Job Discussion Forums

[reyeswrig]

I just started looking into teaching English abroad. I only have a BSW and I interned at a middle school teaching math and English. This is the only experience I have. Is there any chance of me geting a job in UAE? What courses do you recommend I take to better my chances at landing a job in UAE. I was looking at OXFORD Seminars but I am not sure if this is a waste of my money and time. Looking forward to your feedback.

[helenl]

Short answer, you don't qualify for any decent, even low paying jobs in the GCC. The better ones require a related EFL Master's degree + years of post grad experience. The K-12 ones require a teaching certificate/degree from the school system you are coming from/wish to work in.

You might get ad hoc work with a bottom feeder, no benefits, no legal documentation (which IS required) and poor pay, not enough to live on.

This is not a place where just being a native English speaker gets you a decent job, nor is it a place where one can drop in and look for work without having a stash of cash to keep you going (and then only if you have the needed quals and experience).

[veiledsentiments]

Helen is correct.

I am assuming that you are young? twentyish? (unless you just decided to change careers) I would suggest looking at other areas of the world. The UAE is really not a good choice for newbies to the field or to expat teaching. Ignore the hype that you may have heard about Dubai.

I'd suggest you get the proper credentials (license?) to teach in your home country... perhaps add something like a CELTA (not sure what "oxford seminars" are). Then I would head to Asia or South America... once you get a few years experience, you might want to think about the Middle East.

Because the Gulf pays well, they are able to demand credentials that include all those academic pieces of paper and good related experience.

VS

[baa_baa]

Go to teacaway.com

UAE is a great place to work mainly in Abu Dhabi. Life is beautiful. Surfing, clubbing, driving.

There are downs: just be open to VERY different cultures and smile. I do not know of a place with only ups. its a safe country. I love it

Be careful on loans, openning accounts of any sort- telephone, bank... once its open lol never closes. some sort of things that the workers do. The locals and arabs are good people. its the indians that screw up things.
when leaving the country be sure to take up a copy of the request form on closing the account. then ur just safe.

My friend got a package no housing in it. he had to rent, so he did take a copy of his request on ending the contract. He paid up everything LOL they still call him every 6 months to ask about the unpaid rent.-- he sends them a copy and they are gone for 6 months..

If you have no luck with ADEC then try taleem, then try GEMS, then sabis.net. If sitll out of luck then just google a list of schools in Dubai, Abu dhabi i garantee you, ull find something there. you should find a list of 50 school.

Salaries start from 8 000 dirham-20 000 dirham plus shared accomodation, airtickets, end of year service gratuity-which is as much as ur one month salary.

[helenl]

BaaBaa this person has no qualifications on paper at all to teach in any capacity. ADEC, GEMS and even SABIS require a teaching certification in K-12.

[veiledsentiments]

They are also requiring experience.

VS

[baa_baa]

HELENL-- Ok I understand about ADEC GEMS and Sabis might not recruit such a person but there are few people like that BELIEVE ME..

She still has a chance at other schools.

[mimi_intheworld]

Not really. Not with the glut of qualified teachers gunning for those jobs.

Also, Oxford Seminars is a racket making money off the word "Oxford" in their name. A CELTA is a good adult qualification to get.

OP, get a teaching qual in your home country, then try for the UAE. If you don't want to wait, try East/SE Asia.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

A couple of inappropriate postings have been deleted.

If you enjoy insulting people, this is absolutely the wrong board to do so.

[reyeswrig]

Thank you for all of your feedback. I take it these weekend and on-line classes that give you a TESL certificate are a waste of time from what I've been reading. Is that accurate?

[veiledsentiments]

Absolutely... their main reason for existing is to separate you from your money. None of them are recognized by decent employers. They want to see a cert that has required you to do supervised classroom teaching to real students. The standard is the CELTA. If you are serious, it is the one to get.

VS

[baa_baa]