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ME Country Advice

 
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 2:44 pm    Post subject: ME Country Advice Reply with quote

Hi folks,

My partner and I are looking to make a move to the middle east in the not so distant future, but don't know what country to be aiming for.

We both possess MA in TESOL (all done on campus, no online elements) that included six weeks of observed teaching in a high school in Hungary. We are currently teaching in Italy but as most of the experienced people here will acknowledge, Italy isn't the place to be if you arrived here with no money in the bank to begin with.

Having done some research I understand the ME isn't the place it was 10-20 years ago in terms of earning top money, but we aren't looking to earn top money at this point. We would like a job where it would be feasible to save £12,000 to £15,000 a year. Our lifestyle isn't a flashy one, we generally aren't big spenders.

So as regard to a September 2017 start, what could we realistically aim for with a MA + one year experience in Italy (we have two years pre-MA in Asia but know this counts for very little).

Thanks for any advice!
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baggio wrote:
My partner and I are looking to make a move to the middle east in the not so distant future, but don't know what country to be aiming for.

So as regard to a September 2017 start, what could we realistically aim for with a MA + one year experience in Italy (we have two years pre-MA in Asia but know this counts for very little).

Salaries continue to decline; you need to apply to posted positions to see what you'd be offered. KSA is your best bet given your minimum experience.

That said, you should clarify what you mean by "partner"; cohabitation is illegal in the conservative Mid East. Even the appearance of dating will get you both deported from KSA.
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Gulezar



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483

PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 4:22 am    Post subject: Re: ME Country Advice Reply with quote

Baggio wrote:

Having done some research I understand the ME isn't the place it was 10-20 years ago in terms of earning top money, but we aren't looking to earn top money at this point. We would like a job where it would be feasible to save £12,000 to £15,000 a year. Our lifestyle isn't a flashy one, we generally aren't big spenders.


The best advice is to apply everywhere, and take any gig. The market is drying up and many who have become "redundant"in the Middle East have headed out to China or Kazakhstan.

Oman is within your price range and there are many less "flashy" things to do: snorkeling, camping or hiking. Morocco could be an option, but not really the Middle East, of course.
I've seen positions in Kuwait advertised. It is considered a boring place and an alcohol-free country, but you make of it what you will.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Wed Jan 04, 2017 5:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the responses.

Gulezar I've already lived in China and have no intention of going back. I have a friend of a friend who is teaching in Kuwait and seems to like it. Not much to do but salary is decent

When is the best time of your to start looking for jobs in the ME? And where?
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baggio wrote:
When is the best time of your to start looking for jobs in the ME? And where?

Start looking now for opportunities for the upcoming 2017-2018 academic year. The better employers in the region tend to recruit during TESOL Arabia's conference in Dubai -- some also attend IATEFL's (UK) and TESOL International Association's (US) job fairs. Google these spring events. Higheredjobs.com sometimes has listings, and of course, individual universities may have ads on their websites.
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Baggio



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 48

PostPosted: Fri Jan 06, 2017 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you can't attend these job fairs, what is the next best thing? Any recruiters you'd recommend?
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Gulezar



Joined: 19 Jun 2007
Posts: 483

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:45 am    Post subject: Websites Reply with quote

Baggio wrote:
If you can't attend these job fairs, what is the next best thing? Any recruiters you'd recommend?


Go right to the university website. Start doing research on schools and universities in the countries of interest. Don't forget Morocco, as they have just started a new English Education initiative.

Use sites such as Chronicle and Jobs in Higher Education and others. TESOL Arabia usually has a list of schools recruiting at the conference.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Baggio wrote:
Any recruiters you'd recommend?

Not in the sense of matching job seekers to job openings; the Gulf doesn't rely on that method of recruitment. An exception is Search Associates, which may cover the Mid East. There's also Teach Away, a major recruiting agency for the ME. However, they mainly target k-12 certified/licensed teachers for public and international schools in the region.

The majority of teaching opportunities are either direct hire (i.e., the university/college is the employer) or with contracting companies, for-profit Saudi businesses that employ teachers to work at universities/colleges. The latter often outsource their recruitment needs, as in the numerous ads you see on the Cafe's job board. Your best bet is to focus on the position and actual employer rather than on particular recruiters.

As Gulezar pointed out, those TESOL conferences/job fairs list openings on their websites. You need to see which posted positions you can apply to without having to attend the event. Be proactive.
.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you are not married to your "partner" it would be difficult or plain impossible to proceed to the region to work as a couple.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
If you are not married to your "partner" it would be difficult or plain impossible to proceed to the region to work as a couple.

No cohabiting in the conservative, Islamic GCC. Your girlfriend will very likely be deemed a prostitute and treated as such, and you both will get booted out of the country.
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scot47



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343

PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2017 8:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In the Gulf, the Gulfies make the rules. If that is problematic then you have to revise your plans. How do other parts of the world look on "couples" who refuse to get married ? Will China hire "couples" who are not married ? Japan ?

It may be that those countries who accept cohabitation are also countries where there are no jobs or where salaries are pitifully low.
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