Job Discussion Forums

[scot47]

Go direct hire with one of the decent employers. Failing that stay at home.

[johnslat]

I suppose it can depend a lot of just how desperate one may be.

However, if I had reached the level of desperation where getting a work-visit visa through a dodgy recruiter/contractor seemed acceptable to me, I believe I would first consider planning a well-thought out bank heist instead.

At least that way, even if I got caught, I'd have decent accommodations, cable TV, and three meals a day guaranteed for a good number of years.

Regards,
John

[scot47]

johnslat is right. A bad job in KSA is much worse than a stay in the penitentiary

[lynnknows]

Scot47,


Who are the decent employers?

[johnslat]

Dear lynnknows,

naturegirl321 recently posted this on the General Middle East Forum. Under Saudi Arabia, there's a pretty good list. However, I'll make one comment:

" . . . end of contract gratuity (1 month salary for each year worked)"

In my experience, it's half a month's salary for each year worked until one finished five years - at which time it becomes a full month for each year worked.
Also, I can't see how this can be right:

" Teach Away iAcademic Director positions From $120,000 USD/year tax-free."

Since the Foreign Earned Income Tax Exclusion is $95,100 for 2012

http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Foreign-Earned-Income-Exclusion---Requirements

I can't personally vouch for ALL the places in Saudi mentioned, but most of them, at least, look OK to me.

naturegirl's post

"I've found a lot of info here on Dave's over the years and it seems like there are a few better than average employers that keep coming up in the posts for TEFL teachers. These places don't usually require PhDs or teaching licenses. Here's some of the employers that people like justcolleen, VS, NCTBA, Van Gogh, tacomaboywa, cmp45, scot47, Gulezar, and Turbster, have mentioned.

Afghanistan
Dept of State. English Language Program Manager. 75K to 115K, 35% danger, 35% hardship.

Egypt
AUC
Cairo American College in Cairo (American Curriculum)
NCBIS (British) in Cairo
Schutz

Iraq
UKH

Kuwait
GUST
UAC (http://www.uacq8.com)
TQLS

Oman
Mazoon
MCBS
Royal Navy Oman
Sultan Qaboos University
University of Nizwa

Qatar
Cornell
Georgetown
Houston Community College
Qatar University NCTBA
Qatar Petroleum
Texas A&M

Saudi
http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=93605
direct hire with the unis provides the best situation free airfare, decent accomodation, health insurance, transport allowance, end of contract gratuity (1 month salary for each year worked), paid overtime, potential to teach evening contract work, own private/ semi private university office- with computer and internet. decent university facilities: gym, swimming pool etc., cafeteria. decent working hours (avg.22 contact hours), able to bring spouse and kids (provide for kids' education) exit-re-entry visas. decent students with reasonable class sizes with technology.
ALS (Advanced Learning Schools)
Al-Faisal University: tacomaboywa
Aramaco
Avco-Dallah
British Areospace
Institute of Public Administration
Institute of Banking and Finance
Jubail Industrial College
King Faisal University
King Abdulaziz University
King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
King Saud University
King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals; OK pay with great O/T opps, decent on-campus accom with all utilities covered, good students, sane work schedule, great vacations (17-18 wks PA), no problems with multi-visa and, most of all, you get what you are promised.
Prince Sultan: cmp45
Saudi electric company (all regions)
Teach Away iAcademic Director positions From $120,000 USD/year tax-free. Roundtrip airfare and annual flight home provided. Housing: Provided by employer. Vacation: 30 days, and all national holidays.

Yemen
YALI
YCMES

UAE
American University of Sharjah NCTBA
EIBFS
Fatimah school of nursing
Khalifa: The pay is about what anybody might get in Abu Dhabi, but you can pocket any extra housing allowance. The health care is great ... prescriptions are covered 100% and there is even some dental coverage. But folks are not happy with the educational benefits for kids
Petroleum Institute
Zayed University
UAE Uni in Al Ain

There are also worldwide organisations such as
Bell
British Council
EF
Being an IELTS examiner
International House
Wall Street
Open English: teaching online"

Regards,
John

[lynnknows]

Thanks, You gave me more than I expected.

[geceler]

I was informed that I will be getting the regular employment visa. Interesting.

[nomad soul]

[cairanya]

Are the emails listed anywhere on this site? I did a search and couldn't find it, but I may not be searching for the right words. I'm in an area with extremely slow Internet, so navigating some of these websites is incredibly difficult.

[geceler]

Nomad Soul,

I've completed everything except for the stool sample and the x-ray. My contact person told me the reason they are now having me apply for the employment visa is that the Saudi gov't has suddenly stopped issuing the temporary work visas.

[wantok]

Thank you for sharing those intimacies and alerting aspiring candidates that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with the Ministry of Higher Education are reading these threads.

[cairanya]

Honestly, I'm not sure what to make of the process. I get the forms, send them in, and then I get them back with a letter saying they were filled out wrong. However, as far as I can tell, they weren't -- they just invented a rule that wasn't there.

It's very discouraging.

[johnslat]

Dear cairanya,

And what may be even more discouraging is that all this is almost certainly a preview of coming distractions.

Saudi requires a LOT of patience. You either bring it with you or you have to develop it there - if you want to stay in the Kingdom a while.

Regards,
John