Job Discussion Forums

[soheeb16]

Hello everyone.

I am looking to apply to work in Saudi Arabia for the Spring 2015 semester. I am posting to ask: when exactly does the Spring semester start, and how often before the semester will I be put on a plane before that?

I also wish to take my wife and upcoming kid, who is expected around mid-November. I am wondering if I will have enough time to get a Passport and Visa for the Spring semester given this timeline (I live in New York). I would ideally want them to fly on the same plane as me, or at least lag by only a few weeks and not months.

Thanks in advance.

[scot47]

Calendars are published online eg at www.kfupm.edu.sa or www.dcc.edu.sa
All higher education colleges and unis use the same calendar laid down by MoHE in Riyadh.

http://www.dcc.edu.sa/ac.html

It should be possible. Apply for passport (US ?) immediately after birth and then proceed for visa applications.

teachers routinely turn up late for contract start. Be aware that starting in Semester 2 has financial implications. : your summer pay will be pro-rated and you will receive no End-of-Service Benefit for that semester.

[nomad soul]

Spring sessions generally start in January; however, a few things for you to keep in mind:

1) You'll be limited to positions that are open around that time. That equates to fewer direct-hire opportunities but plenty of jobs via contracting companies which recruit year round. Obviously, your options depend on the strength of your qualifications.

2) If you don't qualify for direct-hire positions, be aware that it's not uncommon for contracting companies to only offer a bachelor-status or single status visa as well as benefits covering just one person, which means some financial and logistical challenges in sponsoring your family on your own. Then there's the "reputation" of the company, so research thoroughly. Take a look at "Sponsoring wife and kids on your own" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=104495)

3) Your timing is key; the process of getting an employment visa can drag out and further delay when you're able to arrive in country. Plus, as Scot47 mentioned, a spring arrival (for direct-hire, university employment) can negatively affect your salary and benefits.

[soheeb16]

Thank you for the replies.

For long-winded reasons, I will actually not have my MA until the end of the Fall 2015 semester, so I will be teaching 1 year without it. Given this, I need to start with a contracting company at first.

As for the salary, if it is prorated then I still get summary pay, no? Or am I to assume a lower rate than if I taught the whole year? And if this is the case, would my contact be for 6 months? I would prefer a year or a year-and-a-half deal, but the year deal will get me stuck in a Spring semester loop...

[nomad soul]

[soheeb16]

Understood. As I have stated before, I understand I will be going on low-footing with a contractor, but I do wish to complete my MA and rack up some experience so that I can eventually stick with direct-hire positions. That being said, I still would rather go in the middle of the semester and do a direct-hire job and get relevant experience than stay here and work for half as much (which is the status with my current job).

Thanks once again for answering my questions nomad soul.

[scot47]

Once you have been enslaved by a contractor, it is not so easy to leave and get another job in the same country !

[soheeb16]

Hmm... but wouldn't it be easier to get a non-contractor job with some experience under a contractor then with none at all?

[nomad soul]

[soheeb16]

Yes, I am aware. If you remember, we have discussed this before in previous conversations. I have taken the route of the dark side and done a distance learning MA. I understand this may make it difficult to get a direct-hire position. As I mentioned before, my circumstances didn't allow for an in-person TESOL MA so it was this or nothing.

My understanding is that it isn't impossible though, and there are still opportunities. Even if we assume this false, I am hoping my MA would still be worth getting me more leverage and better salaries with contractors. Again, I could be wrong and it won't be worth it, but I am hopeful. Time will tell.