Job Discussion Forums

Boen · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

Hi, I was just offered a salary of 31,000 usd per teaching year of 180 days. The offer includes flight, shipping, insurance, and furnished apartment. Is this a good offer? Will I be able to save money? I have to make a choice soon so any feedback is appreciated.

Manny2 · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 143

Hi Boen

The merits of any offer depends on your qualifications and experience. So can you give us a little bit more information re:

Your qualifications and teaching experience
Is this primary/secondary/tertiary

Have they given you an actual salary amount in Dirhams that you will take home each month ?

You say this includes a flight- does that include annual vacation flights too?

What about gratuity at the end of the contact ?

Do you have to share accomodation ?
PS tomorrow is the last workday before the Eid holidays and I suspect many teachers on this board will be on vacation for the next 10 days so replies may be slow in coming. Plus while many employers are hiring now due to last minute demands and would like an answer and you to start like yesterday do not be rushed into accepting an offer until you are sure it is a good one.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I have never heard of a 'teaching year of 180 days' - what does that mean? Are we talking about a place like HCT? They have a standard academic year with two semesters...

As Manny says... we need more info to be able to tell you if it is a fair offer.

$31000 = about 9500 Dhs...

VS

Boen · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

Thank you for you insight. As far as more information, it is an international school. That's why the teaching days come out to 180 days per year. They provide a furnished apartment in Abu Dhabi and transportation to and from the school. There is a one month salary bonus at the end of every year and if you stay more than one year they will fly you home once a year.

My concern is with that salary will I be able to save money? Also, what is the lifestyle like in Abu Dhabi? I'm relativly young and single. What is the social scene like? Finally, is it common to teach private EAL classes? If so, how much is the going rate? Again advanced thanks to anyone who replies.

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

NadiaK · Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Posts: 206

Presumably English as an additional language. I think I like yours better, though.

Abba · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 97 Location: UK

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

Abba, take the first figure VS mentioned and divide it by 12(number of months in a year) guess what you get? yip...... around 9500

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Obviously Abba is not aware that I am also an accountant... and know my way around a calculator... Laughing

Since we always talk monthly - not annual - salary on the board, I was converting it into the number that is normally stated...

(I actually found that confusing when I first started working in the ME. In the US, we always use annual salary, never monthly...)

But, I digress... back to Boen's question.

Savings is a matter of lifestyle. Some save most of their salary (like me), but I also worked with others who spent every bit of it on partying.

VS

Bindair Dundat · Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Posts: 1123

Abba · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 97 Location: UK

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

Abba, there isn't a rock big enough ...

Boen · Joined: 09 Oct 2006 Posts: 9

Eal is English as an alternative language. Just a different way to say ESL. Anyway, are there opportunities to teach private EAL classes in the evening? If so, what is the going rate?

A more pratical social question. I understand if you want to go to a pub or a club you must go to a hotel. What is the average cost of a beer and a cocktail in these bars/clubs? Thanks again.

Boen

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Why would we need another set of letters... that few, if any, have heard of... anyway, what you would be teaching is EFL...

Private lessons are much less common in the Gulf than they are in many other places. None of my fellow tertiary level teachers were doing them, but you may encounter more of it at International School level. I did hear that you would naturally be banned from tutoring your own students - to avoid the problem in places like Egypt where the teachers do nothing in class in order to force their students to have to pay them for private lessons.

Since I never paid for booze or "beep" Laughing

I can't answer that one...

VS

ghost · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 1693 Location: Saudi Arabia

$31,000 per year works out to approx. $2583 U.S. per month, one assumes tax free.

Depending on your lifestyle you should be able to save with that amount. Eating and cooking for oneself are not expensive in the area, especially if you use Philippine stores and other ethnic stores where there are many wonderful deals. The same could be said for eating out, with the many ethnic deals on offer too numerous to mention.

With the above deal, if you do not need transport to get to work, you should be able to save between $1000-$1500 U.S. per month, and possibly more if you live a frugal lifestyle like ghost......who often goes for months living at a basic level.

Since you have free accommodation your $31000 U.S. per year is in actual fact more like $47000 U.S. per year tax free.....

Having accommodation provided is a great stress reliever because you know that you won`t be subject to rent increases and all the other hassles of renting in the Gulf with different sets of rules and expectations.

The big cost for most foreigners in the region is related to accommodation, and the next significant cost would be expenses related to renting or buying a car, and one does not have information on that.

Ghost, McGill University