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Valaki
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 85
Location: Japan
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 Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| "That must be direct hire which is a little bit different from the recruited company. The university will get you id etc so that you can do banking the recruitment company does not do that and you have to get someone who has Saudi id to help sent and receive money|" |
It would be amazing if it was a direct hire... but I don't think it is. Or could it be? I'm getting a business visa. |
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sinee
Joined: 28 Oct 2010
Posts: 15
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| Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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| There is an old saying "We can lead you to the water, but we can�t make you drink". |
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hot_shot
Joined: 19 Feb 2010
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Valaki wrote: |
Yeah my offer is for the UoH. It says accommodation will be provided and work hours will be assigned by the university. Is that good or bad?
I'm willing to put up with lots of crapola for that salary. I just don't want to become the next sheiker. |
I've had a similar offer, but I worked at KSU and heard lots of bad stuff about them, when I was there it wasn't actually that bad! |
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Valaki
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 85
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 7:23 am Post subject: |
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| hot_shot wrote: |
| Valaki wrote: |
Yeah my offer is for the UoH. It says accommodation will be provided and work hours will be assigned by the university. Is that good or bad?
I'm willing to put up with lots of crapola for that salary. I just don't want to become the next sheiker. |
I've had a similar offer, but I worked at KSU and heard lots of bad stuff about them, when I was there it wasn't actually that bad! |
Thanks! That's amazing news. Was it direct hire? Can I trust you? This is your first post. |
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Middle East Beast
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree
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| Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Valaki wrote: |
| hot_shot wrote: |
| Valaki wrote: |
Yeah my offer is for the UoH. It says accommodation will be provided and work hours will be assigned by the university. Is that good or bad?
I'm willing to put up with lots of crapola for that salary. I just don't want to become the next sheiker. |
I've had a similar offer, but I worked at KSU and heard lots of bad stuff about them, when I was there it wasn't actually that bad! |
Thanks! That's amazing news. Was it direct hire? Can I trust you? This is your first post. |
I think it would be great if someone would provide a solid definition of the phrase "that bad." What does it mean???? 
By the way, welcome aboard, hot_shot. 
MEB  |
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hot_shot
Joined: 19 Feb 2010
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:13 pm Post subject: |
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By "that bad" I mean......
We first stayed at a hotel for two weeks and were told because our apartments are new, they are still being "finished off" so we had to wait...
eventually we moved in and the only thing close by/walking distance was a laundrette and a tiny grocery store
Once our families arrived we had to move yet again to some bigger apartments
They promised us internet but that never happened.
Also these apartments had minimal sunlight.
Because the electric bill for the WHOLE apartment block was not paid by the OBEKAN, a worker of one of "prince's" turned up and gave an hour notice that they were going to turn off the whole supply (which they did).
Exit re-entry visas were delyed to withing a few hours of some teachers flights.
by "that bad" I mean ppl have had worse but everone has different limits I suppose |
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Middle East Beast
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| hot_shot wrote: |
by "that bad" I mean ppl have had worse but everone has different limits I suppose |
Yes, they do. That's my point regarding the phrase "that bad." It's purely subjective. What torques my jaw is when Person A shares what for that person was a very bad experience, and Person B, who didn't have that experience, chimes in with something like, "Oh, it wasn't that bad," which reveals some motive to marginalize Person A's experience. When someone does that to me I want to take off my squirrel suit and punch their lights out!
MEB |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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Dear MEB,
Don't go nuts
Regards,
John |
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Middle East Beast
Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 836
Location: Up a tree
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| Posted: Thu Aug 25, 2011 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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| johnslat wrote: |
Dear MEB,
Don't go nuts
Regards,
John |
Good one!
MEB |
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Valaki
Joined: 17 Aug 2010
Posts: 85
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:01 pm Post subject: |
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I am here now at UoH working for M Trading.
If anyone is interested feel free to PM.
I can agree with hot_shot. It is not THAT bad. The only major problem seems to be the delayed payment of salaries. |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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| If you have an MA and Middle East experience, I don't know why you're even considering it. |
Well, VS, the explanation is sadly becoming more obvious.
Increasingly in KSA, EFL and other teaching positions are being filled through contractors (or what some people on this forum call 'recruiters' - actually quite a misleading term, as it would give the impression of their role as being that of mere recruitment agents). The main reason for this is NOT economy; quite to the contrary, it is more expensive for the end user to do so. It is, in fact, because the increasing number of tertiary educational establishments (both public and private) who use such contractors want to wash their hands of any problems that might arise re employment of teaching staff. There are also some very big 'unofficial' deals going down, involving many millions of SR in some cases.
These contractors are concerned with neither the quality of teachers nor the quality of working conditions, but rather with two other factors: 1) making themselves look good, and 2) maximizing their profits. In addition, there are often members of management who have no scruples about treating contracted teachers badly (much worse than direct hires) in order to further their own political and career ends. They feel they have immunity to do so - and are more often than not correct in this perception.
The contractors' recruiting criteria often include
- hiring teachers who have the 'right' pieces of paper to impress their clients - and the said pieces of paper are rarely checked for authenticity, lest their lack thereof become an issue!
- teachers who have some teaching experience, yes, but as little Saudi experience as possible, so that they are, to use Sir Humphrey Appleby's phrase, 'more malleable' when they are on-site;
- high motivation to work in KSA, i.e. desperation for the money. Why do you think there are so many questions about previous salary?
Like Scot47 says, one should choose one's master in KSA very carefully. Once there, it may be too late to have regrets. Many contractors confiscate passports and refuse to give them back or allow the holder to obtain a final-exit visa, unless a substantial amount of compensation is paid over, which is euphemistically referred to in contracts as "expatriation and repatriation costs". The going rate, it appears, is 20-25,000 SR.
Not all contractors are bad, but there are enough utterly merciless and unscrupulous ones to merit serious consideration before signing any contract to teach in Saudi Arabia.
[/list] |
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johnslat
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Bebsi,
We REALLY need a "Like" button on the posts.
Lacking that - I LIKE your explanation.
Regards,
John |
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Bebsi
Joined: 07 Feb 2005
Posts: 958
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| Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:19 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you, John.
I like to think that I tell it as it is!
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