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mccallum.mitchell
Joined: 20 Mar 2018 Posts: 6
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 5:52 am Post subject: Starting off in Saudi |
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Hello
I have been lurking this board and seen alot of different posts regarding the changing landscape over there. I am interested in starting my career over there, for better or for worse, for other personal circumstances and I would like a better idea of where someone who has no teaching experience and unrelated degree could look for their beginning gig. (inb4 OTUSIDE OF SAUDI). I am actually looking at other opportunities but having a year long teaching contract that I could move on from would be my focus. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 6:25 am Post subject: |
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mccallum.mitchell wrote: |
I would like a better idea of where someone who has no teaching experience and unrelated degree could look for their beginning gig. |
I suggest you check a bunch of ads on the Cafe's job board to see what's required, at minimum, to teach in KSA; you'll find it pretty much impossible to get hired on as a newbie with an unrelated BA and online TEFL cert. (Frankly, there are Saudis who are better qualified.)
Get a CELTA and try Asia to gain those first few years of experience before looking at KSA. Be aware your unrelated BA may still end up being an issue for work in the Kingdom. |
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RustyShackleford
Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:01 am Post subject: |
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You're basically restricted to sub-contractors who just want a body. I got hired by one in a pretty good military job with an unrelated BA and online TEFL used as my qualifying documents. So, for a fact, it is doable if not ideal.
However, I had accumulated a few good years of experience prior and, of all the kinds of guys from all kinds of backgrounds who got hired (and fired...) from the gig, I don't recall anyone doing it as their first-ever TEFL first job. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:24 am Post subject: |
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RustyShackleford wrote: |
You're basically restricted to sub-contractors who just want a body. I got hired by one in a pretty good military job with an unrelated BA and online TEFL used as my qualifying documents. So, for a fact, it is doable if not ideal. |
However, I recall you'd just completed an MA in Teaching around that time, which your prospective employer took into consideration. |
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RustyShackleford
Joined: 13 May 2013 Posts: 449
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:47 am Post subject: |
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I recall it got mentioned in the interview. However, almost everyone else I worked with didn't have anything above a bachelor's, so in retrospect I doubt it was a deciding or even significant factor in my hiring. It also wasn't used to process my documents at all. |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014 Posts: 456 Location: Wadi Jinn
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Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:09 am Post subject: |
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.
Hi – If you re-read your posting above, I think you’ll see it sounds... well... slightly incoherent. To me, it’s not really clear what you’re saying given that the title of the post is “Starting off in Saudi”. One thing your post seems to be saying is that you may, might or could be looking for a job beyond just Saudi.
If that’s the case, I may have found just the job ad for you.
One of the amazing things (I almost said “alarming things”) that appears under this job ad's QUALIFICATIONS section is the following statement:
Bachelor’s Degree or Associate's degree + TEFL certificate (or willing to obtain a TEFL certificate)
This “statement” of qualification bears some scrutiny.
Not only, seemingly, will they accept ANY Bachelor degree, they presumably will accept even a BS. But not only that, they’ll even accept (amazingly) an “Associate Degree” if you can believe it.
(In the US, an Associate Degree is a 2 – year certificate obtained at a "Junior" or "Community" college for little or no cost…..the idea being that you will eventually get your BA/BS by transferring to a regular 4 year institution later on.)
To top it off, they would prefer YOU HAVE a “TEFL” certificate….but guess what….if you don’t have one, THEY WILL HELP YOU OBTAIN ONE !!!!! To me, it sounds like they will even PAY for it.
To me, this sounds right up your alley. The job is actually on DAVE’S right now for you to peruse. Here’s the URL for your convenience:
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=46572
Best of luck.
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2018 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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Teaching Kindergarten in Taiwan would be a cruel and unnatural punishment.
Last edited by scot47 on Thu Apr 12, 2018 6:36 am; edited 1 time in total |
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In the heat of the moment
Joined: 22 May 2015 Posts: 393 Location: Italy
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:21 am Post subject: |
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I've worked in north, east and central Saudi, and am aware there are cities in the south and west, but I've never heard of the region OTUSIDE of Saudi. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 4:57 pm Post subject: |
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I had one year's experience when I went to work in Saudi Arabia in 1970. That was a different universe. I think most employers will look for 2 to 5 years as a minimum before taking you on. |
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thefinalexit
Joined: 24 Jul 2017 Posts: 7 Location: Eastern Provinces
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2018 5:06 am Post subject: |
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I had an unrelated BA, a 100 hour TESOL (by correspondence), and one year of voluntary teaching experience when the notorious Ed Ex hired me for a year. While almost everyone on Dave's will suggest getting years of experience before coming to KSA, I'd recommend finding a dubious contractor and coming sooner rather than later. It'll probably be quite tough, but Saudi remains an acceptable place to save US$20K+ over one year. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:12 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
I had an unrelated BA, a 100 hour TESOL (by correspondence), and one year of voluntary teaching experience when the notorious Ed Ex hired me for a year.
....
I'd recommend finding a dubious contractor and coming sooner rather than later. |
A newbie working via a business visa for a sketchy, greedy Saudi sponsor... Worst. Plan. Ever. |
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sheikhitnow
Joined: 29 Dec 2017 Posts: 32
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 12:51 am Post subject: |
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[quote="hash"].
[b]Hi – If you re-read your posting above, I think you’ll see it sounds... well... slightly incoherent. To me, it’s not really clear what you’re saying given that the title of the post is “Starting off in Saudi”. One thing your post seems to be saying is that you may, might or could be looking for a job beyond just Saudi.
ESL/EFL instructors generally aren't very good writers. They also tend to make a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. I don't mean here on these threads, where mistakes are expected, but in formally written documents, letters and narratives. |
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Colombo
Joined: 01 Jul 2016 Posts: 13
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2018 1:04 am Post subject: |
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@ sheikhitnow...
Totally agree with your comment. Mia fi mia. |
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