Job Discussion Forums

[draws333]

What is a good salary in Dubai? How much does food, internet cost?

[helenl]

Depends on your lifestyle and if you have a spouse/family, what you like to eat, and whether you can survive on free wifi coffee shop and other free internet access points, will you need a vehicle, willing to share accomodation, require a villa apt or bedsit.

In other words, we know nothing about your needs/wants - provide a few "can't live withouts" and perhaps we can help.

[globalnomad2]

But supermarket food is similar in cost to American supermarkets, perhaps 10-15% more. Internet should also be similar, though you won't get the kind of high speed you're used to in North America or East Asia. Nonetheless you should get adequate DSL. In Saudi I have a VPN and am able to download movies and video streaming direct from US networks.

[helenl]

Sorry, forgot to add - depends on your qualifications and experience as well. Lots of illiterates willing to work for about US300/month and pay all of that back to their compatriot recruiters for 2 - 3 years to clear the loans they took to get the visa to work in high temps and live in labour camps with 8 - 12 men to a room (not much bigger than a prison cell if that).

Again, more details required to give you pertinent info.

[draws333]

Yes I suppose I didn't give enough information. I have a Bachelor of Arts as well as a Bachelor of Education (primary/ Junior). I'm just wondering an average salary of breaking into the teaching field there would be.

I've heard it's a good place to make a good pay cheque. My goal is to bank some money while travelling. Obviously I would want the company to provide furnished accommodation, return flights, and the school to be close by. The first company that has contacted me was 8000 to 11000 Kuwait Dinar salary and I'm just wondering it that is on par with contracts being offered there for new teachers.

[veiledsentiments]

Really? An Emirates employer is going to pay you in Kuwaiti Dinars? (by the way... that would be a fabulous salary... equal to about $25,000+ per month)

We still need more information. What is your experience? How many years have you taught at which levels? Do you have a teaching certificate/license from your home country?

Your answer to those questions would tell us whether the offer of 8-11,000 Dirhams is a fair offer... you didn't tell us if they were offering a full expat package. Low entry level offers like this often only provide shared housing.

VS

[draws333]

That is the salary for a year.
Anywhere from 30,000 to 42,000 USD.
Everything else paid for.

[veiledsentiments]

You didn't read carefully is an Emirati company really paying you in Kuwaiti money? Or have you applied to and been offered some job in Kuwait that you hadn't mentioned? We don't talk about annual salaries in this part of the world, offers are always monthly and we always discuss it here monthly. And "everything else" paid for also varies by contract and country to a certain extent.

But... you still haven't completely answered the question on qualifications and experience.

VS

[draws333]

I did read your post and took it as sarcasm.
I thought it was strange that the salary was in Kuwait currency as well.

I dont have any experience other than my certification as a primary teacher... hence above I said I have my Bachelor of Education which means I`m a certified teacher.

[helenl]

sorry KW but it's a big red flag if you are being offered KWD instead of AED in the Emirates.

Are you sure where the offer is coming from (not being facetious, but really want to know)?

With your qualifications, at the CAD25000/year equivalent you are being severely lowballed for the decent international schools but then you have no post grad experience. Nor do you address the questions of lifestyle, like to party? Have a family? Travel preferences for 3* hotels or better?

People here do want to help, but clearer questions have to be asked in order to do so.

[veiledsentiments]

Definitely something going on here. There is NO employer in the UAE who would be paying in Kuwaiti money. If this were a legitimate offer, it would mean that it is 8000-11000 DHs per month.

BTW... just having an education degree does not guarantee that one is certified/licensed. I have a degree in Secondary Education, but never bothered to activate a license as there were NO teaching jobs in the US when I graduated. All of us education degree holders ended up in offices across America being secretaries or bookkeepers.

OK... so you just graduated and have no experience other than the student teaching for your degree. I disagree a bit with Helen1 on this. That suggests that this is not an terribly low offer, but in fact, 8-11,000 DHs would be pretty much what one will get entry level - depending on the size and reputation of the school. The top international school hiring is very competitive and hires pretty much only very experienced teachers for top dollar.

VS

[helenl]

VS in Canada if you have a BEd, you are certified to teach nearly anywhere in Canada - you have met the practical requirements (observed teaching in the classroom in your particular area and age group) as well as the concept area. It's a 2 year post grad program (you need an undergrad in your area - i.e. if you want to teach history, your undergrad has to be in history, etc.) In effect, you have 5 - 7 years of undergrad + the BEd. Of course different provinces have different BEd programs, but most of my colleagues had no or few problems crossing provincial boundaries with a university BEd (different if they attended a "teacher's college" which are nearly if not totally extinct in Canada now).

Even with their limited credentials, they could make 20 - 40% more than the offer quoted in Canada - but getting that job is the problem, just like everywhere else. As I said in my post and you emphasised in yours, the OP doesn't have any experience - IMHO they'd be better off in Canada getting experience through subbing etc. before expecting greener pastures in the GCC.

[scot47]

My cousin in Nigeria will be happy to organise a suitable job for you. He is an expert at spotting a sucker and getting the max out of her/him.

[draws333]

A sucker? That's a stretch scot47. I was simply asking about a position in general to see what responses. I knew I was vague. Thanks for the comment, a troll is roaming the boards. The leap you made in calling me a "sucker" was uncalled for as I made no reference to accepting a job. I am simply looking around. Quite frankly that was an A-hole comment. Thanks for coming out.

[veiledsentiments]

You must be a very new reader if you don't know about Scot47. He is the board grump... and has been for over ten years. So, just ignore him if he is too caustic. He is just about to retire from the field, Saudi Arabia, and he swears this board too. I think he thought you may be eligible to be a "sucker" since you believed that an Emirati employer would pay in Kuwaiti Dinar. The Emirates in particular draws many scam employers, so do beware.

Helen...

In the US, we are automatically eligible for certification recognized in the 50 states with a shiny new education degree, but you have to apply to your state on graduation - or you did back in neolithic times when I graduated. Just a formality, and I suspect the paying of some sort of fee. But they don't just hand it to you with your graduation certificate. It is the state that does it, not the institution... though I expect that most universities help new graduates with the paperwork.

draws333...

Helen may be correct that you can earn more at home in Canada, but what about the effect of the fact that overseas teaching is tax-free and usually provides free housing and tickets and such? On the other hand, your lack of experience means that you will probably only get offers from the schools which have marginal conditions... so it is probably better to get a few years of experience at home before trying the Gulf.

VS