Job Discussion Forums

[FatFreddieFoxx]

OK, stop bitching, you two! And let me add my tuppence-worth...

Firstly, whilst there are a good number of students from HCT and other state unis/colleges who take extra English classes at the BC or other language schools in AD or Dubai, they tend to be the dross who have failed so many times already that they realise they'll have to DO SOMETHING if they really want to pass English and not get kicked off the course. Typically, they have spent the previous two or three years drifting through their studies, expecting to pass without much effort (or any at all!).

On the other hand, there are a few bright sparks who realise that if they can get the required IELTS or Cambridge PET grade in advance, they'll be excused taking English for the final year. Quite a few of my students have taken this option during the summer months, and I have personally recommended it, as they can then devote more time to their final year studies and get a better GPA - or spend more time shopping.

Finally, about salaries. When I first came to the UAE six years ago, my starting salary was 11,500 dirhams - about 3,000 bucks. I hear that at some colleges or Unis, it's still the same now. However, the UAE is a much more expensive place now that back in 2002, and I would say that any salary below 15,000 per month is not worth considering.

However, the main problem here is accomodation, as inflation in this area has been almost 100% in the past few years. If your employer provides your housing, that's great, as they will bear the cost of any rent hikes. This, of course, assumes that your housing is good enough - more than just an unfurnished room in a shared house, for example.

But if your employer only gives you a housing allowance, then be very wary, as you will be sure to be out of pocket by the following year. In fact, I would turn any job down that only offers a housing allowance, as they tend to be ridiculously low anyway - has ANYBODY seen a decent sized and located apartment that costs less than 10,000 a month (in AD or Dubai) these days?

[harryhutton]

Sensible points, apologies for bitching.

I think the reasoning about housing it spot on - unless people are being offered housing, don't even think about trying to find your own for under 200,000 AED p.a. I have friends who are in despair trying to find something - there simply isn't anything on the market and the situation in Abu Dhabi is far worse than the situation in Dubai now

I disagree, however, about money. Plenty of people survive here on or around the 3000 USD mark and manage to put something away. The cost of food and entertainment has not risen as dramatically as house prices IMHO.

[MissMao]

I think the point that is being missed about the ADU/ICS jobs at the Institute of Continuing Studies is that these are NOT the same as the university faculty jobs.

The ICS is pretty much the same as HCT-CERT set up, where CERT deals with the contract side of the business, not typical 18 - 25 year old HCT students on diploma and degree programmes. We have several different programmes here that mainly deal with people who are job seekers or are on some sort of ESP job training course. Our students on campus are intermingled with students who are taking university courses but the two groups are quite different. ICS does for ADU as CERT does for HCT.

Obviously there is a difference between the two and there are two separate bodies of staff who have different deals at ADU itself. Just as CERT does not demand Masters qualified teachers but is often satisfied with serious CELTA (and above) qualified teachers, so too the same is true for ICS. The difference between the two is that at present, all of the ICS staff are full time and recruited from abroad whereas a large percentage of CERT staff are hourly paid and recruited locally.

I would say that, all things considered, the ICS jobs are a good foothold in the Gulf for qualified teachers with experience without the nightmare of finding accommodation in this very expensive city. And as one that lives in the shared housing, it's not all that bad. We have fully furnished rooms down to the towels, (no nightmare of having to buy everything once we get here) TV, fully outfitted kitchen and the rooms are massive. I rarely see my roomates as the villas are huge, unlike the accomodation in the city. As long as one has a car, life is pretty good.

[Sunburnt Individual]

Things are different in Al Ain. I agree with the comments about housing though. Housing in Al Ain has quadrupled recently.

The going salary for a teacher in an international school is 6,500 ($1770), but it's rising because inflation is really hurting everyone here. A lot of schools are scheduled to raise their tuition rates next year, and teacher salaries should increase as well (hopefully).

I make more than that. Looking at what I spend and what I save, this IS a livable salary, but you won't save a whole lot, especially since food bills have almost doubled. I am one of the only people I know who saves ANY money. Lifestyle has a lot to do with it. If you like to go shopping or need to buy a new pair of shoes every two weeks or go out clubbing or to the pubs most weekends, you will easily spend everything.

In Al Ain, I would say 8,000 Dirhams a month would be a minimum COMFORTABLE salary.