Job Discussion Forums

[rick512]

Hi people,

I've been applying for jobs in Saudi and reading this forum the past few weeks. I have a BA, majoring in German and Music, plus a CELTA and 5 years ESL teaching experience. So far I've pretty much learnt the following:

1) It seems that it's unadvisable to get hired in Saudi through a recruiting agency - most of them have bad reputations.
2) With my qualifications, I'm hard pressed to get a direct-hire job.
3) There is so much negativity surrounding working in Saudi that I might as well forget about it.

What I'd like to know is whether or not anyone here has truly positive things to say about working in Saudi. I don't mean just a few things...I mean was the whole trip a positive experience overall? If so, what was your situation - are you a Masters/ PhD person, where were you hired etc.? If you have similar qualifications to me, how did you get to where you are?

Cheers,

Rick512

[scot47]

Recruiters are not the bad guys. The guys with black hats are the CONTRACTORS who hire you and then sell your services on.

In your position I would apply direct to KFUPM - but you are too late for this semsetre which starts on 25 August. Maybe for second semester starting in January.##They ask for the MA but also make offers to people with lesser qualifications.

[EnglishDoYouSpeakIt]

While a direct hire job might indeed be difficult to acquire, you can easily get a job with a contract company. Thousands of teachers do this and survive in Saudi. The benefits that offset working here are typically one of the following:


Religion. By that I mean Islam. Many many teachers come here to teach because it is the land of Mecca and Medina , it's a good country to work on Islamic studies and whatnot.

Money. Salaries here are very good, for direct hires and otherwise. The problem with not being a direct hire is you might get yanked around a little bit, but remember those unhappy are the ones that are the loudest, where as the majority of teachers are getting paid on time and in full.


That's really about it. If you see salaries here are better than what you're offered elsewhere then come, keep your head down and you can easily bank ten to twenty grand in the course of a year, more or less depending on your commitment and situation


To actually answer your question: I've been here awhile and I like it. If you're young and not a humbug you'll do fine.

[cmp45]

double posted; unable to delete!!!!

[cmp45]

I got into the ME back in 1997 with an unrelated BA and a one year university TESL certificate fresh out of university. After sending several letters all over the world, I got my first entry level job in the UAE. After 3 years of living the wild life in UAE and not saving much I decided to hit KSA and haven't looked back...gradually moving up the pay scale as I gained more experience and moved onto better positions. I did manage to get an on-line Masters in Education during my last job in KSA, but unfortunately many places still do not recognize on-line degrees. All the jobs I landed have been direct hire. If you would like to know more send me a PM.

Long story short...if you are willing to start with less and work your way up it is possible to make it in KSA with a BA and a TESL cert. but you will need to work your way up to a decent salary and better employers. It is the years of experience that help top up your base salary.

You can not expect to earn top dollars, if it is your first job in ME. However, the good news is...you can save here more so than other places since there isn't a heck of alot to spend your money on... entertainment wise.

I have been here in KSA now 10+ years and have no problems with the culture and in general life is okay. If you are not a habitual complainer, culturally sensitive and can manage to find ways to entertain yourself with hobbies, reading, TV, etc. you can do okay here. It's a quieter lifestyle than say the UAE, but it suits me just fine. people do manage to have an active sociallife here as well, but you have to work at it.

[fledex]

Stay away from the contractors, like Edex and ICEAT. Recruiters can send you directly to universities or private companies sometimes. These tend to be more legit. With a BA and TEFL you can do this.

[EnglishDoYouSpeakIt]

[fledex]

[rick512]

To scot47,

[fledex]

[rick512]

Thanks for all your answers, everyone - very relevant and helpful.

Cheers.

[posh]

[rick512]

Why is this funny, Posh?

[ntriolo8]

Hey rick512, it's funny that you've just posted this, as I was about to post a topic with almost the exact same title at the same time as you, but for whatever reason didn't get around to it.

I'm about to move to Jubail, KSA, to teach 17-21 year old engineers at the Royal College. It's through McGill University.

95% of what I've read about teaching in KSA has been negative, but it doesn't bother me at all. I feel confident about my employers and most importantly about my ability to adapt and get on in almost any environment within reason. The salary, the prearranged apartment and transport, and the opportunity to take Arabic classes and learn the language are what set it apart for me; and the chance to learn about a place that most people from the States have only the vaguest idea about.

I already know I'm going to make it a positive experience - I think that's the kind of attitude with which you have to approach such a move.

[veiledsentiments]

I can only wish you good luck ntirolo...

But sadly, if I had a dollar for every poster who has posted a similar post... and later regretted their decision, my retirement nest egg would be significantly larger.

That said... keep your expectations low... and pack lots of patience and your sense of humor. (and always remember... NO TAXES!! )

VS