Job Discussion Forums

[Borealis]

"Good point... leaving with your labor card does allow you to get
one back at an abusive employer. It expires in a year, but in order
to hire a replacement teacher immediately, they have to jump
through many hoops to get your card cancelled and will likely
not succeed. "

VS[/quote]



It's a pity to have to resort to this but yes, it's a very effective weapon against a disreputable employer. One of the teachers at Hawthorn who was cheated out of her return airfare also did this. She left after the end of her course had finished, so her students weren't disadvantaged, but a few days earlier than the end of her contract. By all accounts the "CEO" and accountant (discussed in an earlier post) who had taken such great satisfaction in the cheating were spitting blood when they discovered she'd gone with the Labour Card. It would be nice to think they learned a lesson a lesson from this and decided to start treating their staff ethically, but I doubt it. The only lesson to be learned is to avoid such an employer in the first place.

Borealis

[Netminder]

VS and Borealis, you warm my heart-
doubly so, as I glanced at my resident card and noted that it doesn't expire until April of 2007.

In the words of the assistant CECN rep.,

"It ain't no good doin' daat to youse- It don't make no sense."

[Sea Sea Rider]

Sometimes the ethical thing to do isn't always what's in one's best interest. If it's true CECN fires those who give notice, then goes out of their way to prevent the teacher who'd given notice from re-enetering the country, and if it had been me, I might have an axe to grind. Wouldn't you?

There are places, countries, Korea comes to mind, where giving notice may result in not so much being fired per say, but being spirited away to the airport on short notice without your final weeks pay--that's been deducted to cover the cost of housing.

I'm not refering togiving short term notice, but giving notice according to the contract. Even then the first party is a step ahead of you.

Then again, to be fair, the fine print on some contracts are hastily read when a newbie teacher can't wait to board that first trans-oceanic flight--tales of all nighters in brothels and Cambodian sex tours dancing in their fresh young minds.

Read all contracts carefully. You might find that doing the right thing will result in not being given your final salary--it may be there in small black and white font.

Hence--we have the "fight or flight" ESL teacher known in the trade as "the runner".

Well in that case, it's just "Dog eat dog" in'it?. Or man eat dog in some far off land of the morning dawn.

If CECN did indeed push through someone's work visa after that person took another job, shame on them. Sometimes companies need to abuse someone to set an example, but when a teacher has a family to support, such an act would be inhumane.

Then again--if you are a CECN employee and you decide to pull a "runner", I'd expect they'd dp something vindicative like issuing a work visa in your absence--then let word get around that they are the first party in a contract and the first party has the drop on the second party.

[veiledsentiments]

Not that I'm making any excuses for CECN, but what 'could' happen in a situation like this one is that the paperwork for the visa/labor card is in the bureaucracy. Knowing these places, I'm not sure how easy it is to stop it.

I know of one person who accepted a job at SQU and before arrival - without notifying them - decided s/he preferred an offer from another college in Oman. SQU had already started the paperwork and with no vindictive motive on their part, the person was blocked from the second job because there was already paperwork in the Labor division based on this passport. With time it could have been fixed, but the new employer needed a teacher now... not in a month or two.

Switching jobs within these countries is always problematic... even when you have agreement from your employer.

VS

[Natza]

I have been reading all these posts and trying to decide if I should take this job with CECN or not. I have never had an ESL job before. I have a B.A. in Arabic and a TESOL certificate from Transworld Schools in San Francisco.

I am really looking for a place where I can gain experience to put on my CV. However, I don't exactly understand what people are talking about when they mention dangers involved with leaving the country, breaking the contract, and getting re-hired. I definitely want to be eligible for re-hire by other companies in the Gulf after finishing my contract with CECN.

I am extremely patient, and really want to move to Oman. Please let me know if I will be damaging my future career as an ESL teacher if I take this job.

I also have questions about housing. Is the housing they provide decent and clean? Are you forced to share an apartment with other teachers?

Any advice would be helpful.

Natza

[veiledsentiments]

Natza,

Accepting a job with a marginal employer is usually a measure of how much one can tolerate. One problem for someone like you with no experience is that if the management is unprofessional and unhelpful, you will be doing neither yourself nor your students any good. You will not be able to grow professionally. This is not an employer who is going to give you any kind of support or on-the-job training.

The only harm that they can do to you as an employer is to NOT provide you with a letter of recommendation for your next employer. And, they can keep you from getting another job in Oman any time soon because they don't give out a release.

Decent and clean? That depends on your expectations and how you define those terms. Have you ever lived outside of San Francisco? Most of these schools are in smaller towns/villages in Oman. I would guess that the housing is basic, but acceptable - nothing luxurious. I haven't heard anyone mention sharing...

To be serious, I think you should get some experience before heading to the Gulf. Have you thought of North Africa or the Levant? Teach in some language schools and learn a bit about the trade before venturing into these problem areas. JMHO...

VS

[manoflettersk466]

Hi Natza,
I was just over in Oman teaching for CECN at the colleges. I can't think of a better place to get some experience under your belt. You will be working with other teachers (some will have been there for years), with whom you can gain insight into potential issues, and you have a degree in Arabic so you will to some extent be at home in the culture already. The work load is not demanding, the students are fantastic, and you will get paid on time and in full. (I was one of the silent majority who have had no complaints about working with CECN). The two bedroom apartment I had was big & clean.....and nobody shares! (my second bedroom collected dust). Many teachers arranged to have a cleaner in once a week for a very small fee. I think your students will really respect you because of your interest in Arabic already, and your inside knowledge of the differences between the languages. By all means go and teach in Oman, enjoy the chilled-out lifestyle, and get some teaching experience for your resume. If you have any more Questions you can PM me anytime.

[jdl]

Natza,
I would encourage you to consider Oman and CECN. The country is great and the company is as good as you will find. Everyone has individual preferences and biases and prejudices so you will just have to regard all you see on this board with some good old fashioned impartial skepticism. I have been satisfied and very happy here. It is a good lifestyle for me and the work is great. The housing is very good in my location and the work environment very supportive and relaxed. Of course I am expected to do my job in a professional manner with all the skill and positive attitude I can bring to it....but that is to be expected in a reputable workplace. I think you would be an asset with your knowledge of Arabic.

[veiledsentiments]

[Natza]

Thanks for the feedback. Those are all helpful replies. I've come up with another question. Does CEC have other projects that have been around longer and that work well? It sounds like everyone is saying that they are disorganized because they are young. CEC also has projects in the UAE, right?

Natza

[veiledsentiments]

Have you done a search of this board? If they have/had other projects around, they would be referenced around here somewhere - pro and con...

I don't recall any others. But they may have used other names too.

VS

[manoflettersk466]

They have been around for a number of years now, and are in many countries. Check out their website for a rundown of the various countries they work in:

http://www.teachingoverseas.ca/index.php?action=teaching_opportunities