Job Discussion Forums

[mateacher]

How would you rank these as places to work.
Which pays the best?

I was looking at the HCT academic calendar and was pretty shocked that there are only 2 weeks winter holiday 1 week in the spring and 6.5 weeks in the summer.
Do the others have more holidays?
Im in Korea at a university at the moment and we get 5 months!!

[nomad soul]

You won't find a UAE university offering anything close to that annual number of months off---different countries, different educational systems. In regard to pay, it depends on your qualifications, especially if you possess any of the employer's preferred or desirable skills/experience. Keep an eye on TESOL Arabia's website after the first of the year when the major universities start to post their job opportunities on the job fair link.

[mateacher]

unfortunately I've also got used to teaching 9 hours a week.

Would you be able to rank the above mentioned universities.

Is it also the case that HCT is a good stepping stone toward working at ZU or UAEU?

[veiledsentiments]

[mateacher]

If I finish my 2 year contract at HCT, could I then apply for the positions at ZU and UAEU without being blocked? or without it being held against me?

I was under the impression that it was 3 HCT, 2 ZU, 1 UAEU in terms of faculty satisfaction working at these universities, but from what you are saying they are basically the same? UAEUs academic calendar makes it look like there are much longer holidays, same with Zayed, is there any truth in that?

If I finish a contract at HCT, where would I go next? where is the next step up? or isn't there one?

[veiledsentiments]

[mateacher]

is UAEU as competitive as ZU? is the HCT the easiest to get into?
what about contact hours? where do you have to teach the most, not that I want to do that, I should be asking where do I have to teach the least?

How about if I finish the HCT 3 year contract and leave with a good reference, would they still block me? or would I be able to apply to jobs at ZU and UAEU just before finishing the contract to be able to switch employer when my contract was over?

[Shakhbut]

mateacher, the reason for many people coming here, ie money, is fast disappearing. don't jeopardize your current, seemingly comfortable, position for a load of stress here.

[nomad soul]

[Neutrino Girl]

mateacher, I would say that UAEU and Zayed are better places to work than HCT. As to which is easiest to get into, that will always be a bit of a mystery and depends highly on how many Instructors each institution just happens to be hiring any given semester. Definitely apply to all 3 and go from there.

HCT gets fewer holidays than UAEU (and Zayed I believe). At UAEU, you would get about two months off in the summer, 3 weeks in the winter, 2 in the Spring, plus all of the local holidays (Eid, National Day, etc). It ends up being approximately 3.5 to 4 months off per year.

Teaching hours at UAEU range from 16 to 18 per week, plus you are expected to have 4 office hours and 4 hours of 'committee work' per week. Basically, a 6-hour day is expected. I believe that HCT requires something more like 8 or 9 hours a day. I'm unsure about Zayed.

You would not be blocked if you completed a contract and then decided to move on. Lots of people do that. In fact, I believe that the no-poaching agreement does not even exist anymore, but if it does, that would only apply to folks who are mid-contract and applying elsewhere. You could always try, couldn't hurt. But personally, I wouldn't leave your current gig for a place like HCT. It's a hot mess from what I understand.

[veiledsentiments]

The catch is that HCT is the biggest system and does the most hiring... thus if one applied to all three for next academic year, assuming your experience qualifies you, you probably have a 50/50 chance of an offer from HCT, 30% from UAEU, and perhaps 10% from ZU - relatively speaking.

VS

[nomad soul]

This year, UAEU only accepted CVs from applicants attending TESOL Arabia's job fair and subsequently, over those three days, conducted face-to-face interviews with short-listed candidates. So the OP's chances are likely nil for UAEU unless he heads to Dubai this coming March.

[Solar Strength]

Nomad Soul,

Settle down, the OP isn't being nit picky. He just wants to make damn sure that he doesn't end up with a job that is worse than the one he has. I completely understand any anxiety and curiosity he has about the salary, work hours, etc. in the UAE.

But, 9 hours a week?

5 months paid vacation a year?

Why on earth are you, OP, considering a move to the most oppressive culture in the world; from Korea where one can drink beer on the street and chase beautiful Korean women with total freedom?

Is it because you are a contract instructor on a non-renewable contract?

My understanding is that many Japanese and Korean universities offer a 3 day work week or 4 day work week with full summer and winter vacations off.

It seems that schools in the Middle East require a Mon- Fri schedule and, as veiledsentiments has pointed out, a 6 hour work day.

9 hours a week with 5 months paid vacation a year is basically semi-retirement, man!

And I'm sure you're earning at least US $45,000 - $60,000 a year at your Korean university, right?

[nomad soul]

[D. Merit]

We get it SS: you'd rather work for less than 700 bucks a month, as you've mentioned on another thread, and spend your time drinking and womanising.

You must be very parsimonious to be able to pursue these hobbies on such a shoestring budget.

Can we just say 'different strokes for different folks', and then you can call a halt to these tedious, 'one note' incursions?

Alternatively, you might spend the time researching about the UAE so that at least your repetitive drone will be a bit more informed.

For example ...