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nwtefl
Joined: 20 May 2015
Posts: 148
Location: England
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 Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 12:50 pm Post subject: Teacher Recruitment Agencies - the frustration ! |
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Hi
I was contacted by an agency about a job in Bahrain and they told me the money was between X ( I can't remember exactly) and 2500 pm. In my mind, I have the right qualifications and experience, and so I filled in the pre-screening questionnaire (which seems to just be for the agency), and said I would expect 2500. The agency emailed me the day after informing "to be honest, you won't get 2500 - only Delta qualified candidates will get this, would you reconsider?"
What annoys me is the agency making the decision, not the college itself. Okay maybe the college has a remit that if a candidate does not have X then blah blah blah. However, I think the agency should submit my application and see that the college say - the agency could say, "okay he does not have a Delta, but he has X, Y, Z."
The agency is there to get commission, so no submission = no comission, so why not try ? |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Teacher Recruitment Agencies - the frustration ! |
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| Contact the institution itself? Maybe that could work? |
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Deats
Joined: 02 Jan 2015
Posts: 503
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| Posted: Sat May 30, 2015 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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From my understanding many institutions in the Middle East have pay scales and you must match certain criteria to achieve that pay. The recruiter probably knows that.
The recruiter also knows that the lower salary they talk you into taking, the more commission they will get! |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun May 31, 2015 2:53 am Post subject: |
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| Deats wrote: |
From my understanding many institutions in the Middle East have pay scales and you must match certain criteria to achieve that pay. The recruiter probably knows that.
The recruiter also knows that the lower salary they talk you into taking, the more commission they will get! |
Not so. Instead of assuming recruitment agencies have that level of power, keep in mind their clients (the employers) sign off on each individual salary and benefit offer. Moreover, many job seekers to the Gulf overestimate their worth because they're not aware of all the criteria used to determine pay. Besides, salaries in the region have been slowly declining as more MA/PhD-degreed GCC nationals take up some of those TEFL positions. Plus, there are no streets paved in gold.
A non-TEFL related BA or MA may be fine for other parts of world, but they don't excite contracting companies in the Middle East where the majority of positions target adult learners in universities/colleges and military and oil facilities as opposed to private language schools catering to children and adults. The exception are the international schools (e.g., IB, British, American curriculum) as well as public schools (UAE), which require teachers to be licensed and experienced relative to their degree major. But for those applying to positions in KSA with an unrelated degree, don't expect contracting companies to offer their best salary when the preference is for TEFL-related BAs/MAs. These businesses profit from the teachers they employ, so their aim is to keep salaries as low as possible in order to satisfy the company's financial goals.
The other gripe about so-so pay often comes from job seekers who have years of TEFL experience as well as a newly-minted relevant degree. (I believe this is the OP's situation.) Many direct-hire employers in the Gulf want to see TEFL experience that was gained after the qualifying degree was awarded; it confirms the applicant had received that all-important knowledge, skills, and abilities prior to stepping into a classroom. As such, an applicant with several years of teaching under their and a fresh MA in TESOL or Applied Ling won't get the level of pay as those who obtained the same MA first and then gained experience. And as mentioned in this and other forums, not every country in the GCC recognizes degrees with online/distance coursework. |
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nwtefl
Joined: 20 May 2015
Posts: 148
Location: England
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 10:08 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
.
The other gripe about so-so pay often comes from job seekers who have years of TEFL experience as well as a newly-minted relevant degree. (I believe this is the OP's situation.) Many direct-hire employers in the Gulf want to see TEFL experience that was gained after the qualifying degree was awarded; it confirms the applicant had received that all-important knowledge, skills, and abilities prior to stepping into a classroom. As such, an applicant with several years of teaching under their and a fresh MA in TESOL or Applied Ling won't get the level of pay as those who obtained the same MA first and then gained experience. . |
I had the "all important knowledge skills" etc before doing the MA due to having other teaching qualifications and then working in ESL in FE and HE in the U.K. You do not need an MA to give you that. The MA was a means to an end and I find it amusing that many jobs abroad ask for an MA, yet many just involve using some textbook by Cambridge and following a scheme of work which any CELTA teacher could use to teach no problem. Yeah I know the MA has given me more knowledge in certain areas , but it's not as if it will make a huge difference once I am in the classroom. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Jun 22, 2015 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| nwtefl wrote: |
| I had the "all important knowledge skills" etc before doing the MA due to having other teaching qualifications and then working in ESL in FE and HE in the U.K. You do not need an MA to give you that. The MA was a means to an end and I find it amusing that many jobs abroad ask for an MA, yet many just involve using some textbook by Cambridge and following a scheme of work which any CELTA teacher could use to teach no problem. Yeah I know the MA has given me more knowledge in certain areas , but it's not as if it will make a huge difference once I am in the classroom. |
However, not all MAs in X major are the same. Additionally, knowledge and skills gained in an MA program could be relevant and beneficial depending on the teaching situation and the MA degree focus. |
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