Job Discussion Forums

[dragonpiwo]

Here's a brief summary

1-It's still lawless.
2-It's dangerous.
3-Very little has changed and no modernization is visible.
4-Foreign firms are staying away and this is connected to point 3.
5-Embassy websites still tell people not to come here and if they do, to exercise extreme caution.
6-In the east General Hefta is taking on Ansar Al-Sharia.
7-Libya has become expensive.
8-Some airlines don't fly here, so getting home, even to Europe can take 36 hours, which means less leave and you arrive home fekked.

Companies

1-APT recruit for Mellitah Gas. It's a 42/21 rotation, lower money than direct-hire. Two locations, one at Mellitah itself on the coast near Zawia, near where the 2 expats where executed on the beach recently and the other at Al-Wafa on the Algerian border, near where the BP/Stat Oil plant got attacked by Al Qaeda resulting in the deaths of many expats.
2-Zueitina have a 42/38 rotation, haven't heard anything bad. It's near Ajdabiya in what is a kind of tribal zone. The force majeur there due to protests, some of which were violent and resulted in shootings, has recently been lifted.
3-Sirte Oil Company is still considered the basket case contract. It's a 42/21 contract but living conditions are awful. According to sources 3 of the 5 2013 new hire have already left. The rotation is far too long for the living conditions. Some people share antiquated ROOMS. It has recently been the focus of protests for jobs and the company recently shut down production. Protests mean disruptions to pay and flights. The company canteen is apparently closed. An expat nurse was raped on the company compound, which has a hostile atmosphere according to sources.
4-Harooj Oil's teaching is contracted out. It's located at Ras Lanuf.
5-Smart still deal with NOC companies.

Language Schools

1-The financial offers from these have been dreadful. Don't go near them. They won't give a damn about your safety. The BC is now hiring non-native teachers and looking at blended/e-learning.

My Opinion

Don't go near any job unless it's a rotation that rewards 1 day of work with 1 day of holiday. 28/28 or 42/38 are fine but 21 days is not enough in the current climate to refresh you after a long stint. Salaries should also be increased dramatically. The offers coming from oil companies in the Gulf are leaping ahead now. Net access is still an issue and the phone network is all over the place, which means keeping in touch with loved ones is not always easy.

[EFL Educator]

Great news! Where do I sign up?

[dragonpiwo]

There are simply much better offers out there now.

A wise man once said;'When the bucket of sh*t out weighs the bucket of money, it's time to leave.'

The companies seem to have forgotten that expats actually exist. Common problems seem to include the following-

1-Deliberately delaying your leave on rotation and not paying overtime
2-Housing
3-Ignoring requests for better terms given the extreme danger here now
4-Ignoring safety by failing to pick people up from airports
5-Unethical and unequal working practices like giving locals pay rise after pay rise and ignoring expats. The discrimination gets old.
6-Hostility from the locals, especially the youth

One day they will realize that they've frightened all but the Jordanians, Iraqis and Filipinos off.

Nothing has changed.

Good luck with IELTS and TOEFL programmes then.

[EFL Educator]

There is an army of EFL teachers ready to depart for Libya...mostly from Thailand...I know this because I and several of my colleagues have also been offered several teaching positions in Libya...mainly in Misrata and also in the Tripoli area. They are now offering salaries of US 2,000/Monthly...more than double what EFL teachers earn here. I have been offered a job as Academic Director at a language for US 3,000/Monthly + other benefits. It seems to me there are a lot of EFL institutes opening up in Libya these days....so the demand for English teachers must still be high.

[MuscatGary]

[EFL Educator]

[dragonpiwo]

Misrata was backed by Qatar in the war. It is a hotbed of extremism.

Tripoli has seen sporadic fighting, most recently a few weeks ago when the Zintanis attacked the GNC building. At night gunfire can be heard quite frequently. There are also power outages there quite consistently.

It is not wise to go out after dark as a foreigner in the big cities. There's nothing to do anyways.

You may also want to know that it is expensive now, so $2,000 is a pittance. $3,000 living out isn't much better.

Oil camps are the only way.

You'd better tell this legion of fools in Thailand that it isn't a joke. Foreigners have been and are being targeted. I wouldn't live in a city here for all the tea in China. Just read the FCO travel advice as it's spot on.

Another thing you should know it that free accommodation in Libya is generally appalling.

Demand is high because everyone has stopped coming. These gigs with annual leave are horrific. More than 4 weeks is enough to drive you nuts. The reason there are so many jobs is because every man and his dog is setting up a language institute as the government has promised to send people overseas as a sweetener.

Academic Director $3,000 how hilarious.

[ntropy]

Well-said, Dragon, well-said.

[dragonpiwo]

Heavy fighting here in Tripoli last night.

[MuscatGary]

[EFL Educator]

Life is as important as money..EFL Libya!

[beachtime]

I never heard a thing! I do know that there had been trouble during the day yesterday in several locations, one being near the airport (again!).

Tripoli is a big place, and I can honestly say that where I am it is fairly quiet. Yes, there have been gunshots heard, but nothing close enough to me to worry about.

I agree, there are some language schools that are not up to standard, but again, there are a few that are really making an effort, and are successful.

[dragonpiwo]

It was in Jansour, the Zintanis are mediating. It's all in the Libya Herald and my Berber pal lives in the area.

By 'making an effort' what exactly do you mean? The pay offered is dreadful in EVERY ad I've seen. They can start by getting that right. Holiday benefits? Security?

[EFL Educator]

EFL is booming ion Libya....Great news for newcomers!

[dragonpiwo]

'EFL is booming in Libya.'

So are the guns.

Anyone who takes a non-rotational post here seriously needs their head examining or needs to hide from things they've done in Thailand like the Rev JM who got stabbed to death by a boy in Tripoli.