Job Discussion Forums

luuk05 · Joined: 01 Sep 2011 Posts: 5

Hi everyone ... just curious regarding an interview I had for a teaching position in Saudi as arranged by Adwaa.

I was asked to wait 5 minutes on skype for my interview to start with who I was told was the esl director. However, he kept me waiting a full hour before returning to speak with me. No apology not even a reason why.

I'm just wondering if this is common practice or am I being paranoid?

basiltherat · Joined: 04 Oct 2003 Posts: 952

Sorry to hear about that. I think it's the kind of thing that is par for the course in some parts of the Arab world; Saudi in particular.

Or it just might be an intentional introduction to life there; just to see if you can deal with it.

I don't believe there is such an expression as 'put oneself in someone else's shoes' in Arabic.

Pretty much says it all, really. Just as there is no real equivalent for 'guilt' in Indonesian language, for example; but there are many perfect equivalents for 'shame'.

Best
Basil

ayisha881 · Joined: 28 Feb 2011 Posts: 9 Location: USA

That is normal over in Saudi Arabia. Saudis have no sense of time like we think of in America or the other Western countries. You can always expect Saudis to be lax on time and generally lazy about punctuality and work in general.

It's Scary! · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 823

geela · Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 14

I'm sorry this happened to you.
I would probably left or txt them 10 times before the hour is over if i decide to stick around.

In a way, i think we allow our-selves to be treated this way.
I wonder what would happen if we all stick to what's right(if they late, we bounce; if they put up crapy deal we leave it).
I don't care if they don't want change for the better, but atleast it would mean "hey u going to treat this folk different"

egyptfan · Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Posts: 105 Location: Middle East

Leaving someone on the line for an hour is not acceptable in any culture ... and then neither to offer an apology nor an explanation.... how arrogant can you get?

Luuk05, I think the interviewer did you a favor. If he treats people like that even before he interviews them, what hope would you have when stuck in Saudi minus passport / visa to escape.
It could, of course, be a test to see how patient you were, how badly you needed the job and how much c*** you would take.
Having waited an hour for him and been too timid to say "Ahm, hold on a minute now..." he knows he has somebody he can do the proverbial on....

Unless it's Aramco direct hire, which I doubt, run a mile.

RUBALKHALI · Joined: 10 Sep 2009 Posts: 71 Location: DESERTSTORM

That was rude!

Didn't someone come back and say that he'd be here shortly and talk to you about the weather or World Cup soccer or somthing? I can't believe anybody would wait 1 hour without 1 prompt!

My rule about waiting for people to people ANYWHERE is 10 minutes....not there, masallamah!..but never that long on Skype!

Commenter · Joined: 03 Jul 2011 Posts: 20

@ luuk05:

I believe the person who kept you waiting was, in fact, American?

johnslat · Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:53 pm Post subject:

Dear Commenter,

Rudeness is, unfortunately, universal. Most assumed (as I did) that an ESL Director would be a Saudi. But perhaps not - do you know for sure? Saudis, however, do tend to have a different "time-sense" than many "Westerners," and that can take some adjustment for a lot of ex-pats.

Regards,
John

Sublime · Joined: 23 Apr 2011 Posts: 90

Sounds great!

So can you turn up to work late and still get paid?

luuk05 · Joined: 01 Sep 2011 Posts: 5

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I wouldn't wait an hour again. As it was my first interview over Skype I thought I'd treat as it as I would a face-to-face interview, i.e. I wouldn't get up and knock on his office door to see why he was keeping me waiting.

I was told it was the ESL Director, however, I don't know. There was a lot of noise in the background, like a call centre. I couldn't tell you what his nationality was.

After the hour, he returned to say, "alright let's commence the interview," and asked what my availability was as he urgently needed people within the next week.

Surely the visa process takes longer?! Anyway he asked me if I wanted to terminate the interview as I was unable to get on a plane within a week. I of course terminated it.

I have another recruitment contact who told me, their visa process takes 6 weeks. However, I'm yet to hear back from their ESL contact (it is a different man, I checked). I just hope I haven't been "blacklisted!" Wink

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

An employer can get you in quickly, but you won't have a legal work visa. It is a "business visa" which says no work is allowed. Many teachers work under these, but you have no legal rights at all in country. It is up to you if you will accept this situation. (I wouldn't, but YMMV)

VS

johnslat · Posted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 2:24 am Post subject:

Dear Sublime,

"So can you turn up to work late and still get paid?"

Sure - if you're a Saudi Very Happy

.

Regards,
John

Commenter · Joined: 03 Jul 2011 Posts: 20

Dear John,

As I wasn't there with him/her, I have no proof, but I'm 99% sure that I know exactly who the interviewer was (I know him personally), which company he works for and exactly why he needed luuk05 to be there within the next week.

If I'm correct, and I'm pretty sure that I am, the interviewer was American, and luuk05 isn't the first person who I've heard complaining about his interviewing techniques.

You are indeed correct that rudeness is not unique to any particular nationality.

luuk05 · Joined: 01 Sep 2011 Posts: 5

Commenter - can you elaborate further on why they need teachers next week?