Job Discussion Forums

[Ka-CHING!]

VS,

I figured you meant US dollars, but thought I should check anyway. AUD offered me the equivalent of a little more than USD 26000 so it's on the low side. I'll look into the housing costs.

I fired off an email with some questions but haven't gotten a response yet. We'll see...

[veiledsentiments]

Ka-CHING

If it is only $26,000 and they don't provide you with a flat, I would avoid the place totally. Paying your own rent out of $26,000 would make it poverty level pay - in Emirates EFL terms. After all, over ten years ago, HCT paid me $34,000 plus provided me with a new, large two bedroom flat and over $8000 (30,000 DHs) to furnish it. Don't sell yourself cheap!!

Bindair Dundat

Haven't seen you here for awhile. And you have known me enough years to know about all the nasties that I may accuse various males of --- --- and well deserved they usually are ---

But gee, some of my best friends are even male---

VS

[well-travelled]

I would agree with veiled sentiments on this one. Eight thousand dirhams a month for someone with an MA is very low in terms of the going rate for EFL teachers at tertiary level in the UAE. And there seems to be a suggestion that they don't pay for your accommodation. If that's the case -although I'd be surprised if it was - then I don't see how you could live on such a low wage. Accommodation is expensive in the UAE, as is the cost of living in general.

well-travelled

[Ka-CHING!]

There's a housing allowance of AED 30 000 per year, a furniture allowance of AED 12 000 over three years, and a relocation allowance of AED 3 000. Medical insurance (with unspecified co-pay), annual air tickets, 50% tuition discount on ADU courses, six weeks annual leave, and end of service gratuity round off the benefits. This is all in addition to the monthly salary. Low, I gather, but I don't have any ME experience.

Anyway, I (ahem) have other irons in the fire and am stalling.

[veiledsentiments]

Ka-CHING

Glad to hear that a number of irons are resting in the fire.

I guess it isn't surprising that a new place is towards the bottom of the offers. If you want to check into flat prices, I just went onto the Gulf News site and it had a long list of flats for rent with prices. The allowance was towards the bottom of the prices as expected. With a bit of time and effort, I'm sure that a nice place can be found for that price, but the problem is that you get there and it is 45 degrees and you don't know the areas and it is such a slog!! Be sure to ask them about the fact that AD landlords tend to want all the money up front - or at least many months paid in advance. Type Abu Dhabi real estate into Google and look around.

Do they plan to pay the housing allowance by year?? As in, next year we can buy a sofa?? At HCT, they paid the 30,000 up front and if you stayed X years (was it 4?) you didn't have to pay any of it back, but if you left earlier there was a sliding scale of payback.

Leave is on the short side, too. Be sure to ask about semester break. HCT made a try at charging the semester break against annual leave. I have never quite figured out why they want you to hang about in the heat of summer with no students and normally not a dang thing to do but clean your desk and surf the net.

It is not an awful package, but added to the fact that it is new and disorganized - thus to be saddled with extra hassles for the teachers - hopefully a better option will arrive. Choice is good!!

VS

[Ka-CHING!]

It doesn't sound like a bad package, I agree. Just, well, uninspiring.

I fired off another email asking about getting an apartment instead of an allowance, pointing out as you did, that I don't know the area and would have difficulty finding a place to live on my own. No more than the truth. No response as of yet, but it's the weekend over there, I think. As for the hassle aspect of the situation, I have an utter horror of being bored. I don't think I'd be in too much danger of that!

I have an interview with a uni in Turkey on Monday, and another Emirati school the following week, hee hee hee.

[abudhabi]

Some people at MLI are going through the process of trying to find flats in Abu Dhabi - we are given an allowance target of 70,000 dirhams to shop around for. Some have found reasonable 2 to 3 bedroom flats in good areas for this price - getting the admin to pay for it is a problem, but that is another story on another thread. Looking at a Gulf Today newspaper I see some 1 to 2 bedroom flats are available for 30000 dirhams in the Hamadan street area which is central. What state the flats are in and whether you'd like to stay there is another matter. Remember, Abu Dhbi is a microcosm of the world in some ways with 3rd world prices and conditions available for the 3rd world workers alongside better offerings. Don't know if 30000 dirhams will get you the standard of living you want. The furniture allowance is 30000 and I doubt you'll be satisfied with the 12000 without dipping a lot into your own pocket. Also, most flats are available on yearly rents - money up front.

[veiledsentiments]

Thanks abudhabi -- if MLI, not known for any extremes of generosity these days, offers 70,000Dhs -- that means that it is probably the minimum for someone that wants to live like a Western expat (versus what the sub-continentals are offered).

Hey, Ka-CHING, not good news. Unfortunately, your ADU offer looks less and less attractive.

VS

[Ka-CHING!]

Yes, my concerns are rising. I asked to be given housing rather than a housing allowance but still no reply. In an earlier email, I had asked for clarification of my duties (i.e. what classes I'd be teaching) and was told the matter had been referred to the director of the language institute, but I haven't heard back about that either.

Oh, well. The Turkish interview is in a few hours and the other one next week. I like challenges but I'm not a martyr.