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h-train

What's the best position you've had here?

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 8:02 pm Post subject:

Dear h_train,

Missionary.

Regards,
John

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:09 pm Post subject:

OK, OK - no pushing. Everyone will get a chance to answer.

Congratulations, h_train - you just may have initiated the shortest thread in the history of the Saudi forum.

My REAL answer: the Institute of Public Administration: Jeddah and Riyadh,

It's also the ONLY position I had in Saudi all nineteen years I was there.

Why change when you're quite content where you are?

Regards,
John

desert_traveller · Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 335

the best job i had there was the one that paid best
what else can be there? in all other categories, all jobs would score a solid zero

johnslat · Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:49 pm Post subject:

Dear desert_traveller,

"in all other categories, all jobs would score a solid zero."

Not true - and, of course, the only way you could knowingly make that statement would be if you had had "all jobs" there.

Regards,
John

h-train · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:02 am Post subject:

Wow! 19 years in the same job! You must have really loved it.

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

I worked for IPA in Jeddah and it was quite good, but my subsequent jobs in the Emirates for the next 7 years were better in every way. Frankly, I am not the type to be content with just sitting there in one job for 19 years if there are better ones in better places to work toward. Sorry if I sound self-righteous or supercilious, but ...jeez!!

Yes, now I'm back in the magical kingdom, but making more than most BAE people and going home at noon every day. It does pay to look around.

teflerlifer · Joined: 16 Mar 2010 Posts: 27

Sheikh, sounds mighty good. Cool

PM and tell me where this Shangri-la is, please !

Cleopatra · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:46 pm Post subject:

Of the jobs I've had in KSA, none has been particularly fantastic (are there any such jobs?) and none has been awful. Each of them has had its good and bad points. For example, one job provided a nice working environment but lousy housing. Another paid well but the holidays weren't great. Another job had relaxed working hours but an unpleasnat environment. And so on...

johnslat · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:30 pm Post subject:

Dear h_train,

Love might be a tad too strong, but I certainly enjoyed it a lot. Good salary, good accommodations (well, I'm easy to please in that respect), mostly good students, congenial, helpful colleagues, and, a big plus, an administration that pretty much left teachers alone to do their jobs - and who even listened AND acted when the staff complained.

Dear Sheik,

"Frankly, I am not the type to be content with just sitting there in one job for 19 years if there are better ones in better places to work toward."

Different strokes . . . Obviously I am the type, but I don't recall "just sitting there." Yup, there were/are "better ones" - and, of course, worse ones. But the "better place" is very subjective.

Knowing myself, I was quite aware that if I were to go to, say, the UAE, two things would almost certainly happen (the way I was back then.): 1. I would spend almost everything I made; 2. I would drink way to excess (and probably get fired and/or jailed,)

Saudi was right for ME - it curbed my drinking (and eventually eliminated it,) and allowed me to save most of what I made.

The way I was back then, I needed that kind of environment.

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In the airline I had great flight privileges for me and my depandants, but the leave allocation was terrible. (40 days annually which they reduced to 30 days - "to save money").

In my current job I do not get generous ticket allocations but I get nice long holidays. Guess which is better !

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:28 pm Post subject:

Dudes! (and Dudesses):

Not MY job, but I knew this group of four at Riyadh AB. Didn't see much of them during the day, but got one all greased up one night at the Ol' Seder Compound and finally asked what he and his compatriots did up there on the (American) 2nd floor. This is what he told me:

His company had gotten this Brass Ring contract at where 4 'mericans were to be employed by the RSAF to sit around for six hours a day and flip through magazines that the RSAF purchased and "cut out articles that they 'thought' RSAF generals would be interested in"!

I $hit you not! To test out his story (that he didn't remember tellin'), I "accidentally" wandered into their office and there they were...sitting around...reading all of these magazines...clippings all over the place...coffee mugs half fulla coffee...jes' tryin' ta make ends meet.

God! Would I have loved writin' this and said it wuz me! Crying or Very sad

Well, at least that's the best job that I NEVER had!!!

NCTBA

Kipling

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

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I tried working but I did not like it so I came to Saudi Arabia