Job Discussion Forums

johnslat · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:34 pm Post subject:

Dear ThaneKerner,

""Be sure to ask for a company car."
"Make sure not to settle for a dime under 3500 USD a month, 20 hours max."
"That accommodation should be 4-star. If not, run like hell."
And on and on and on.... "

If you're getting that crap in PMs and e-mails, maybe there's a reason the senders aren't posting it out in the open on the board - namely that they'd get slammed by people who actually know what they're posting about.

Regards,
John

P.S. Hmm, I think the style reminds me of someone, someone who apparently was quite miserable in the Kingdom.

ThaneKerner · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 139

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

Apparently everyone on the board is here on this thread. Laughing

TK... the problem is knowing who is giving good advice. The situation that we've had for the last 2-3 months is that we have people giving advice - sounding as if they knew things - but who have never set foot in the ME. In other words people just like you. The vets try to flush them out, but there were so many threads going with so much information... good and bad... that it was kind of crazy for a bit.

The best advice is just to check your creds and offer either on the board or with posters here that you trust... by PM.

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:43 pm Post subject:

I've never actually read my echo before! Laughing

NCTBA

johnslat · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:51 pm Post subject:

Dear NCTBA,
Have you forgotten already? That's no echo; we're all the same person.

And that's the last time I'm going to remind you . . . er, myself.

Regards,
Me

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject:

Oh! Silly me!

Regards,

Me (a.k.a. NCTBA)

desultude · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 614

The problems I see with the job cited by the OP are the hours and summer holiday.

That is a lot of hard hours for the pay. It is a lot of hours to be a good instructor. And it is a lot of hours to work while living in the Kingdom, where the time it takes to get anything done are increased exponentially over just about any place else.

All of that being said, if you are new, and male, it might be fine for the first contract. If you are young and female, well, no valle la pena. Having seen the crap that young women have to endure there, they would need to double the pay, halve the hours, and toss in a few more month's break.

I worry more that the Kingdom seems to be heading in the direction of longer days and shorter breaks. It shows absolutely no respect for the task of being a quality instructor in general, and a quality instructor to Saudi students in particular.

So now most of us are here- where are Cleo and Trap?

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

You realize that the job offer is a fictional one, don't you desu? Never seen one quoted here with quite that combination. Laughing

Cleo is likely still traveling and Trap has been around in the last couple days.

VS

desultude · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 614

johnslat · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:43 pm Post subject:

Dear desultude,

"Oops! I thought I had seen that offer here before."

Stick around here long enough, and sooner or later, you'll see just about anything and everything.

Like the public library, we offer both fiction and non-fiction. The problem is, unlike the public library, those categories aren't separated.

Regards,
John

Linda467 · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 138 Location: A Secret

Desultude,

For the sake of having it straight :

No vale la pena (it is not worth it) - Valle (valley)

Cordiales saludos y Buenas noches

Linda

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject:

I concur with Linda 467. Bonus nachos to you, madame!

NCTBA

Mia Xanthi · Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

One of the things that no one here has mentioned (recently) is that working 25-30 hours in KSA is quite different from working the same number of hours in Korea. Classes in Korea are commonly of the "English conversation" type - entertain 'em for 50 minutes and you've earned your pay. In KSA, there is no need for "conversation" class because these guys can talk your ear off. Classes in KSA tend to focus on building academic skills such as reading and writing, and it takes a great deal of preparation and hard work. That's probably why no one would advise you to take a class teaching 25-30 hours in KSA. I know that I wouldn't consider 20+ hours there even if I were starving. That much work in that kind of atmosphere, plus the heat, is just a recipe for disaster.

Linda467 · Joined: 01 Sep 2009 Posts: 138 Location: A Secret

Dear NCTBA,

My pleasure, some of you have been extremely helpful to me with general or detailed information and I like to share whatever little I know, but not my ice creams ! Laughing

Saludos cordiales estimado se�or

Linda