Job Discussion Forums

[Skeletor]

I have actually spent the night in jail and do have a criminal record. They actually treat you with care and dignity. Plus you get legal representation so that people hear your side of the story.

I also spent two years with Interlink. Ask Suliman or Dr. D about the insurance on the vans and whether or not instructors are insured in case of an accident caused by an interlink driver. They will not answer your question because you are not covered in case of a car accident.

Suck on it!

(MOD edit for names)

[Skeletor]

P.S. although they have health insurance in Hail and Buraidah, it is worthless because no hospitals there accept the low grade health insurance that Interlink provides.

[Cletus]

Skeletor... I worked in Buraidah too. The compound was great and I knew several of the teachers that worked for Interlink. I can only repeat what I was told. Many of the teachers were unhappy. I don't know if it was the students, the company or what. I was blessed that I had a co-worker from the South that I hung out with. Two Southern males in a sea of Liberal ESL teachers was a hoot in its self.

[saudiman]

A CHALLENGING CHARACTER-BUILDING EXPERIENCE

I have been employed by Interlink-EGA since fall of 2012, 6 months of which I spenT in Buraydah. I can relate to everything Skeletor said. Furthermore, I'd like to add that out of all of the teachers who were employed in Buraydah last spring and summer, a whopping ZERO renewed their contracts with Interlink-EGA.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

I'm a family man and as soon as a Site Director (hereinafter referred to as the "Toddler" so as maintain anonymity) knew that he couldn't get me to devote more of my off-time to him and less time to my family, he started harassing me at work. I wouldn't attend whatever male-bonding events the Toddler had planned for us in the evenings, so he started coming to my class, insinuating that I needed to show up to more of his after school events or else he was going to make my life miserable. And when I didn't he non-verbally emoted his displeasure, pouting, eventually addressing the issue in a passive aggressive manner: classroom observation.

He observed my classes pretty much every day of the week without providing any professional explanations for the observations. I found the act rather amusing for reasons that I won't even go into, but eventually he had me transferred to a different site...


CHEATING DEATH

Everybody that works for Interlink-EGA (or at least anyone that has maintained Interlink-EGA contacts) knows the story of 'The Van.' It was another one of the Toddler's weekend events that he had coerced the Buraydah teachers to attend against their will, outside of Buraydah, completely on the other side of the KSA. Mind you, even though the company strictly prohibits the use of company vans for travel outside of cities in which their respective sites are located, he still insisted on doing so.

The site driver had the weekend off and so he handed the keys of the company van to the Toddler. On the way to his event, the Toddler drove the van into the path of a freighter: the freighter hit the van, and the van rolled around a couple of times down a sand dune nearly killing everyone. He was hospitalized, and a few of the teachers were injured. Ironically, the company transferred the Buraydah Site Driver to Riyadh, not the Toddler. As further indication of their expansive imagination and creativity, they assigned all of that driver's duties to the Toddler . Don't rub your eyes or pinch yourself, everything written above is 100 % accurate (even though it doesn't make any sense) : The Site Driver—who had no part in the accident that nearly killed everyone—gets transferred to Riyadh; and then Toddler—who is responsible for the car accident that nearly killed everyone—becomes the new Site Driver.


It's hard enough working in Saudi Arabia as it is. The last thing I need is someone in a leadership position making my life inside and outside of work more miserable, or even someone in a leadership position risking my life for that matter. This leads into my first point

REGARDING COMPANY DECISION-MAKING PRACTICES:

If you are considering employment with Interlink-EGA because they have somehow promoted themselves as 'liberated free-thinkers on the brink of sparking an intellectual revolution in the Kingdom,' and because, well, you need the money, I hate to break the news but this company promoted the Toddler to the position of Regional Director for the 2013-2014 academic year. That's right, he's no longer a Site Director/Driver - he's now a Regional Director.

REGARDING PAY:

I highly doubt that mahdi1432 really works for Interlink-EGA. This is because everyone at my site, and everyone that I have talked to from other sites has received 6 out of 8 of their last company payments at least 5 - 10 days late.

Furthermore, although we have medical insurance, as Skeletor said, it is completely useless.

REGARDING LIVING CONDITIONS:

It is a common sense assumption that when a particularly small educational firm enters into a multi-million dollar contract with the technical and vocation training wing of the Saudi government (TVTC), that particular firm should have the financial wherewithal to afford comfortable living conditions for its contract employees in Saudi Arabia (i.e., single off-compound housing or perhaps shared housing on a compound) . Interlink, however, provides shared housing outside of compounds for its employees; if the employees want single housing (and this is of particular concern if you are married like me) then it is the employees' responsibility to find it. In the event that you obtain a position outside of Riyadh or Jeddah, good luck finding Saudis with a high enough proficiency in English to write up a housing contract or even discuss the terms of your stay in English. You will more than likely need an interpreter or translator, especially if the legalese of your housing contract is of particular concern.

I know that one could probably find housing on a Western compound. How expensive is it? Is it in your budget of peanut payments and the occasional yearly contract-completion table scrap ? What if your site director drives you into the path of an oncoming freighter? Then could you afford the hospital and physical rehabilitation expenses accrued from such an event (since your insurance is practically useless) and an apartment or house on a Western compound ?

Unfortunately, these are all questions you need to ask yourself when deciding whether or not you really want to work for this company.

STUDENTS:

The only positive aspect of my job here in Saudi Arabia (and really the only thing that I look forward to every day) is the students. The students are quite pleasant and I enjoy working with them. They even bring me lunch sometimes. If it wasn't for my students, I wouldn't be here right now.

AVOIDING 'WHAT IN THE HELL WAS I THINKING WHEN I AGREED TO THIS? ' DISORDER & PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA:

Before you sign up and get on the plane to work for anyone in the Kingdom, especially Interlink-EGA, know precisely what you are getting yourself into. Ask as many questions as possible about everything. Ask to meet with your future Site Director a few times on Skype and don't feel bad asking for a copy of his criminal/mental health record. Don't ever hesitate to request pictures of the accommodations and the work site, current employee references, pictures from those references of the accommodations and the work site, their opinions of everyone and everything, written clarification of your contract terms and conditions, and amendments to contract terms and conditions .

[cmp45]

"Ask to meet with your future Site Director a few times on Skype and don't feel bad asking for a copy of his criminal/mental health record."

I am sure you meant this as sarcasm as I can not conceive of any one asking this type of question during a Skype interview If so then that in its self is a huge red flag.

[nomad soul]

[Cletus]

Saudiman... Did you guys have to pay to live at La Palma compound? I thought I had it rough because my driver would never stop at traffic lights and thought stopping in the middle of the road to greet friends was cool.

[saudiman]

[saudiman]

[Cletus]

Saudiman...I wasn't trying to imply anything. I lived at the compound and knew some folks that worked for Interlink. Well, they said they did. I just wanted to know if some folks lived in the city and some lived in the compound. In no way was I meaning anything nor was I trying to imply anything. I was just wanting to know.

[saudiman]

Hello Cletus...I understand that. I was simply stating that we didn't live on a compound and that I am not familiar with the compound you are referring to, that's all.

It's possible that Interlink employees resided at that compound either before or after I was working in Buraydah. If you paid to stay there or if your company footed the bills, then it would be interesting to find out how much it costed.

[mahdi1432]

[TheEasyLife]

Hi saudiman,

Your descriptions of the Toddler were spot on, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post.

A few other things he did-

1. Threw a piece of lamb at a vegetarian teacher and demanded he eat it when we were guests at a students place. The teacher threatened to beat up the Toddler and was working in Riyadh a few weeks later.

2. Dragged us to Hail on a weekend to see a sports rally which we missed as it had finished many hours previously. Therefore we spent the rest of the day drinking coffee in the desert bored shitless.

3. Tried to get us to go to Strahas at silly times of the night, promising we would be home for eight. We would always arrive home after midnight even though we had to wake up at half past six for work. Many teachers soon boycotted these excursions.

4. Constantly drove recklessly with a broken arm after the accident saudiman mentioned. Our driver had indeed been transferred to Riyadh so the Toddler was in charge of driving.

5. Was extremely passive aggressive to teachers who did not comply with his lifestyle. One teacher was ridiculed for not having a rapport with his students and for not experiencing Saudi enough despite the fact this teacher did many things to experience the country, for example, attending football matches and constantly engaging with his students outside of class.

6. Set up an extra evening class which he said he would teach in order to further his career with Interlink. He did not teach even one of these classes and forced two very tired teachers to take the classes.

God, I miss the guy...NOT!!!!!

[nickelgoat]

.....

[Cletus]

Saudiman...Is the "Toddler" still in Buraidah? Man I thought my Saudi boss was a jerk. The phrase, "I am Saudi and you're not!" has become a joke to me. After my boss says something he deems important, he shouts this phrase. I miss it when he forgets to say it. Throwing food at people may be his next move.