Job Discussion Forums

speedie · Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Posts: 6

Hey all,
Two questions about starting up in UAE. When's the best time of year to aim to arrive, looking for work? Or to start looking for contracts from abroad.
Secondly, is it reasonably easy to pick up private classes? What kind of rates are charged for small groups?
If it helps, I am a single 25 year old male, TESOL certified with a B.A. but no MA. I have a few years experience in various countries/classroom settings.
Any tips appreciated!
Thanks.

rosyanna · Joined: 18 Jan 2006 Posts: 25

Probably best time to arrive is end Aug/early Sep - classes start around then, any no show staff will be known about and institutions may need staff in a hurry.
There is a lot of private tutoring work for school kids [emirati]. Rates around DH 125 an hour. Don't know about older students, sorry.

stoth1972 · Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 5:11 am Post subject:

I would not recommend just showing up on a tourist visa and looking for work in the UAE. Are you coming on your spouse's sponsorship? As the previous poster mentioned, you could tutor young kids in the neighbourhood of 125 dirhams/hour. The real tuition pays out to Science and Maths teachers-not typically ESL. Places like Berlitz will pay hourly wages of aronud 100 dirhams (may be a bit more). Without a spouse to rely upon, you will not be able to support yourself in most parts of the UAE. Apartment/villa leases are typically paid out in chunks (3,6,12 months at a time). I would recommend only looking for work from abroad, based on your credentials.

There are loads of little language schools but none of them (not even Berlitz) will pay to bring you over, set up accommodation, etc. You might find work in some primary/secondary schools, but the reputations of the schools that hire non-qualified teachers for overseas contracts tend to be quite dodgy. If you really wanted to live and work in the UAE, I would suggest getting a teaching qualification and/or your MA TESOL.

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

The Gulf is not a place where people tend to just drop in and look for work. The cost of living is very high, and picking up part-time sporadic hourly work and private lessons will leave you in poverty.

The majority of TEFL teachers in the Gulf have an MA and all are hired abroad. Casual labor like this is normally filled by people (usually women) with free time but already having housing and benefits provided by their spouse.

If you already have friends there that you can share housing and other expenses with, it might work out.

VS