Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

FYI: This year's TESOL Arabia conference & job fair will be held March 14-16 at the Hyatt Regency, Dubai.

[asdf]

does someone with a celta or tefl + unrelated masters but no experience have a shot at any of the jobs at their job fair?

[scot47]

Best bet for anyone with those qualifications is KSA. Note that many institutions ASK for a Masters Degree but will employ teachers who have a BA plus CELTA or equivalent.

[asdf]

Thanks, I thought so. Now how about an Oxford Seminar TESOL/TESL. Are those taken seriously in the ME?

[spiral78]

Oxford Seminars (unless they've changed) do not include supervised teaching practice with actual students (just peer trainees). This is the key component that makes a cert course CELTA-equivalent. Oxford is more about 'how to find a job and live abroad' than it is about learning and practicing the approaches and methods of EFL/ESL teaching.

In short, no. Oxford might get you a job in some country where are cert is only icing on the cake, not a core requirement (Asia).

[nomad soul]

[asdf]

thanks for all the input!

[scot47]

I would hesitate to shell out myself for TESOL Arabia. It is expensive., I went twice but on both occasions it was paid for by my employers. Thank you, Saudi Arabian Airlines ! And especially to Dr Mohammed Al-Rashid !

When looking for jobs best to do it electronically. Many institutions now do interview by Skype.

[veiledsentiments]

I disagree with Scot on this one. If you can attend, it is an excellent opportunity to network... meeting people who can tell you more than you learn reading short blurbs on the net. Also, face-to-face interviews are always better than often marginal Skype connections or other video interview systems.

Yes, it isn't cheap, but I would consider it an investment in your future job opportunities. Granted it is more helpful for people looking for their first or second jobs in this part of the world.

That said, I attended a number of times... never searching for a job, but mostly to get together with friends and network.

VS

[asdf]

[quote="veiledsentiments"]
Yes, it isn't cheap, but I would consider it an investment in your future job opportunities. Granted it is more helpful for people looking for their first or second jobs in this part of the world.

VS[/quote]

This is where i fall into, so thanks for the heads up. There is this and the convention in Dallas that I am trying to decide between. Are either known for better job prospects, more recruiters, etc?

[bythesea]

[veiledsentiments]

The best jobs require a related MA in hand... with 2-3 years of experience AFTER the MA. That said, not all jobs require an MA, but unless you already have a related BA + CELTA (or other accepted cert) + 2-3 year related experience, there won't be many jobs that you could even apply for... that is rather the minimum...

It may not be worth the investment to just get one of the entry level jobs in Saudi or Oman that are relatively easy to get without attending an expensive conference.

[nomad soul]

[nomad soul]

What did you think of TA 2013---the conference and the job fair? Cost was high, but then, I think that's the norm.

I didn't care for the venue; the Hyatt Regency is a big hotel but I felt the gathering places for attendees were physically tight, especially when trying to move around that spiral staircase. Ditto for the job fair area---rather "cozy" considering the number of job seekers going in and out. On the plus side, it did make networking a bit more uh, intimate.

Networking is always an adventure for me; I made some new friends and contacts. As for the presentations, there were plenty on technology for learning, but that's right down my alley.

Overall, it was worth it, and I look forward to next year's conference.