Job Discussion Forums

[Seamus of Montreal]

I am a 29 year old Canadian male embarking on my first experience teaching English overseas. I finished a BA at McGill in Humanistic Studies, Linguistics and Psychology this April (2004). I have four years experience teaching business English in Montreal and six years experience overseas as a travelling actor.

I would like to find a one year contract in the Emirates starting this September or October and I have a few questions. Please respond to any that you can. Thank-you.

1) I am not finding many jobs in the Gulf posted on the internet. Does anyone know where they post the jobs, where I can get a list of schools that I can contact cold, or sites where I can post my CV applicable to the Persian Gulf?

2) What are the prospects if I arrive there without a contract in August or September and search on the spot?

3)What salary can I expect without a Master's Degree? Saving money is an important goal.

4)What are living conditions like in the Emirates as far as social life, gyms, yoga and churches?

5) I have a 100 hour TESOL course from 2000, but it is not Trinity or Celta. Do you think it really matters seeing that I have experience?

[kaw]

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong but I feel you'll have a very hard time finding anything halfway decent (if in fact anything at all) in the Emirates without a Masters.
Also, I certainly wouldn't advise just turning up and cold calling as sees to be the norm in many other countries (Asia in particular).
It may be easier for you to find something in Oman where a Masters isn't required for most jobs but salaries are lower...
As for your TESOL cert - I'm not sure - I'm sure there must be loads of people out there without the CELTA/Trinity so you may be lucky.
Veiled Sentiments is probably your best person for advice.

[khmerhit]

You say you are just 29 years old--- and you want to live in the Middle East. Are you nuts?


Try Cambodia Seamus, or Vnam, or better yet Mongolia, Finland, Colombia.. I could go on.....

well good luck anyway

kh

[veiledsentiments]

Hi Seamus,

Since KAW called my name, I guess I will step in and give my take on this. No criticism intended, but I suspect that your main interest in coming to the Gulf is that you have heard that there are big bucks to be made.

Well, it is not as true as it was in the past, but there are still some very lucrative teaching jobs there.

BUT, and this is the big BUT, these are jobs that require one to have an MA and significant related teaching experience. Plus most of them want that experience 'after' the MA. Thus you tend to have a more mature and often highly professional teaching staff. (all you critics out there note - I said 'often.')

So, for the young and inexperienced like yourself, none of these jobs would be open to you and as khmerhit suggests, the lifestyle is normally the type that appeals to married with children and/or significantly older than you.

As a last point, there are jobs for someone with your experience, but the pay will be so low in relation to the cost of living (which is higher than urban Canada) that you would be better off in the Far East or South America. If you decide to stay in the field, get an MA while teaching somewhere more fun, and go to the Gulf when you need to start saving for retirement.

Anyway, that's my take on it -- Sorry, and good luck ---

VS

[kaw]

Hey I resent this ageism I came over here just after turning 28 (ok am now the grand old age of 29 but...) - call me mad/insane whatever but I have loved and hopefully will continue to love every minute of it - ok well maybe that isn't entirely true.........I was never really into the bright lights big city scene anyway.
Just to add to the main discussion though - Turkey (Istanbul) is a pretty good place to start teaching - although the money isn't great. It would also give you an insight into the joys of teaching in a (mildly) Muslim country as well.

[cody jarrett]

Seamus,
try Oman (Sur University, Sohar University) - you'll find a job there without a Masters, and probably have enough time to study for a distance Masters into the bargain. Though the latter are in danger of non-recognition in some parts of the Gulf.
The money is not as good as the other Gulf states, but it isn't bad, and it's a beautiful country with friendly people.
Cody

[veiledsentiments]

Gee sorry KAW - didn't realize that you were so sensitive about your age. But, in my many years in the Gulf there were so few other teachers that were younger than 35 that I encountered.

Personally when I was even in my 30's the last place I would have wanted to be teaching would have been places like Sur or Sohar - lovely towns that they are I would have found them dull. Sur in particular is rather in the middle of nowhere.

I don't know that I would suggest either place for someone who is getting their first EFL job in the Middle East - and has mentioned having an interest in the existance of a social life, gyms, yoga and churches. You will only find churches in the larger cities where there are enough expatriates to support them. Yoga? Maybe in the bigger cities--- Social life? pretty slim in the small villages. There are probably small gyms though.

VS

[kaw]

Hi Vs - only joking about the age thing......
Agree with you that Sur really isn't the right the right place for someone wanting a life. There are 2 pools and a very small gym at one of the hotelsbut that's it - unles you're lucky enough to hook up with someone from LNG.
Seamus - having worked at Sur I would put it on the bottom of the list and bear in mind now that the Ministry of Higher Education are now clamping down on the recruitment of teachers with little or no experience.
Think they're talking about not letting anyone teach without at least 4 years (maybe 5) experience.

[Seamus of Montreal]

Thanks for your replies everyone! I am surprised by the quantity and friendly comaradery of the replies.

It was discouraging to have so little sucess at finding job offerings that match my interests and qualifications. Now I see that my expactations of making a lot of money starting next fall are not realistic for the Middle East.

I won't go to the Emirates or Oman this September, but I am not sure what I will do instead. Turkey sounds tempting, but I may just stay in Montreal for a while longer as I decide.

When do contracts usually begin and when are the best times of year to focus on applying?
Where could I find a job starting in, say February or April 2005 (preferably in the Middle East, or worldwide)?

I ask because my school in Montreal has no contracts in the summer, so I'd like to spend it in Europe. In that case, I could conduct my international job search in the fall instead of now.
Maybe I'll hustle English lessons in northrn Italy to make some extra cash while visiting my friend who lives there.

I look forward to your replies...