Job Discussion Forums

[tennyson]

Hi
I've seen a lot of jobs advertised in KSA with August starts - I presume this is because semesters start after Eid which is relatively early this year. I am committed on pre -sessional courses until Mid Sept ? In your experience is it likely colleges/ universities would conduct further recruitment or have I missed the caravan.... ?

Also there appears to be an initiative to open a number of vocational colleges. Any forum members got any insight into this ?

[nomad soul]

Jobs openings are posted year-round. However, those positions are predominantly with contracting companies. Ads for direct-hire opportunities come out at around March---the start of the recruitment period for universities, which also coincides with TESOL Arabia's annual job fair.

[tennyson]

Thanks for clarifying.

[scot47]

Universities operate an academic year with two semesters. The aim is to get teachers to start at the beginning of one of the semesters, usually the first one. In practice people often join at later dates.

With contractors, starting dates depend on when the slave galleys arrive in port.

[tennyson]

Cheers Scot... will keep an eye out for later start. I assume some of the galley slaves don't show up or jump ship.

[myohmy]

Even if you began the job application process today, you would not be in Saudi before mid-September. If you want a job there this fall, best to get started right away!

[caliph]

myohmy:

It depends on who you work for.

I was hired by a US Department of Defense contractor. Did a week of orientation, (with wife), sent home for one week to pack, visa issued, flew to SA, two days of jet lag recuperation, one day of orientation , started teaching next day. Wife arrives three months later. Wife was Iranian passport holder, company got her "expedited" naturalization and US passport during that three months.

[Hatcher]

The ELI at KAU hires constantly and if you are a native speaker AND assuming you are in need of cash, then now it the time to apply.

The are badly understaffed and for good reason. But if you need a job now, apply with them.

[nomad soul]

[Hatcher]

If I was a dean in the KSA and I wanted to hire good teachers, I would do my best to make the place somewhat competitive with the UAE and Qatar.
The only thing they tell you is that you can save money there...

The ELI is incredibly disorganized and void of any leadership.

Here is one example. They couldnt get enough teachers for summer classes. And the dean denied the law and said anyone staying for the summer wouldnt be allowed to leave the KSA all summer. Didnt get enough teachers. Finally, he said, ok, you can going for the two breaks... but they have to come back next week for one week of teaching while the rest of the uni stopped summer classes July 18th.

I could write pages on the place... They go out of their way to make life tough on you such as telling the staff they cant leave for Hajj.... then a week before Hajj they say ok you can go... while the ticket prices have risen HUGE.

Then they wonder why they are short of teachers and have a high turnover.

I will say this.... the amount of classroom hours is less than 24 weeks... you teach less than half the year and only 3 or 4 hours a day.

What can you do with all that free time? Nothing.,

[scot47]

There is nothing to do in Jeddah ? Try Burayda or Hail.

[nomad soul]

[MuscatGary]