Job Discussion Forums

kuberkat · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Oman

If my memory serves me well, the MOHE's intake for the new semester will number around 100 lecturers. While many of them may know the ME ropes, I for one am alternating between delight Rolling Eyes

and trepidation Sad

.

This whole forum is extremely helpful, but we English teachers do have the admirable habit of steering well clear of the topic, making it rather labyrinthine to navigate. (As I have just demonstrated.) Somehow, no matter how much research one does, some of the nitty-gritty questions seem to remain unasked- though obvious to the initiated. So, your crystallised wisdom in a new thread would be a real boon to myself and about 99 other newcomers.

Some specifics:

1. What is the best way to prepare for the professional aspect of the job- materials, research, etc. (The semester begins in one month.)

2. What should I bring that would be impossible to find there? (The Ministry provides a furniture allowance, but not a shipping allowance.)

3. How much non-expletive Arabic will I need on arrival?

4. And for fashionistas in recovery- or maybe just for me?-, once I am decently and prudently attired (the "What To Wear in Oman" thread from last year mostly covers that- thanks, Monkeygirls and VS), are there any taboos about footwear, jewellery or accessories? Should I be prepared for cold weather at night?

5. The $64 000 question still unasked?

Thank you for your insights.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

kuberkat · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Oman

Now that is exactly what I had in mind (especially the sandals bit!). Very Happy

Thanks again for your kind guidance, VS. (To be honest, it seems one of the best sources for preparation is your user profile Wink

, which is worthy of virtual canonosation. A true service: thank you.)

Gnome · Joined: 05 May 2004 Posts: 74

Sandals are great, especially the treking kind. Your Taiwanese clothing should be weather appropriate and you can buy whatever else you need when you get there. Shopping is one of the only forms of entertainment you will have, anyway.

Bring those materials and exercises that you have collected over the years from other sources. I usually carried a binder full. And, a good grammar book that you are comfortable with (or with which you are comfortable?).

A good source to learn about how Arabic speakers speak and where you will need to concentrate your efforts is: Learner English by Swan and Smith. Published by Cambridge: ISBN 0-521-26910-5

Remember the saying: KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid!) Don't panic!! Travel lite.

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

'Teaching English pronunciation' by joanne Kenworthy(longman). there is a short section at the back that details pronunciation problems for speakers of Arabic

KiteBiker · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 1:24 pm Post subject: for the male counter parts ...

sandals do work year round but watch out for restaurants that try to imitate Western high class. I was refused entry into the Tuscany at the Hyatt because I had sandals. even though lots of people around me had sandals, they were Arab and that was acceptable from them. But a westerner like me had to wear shoes.

as for shopping, depends where you land in Oman. Ibri is not the most exciting of shopping venues and Salalah had the most developed shopping outside of Muscat and even that wasn't great. Nizwa has its famous souq. Muscat is where the action is and that pales compared to Dubai.

steppy-boy · Joined: 22 Jul 2005 Posts: 61

Hi Kuberkat,

It's Steppy-boy. Did you receive my private message to you?

Just want to know.

Regards

kuberkat · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 358 Location: Oman

I have finally reached the enviable position where I can answer my own question, up to a point. As the information before arrival is a little thin on the ground, here is what to expect in your first days, should you join the Oman MOHE.

You will be met at the airport before immigration, and the whole immigration process will be handled for you by an MOHE official. Said official will then drive you to the 4star Al-Falaj Hotel (Ruwi district) which has helpful English-speaking staff.. The hotel fee will be deducted from your first paycheck.

On your first day, you will be called up in your room around 9 am to join a driver who will take you to the ministry. Here you will meet several people in several offices behind Arabic-marked doors- a tad confusing to me %-). There are three important procedures, and here is what you will need for them.

* The air ticket and receipt, which will be photocopied and returned to you. The refund is included in your first paycheck. There is also a refund for up to 20kg excess baggage- keep the receipt and hand it in together.

* The Employee Record Form must be filled out by... you. There are two copies of a rather hefty form for which you will need a fair bit of information. Bring your passport and the full names, birth dates and employer names of your parents, brothers and sisters, as you need to fill in their details. Also bring a copy of your CV for the exact dates and details of your qualifications and former employment. You will need to provide the full name, employer, address and telephone number of two people who have known you for more than five years and can be contacted as references. (It doesn't seem that they have to be former employers.) And bring a black pen you like to use for longer than 15 minutes: it's a lot of writing.

* The full contract will be handed to you in duplicate, both in English and Arabic. It is really very reasonable and should clear up any concerns you have had. Remember to sign the Arabic version on the left line, not the right.

It seems many changes have happened very rapidly in the ministry over the past few months. This does guarantee a fair bit of entertainment, but also a fresh start. The Ministry staff are extremely approachable and sweet, and it does seem things bode well.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Hey Kuberkat,

Welcome to Oman!! Is it hot enough for you? (always a shock coming out of the airport... every year... like you never get used to it) I recall filling one of those huge multipage forms that wanted to know everything I had done since birth. Soon I was making up dates... who remembers this stuff. I thought it was for security, and I suspect that no one ever looks at it again. Laughing

I was surprised that they expect you to pay your own hotel bill. Isn't housing included in your contract?

Do you know where you will be placed?

VS

KiteBiker · Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject: hotel bill

in 1999 when CfBT hired for MoHE, they payed for the hotel bill and food. It was seen as extravagant at the time.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Seen as extravagant?? by whom?? I've never paid a cent anywhere for this sort of thing. If a job provides housing as a benefit, it should be from the moment you land on their soil, and it always was by my employers.

VS

boundforsaudi · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 243

Quote from my recruiter's secretary, most likely a TCN:

"Your contract will begin the day you arrive. All hotel bills, visa local medical check ups will be taken care of by the Ministry until you settle. Yes you have to give your passport to the employer. Its the same with all the countries at the time of employment."

I have to believe Kuberkat. I also want to hear from Kuberkat on the passport-surrender issue. Aren't Westerners usually allowed to keep their passports in Oman? VS? I'm going to be there in about a week, and I'm planning on insisting that I keep mine. As for the hotel bill, I'm thinking of asking my airport escort to take me to a two star hotel instead. If they ain't paying me 4 star salary, I don't need no 4 star hotel.

For those seeking employment in Oman, my recruiter, who posted an ad here a while back for 70 teachers for the Colleges of Education, just today posted the same ad elsewhere for 25. Here it is:

http://www.tefl.com/jobs/job.html?jo_id=20228

I do not recommend this recruiter, no way. There are two others for this job here:

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:16K5tp6LRdkJ:www.teachabroad.com/Oman.cfm+Al+Jusr+Consultants+&hl=en&start=2

I recommend Al-Jusr. Note that Al-Jusr has a separate ad for the "College of Education," for higher pay, probably higher than the English Institute or the English Department at SQU proper. I saw that ad too late: I'd already accepted the other job, with the other Colleges of Education, the ones in the boonies that used to be called the "teachers' colleges," but which must soon be renamed again, for they are phasing out the teaching programs in favor of various technical programs. The minister seems to want to turn them into "Higher Colleges of Technology" along the lines of those in the UAE. Note that the higher paying job is with THE College of Education in Muscat, a physical part of Sultan Qaboos University, but possibly under the administrative control of the Ministry of Higher Education. Note also that the Ministry of Higher Education, at least the folks that answer e-mails from the likes of us, do not seem to have a clear idea of exactly what they are supposed to be in charge of. I have their direct e-mail, but trust me, you don't want to go there.

Do answer the Al-Jusr ad. If you cant get the Muscat gig, join me in the boonies. I don't want to have to teach huge classes for long hours because of a teacher shortage.

boundforsaudi · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 243

I should point out that if the "teachers' colleges/colleges of education" are transformed into "higher colleges of technology," they apparently will still be under the Ministry of Higher Education. The horrible CEC gig is with the "technical colleges," which are under the Ministry of Manpower and which have vocational programs. Some ads for the vocational/technical colleges erroneously refer to them as "higher colleges of technology."

boundforsaudi · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 243

If you look at page 14 of the following, you will see a graphical representation of the educational bureaucracy in Oman.

http://www.unesco.org/iiep/eng/research/highered/polforum/Papers/Day2/AlHajri.pdf

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Concerning the passport issue in Oman... The usual is that if you are employed by the government, your passport is not held. The problem comes in the private employment. When a private employer hires you, s/he is liable for anything that you do. So, they must pay all of your bills and such if you abscond. That explains WHY they want to hold it. There has been a bit of discussion here as to whether is it legal under Omani law to hold it at all (since they almost all seem to do it, I suspect that it is legal), and your home country may also have rules on this.

My experience was that SQU did not hold passports, while the private colleges do. I left it in their safe... they handed to me immediately if I wanted it to drive to the Emirates. Much depends on the employer and their procedures.

VS