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lcanupp1964
Joined: 12 Dec 2009
Posts: 381
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 Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Which hours? The Recruitment Unit, or the teaching hours for instructors.
I've seen ads on this site in the international jobs board. I would send my CV to the email address listed in the ad. The response and the overall process will be s-l-o-w. Never take a slow response personal. Welcome to KSA!
Just in case you wanted to inquire about teaching hours, a typical one would be like this:
8:00am - 10:50am- Sundays/Tuesdays/Thursdays (then you can go home).
11:00am - 11:50 (lunch for an hour) and 1:00pm - 3:50pm - Mondays/Wed (you can come in right before your class starts.
18 hours a week and you would have the same group of students for the entire 8-week term (four terms per year). |
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cultofpersonality
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:18 pm Post subject: |
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I didn't get a reply at first because I sent my documents to the wrong e-mail address
(mod edit) |
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ricardobaltierra
Joined: 30 May 2013
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 7:49 am Post subject: Job Offer |
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I spoke to them yesterday, and a job offer was made.
I turned it down. I didn't like the $397 housing allowance per month - seems too low. What kind of housing does $397 per month buy you these days, even in Jeddah? The $2000 furniture allowance is OK but it buys you just that: basic furniture and appliances.
As a means of comparison: an apartment in a decent, but not opulent, neighborhood in Riyadh 2 years ago would cost you $1000 per month plus key money (your own money you put at risk). $400 in Riyadh gets you a dumpy place. And where you live WILL make a difference in how much you enjoy your stay and your quality of life. Don't kid yourself.
I would much prefer they offer paid housing. I never liked the housing allowance money as it is my experience that it always buys you less housing than you expect.
The salary offer was OK, but I was not really impressed or excited about it.
They did take their own time in getting back to me - but once I spoke to the British managers of the ELI, all went the way it should: fast and efficient in getting back to me.
Not much else to say. Except for one thing: I am sensing that Uni's in the kingdom expect teachers to fall from the sky; they expect you to do all the legwork/paperwork for yourself to get yourself legal, but will not reimburse you for your expenses. I don't like that trend, but it is the price you must pay if you want to work in the kingdom.
Pick your poison. Make your choices. Then get on with it. Only losers complain.
Best of luck to you guys. |
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desertflower
Joined: 15 Sep 2013
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 8:45 am Post subject: |
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Hi ricardo
Did you speak to them on the phone? I've not heard nothing since they asked for letters to proof the start & end dates of when i started university. I emailed them yesterday to check if they had received my email, still no reply. Any idea why they not acknowledging my email. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 9:49 am Post subject: |
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| You is an English teacher, innit ? |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:09 am Post subject: |
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| desertflower wrote: |
Hi Ricardo
Did you speak to them on the phone? I've not heard nothing since they asked for letters to proof prove the start & end dates of when i I started university. I emailed them yesterday to check if they had received my email, still no reply. Any idea why they are not acknowledging my email. |
Maybe because of the above? |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 11:21 am Post subject: |
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| desertflower wrote: |
Hi Ricardo
Did you speak to them on the phone? I've not heard nothing since they asked for letters to proof prove the start & end dates of when i I started university. I emailed them yesterday to check if they had received my email, still no reply. Any idea why they are not acknowledging my email. |
If your email English is anything like your posting here then maybe consider the effect of the above errors? I've ended the recruitment process before now because of similar problems with applicants. If you say 'I've not heard nothing' this means you have heard something. This wouldn't inspire confidence in your ability to teach the language in my mind. |
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desertflower
Joined: 15 Sep 2013
Posts: 8
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:47 pm Post subject: |
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MuscatGray-My message does not say anything about me being able to teach English. I am simply requesting information about a reply to my email. As for the errors I'm only human and I did not know that errors were a sin.
Scot47 - Grow up. |
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MuscatGary
Joined: 03 Jun 2013
Posts: 1364
Location: Flying around the ME...
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 2:56 pm Post subject: |
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| desertflower wrote: |
MuscatGray-My message does not say anything about me being able to teach English. I am simply requesting information about a reply to my email. As for the errors I'm only human and I did not know that errors were a sin.
Scot47 - Grow up. |
This is a tefl teachers forum so why else would you be posting here? By the way, I'm MuscatGary not MuscatGray and errors are not a sin but at the moment I'm tired of seeing sub-standard non-native speakers working here who can't even write a simple sentence correctly. |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 4:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Part of growing up is learning that how you use English impacts on how people judge you. |
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ricardobaltierra
Joined: 30 May 2013
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 7:20 am Post subject: My telephone interview details |
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Greetings,
This is a forum about KAU. Please stop these rants against each other.
My telephone interview went well, though they did take their sweet time in setting up the interview. I got the sense that they were not very well organized.
The British and American gentlemen I spoke with seemed alright. I did not get the sense that they were pompous or anything like that.
Like I said, the salary was OK (not great, but OK), but what really turned me off was the housing allowance: $396 per month on average. Even in Jeddah, I don't think that can buy you much housing (size and/or quality). I am simply beyond living like a back packer and certainly don't want to dip into my salary to make up for a nicer housing unit.
Perhaps some of the Jeddah-based teachers can comment on what $397 per month can get you in terms of housing.
Cheers! Good luck! |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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SENTINEL33
Joined: 19 Jan 2014
Posts: 112
Location: Bahrain
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:33 am Post subject: Re: Job Offer |
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| ricardobaltierra wrote: |
I spoke to them yesterday, and a job offer was made.
I turned it down. I didn't like the $397 housing allowance per month - seems too low. What kind of housing does $397 per month buy you these days, even in Jeddah? The $2000 furniture allowance is OK but it buys you just that: basic furniture and appliances.
You are to be congratulated - Turning an offer down is not an easy thing to do.
As a means of comparison: an apartment in a decent, but not opulent, neighborhood in Riyadh 2 years ago would cost you $1000 per month plus key money (your own money you put at risk). $400 in Riyadh gets you a dumpy place. And where you live WILL make a difference in how much you enjoy your stay and your quality of life. Don't kid yourself.
This seems to imply that you've worked in KSA as recently as 2 years ago. One wonders why you didn't mention this fact since it would be easier to communicate with you had this fact been mentioned. One also wonders why you didn't re-apply to your previous employer? That also would be relevant, seems to me. (In fact, that would be the first question I'd ask you if I were interviewing you for a job).
I would much prefer they offer paid housing. I never liked the housing allowance money as it is my experience that it always buys you less housing than you expect.
I've said it before and I'll say it who knows how many more times....... Unless a job offer includes furnished, single, free housing, everything included, turn the job down. I wouldn't dream of running around Jeddah in 120 degree heat "looking" for an apt. That's totally absurd. It's part of the "contempt" I keep talking about.
The salary offer was OK, but I was not really impressed or excited about it.
Was it less than the $50 thou you mentioned above and which I commented on? Just curious....
Not much else to say. Except for one thing: I am sensing that Uni's in the kingdom expect teachers to fall from the sky; they expect you to do all the legwork/paperwork for yourself to get yourself legal, but will not reimburse you for your expenses. I don't like that trend, but it is the price you must pay if you want to work in the kingdom.
I agree. KSA is no longer the cornucopia (see dictionary) it once was. And....using my favorite word vis a vis ESL teachers in the Kingdom......there's a noticeable contempt directed towards ESL teachers anymore. (It was always there....it's just that it's no longer hidden as much as before).
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Last edited by SENTINEL33 on Fri Mar 21, 2014 3:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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scot47
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 15343
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 11:32 am Post subject: |
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US$400 or SR 1500 will not get you anywhere that you would want to live in. As far as I know KAU has never offered English teachers on campus accommodation. Some other universities do.
Having to find and rent your own apartment will add immensely to your problems. I did it in the 1970s when I was young and foolish. (And desperate for a job.) |
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SENTINEL33
Joined: 19 Jan 2014
Posts: 112
Location: Bahrain
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| Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| scot47 wrote: |
US$400 or SR 1500 will not get you anywhere that you would want to live in. As far as I know KAU has never offered English teachers on campus accommodation. Some other universities do.
Having to find and rent your own apartment will add immensely to your problems. I did it in the 1970s when I was young and foolish. (And desperate for a job.) |
Although scot47 likes to pass himself off as the Forum clown, that doesn't mean he doesn't on occasion have something profound to contribute. He does, and his statement quoted here is one of those occasions. In fact, what he says is of more significance than what I have to say because he's lived through the experience of "finding your own place".....I haven't.
I've mentioned this before about this "finding your own place" business in the Gulf, and I've been lambasted for saying so. Scot47 is the 1st person who's agreed with my view that it borders on the criminal to bring a western teacher to any of the Gulf countries and basically dump him on the streets of wherever he's going to reside and say "Find your own place".
I don't know when this practice started but it never used to be that way. As far as I'm concerned, the ONLY employers worth working for as those who offer accomodations the minute you arrive. At least, the employer is making an effort and is considering your long-term comfort and safety.
If an employer doesn't offer this, he's basically telling you that in his estimation, you're deserving of no better treatment than a stray alley tomcat. (I almost said something else, but I restrained my fury).
But as long as people subserviantly and meekly accept this "find your own place" as normal, nothing's going to change. |
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