Job Discussion Forums

moneyoriented · Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 76

I desperately need your good advice. I'm sick and tired of being in debt, and really need to come up with some decent money fast in order to pay off my obligations.

So where in Saudi can I make the most NET income? (i.e., difference between what I could earn with my current qualifications minus typical living expenses in that locale, be Riyadh, Jedda, or somewhere else.)

I ask the question this way because I assume that the cities that have the highest salaries (gross) generally also have the highest costs of living, and therefor may not be the most suitable for me at this time, since all that really matters to me right now is how much I'll have at the end of each month to pay down my debts after paying local living expenses.

I'm a 43 year old American guy with two undergraduate degrees (Asian Studies and Business). I taught English on a casual basis for one year while studying in Japan in college. (My homestay mother put together two classes for me, of about 6 students each, each of which I taught for 1 hour per week. These were high school and college students, and I basically just used a British ESL workbook and tape set and went through one lesson per week.) I don't have any other teaching experience.

I also don't have any formal TES/FL qualifications (masters degree, certificates, etc.) I'm willing to obtain one or more of these, but I don't currently have the money to do so, unless some sort of financial aid or loans were available (or in exchange for a commitment to teach for them afterwards, etc). Which qualifications are the most respected and useful in getting the best jobs, and which have the best cost/benefit ratio? (these are not necessarily the same things).

What's the best money I can hope to make in Saudi (or other GCC country) with my current qualifications?

And how much could I make if I obtained some excellent teaching credentials? What kind of EFL-related certificate or masters degree is most desired by the best employers? (Should I even bother with a certificate, or should I just go for a masters? How much would it cost me? Which are the best schools to get it from? Are there one year programs, or are they all two years? Is there a program in the UAE where I could get acclimated and make some useful contacts while earning the qualification? Is this the best way, or would a degree from a school in the US or UK get me a better job?

There are so many choices to make in this field, in terms of qualifications and in terms of where to teach - it's pretty bewildering. So I'd really appreciate any advice any of you might have for me. What would you do if you were in my shoes and needed to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible?

Also, would I even need a regular job, or is there some way to just find a bunch of private students? Wouldn't that pay more?

Finally, what about other work in Saudi? Are there any other decent-paying jobs I might be able to get with my current qualifications?

*Many thanks in advance*

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

TESL certification and first degree (BA) is the minimum qualifications that would enable you to find suitable employment in KSA; making it worth your while...even then you would be starting at the bottom of the payscale since you do not have any relevant/ consistent teaching experience at uni/college level to boost your salary up the pay scale.

If you think long term then I would recommend bitting the bullet and get TESL certified. Then start applying. Think of your first job as the foot in the door even if the pay is not great to start...as after a year or two then you move on to a higher paying situation. That's if you can hack it in the Middle East - long term.

However starting at age 43 with no TESL related qualifications or ligitimate experience you may have missed the boat for the Middle East?

Maybe try Korea?

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

cmp is 100 percent right.

To get a decent job here you need qualifications and experience.

The "experience" you describe here would be disregarded by employers in the ME.

Cleopatra · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:31 pm Post subject:

Most of the better paying jobs in KSA and the Gulf require an MA, though in practice this requirement is often waived - if you have solid experience and at the very least a BA and a TESL cert. If you don't have even this, forget about the ME.

trapezius · Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:42 pm Post subject:

I know of an English woman in Jeddah who earns SR. 50,000/month ($13,333) working just 5 days a week and 5 hours a day.

She teaches English privately in her house to ultra-rich Saudi kids. She charges a staggering SR. 500/hour. She works from 4 pm to 9 pm five days a week, and is booked full 12+ months ahead.

Since you have a business degree, I would say get any odd job as a 'supervisor', 'manager', or 'consultant' with any company (use any connections you might have in this country), work for a year while doing a couple of hours of tutoring daily, and then try to transfer your sponsorship to someone who would let you work freelance for a fee. Then just tutor till you drop and make bank.

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:00 am Post subject:

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Urban Myth ? Or fantasy ? Delusonal ramblings of the terminally insane ?

trapezius · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:39 pm Post subject:

Y'all can believe it or leave it, but I am not in the business of posting rumours.

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

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject:

cmp45 · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1475 Location: KSA

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:40 pm Post subject: not for amateurs

Like some of the other posters, I hate to see such things posted. It encourages people to still believe the myth that a native speaker can hop on a plane, fly to the ME (or Japan or wherever) and make a bundle of money just for standing in front of a class.

Thirty years ago, such things could happen. The world of ESL/EFL has changed dramatically since then. Now, it requires an MA and three years of teaching experience just to make a living wage in these countries. There is no more "get rich quick" in this field.

An amateur would be downright foolish to try to seek his fortune here in Saudi Arabia. Even extremely well-qualifed candidates get themselves into bad situations here, and the unqualified or poorly qualified are just asking to be abused. I strongly encourage the orignal poster to look elsewhere and to disregard these stories about people making small fortunes for teaching private lessons in KSA.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Mia, Cleo and VS are all right. Do not listen to Trapezius. As one poster said to me in a pm "He is talking out of his @*s"

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:51 pm Post subject: