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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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 Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| WellRoundedSquare wrote: |
The inherent problem VS is that Omanis have to work. Yet they can't and don't as a whole.
Stay tuned I guess...I'm just going through culture shock, what do I know. |
I'm not sure how culture shock affects your knowledge.  And being new to the area always makes it hard to put things into context.
Just a few details that you may not have picked up in Wikipedia. I suspect that the unemployment rate is higher than 15% among Omanis (and multiples of that in the rest of the Gulf), but you see a huge difference in numbers of local working if you live in other Gulf countries. Accurate statistics are hard to find. (Bahrain is likely more similar to Oman than Kuwait, Qatar, or the UAE) In Oman, locals drive the taxis - in the rest of the Gulf, you need to learn Urdu to communicate with your driver. Shops are staffed with Omanis... in the rest of the Gulf, it is Chinese, Filipinos, and Indians. ...same with government and private business office staff. Living in the Emirates, you can go for weeks where the only Emiratis you have any contact with are the ones in your classroom. There certainly will not be one driving your taxi, giving you change in a shop or connecting the phone/internet at your flat. So, it is a bit unfair and inaccurate to say that Omanis "can't and don't work." The problem is that there are not enough jobs for those that want to work.
Two things surprised me on my second stint in Oman around 2000. The first was the recognition among my students that Oman was not going to be able to provide them all with jobs and that there wasn't the money to give them everything that the UAE government can give its citizens. (they tended to compare themselves to the closest country, of course) And yes, there was some bitterness about this whole idea. But many, if not most of my male students felt that they were going to have to emigrate for work... just as their grandfathers had done. (when I was in the UAE in the early 90's, a large percentage of the Emirati army and police were Omani - the word for stevedore in Kuwait is "Omani" - there are still strong family ties to those who went to East Africa) I was impressed by the mature realism shown by many of the young men... not exactly common for the age group anywhere in the world. 
The second thing was the government push for smaller families which seemed to be slowly working. When I was there in the late 80's, I had students with up to 32 siblings... and 8 or 9 kids was a small family. That number had dropped to about 5 by the time I arrived in the late 90s... and my students were adamant that 2 children are enough.  I suspect that cultural values will push that number higher, especially the requirement for a son.
Now, this was in the capital area, and things will still be more traditional out in the smaller towns and villages. But, Oman has always impressed me with its realism and its attempts to deal with the facts on the ground. Whether they can succeed is anyone's guess, but the many of us with happy memories of its charms hope that they do.
VS |
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Sugar K
Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 5:24 am Post subject: |
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| I'm 'in the prime of my life' and work for a recruiter and I love it. I find the students to be polite and well-behaved and I'm really taken with Oman. Surely I'm not an exception? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2010 2:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Sugar K wrote: |
| I'm 'in the prime of my life' and work for a recruiter and I love it. I find the students to be polite and well-behaved and I'm really taken with Oman. Surely I'm not an exception? |
Nope... it is the older, more mature teachers that seem to appreciate the positive things about Oman. The biggest problem with the recruiter system is that they are skimming off a significant part of your salary... and too many of them are not vetting their hires well. (at least 2 of them never even bother with an interview) It makes the various locations a "luck of the draw" as far as working with a department that keeps things running on an even keel.
Glad to hear that you are lovin' it... (so did I... but I was always direct hire)
VS |
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PattyFlipper
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 572
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 9:53 am Post subject: |
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I would be inclined to take any GCC government statistic on such a potentially emotive issue with a huge pinch of salt. Western governments have been known to massage and obfuscate unemployment figures, and I sincerely doubt that the Omani Ministry of Manpower feels the urge to be any more candid in its disclosures. There are rumours that the unemployment rate among Omanis hovers closer to 60%.
The country has a comparatively large local population by Gulf standards. For a number of reasons (some more cogent than others), private sector employers are often extremely reluctant to hire Omanis in any capacity, unless there is a degree of compulsion from government; and the public sector can only absorb so many warm bodies. The 'interior' - basically anywhere outside the Capital Area - offers even fewer employment opportunities, hence the genesis of the 'Colleges of Technology', intended primarily to keep potentially disaffected youth off the streets and provide a modest supplementary income for families who send their offspring there.
Last edited by PattyFlipper on Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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Dear PattyFlipper,
Oh, I agree. - but then, I wasn't the one that provided (without any link) the information:
"I'll give some updated information from the Ideation Center. Booz Hamilton's Middle Eastern Policy Research Center.
Oman as of last year has an unemployment rate of 15%. This would normally be pretty terrible, but the fact is that expatriates cannot become citizens unless they've been here for 20 years and they can't loaf about without a work visa.
So this 15% unemployment rate coincides with the fact that 70% of jobs in Oman are done by expatriate labor. So Omanis take up 30% of the work force and have a massive unemployment rate."
I suspect, though, that Oman's unemployment problem is not as bad as Saudi Arabia's, where the "reluctance" to hire locally is likely even more pronounced than it is in Oman.
Regards,
John |
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15yearsinQ8
Joined: 17 Oct 2006
Posts: 462
Location: kuwait
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:56 am Post subject: |
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in my 2 decades plus in the gulf, there VERY FEW people with the level of disgust at oman that the original poster displays
statistically a post like this was bound to happen and the quick and pointed comebacks show that this is a one off
i'd live the rest of my life in oman |
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Arabian Hawk
Joined: 12 Jul 2009
Posts: 79
Location: Mystical Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:25 am Post subject: |
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| Oman is a great place to live and work. English teachers are more than welcome here and salaries are excellent. |
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airapets
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Posts: 78
Location: The Middle Kingdom
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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VS:
How did you arrange being a direct hire? |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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| airapets wrote: |
VS:
How did you arrange being a direct hire? |
I only applied directly to the employers... always universities... nowadays I would go directly to their websites and apply. The problem is that the Ministry of Higher Education has this batch of college/universities that seem to only hire through recruiters. Personally I would have avoided them completely. That said... one can use them as an entry job since the first job in any part of the world can be difficult... then move on at the end of your contract.
VS |
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Duffy
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 449
Location: Oman
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject: |
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As of the next Academic Year (2010-2011), all CoAS will be recruiting direct. Not that they would sully their hands by doing interviews and stuff. No, they are now allowed to choose a recruiter. No guessing who will give them them the best discount !! ( I feel a course in Indian English coming on)
Duffy  |
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PattyFlipper
Joined: 14 Nov 2007
Posts: 572
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| Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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| veiledsentiments wrote: |
That said... one can use them as an entry job since the first job in any part of the world can be difficult... then move on at the end of your contract.
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Even the (non-Omani) Deans of College in the Colleges of Technology, some of the Associate and Assistant Deans, and Heads of Department are engaged through the recruiters. Not exactly 'entry jobs'. Omani teachers too, are now being employed using this ludicrous system. Of course, too many pockets are being lined for things to change any time soon. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:35 am Post subject: |
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You miss my meaning. For those with the required academic credentials but zero experience in the Middle East, it is very hard to get that first job... especially those coming from Asia with only experience teaching conversation classes. Do you prefer "foot in the door"? If they can get a couple years of experience teaching Arabic speakers Academic English on their CV, they can move up to the better employers with a trip to TESOLArabia. (as many have done)
VS |
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hellionzap
Joined: 19 Oct 2009
Posts: 61
Location: Nizwa
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| Posted: Sat Jan 30, 2010 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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It is a terrible moment when we find that Santa isn't real. Similarly, this has betrayal written all over it. I was directly hired so have no experience with recruiters. I paid attention to wisdom from this site and was able to steer clear of them.
Yes, it is a shock of a sort when we find the Ministry isn't behaving in the way one would expect or prefer. It is a nasty shock to find that your institution is more of an enterprise than an ivory tower of learning excellence. Don't even mention the word TOEFL here (shudder). It is quite terrible to feel they are paying one to deliver a faulty curriculum to those bright, hopeful, shining faces (usually) with the promise of a bright, hopeful, shining future for Oman. It sucks to learn some basic facts but it doesn't mean the students don't deserve our best. They are mostly lovely young people who can often be so enthused to be getting an education (unlike their parents) and so grateful for our attention to this.
I love my paycheck and my lovely free apartment. I love the opportunity I have to spend half of my days within a classroom culture that I help to make better, with always 'interesting', young Omanis. I totally struggle with (and find it hard to trust) the (mis)management and the odd, sheikly style of University rule but I do adore my students and appreciate the opportunity to be here while Omanis also struggle to go through their own process of entering our world through education. Bless em.
I hope you can reset your expectation-ometer and try to see that every group is entitled to get to a developmental point by way of whatever and however long it takes them to get there.
Rest you mind. Try to take a long view.
(Great advice from Pikgitina) (Oh, and everybody else of course) |
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Buffalo Boy
Joined: 02 Oct 2009
Posts: 80
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| Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 11:42 am Post subject: |
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"For those with the required academic credentials but zero experience in the Middle East, it is very hard to get that first job... especially those coming from Asia with only experience teaching conversation classes."
That's the boat I'm in. BA, CELTA, five years experience, all in Asia and about half of it at conversation schools and the rest doing Academic/IELTS preparation. I applied for all the recruiter positions in Oman and even had an interview with the colourful Mr Majali, but now I'm not hearing anything back.
Is it them or me? |
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Duffy
Joined: 29 Oct 2005
Posts: 449
Location: Oman
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| Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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Buffalo Boy,
Hang on in there buddy, Mr Majali or one of the other low life agencies will offer you a place around April/May (though you may have to email them a reminder!!)
If you accept? Well, before this you should have been reading all the previous threads regarding agents. You might get lucky ( just as I once did, ilhamdulilla), but more than likely these greedy low lifes will rip you and the relevant Ministries off as they have done others on this forum.
Check all the relevent threads.
Duffy |
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