Job Discussion Forums

[osu_buckeyegirl]

So I will graduate next june from Ohio state with a Bachelors in Political science, and minors in English, Education, International Studies, and Arabic.
I also have my CELTA and have will at that time have about 15 months ~ 1 year 3 months~ teaching experience.
I really want to teach in Saudi Arabia for one year or two. The culture doesn't bother me (I'm female) and neither does the dresscode/rules/anything else like that. I plan on getting the first part of my masters done online, and YES I'm a homebody in the US, so KSA will be great for me.

Alot of job postings I've seen require 2 years experience, I was just wondering if anybody new of a place that took a year or would bend the rules slightly. Also any suggestions of schools todirectly apply to would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking for a job to start anywhere from June2010- on, when would be the ideal time to apply?

thanks guys! XO

[Mia Xanthi]

Plenty of places will "bend the rules" but they mostly bend them for men. There is a huge demand for male teachers in the Kingdom, but not so much demand for female teachers. Men with BAs and limited experience get hired easily, but I suspect that a young female teacher with a BA may have more difficulty.

Please do be careful, because many of the places that will hire you with a BA are not places that you want to work. And I'll say it before everyone else does: why don't you try another, easier Gulf country instead?

[osu_buckeyegirl]

Yea idk, I'm more worried about making enough to pay off the student loans I have and i need to go to an arabic speaking country, because I actually plan on being an arabic teacher in the US later on..

[veiledsentiments]

If a goal is to learn Arabic, why Saudi? For that purpose, Egypt or Syria would be a MUCH better choice. You actually get to live in the culture and use the language rather than with the expats where English and Hindi/Urdu are the most commonly needed languages.

If the goal is to make money and pay off your education loans, finish your MA (is it in TEFL or something else) and get some more experience to get the jobs that will actually allow you to pay off the loans and not be used and abused (and underpaid) by the mostly shady employers that might hire you now. The decent jobs for women in Saudi require an MA plus a few years of experience. (true everywhere in the ME actually... but Saudi has the fewest opportunities for women)

I agree with Mia that you should definitely expand your job search to include the whole Middle East.

VS

[tudodude]

I am surprised how gentley you guys have treated her. Usually such greenery is a license to get the flame throwers lit!!!!!
I suggest that after living here a while you WILL be bothered by some of the cultural aspects you think you will brush off.
I say stay away....................