Job Discussion Forums

[Cleopatra]

"Teaching salaries for teachers in the Gulf are extremely low compared to other expat salaries in the Gulf. "

Yes - but teaching salaries just about everywhere you care to mention are low relative to other graduate salaries. I would say the Gulf is no better or worse in this regard than anywhere else: salaires for "professionals" are higher there, and salaries for EFLers are too.

"They are only reasonable when compared to teaching salaries in your home country."

no - they are reasonable compared to EFL salaries almost everywhere else in the world. Just take one look at Dave's job list any day of the week. True, Gulf employers do usually require higher qualifications than employers elsewhere, but the salaries they pay to EFL teachers are still among the highest in the world. This is a fact.

"Teaching is i maintain a job that you do for the love and not the money."

Perhaps, but why should you not get also a decent salary for your efforts? Is that too much to ask? I don't think so.

[strawberry]

i'm glad to see that my 'not so thought out' comments about qualifications have sparked such a spirited debate. it's too late to take back my words, now that my foot is in my mouth. but regardless of what anybody says in this forum, i'm just happy to have a job... humdoolilah!

[well-travelled]

Personally, for someone with an MA and many years of TEFL experience, I reckon salaries at tertiary level in Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman & Qatar are laughably low. When you combine that with a general lack of professionalism with regard to recruitment (e.g. not replying to your application at all, replying after seven months of silence offering you a job starting next week without even giving you an interview etc.) combined with the prospects of a pretty unstimulating lifestyle, it makes me wonder how they fill the posts at all. Add to that the fact that Kuwait University will not accept distance learning MAs ...... well, to hell with them all.

Salaries in Saudi (in some places) are higher but definitley not worth getting your throat cut for. And who would really want to live in Saudi anyway??

UAE has the highest paying jobs but these can be more difficult to get and some of the institutes (certain HCT colleges in the Northern Emirates in particular) have too many scumbag supervisors for comfort.

Me I'm out of here - and going to make lots more money elsewhere.



well-travelled

[double agent]

been reading the ME boards for a while now.
And I find the last comment to be so true.

Why all the fuss about a Masters in TeFl when the only
schools which bother to contact me within a timely fashion
are the ones issuing me lovely polite written on official paper
rejections. Quite amusing.

I recieve one line emails without any further information about
the school asking me for all my documents immediately! I write
back and and ask for salary details, teaching details, location ANYTHING.
And silence.

Then maybe four to six months later I get a thank you but ...can
you re-send your CV to us. ETC....

It all seems a bit mad!

I understand the cultural sensitivity bit, but when do you
call it broken down and inadequate administrations running expensive
private colleges etc.

Well, all that being said I can�t wait to actually get an offer.
It will happen ONE DAY. ONE DAY.

For now I am looking back at East Asia for work. And I keep reading
the ME boards as they are the most entertaining and curious.

But seriously, why does it take so long

[Chris_Crossley]

double agent's signature is:

[Cleopatra]

I had to laugh at the above posters' descriptions of the responses (or lack of response) so typical of Gulf employers!

So true! For months on end, not a word, despite repeated applications. Then you get an email asking you to be there next week.... or sooner, if possible.

[travellingtefler]

To well-travelled

I'd love to know (I'm thinking about moving on) - where can I make lots more money?

Please tell me the places - I'll be on the plane after yours.