Job Discussion Forums

[tennyson]

Been looking on the jobs forums for Middle East Tefl job. It seems like quite a lot of the vacancies in Saudi are last minute i.e. they want you to start in the next few weeks . Is this the norm or is it the sign of a fly by night agency ?

[Sirens of Cyprus]

Because they did not over-book enough.

[johnslat]

Of course, many of us have practiced "overbooking," as well. When you're looking for a job, and you get two or three offers, some/many will keep the "irons in the fire" right up to the last possible minute.

I recall how after the Saudi director had signed up, say, 12 people at the TESOL convention, people who had signed a "letter of agreement"," we would all figure, "Well, two or three might actually show up."

The difference, especially in Saudi, of course, is that teachers can expend considerable time and money only to get stiffed whereas the only inconvenience to the employers is that they may end up understaffed and scrambling for staff.

Regards,
John

[jaffa]

Makes you wonder/shake head in disbelief when it's April and almost time for exams that employers are desperately scratching around for teachers, and, at the same time, looking for ways to pay people less. A couple of years ago one university was after 100 teachers in November!

Logic has never been a forte in these parts.

[veiledsentiments]

It isn't so much lack of logic as lack of planning.

VS

[jaffa]

Planning is logic.

[scot47]

It sometimes comes down to the question of "Who makes decisions in this organisation ?" This can be a very difficult question to answer !

[johnslat]

Dear jaffa,

"Planning is logic."

Yes, good planning is logical - however . . . .

"Between the idea
And the reality
Between the motion
And the act
Falls the Shadow."

and in the Kingdom, "the Shadow" is inertia, laziness, the inshallah mind-set.


It's not so much that Saudis "lack logic" (although, of course, some do as do people everywhere.) And it's not so much that plans, even logical plans, are not formulated (though again, in the Kingdom, as elsewhere, that also occurs.)

But in my experience, it was usually "the Shadow" falling between the idea and the reality that was the primary culprit.

Much of the time, logic produced plans, but ideas failed to become reality.

At least that was often what I saw.

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

[jaffa]

Yes, doh, how stupid of me not to have factored in the shadow between the reality of motion and the act between the idea formulated during the planning stage of logic and without even getting into putting it into action when you need 20 teachers to start in September and advertise the jobs two months later.

[scot47]

Ah, but who is responsible ? Within the organisation who will make a decision and who will carry the can ? Buck-passing is very common and so is the inability to accept responsibility.

[Grendal]

HR reports to their respective universities and says, 'It's OK we've got the teacher requirements filled and will have enough teachers for September.' Come September and half of those teachers actually show up for work. The other half have read the posts here on Dave's and said, 'smell ya later.'

That's only one of the myriad of reasons why there are so many last minute job opps here in KSA.

Grendal

[billings]

and, of course, a lot of teachers do 'a runner'!!! Conditions can be very poor so teachers get their salaries at the end of the month and 'disappear''!

[CANDLES]

Not all actually do a 'runner'. Some of them hand in their notices -1 week and then go. Or take the money and send 1 weeks notice/sick leave and disappear especially if certain criterias haven't been met by the employers, ie visas, less salary than negotiated,family visas, etc....