Job Discussion Forums

[balqis]

For me, the worst part of your offer is the hours you have to teach. If you compare it to gov tertiary places, it is usually 18 - 20 hours a week. You need to teach 50% more than the usual deal. It is a lot, unless you are young - or very young - and can handle it.
And your salary doesn't reflect this 50% more than average teaching load at all.
balqis

[scot47]

Istanbul and Jeddah cannot be compared ! Weather in Jeddah is fine in the winter months. For much of the year you need air-conditioning.

[jaffa]

[murray1978]

The salary is embarrassingly low. Just to give you some background information: I worked for NITI/ Kaplan in Damman last spring. I was hired through a third party and my salary was 3500 US a month which is about 13,500 SAR. I had a BA and a teaching certification.

You should be making at least the same amount I was and not 4000 SAR a month lower. Your teaching hours is ridiculously high as well. Most contracts are for 22-25 hours per week.

If I were you, I would turn down that offer and look for something better. You should be paid what the average teacher gets. There are a lot of TVTC Colleges, universities and companies in the Kingdom. Don't sell yourself short.

I apologize for the intrusive question: Are you a Native English Speaker?

Living in the Kingdom can be tough and the salary and hours is a pittance. If you are going to accept something that low, you should consider a country where you will have more freedom for you and your wife.

[balqis]

I thought the Colleges of Excellence would pay relatively better money than say Jeddah or Riyadh coz they are middle of nowhere, so they pay something extra to wipe the tears shed on account of the location.
And I thought they pay this extra deservedly, since I saw Hofuf or Qatif with my own eyes.
Yet even this trail of thinking is not true.
Here is a quote from todays' ad, recruiting ESL faculty for one of these new colleges in Hofuf and Qatif and even more remote Al Majmah.

Mind you, the ad clearly states it is exclusively for native speakers, so the lowest figure will be offered to some of them too.

'' Salary range: Approx. 9.000 – 19.500 SARS per month including accommodation. Note that the top rate is only paid to exceptional candidates. ''

It is even less that the Jeddah offer discussed here. And there is only 30 days paid vacation. And if I know life, the turnover of females there in Qatif must be massive, and for those who have been to Qatif - no surpise it is the case.

This we call unemployment: the demand has no limits, the supply does. So employers do whatever they want. It is grim, yet real.

Then if you compare Jeddah offer to the Qatif one, there is a diamond added to the Jeddah one, and the diamond is Jeddah itself.

balqis

[currentaffairs]

Yes, the Colleges of Excellence are an option. I have worked at one of them. To be fair, the pay is usually a bit better than contractors like EdEx, Hussan and ICEAT. Yes, the programs are often complete crap and the students are difficult. TVTC is apt to suddenly deliver edicts and changes to the curriculum in the middle of the semester... Holidays are not so great but you still get the religious holidays and a week in February in addition to the main summer holiday.

[mnruman]

[nichtta]

[currentaffairs]

I think the teachers from Sudan that I knew were probably on around 7-9,000 riyals a month. With that kind of money they could live like kings in Sudan, of course. In terms of purchasing value for their home country they were richer than me..

[paul.conlong]

Indeed, the kind of money on offer at KSA for ESL tutors would set you off on a good stead for most countrys of non-native speakers.

[ex500]

The salary comes to about 12680 per month including housing and transportation.

Now, for an unrelated BA and Western passport you should be looking for 15,000 and up, so it is low by about 2500 a month. And yes, the teach hours should be 25 hours or less.

However, if you don't have a Western passport or degree, its probably a good offer if you can't find anything that pays more.

If you appreciate living near Makkah its great. That area of Jeddah is probably cheap to live in.

[scot47]

Parts of South Jeddah are "no-go areas" for Saudi authorities.

[pooroldedgar]

If 15,000 is the minimum for a western passport and an unrelated BA, then I am definitely looking in the wrong places....

And Scot47, can you please tell us more about this South Jeddah lawless zone? What kicks off down there?

[balqis]

It is the minimum according to the poster only. That is obvious.

balqis

[nomad soul]