Job Discussion Forums

[morningcoffee]

[osen6]

Anybody knows more about the requirements regarding native/non-native? On this site it seems to be a requirement (specific passports), but the exact same ad on tefl.com makes no mention of it.

[nomad soul]

[Siobhan 22]

FWIW

Someone I know who has applied for an assistant professorship in a non-ESL dept. has been interviewed by HR and told that lessons may not start till the winter of early 2019 or later, but that the English language centre may still operate from the autumn.

This may be a 'good sign' in that they are building up the univ. incrementally, despite all the PR puff and bluster in the advert. However, starting any ESL programme from scratch is still going to be fraught with difficulties.

[veiledsentiments]

That is the usual process in the Gulf. Start with the Prep program so that they have some students ready before they hire a bunch of professors.

VS

[Mencjusz]

Recently, I had initial screening interview for a non-ESL position. I have to say that the HR Dep. seems to be busy as it was very difficult to arrange Skype interview. According to HR, the dep. I have applied will start with the onset of January 2019. Furthermore, based on my understanding (poor internet connection), the university will be garrison-type with limited access and leaving opportunities; while the students will consist of higher-end social class.

[Siobhan 22]

Thanks Mencjusz.

My colleague who was interviewed for a non-ESL position said the South African lady from HR was not terribly well clued up about things and a little vague but what you say about a later start-up for non-ESL positions chimes with my information.

Interesting what you say about 'garrison-type' facilities.
For $3500 for ESL and $4500 for assistant professorships in non-ESL depts, I'm not sure the 'premium' will be worth it - given that $3000+ is achievable for KSA standard 'non-garrison' billets.

[Mencjusz]

As for the salary, if you take a closer look at the offers, the range for asst. prof. is between $4500 to $5500. The strong point in support of those salaries is the fact that you will not spend a lot of it due to the garrison-type facilities.

They definitely are searching for scholars with teaching experience, but I have doubts whether there are or will be a lot of such people willing to go to Iraq. So, actually, this might be an opportunity for fresh, post-PhD individuals looking for some adventures.

[nomad soul]

[Mencjusz]

Well, I had my fair share of working in start-ups and in politically unstable countries. Although, I admit, not in conflict zones. It is an adventure; moving out from the save surrounding walls of home and working in another country - it is what it is. You might be doing it for various reasons, like altruism, humanitarianism, curiosity etc. Therefore, no need of being condescending due to usage of words. Don't know, don't judge.

Btw. why don't you also quote previous users who said and agreed:

[nomad soul]

I'm not judging; I'm being realistic having worked/lived in a war zone in the Mid East on a US govt project and during the Arab Spring. Lockdowns and restricted mobility can be the norm. There's a difference between going for humanitarian and professional reasons vs thrills and adventure. My colleagues and I were very carefully vetted for the State Dept project due to the dangerous circumstances.

Additionally, if the social-political situation worsens, expats need to know there's the possibility of having to leave the country on a moment's notice and thus, finding themselves suddenly out of work. That was the situation for many teachers during the Arab Spring.

[Mencjusz]

You are judging

[Siobhan 22]

Specifically relating to electricity outages.

In Dec/Jan here in Kurdistan, it was common for power to go off at 1.00am and come back on at 4.00pm. Better now, but there are still outages of 5-7 hours daily.

Also, when you have power, if it's national power, you are ok. If it's local power, then you can run a heater up to 1900W max and a fridge. You need to turn the heater off to boil a kettle or iron.

I assume the AUIB situation won't be anywhere near as bad.

[bulgogiboy]

As someone with extensive experience teaching ESL in Iraq (both in the south and the north) I can say 3500 USD for working in Baghdad is shockingly low. That amount would have been ok in a fairly stable area of Iraq like Kurdistan, prior to the referendum violence/problems, but its not even worth it to go to Kurdistan for that kind of money now.

When I worked in Basra, the locals didn't even want to go to Baghdad because of the danger, and they were a pretty hardy bunch who were used to living in a war-ravaged, semi-failed state, (unlike most of us western flower petals). It's an incredibly dangerous city, if only in terms of car bombings/suicide bombings alone. They happen all the time, often with casualties in the double or triple digits. There was a truck bomb there not so long ago that killed almost 400 people. Do you want to risk having your limbs spread across a marketplace for a salary you could get in other equally dull but infinitely safer Middle Eastern countries (Saudi, Qatar, UAE)? Are you really THAT desperate for work??

And Baghdad would be dull, for sure. Forget about Aladdin and Arabian adventures. The Iraqi people are really nice in general, but their culture is very conservative, and growing ever more so (Iraq recently banned alcohol completely, with the exception of the Kurdistan region because the KRG simply ignored the central government's directive), with a very strong (and murderously brutal) militia 'moral police' presence throughout the city. Entertainment options, if Basra is anything to go by, would be very limited, and in any case walking round the city outside of the green zone alone at any time of day, but especially at night, would be lunacy. Kidnappings are rife in Baghdad too. If you're lucky it will just be criminals wanting ransom, and not an ISIS cell looking to chop a whitey head off.

And that's not to mention the 50C+ heat in summer!

When I lived in Basra it was in 'garrison' type accommodation, under very high security, with severely restricted movements (not allowed out of camp unless with an armed close protection team, armoured cars and wearing body armour), and people were only expected to last that for 28 days at a time, on a 28 day on/off shift, with paid return flights each shift (and also all food and drink, laundry, general bills gratis). People were usually climbing the walls by day 24-25... That university is expecting western teachers to live in those conditions for most of the year, for 3500 USD...? They're either going to have a ridiculously high turnover of staff, or a faculty full of desperado nutcases, or, more likely, a bit of both.

It's not worth it. Don't go.

[psychedelicacy]