Job Discussion Forums

crookedcrow · Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 10 Location: USA

1. I received an offer for a job with Saudi Aramco through the HAK group-- very similar to an offer described by another recent post. Thanks to encouragement from this message board, I have asked for a higher salary than the initial offer. I was immediately alerted via an e-mail from a HAK representative that it would be highly unusual to alter the initial offer. Is it unheard of to negotiate for your salary? Do most people accept the initial contract as is?

2. I read that there are EFL teachers in KSA who live like paupers in order to save, and that there are those who lead a fairly normal existence and still manage to save, but maybe not as much as they had initially planned. My contract provides not only for accomodations but also a food allowance of SR 900 a month. From what I have read about how cheap food is, it seems to me that I might be able to bank most of my salary. Am I being unrealistic?

3. I will have a 40-hour work week with 25 contact hours, meaning that I have three hours a day for planning and grading. Having worked in a variety of schools around the world, I have never heard of anything so luxurious. I have read lots about bad working conditions for EFL teachers in KSA. I assume that these conditions are not present at Aramco jobs. Am I mistaken?

4. There has been some discussion about an almost second-class citizenship status for those not directly employed by Aramco. At the same time, there have been positive posts about working for HAK in Ras Tanura (where I will be stationed). Can I be happy as a "second-class citizen?"

5. Finally, I have read some extremely scary posts about foreign teachers being fired, for apparently no reason, just to keep the other teachers on their toes. Is my fear about something like that happening to me reasonable? What are some tips to make sure this doesn't happen?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

crookedcrow · Joined: 30 May 2006 Posts: 10 Location: USA

I will answer my own post.

1. It is apparently not normal to ask for more money. I have accepted the initial offer.

2. Yes, I can easily get by on 900 a month . . .

3. No, I don't think the Aramco teaching conditions will be bad.

4. I may be a second-class citizen, but I can survive.

5. I don't need to be worried about being spontaneously fired for no good reason.

Despite a lot of negativity on this message board, I am very excited about my upcoming move. I am thankful to Cleopatra, and Scot, and others for their continued defense of ESL in Saudi.

glenharvey3 · Joined: 20 Aug 2006 Posts: 6 Location: ENGLAND

Asda · Joined: 01 Jun 2008 Posts: 231

crookedcrow, you make a most interesting point about the negativity on this board and it made me think about WHY this board is:

a) the most populated (with posts)
b) the most regularly updated

(compared to other middle eastern country's boards, that is).

Is it that KSA is a bigger country hence more institutions therefore more jobs or is it that there is far less to complain about in the other countries?!

kazazt · Joined: 15 Feb 2010 Posts: 164

One factor could be the amount of free time many teachers in saudi have and the fact that the internet plays a bigger role in their lives than it would do otherwise.

BTW you can only live on 900 riyals a month if you live the meanest and soul destroying of existences. If you are sharing accomodation which I imagine you will be please spare a thought for your flatmates-living on 900 means spending most of your free time in your accomodation. Ras Tanura is a bleak place and the teaching will be bad but survivable inshallah.

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

lazycomputerkids · Joined: 22 Sep 2009 Posts: 360 Location: Tabuk

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

sharter · Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place

Someone once tried to recruit me for SAR and after much messing about I lost interest. However, I have taught a lot of 'oil English' in Saudi, Qatar and Libya. Take it from me; the students will be pleasant, but backward. The bosses will be good at time checking and not much else. Oh...900 SAR will mean that you make your 'machboos' at home. No Bahrain for you sonny!

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

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

SAR ?

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 4:37 pm Post subject:

Dear scot47,

The trains, maybe:

http://www.sar.com.sa/

Now that's what I call training.

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

900 SR a month will allow you to survive at a very basic level. If you want a reasonable life you will have to spend more than that.

The tales of the "Fraternity of Five Hundred" are not exaggerated. There are lots of them here who take vows of poverty. Some spend their timer in KSA poncing off their colleagues and neighbours. Others just live as ascetics getting slowly crazier and crazier until they become like Saudi TEFL versions of Gollum. Worship of Mammon is a dangerous road to take.

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

I repeat... the original question was whether he could live on 900... in 2006!! And the fellow hasn't posted anything since his question 4 years ago.

VS

(Poincing? Are you makin' up words again? Laughing

My dictionary doesn't have it and I didn't google up anything either. I would say "sponging')

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Typo for "poncing". BrEng for "pimping" or "living dishonestly off the earnings of another"