Job Discussion Forums

[nichtta]

Hi Everyone,

I just had an interview today, at the end of which the interviewer said I did well. There hasn't been an official job offer yet, but here's what I've been able to find out thus far:

1. There are a maximum of 30 teaching hours. This is a lot!!! It may be the reason I don't accept the offer because I think 20-25 is the maximum I can personally handle, but I'm still thinking about it. Each teaching hour is 50 minutes long.

2. The work day is 8 AM - 3 PM, five days a week, which seems longer than some I've seen mentioned on the forum. It's not ideal but doable.

3. There are 45 days of break for Ramadan, about 9-11 days for Hajj, and a week in January or March off as well. Again, not as much as other offers I've seen on here, but I can deal with it.

4. Housing is provided in a hotel/apartment furnished place or I can opt for a monthly housing allowance and choose my own place. Note: This is not a compound.

5. There is bus provided for teachers from this housing area or I can opt for a monthly transportation allowance.

6. An employment visa and iqamah are provided.

7. I should've asked about the flight there. The return flight is provided, but I'm not clear about the flight there and if it's reimbursed or paid up front.

8. Salary, worst case scenario, is $30,000. I've read enough on here to know that's not high at all for KSA, but please note that I'm just looking to live a comfortable life, i.e., not expecting to be super rich and save a lot each month or to break even. Saving up a little bit each month would be enough.

This is for the NIT (National Institute of Technology), in case anyone is wondering. Yes, I've read their reviews here on Dave's and personally know someone who worked there, but it seems like an okay place just to get my foot in the KSA door.

My questions are:

1) Is a salary of SAR 9,350 a month enough for two people to live comfortably in Jeddah, eating out once every week or 10 days, mostly eating at home, and saving up a little bit each month?

2) Is a housing allowance of SAR 28,000 a year enough to find a decent place in Jeddah, either close to the coast or on the outskirts closer to the highway to Makkah? NIT is located in Bahra, half-way between Jeddah and Makkah, so this would cut down on my transportation time to work if I can't get a place close to the Red Sea at a reasonable price.

3) Is a transportation allowance of SAR 1,000 a month enough to rent a car plus gas so I can drive to work and also have my own transportation just to go around town when necessary?

[currentaffairs]

Even for contractors, this is a really low offer. I don't know your quals but most of the young guys I knew with a few years of experience and a BA plus TEFL cert were getting at least around 11,000 per month at other places.

I think this is the lowest that someone should accept in my view. Of course, you may want to work your way up but the max of 30 teaching hours (which most likely means you will be teaching 25 hours a week) is not that good either.

[nichtta]

Thanks for your response, currentaffairs!

This is a direct hire with no middleman involved. I also have a BA, CELTA, and a few years of teaching experience, but without an English, TEFL, or TESOL BA and/or MA, it seems really hard to come across opportunities in KSA.

Do you remember what those other places were that were giving at least 11,000 SAR per month?

Also, keeping in mind it is a really low offer relative to the ESL field in KSA and relative to the other offers I've seen on this forum, do you know if it's enough for Jeddah in terms of 1) general expenses, 2) housing, and 3) transportation just to live comfortably and maybe save up a little every month?

[nomad soul]

Given that meager salary as well as the costs associated with renting and insuring a car, furnishing a flat, and covering monthly utilities and Internet, you should seriously think twice about taking those housing and transportation allowances.

[currentaffairs]

The young guys I knew only had a BA plus TEFL cert. They didn't have a MA in TESOL or 10 years of experience.. Most had taught for at least two years in the UK prior to coming to Saudi Arabia.

Any of the main contractors will pay around 11,000, I think. Send off your CV to some of them and see what offers come up. Just keep scanning the job listings. Shabaka are paying 12,000 a month for someone with a BA plus TEFL and 4 years of experience. I am sure you could get in somewhere for around 11,500 if you keep looking!

http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/index.cgi?read=35685

PS I think Kaplan runs the ESL program at NITI? It isn't a direct hire position as such but others know more details about this company and their various institutes. There are a number of threads about them as well..

[nomad soul]

[nichtta]

Thanks for the word of caution, nomad soul! I knew it was low, but I didn't know it was that bad.

I'm going to look into the recruiters I saw mentioned on the forums here, currentaffairs. I appreciate that recommendation, which I have been avoiding because I don't really like working through a middleman and never have before.

Shabaka Training did offer me an interview after reading through their website and "Buyer Beware Guide." I loved the details, but it just didn't seem like the type of place where I would feel comfortable working. The reviews on this forum seemed mixed--some terrible, some okay. Plus, I wanted something closer to Jeddah.

[nichtta]

[nomad soul]

[scot47]

How does your wife feel about going to KSA ? How much does she know about life in purdah- in seclusion ? Living in an apartment is especially difficult for someone in that position. It is rather like being in solitary confinement in daytime hours.

Even living in a well-appointed compound with good facilities can put a real strain on your partner.

[nichtta]

[nichtta]

[nomad soul]

[scot47]

In the 1990s my wife found life in Jeddah difficult - and that was in one of the better compounds. What saved her sanity was getting a job.

Jeddah is definitely much better than the other big cities - if you can handle the humidity !

[nichtta]