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jkazz7
Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 16
Location: Saudi Arabia
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 Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 8:03 pm Post subject: Re: Job Prospects in Saudi Arabia |
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Since you're a female, I'd strongly recommend that you consider Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is a bit more accommodating to women than the KSA.
Since you have 2 degrees which are language-related, it shouldn't be terribly difficult for you to find something there.
As for the savings, that'll depend on how good of an offer you get and how well you can budget. But it's certainly attainable.
| Travels wrote: |
I have recently got it into my head to go to Saudi to finally take a stab at paying off my school loan.
Do you think I will be able to get a contract somewhere without too much trouble? Do you think it is realistic to think that saving around $40,000 in one year is possible?
My qualifications:
-6 years full-time teaching experience in private language schools and companies in Germany, Australia, and New Zealand
-I am an American woman
-I have over 1 year experience as a Senior Teacher, with experience in staff training and materials and assessment writing
-BA in English, MA in Cross-cultural Communication, and an Oxford TEFL cert.
Thanks in advance.
I've started looking on Dave's job board and TEFL.com - any other leads? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2016 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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| jkazz7 wrote: |
Since you're a female, I'd strongly recommend that you consider Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
The UAE is a bit more accommodating to women than the KSA.
Since you have 2 degrees which are language-related, it shouldn't be terribly difficult for you to find something there.
As for the savings, that'll depend on how good of an offer you get and how well you can budget. But it's certainly attainable. |
However, UAE salaries aren't as accommodating; those great-paying university English foundation year positions will come to a halt in 2018 per the Emirati government. Recruiting drastically slowed down a couple of years ago, and those few private university positions that open up are very competitive to get into without a TEFL-specific MA and Mid East experience.
What is available are public k-12 and vocational school positions (e.g., http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=40379) that on paper, seem to pay well at 21,000 AED/mo ($5700 US). However, teachers are expected to find and furnish their own apartments out of that 21,000 AED, and rents are not cheap. Plus, the costs of living in Dubai and Abu D are high, which won't allow for savings compared to KSA. |
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DesertDuck
Joined: 19 Jan 2011
Posts: 24
Location: Never near a body of water
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 12:54 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| Travels wrote: |
| They offered me 11,800 sar - pretty disappointed and can only assume they didn't count my Masters. |
No, they obviously didn't consider your master's degree given that offer. |
That's not necessarily true. Pay varies greatly although it is so true that overall it is not as good as it used to be. However, some employers are better than others. Don't give in to the first offer you receive (this is especially true for Saudi as you cannot change employers easily within the Kingdom). I know someone who works at a Saudi university (hired on bachelor's degree only 5 years experience/no teaching experience overseas) and makes 14,000 SAR/month. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| DesertDuck wrote: |
| nomad soul wrote: |
| Travels wrote: |
| They offered me 11,800 sar - pretty disappointed and can only assume they didn't count my Masters. |
No, they obviously didn't consider your master's degree given that offer. |
That's not necessarily true. Pay varies greatly although it is so true that overall it is not as good as it used to be. However, some employers are better than others. Don't give in to the first offer you receive (this is especially true for Saudi as you cannot change employers easily within the Kingdom). I know someone who works at a Saudi university (hired on bachelor's degree only 5 years experience/no teaching experience overseas) and makes 14,000 SAR/month. |
DesertDuck:
My response was specific to the OP's direct-hire situation; her BA in English is an easier sell as TEFL related compared to her MA in Cross-cultural Communication. Plus, only one qualifying degree gets authenticated/attested for visa purposes.
I couldn't comment on the guy you mentioned because it's not known what his BA major is (it matters), whether he works directly for the university or via a contracting company, nor what that 14000 SAR entails. There's no one-size-fits-all situation when it comes to KSA salaries because there are umpteen variables. |
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DesertDuck
Joined: 19 Jan 2011
Posts: 24
Location: Never near a body of water
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| DesertDuck wrote: |
| nomad soul wrote: |
| Travels wrote: |
| They offered me 11,800 sar - pretty disappointed and can only assume they didn't count my Masters. |
No, they obviously didn't consider your master's degree given that offer. |
That's not necessarily true. Pay varies greatly although it is so true that overall it is not as good as it used to be. However, some employers are better than others. Don't give in to the first offer you receive (this is especially true for Saudi as you cannot change employers easily within the Kingdom). I know someone who works at a Saudi university (hired on bachelor's degree only 5 years experience/no teaching experience overseas) and makes 14,000 SAR/month. |
My response was specific to the OP's direct-hire situation; her BA in English is an easier sell as TEFL related compared to her MA in Cross-cultural Communication. Plus, only one qualifying degree gets authenticated/attested for visa purposes. |
Nomad,
So was my response because you offer no evidence for the certainty with which you assure the OP that her master's was not considered. Some employers may simply make crappy offers. Or they may think someone with no work experience in the region might not know the difference to begin with. And, sadly enough, some employers know that there are Westerners who are desperate enough to take any offer.
As for the "need/requirement" to have industry-specific degrees to get a good offer, that is not true in my experience and many others I have known who work in Saudi and other GCC countries. Although I have a BA in TEFL, I was always hired on my master's in Higher Education. Also, the acquaintance I mentioned previously is a direct-hire on a non-EFL related bachelor's, but she is a native speaker and white (yes, that does make a difference in the Gulf just as nationality does). Her 14,000 SAR/month is a basic salary + transportation allowance of 600SAR. All other perks are in addition to this.
I concur with you that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to getting hired in the region; that's why the OP should understand the great variables at play here as well as be aware of her own value as a professional so that she can consider employment offers with a critical eye.
DD |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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| DesertDuck wrote: |
| nomad soul wrote: |
| My response was specific to the OP's direct-hire situation; her BA in English is an easier sell as TEFL related compared to her MA in Cross-cultural Communication. Plus, only one qualifying degree gets authenticated/attested for visa purposes. |
So was my response because you offer no evidence for the certainty with which you assure the OP that her master's was not considered. Some employers may simply make crappy offers. Or they may think someone with no work experience in the region might not know the difference to begin with. And, sadly enough, some employers know that there are Westerners who are desperate enough to take any offer. |
Again, my comments were specific to the OP's situation, namely the expectation that her cross-cultural communications MA would be accepted as TEFL-related and therefore, factored into the offer as her qualifying degree. But it's not on me to provide whatever evidence; the OP can simply get clarification from the University of Dammam. And frankly, qualifications should have come up during the interview.
| and DesertDuck wrote: |
| Also, the acquaintance I mentioned previously is a direct-hire on a non-EFL related bachelor's, but she is a native speaker and white (yes, that does make a difference in the Gulf just as nationality does). Her 14,000 SAR/month is a basic salary + transportation allowance... |
I'm sure others would like to know the name of this university --- that an unrelated BA and white skin are key to nailing a direct-hire contract there. |
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I-forgot
Joined: 28 Jun 2015
Posts: 153
Location: Riyadh
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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University of Dammam have offered 9000 for a BA degree. It is not unreasonable to think that they took into account a MA when offering 11,800.
Times have changed.
The economy is in the toilet.
Salaries are being cut everywhere. If they haven't been cut, people are going unpaid.
This is the new normal. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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Saving US$40,000 from a teacher's salary in one year ? 150,000 Saudi Riyals.
That would be hard going. Half of it would be possible, but as I write salaries in KSA are in freefall.
Last edited by scot47 on Thu Sep 08, 2016 7:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2016 5:39 pm Post subject: |
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| I-forgot wrote: |
The economy is in the toilet.
Salaries are being cut everywhere. If they haven't been cut, people are going unpaid.
This is the new normal. |
Nothing new there. The OP initially asked about saving $40,000 US in a year. She and others are experiencing "sticker shock." |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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Grendal
Joined: 13 Aug 2009
Posts: 861
Location: Lurking in the depths of the Faisaliah Tower underground parking.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2016 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Travels wrote: |
Just received an offer from the Uni of Dammam (after a few weeks of hearing nothing) and they offered me 11,800 sar - pretty disappointed and can only assume they didn't count my Masters.
White, yes. Licensed teacher, no. Willing to work, of course  |
keep spinning the white factor OP. This is a massive ingredient here for higher tax brackets, even though there are no tax brackets here in KSA (yet).
end of transmission
Grendal |
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DesertDuck
Joined: 19 Jan 2011
Posts: 24
Location: Never near a body of water
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 10:56 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| I'm sure others would like to know the name of this university --- that an unrelated BA and white skin are key to nailing a direct-hire contract there. |
Now putting words in my mouth .... not the best way to respond to facts, Nomad. I thought you as one of the most helpful, serious users on the ME forums. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that we don't all have similar experiences while working here ... starting with the pay and quals that get us hired. I thought this is one reason why we all try to share our work experiences so that those looking to work here can make informed decisions about employment in this part of the world. It's not as if we can rely on laws and regulations to protect us from potentially fickle or abusive employers. I've known ladies who got physically hurt because their employers did not fulfill their contractual obligations. This is why I do not believe these forums are the right venue to display political correctness. Work conditions in the Middle East are what they are. It's not for me to judge. However, I believe those who want to come here to work should be aware of what they can expect and what are getting themselves into.
To come back to my friend's situation, she most likely lucked-up. Offer was made towards the end of the summer, so she most likely was not a first choice, but as we all know, when people can't get visas or give up on a job here because the visa process becomes too much to handle, an employer might get desperate. Again, all this to show that the employment variables here are great. Even the native speaker requirement listed on most job ads is in many cases waved. Again, dear Nomad, I have facts to back that up....I have had colleagues on passports from Poland, France, Romania, or Spain. This, however, depends largely on availability of visa slots. Middle Eastern employers do not follow a strict set of hiring practices and requirements; they may have them, but how they are applied varies according to employer and their needs at a particular time. |
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Spelunker
Joined: 03 Nov 2013
Posts: 392
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 1:40 pm Post subject: re: the grendel |
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Hey up Grendal,
Thought you ran a website I liked back in the day, the essence of foolkiller:)
Great avatar btw, truly inspired. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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| DesertDuck wrote: |
| nomad soul wrote: |
| I'm sure others would like to know the name of this university --- that an unrelated BA and white skin are key to nailing a direct-hire contract there. |
Now putting words in my mouth .... not the best way to respond to facts, Nomad. I thought you as one of the most helpful, serious users on the ME forums. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that we don't all have similar experiences while working here ... starting with the pay and quals that get us hired. I thought this is one reason why we all try to share our work experiences so that those looking to work here can make informed decisions about employment in this part of the world. It's not as if we can rely on laws and regulations to protect us from potentially fickle or abusive employers. I've known ladies who got physically hurt because their employers did not fulfill their contractual obligations. This is why I do not believe these forums are the right venue to display political correctness. Work conditions in the Middle East are what they are. It's not for me to judge. However, I believe those who want to come here to work should be aware of what they can expect and what are getting themselves into.
To come back to my friend's situation, she most likely lucked-up. Offer was made towards the end of the summer, so she most likely was not a first choice, but as we all know, when people can't get visas or give up on a job here because the visa process becomes too much to handle, an employer might get desperate. Again, all this to show that the employment variables here are great. Even the native speaker requirement listed on most job ads is in many cases waved. Again, dear Nomad, I have facts to back that up....I have had colleagues on passports from Poland, France, Romania, or Spain. This, however, depends largely on availability of visa slots. Middle Eastern employers do not follow a strict set of hiring practices and requirements; they may have them, but how they are applied varies according to employer and their needs at a particular time. |
Seriously, my comments were solely about the OP's degree and her particular job hunt and nothing more. No mention of work conditions, physically-abusive employers, labor laws, the (perceived) value of white skin, political correctness, etc. Moreover, you've obviously never read my posts; throughout this forum, I've consistently stated that job seekers should apply to see what their specific qualifications with net them rather than rely on others' experiences because there's no set one-size-fits-all situation. So either you're getting me mixed up with another poster or you've posted on the wrong thread or...
Anyway, rather than focus on me, perhaps it's best that your comments address the OP directly in terms of where she should apply to get the most bang with her education and experience. |
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bigdurian
Joined: 05 Feb 2014
Posts: 401
Location: Flashing my lights right behind you!
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| Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2016 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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But at the same time, I have an unrelated degree, only a 120 hour tesol, and yet I still earn 75k $+a year, plus housing, plus flight allowance, plus a company car in my name to do with what I will.
I've said it before, but network. Come here on a crap job, and if you have anything about you, you'll get a better job.
Some people like to say that everything is set in stone about what you can and can't do. I beg to differ. Nothing is written.
I could add about various disclaimers, but I can't be bothered.
I've seen highly qualified people working for peanuts, and a convicted criminal, wanted on a further warrant, working as a principal, anything goes.
Try your luck, you may get lucky, you may not.
Believe! May Allah be with you....... |
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