Job Discussion Forums

[naelle]

I�ve just discovered this forum, and even if I�m not an english teacher, I hope you can help me understand some stuff about teaching in KSA. I�m a (single) 30 years old female, with a PhD in Economics (I�ll get it by the time I�ll eventually be teaching in Saudi Arabia), 5 years experience of teaching economics in two universities in Paris (among which the famous Sorbonne University), and I�m coming to KSA on sunday for a job interview in Dar Al Uloom College in Riyad. Thanks a lot for the information I got on this forum, but I still have some questions about how it's like to live and work in KSA for a single women�

1. Do those hiring conditions seem a good deal to you ?
http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=18298
As I�m a single female without family coming with me, can I ask for a higher monthly salary because I wont cost anything in education allowance for my kids, medical health insurance for my family, air tickets to point of recruitment for them�
With a PhD and teaching experience, what are the usual pay conditions in KSA?
What is the most interesting between free fully furnished housing in Riyad and housing allowance (3,000 SAR per month)?
And finnaly what is the �end of service gratuity as per the Saudi Labour law� about ?
In one word, what are the key points I have to be carefull at when negociation will come around the table? I�ve read about the single/shared accomodation question, but are there others topics I�ll have to clarify with them?

2. Does someone here know about Dar Al Uloom in Riyad? It seems to be a new college as the Prep Year only started last september, so I guess serious things will start next year and they need some teachers to set up the entire program. Do you know something about this College?

3. I would like to prepare my job interview, so would someone living in Djeddah (preferably female) accept to give me some private class next monday (February 9th), I would like to pratice english a little bit, pratice the �job interview exercice� and talk to another teacher in KSA. I promise I�ll pay you immediately , at the beginning of the class if you want. The recruter told me my resume was good to teach there, but the question they want to asses is : �is my english good enough to be able to teach in english to Saudi students?� (The recruter is french like me, so we only spoke french on the phone). As I�m coming to visit my father for one week in Djeddah (he has been working there for 18 month now), we aranged the interview with the recruter and the president of the college. If you�re interested, you can email me directly ([email protected] ) to arrange the private (I have a driver at my disposal so I can come to your place or college whenever you want on monday). Thanks a lot!

4. Is it really hard for a single women to live in Riyad and teach at college? My father works an lives in Djeddah so I think I�m gonna commute quite often to see him, but in Riyad how is social life among the expatriate community like?

5. I also would like to know if it�s possible to join a research lab cause I don�t want to stop my research activities in economics. Do research labs exist? And if so, how do they compeal with the gender separation thing? As research needs a community of people working and talking together and interactions between researchers, I�m wondering how it works if females and males can�t be in the same room to discuss a paper? Maybe I�m totally wrong and I have some misrepresentation about KSA, but that�s how I think it�s like in the Kingdom.

Thank you for having read all of this, sorry for my english but I am not a native speaker, and if you can answer one or the other of my questions I would be very gratefull!
Thank you in advance�

[Cleopatra]

Dar Al Uloom is a new college, and as such little is known about it on the Riyadh ESL 'grapevine'. However, on the face of it the package on offer there looks pretty good - I say 'on the face of it' because theory and practice are often two different things.

[007]

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

Thanx for the post, Cleo. As you know too well, anything I would advise would be in the negative context. No need to burst this eager-beaver's bubble of aspirations as she is a direct hire...with the codicil that newly-minted institutions usually have teething-problems. Hoping that she has a positive experience in the Magic Kingdom...

NCTBA

[naelle]

Thanks a lot cleopatra and 007 for all your comments and answers!

[sheikh radlinrol]

[007]

Well, Uncle sheikh, do you think a troll will put his website and CV on the internet?
Have you checked the poster profile?
According to her profile, she is doing a PhD in economics at EHESS (Paris), and she taught at Panth�on-Sorbonne University.

Do you think she is using another person's name and CV?

[Sheikh N Bake]

I invented cold fusion, have Nobel Prizes in physics and medicine and teach at MIT but I want to come work in Saudi Arabia so I don't have to pay income tax.

[naelle]

I'm not using another name!!! That's me, PhD in Economics, and taught at the Sorbonne, I confirm! What kind of proof do you need?
Thank you 007 for the support, and shame on you sheikh!
I lived during two years in Saudi Arabia when I was young, another two years in Nigeria which was not a pleasure all the time neither, and then two years in Chile. I'd like to move again, have an opportunity to be in the same country as my father, so I'm just thinking "why not"! I'm doing this job interview and then i'll see if I have something more interesting elsewhere... But I'm not affraid of living in the Magic Kingdom! Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see...
If you need another reason, I have been paid 5800 SAR during 5 years of teaching at the Sorbonne / and the other university during my PhD, I have debts so yes 16000 SAR plus benefits that's good even for a PhD in Economics having taugh at la Sorbonne!
Once again thanks 007...

[007]

[veiledsentiments]

[WaegukinYeoJa]

I'm confused because the ad is for teachers for the prep year program - are they telling you that you'll get to teach a subject matter class (such as Economics) in the prep year program or through a degree program? Or both? Because I would think that with your experience, you should be getting paid a lot more if you're teaching Economics.

[naelle]

I really don't know, I found the add because I googled the name of my recruiter, and there seem to be no add for the job I'm applying for... I had the contact by my father, I think they are going to recruit for october 2009 and they haven't set up yet the recruitment details for degree programs.
This was the only support I had about the pays they practice at Dar Al Uloom, so this was my basis, but if you think I can ask for more, that's a great news!
I actually think I'm gona teach Economics or Business Administration through a degree program, I've seen the Prep-Year Program and there's nothing I can teach in there, I'm also not interested in it.
So finally, do you think something like 20.000 or 25.000 SAR could work?
If so, that's definitely a good offer!
Thank you all once again for the advice.

[007]

naelle, just for comparison, you may contact PMU at the below link, they are advertising for female faculty and supervisors for their Business faculty (Departmental Chair & Dean, College of Business ).
In your case, I advice you to apply for the dept chair, you stand a big chance for that, and the salary will be more attractive! Check the link:
http://www.higheredjobs.com/international/details.cfm?JobCode=175354989

http://www.higheredjobs.com/international/details.cfm?JobCode=175354987

At least you can compare the difference in salary between the two universities/colleges.

Also, check this link, they might have something for women (women section) in the Business department. They have opened new branches in Riyadh for engineering and I think in business, check it:
http://chronicle.com/jobs/id.php?id=0000588721-01&pg=s&cc=

[sheikh radlinrol]