the inaccurate form has crept into American idiom to the point where we end up saying the opposite of what we actually mean. Habits used and heard all of your life are hard to change.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear scot47,

Have I become jaded, dispirited, tired of fighting, like King Canute, against the metaphorical tide of ubiquitous errors, a tide that not only never ebbs but always flows more heavily?

Alas, I fear that may be the case, for, in my dotage, I have resigned myself to accepting the undeniable fact that some mistakes have become so fossilized, so embedded in the (English-speaking) universal unconscious that no amount of effort will ever succeed in dislodging them.

It's hopeless, I say hopelessly. and, quite frankly, I've reached the point where I could care less.

http://www.11points.com/Books/11_Little-Known_Grammatical_Errors_That_Will_Shock_and_Horrify_You




Regards,
John

[scot47]

Heresy ! I have reported you to the Supreme Galactic Council !

[abayababy]

[scot47]

I like to think I give a sympathetic and truthful account based on my 17 years working in KSA - from the years of King Feisal until 2011.

I would submit that Johnslat is also positive in his postings - with an acerbic salt of reality.

[abayababy]

Perhaps you couldn't care less about my opinion and experience working at PNU and living in KSA, but I believe others do based on the PMs I have received. There was no need to high jack this thread and take it off topic just so you could get your little dig in. I realize that I too have been a bit insulting at times, but at least it has been in context with the topic. A note from Nomad Soul has made me realize the error of my ways.

I may look like a newbie based on my membership date, but I have been reading this forum for years while traveling and teaching in Asia and Africa and working on my Masters. It is only since I arrived in KSA that I decided to participate. My experience is fresh and on the ground and shouldn't be discounted.

[cmp45]