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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 2:11 pm Post subject: Re: Diplomatically speaking |
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Gulezar wrote: |
Being diplomatic about the "promise" one just has to say that a 5 year attempt to get a passing IELTS (or the promised EELTS ... Emirati English Language Testing System) score shows no desire on the part of the student. It won't take long before diplomacy, economics and linguistics all come together and students get weeded down. |
I'd say that it is more a matter of ability rather than desire. Not everyone is academic material... and I recall that even with the stated school leaving exam score requirement, every year at HCT there would be 15-20 girls whose fathers used their wasta to force them to be accepted. That said, if they failed the foundation courses two semesters in a row, they were out. The university didn't have that option.
It is likely somewhat different these days, but it made for a very expensive system in the past.
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mishmumkin
Joined: 01 Sep 2007 Posts: 929
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 8:57 am Post subject: |
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danshengou wrote: |
If you meet their minimum qualifications, which is a related MA and 3 years post-MA tertiary experience (although you would only be teaching foundation students for them) and some prior ME experience, you could expect something similar to what the main employers in the UAE pay, so probably about 14-15k dirhams + housing and airfare (25k combined monthly package is in the acceptable starting range in Abu Dhabi for a single person or couple - rents are high). If you have considerably more than the minimum requirements you might get a monthly package as high as 28k. But be aware that for this you will most likely have to adhere to a strict dress code and 40-hour on-campus requirement. And again, you won't be teaching actual freshman. Paid leave will probably be around 8 weeks plus local holidays. |
Actually, until very recently when housing allowances were reportedly cut, PI employees were the highest paid in the UAE. Far more all-inclusive than the 28,000 you suggested. It's no longer relevant, though, as the housing has been cut and hiring is frozen. With the cuts to ADNOC and the recent merger w/ KUSTAR and Masdar, I suspect it will be a long time before we see them hiring again. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2016 2:09 pm Post subject: erm |
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Don't think of jumping ship to the opco's. Everyone's getting laid off. Adgas teachers-gone. ADCO-going as we speak. Us lot waiting for the guillotine. |
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danshengou
Joined: 17 Feb 2016 Posts: 434 Location: A bizarre overcrowded hole
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 3:18 am Post subject: |
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So now that the ME is really no longer a good option, where are TEFLers looking for money? Maybe just ride out the storm and hope for a rebound? Head back to the first world? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 4:01 am Post subject: |
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danshengou wrote: |
So now that the ME is really no longer a good option, where are TEFLers looking for money? Maybe just ride out the storm and hope for a rebound? Head back to the first world? |
There likely won't be any "rebound." Instead of passively expecting to land some great TEFL gig, job seekers looking for stability and good pay should seriously consider other career fields where their skills/experience could be utilized, or they could head back to university for training in another profession or area of education. In other words, in addition to becoming a bona fide, licensed/certified k12 teacher (preferably in primary education or a STEM subject), other fields worth a look include speech language pathology, educational technology, guidance counseling, library science, GED/ABD education, etc., as well as instructional design, corporate training, social media writer, and technical writing. The goal is to become versatile and not limit yourself to TESOL. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 8:16 am Post subject: and... |
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And to add more gloom, I've heard that ADNOC has told the banks not to lend to contractors for the oil companies as huge cuts (on top of those already) are imminent. Having to pay your rent up front in AD and car , sat TV contracts etc is now going to set you back a fortune on day 1 of your working life here. My advice is this: If your contract doesn't include free housing, forget it. I've just forked out a small fortune for rent, not knowing if I'll have a job come January. The law here states that a landlord is perfectly within his rights to keep it all. |
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danshengou
Joined: 17 Feb 2016 Posts: 434 Location: A bizarre overcrowded hole
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Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2016 7:15 pm Post subject: Re: and... |
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dragonpiwo wrote: |
And to add more gloom, I've heard that ADNOC has told the banks not to lend to contractors for the oil companies as huge cuts (on top of those already) are imminent. Having to pay your rent up front in AD and car , sat TV contracts etc is now going to set you back a fortune on day 1 of your working life here. My advice is this: If your contract doesn't include free housing, forget it. I've just forked out a small fortune for rent, not knowing if I'll have a job come January. The law here states that a landlord is perfectly within his rights to keep it all. |
The glory days are long since over. A few TEFL gigs are left here and there, but mostly it's time to look for another career if you can, unfortunately. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:48 pm Post subject: |
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Complacency has no rewards. |
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Foremost
Joined: 05 Nov 2012 Posts: 22
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2016 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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Complacency is self-rewarding. |
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dragonpiwo
Joined: 04 Mar 2013 Posts: 1650 Location: Berlin
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Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2016 11:06 pm Post subject: erm |
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The writing's on the wall-it's going to be a race to the bottom re packages in this region now that they've realized the low price of oil is the new normal and that costs can be cut drastically.
This 21k deal advertised a while back is simply not enough if you live in Abu Dhabi and god forbid worse if you have a kid.
Retrain. |
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Londonlover
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 90 Location: London
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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I'm curious Dragonpiwo,
why do you say that a salary of 21K which is the equivalent of about £4,700 a month tax-free not enough?
Admittedly I have no experience of living/working in Abu Dhabi/The Emirates but for someone in the U.K. that monthly salary looks huge. |
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2buckets
Joined: 14 Dec 2010 Posts: 515 Location: Middle East
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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If you take 10K, and maybe as much as 15K off the 21K for a decent apartment (flat), each month, then travel expenses, school fees and other living expenses, you don't have much left over.
Oil has dropped below $50.00 a barrel, currently $47.00 because non-Opec producers wouldn't agree to production cuts.
It's not going to get better. I'd be Cathay bound. With few exceptions the Gulf is finished. |
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Londonlover
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 90 Location: London
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks 2buckets,
I didn't realise the accommodation over there is so expensive. And leaving little left over with those kind of offers, it defeats the whole purpose of the exercise - of saving huge wads, which I am sure for 90% or more of the ex-pats in the Gulf is the sole reason for being there. You may well be right about China. |
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2buckets
Joined: 14 Dec 2010 Posts: 515 Location: Middle East
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2016 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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Few, if any provide housing anymore. It's very expensive and you have to pay one year in advance, not knowing if you'll pass the 3-6 month probation period.
If you don't, good luck getting a refund. Landlords, often sheiks and "VIPs" are obscenely greedy and you have little to no recourse.
The days of " saving huge wads" are well and truly over. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world
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Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:38 am Post subject: |
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Londonlover wrote: |
I didn't realise the accommodation over there is so expensive. And leaving little left over with those kind of offers, it defeats the whole purpose of the exercise - of saving huge wads, which I am sure for 90% or more of the ex-pats in the Gulf is the sole reason for being there. |
Money isn't the main motivation for some expats (western and eastern) who call the Gulf home. Plus, not all teaching jobs are created equal; experienced, qualified/licensed k-12 teachers from the UK, US, etc., are in demand with the better packages going to the those possessing the strongest quals. |
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