Job Discussion Forums

[Deats]

I have recently been looking into jobs in the Middle East, but after reading posts on here over the last few weeks I have put my job hunt on hold.

I am now trying to find out some answers to the following questions before deciding what I should do next and would really appreciate any feedback that you can offer me.

Here is my current situation – I am English, 34, married with child on the way. I have an unrelated BA (History and Politics) degree. I have 4 years experience teaching in a university in China and 2 years experience in an elite all boys boarding school in Russia. I have over 7000 classroom hours including private lessons. I also volunteered in a school in Syria and have travelled in the Middle East for about 9 months.

Looking at my options, it appears that with my qualifications my only hope for the Middle East is Saudi Arabia and Oman, right?

I have received a lot of interest from Saudi recruiters, but judging from what you guys have said, they all pay peanuts in comparison to direct hire. Most offers look a little like this: $3000-$3500 USD with 30 days holiday (+local holidays), airfare for 1 person and a stipend for housing (or sometimes housing). Also most recruiters don’t seem to offer the same perks like flying spouse and kids over, no tuition for schooling your kids, 60 days holiday etc. Except for these excellent perks from going direct hire, what I really don’t understand is what direct hire jobs pay? Is it a lot more than $3500? With my qualifications do I have ANY chance of getting a direct hire job? Or is a recruitment agency job paying $3500 realistically the best I can expect?

It has made me think that I may be better served to return to the UK and get an MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics. What I am trying to figure out is whether it would pay for itself in the long run. I understand there is a pay scale associated with years worked post MA. Can anyone give me a rough idea how it works? – I know it is different from job to job, but any idea is better than none!

In addition, my wife has similar experience to me but her degree is in linguistics. Unfortunately (for work purposes) she is originally from Russia and whilst her degree is from SPBGU (the 2nd best uni in Russia), I doubt most employers will be excited about any degree from Russia? Does anyone have an idea of what a foreigner would get paid – with or without an MA – in comparison to a native speaker? Presumably if she got an MA from an English uni, it would help?

If we did accept a job this year, my wife would look after our child and her biggest concern would be living in a good compound. Is it unrealistic to think we would get a good compound if recruited through an agency?

Sorry for asking so many questions! And thanks for taking the time to read through my post!

Phil

[veiledsentiments]

My advice would be to get that MA. That would open up opportunities in universities all over the Gulf where pay, benefits and conditions are significantly better than what you could get now. At 34, you are young enough that it would pay for itself.

Your wife could likely pick up a local hire teaching job after you are hired. Is her degree an MA or a BA? If both of you had an MA, that would open possibilities to be hired as a teaching couple at some of the universities... even though she is not a native speaker.

VS

[nomad soul]

Ditto that---go for the MA; otherwise, you'll continue to get those bachelor-status, bottom-of-the-barrel offers from contracting companies. Direct-hire employers want to see a related MA (take a look at "The skinny on direct-hire university opportunities" http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=103722 ). Plus, in order to increase your competitiveness, you'll need at least a couple of years of university-level teaching experience gained after you've completed your grad degree. That very likely means heading to other countries to teach before considering the Mid East.

If your wife beefs up her qualifications while you're completing yours, she also increases her chances for landing a decent TEFL position in the region. Obviously, with a new baby on the way, that could be a challenge for her.

Keep in mind that the governments of Qatar, KSA, and Kuwait currently do not accept degrees that included online coursework. That goes for TEFL certifications as well.

[Deats]

Thanks for your replies!

My wife's degree is a Russian BA, so i guess an MA from a British uni would look good on her CV.

Do employers usually look for a degree from say the UK or US, or would a degree from the Netherlands be ok? To study in Holland is much cheaper than the UK. Groningen uni claims to be in the top 100 in the world, so I'm guessing this shouldn't be an issue?

Another thought sprang into my mind after posting. I visited Israel overland from Jordan. Whilst I don't have an Israeli stamp in my passport, I do have entry and exit stamps from Jordan. I presume these state the crossing point - i.e. the border with Israel? The visas are in Arabic so I have no idea what is written. Presumably I would need a new passport to apply for KSA?

Can anybody give me advice of a realistic salary in KSA and/or the Middle East if I had an MA and let's say 2 years experience?

Thanks again!

Phil

[nomad soul]

[plumpy nut]

OP did you catch the threads about how the Gulf countries reject diplomas that include any amount of hours of online courses? Something for you to consider when you pursue your further education if you're interested in teaching in the Gulf anywhere, although even if they reject your Masters you can still teach here on a Bachelors.

[nomad soul]

[Deats]

Thanks again for your input.

I know I must take the MA in class. When I mentioned the university in Groningen it was to go and study in Holland rather than actually taking it online. But if this won't be recognised as 'equal' to a degree from a native speaking country, then I will scrap this idea.

[scot47]

Do it in the UK. Get a passport that does not show any evidence that you have visited the "Zionist Entity".

When applying for jobs in KSA consider availability of jobs for your wife - and education allowances for child. Currently government uni jobs only pay SR25,000 in total for this. It is not enough for a reasonable school.

PMU would be a possibility since they hire male and female teachers who teach on the separate, but linked, campuses outside Khobar.

[lcanupp1964]

I would 100% get my MA if I were you. BTW, Congrats on the soon-to-be-bundle-of-joy. I read this thread very quickly, so I don't think anyone has written that some counties - like KSA - require all teachers to have around 2/3 years of direct teaching experience AFTER your last degree. You can get your MA TESOL and then find teaching positions in those counties (Oman might be one of them) that don't have that requirement, gain the experience and soon you'll be making the big bucks to carry you guys into your early 40's all set-up. By that time, your little one will be starting school, so if you wanted to make the most money and come to KSA, listen to scot47 and only apply to Gov't Universities (as a direct hire only please) that offer education allowances for kids. I teach at KAU and they offer zero assistance for education.

Could be a very good five-year plan for you and your family.

[Deats]

Thanks for your replies and congratulations! I am currently looking into the MA, but had the unpleasant surprise to find out that I need to pay 'international' fees in the UK, because I haven't been a resident in the UK (my country of birth, education etc) for the last 3 consecutive years. Nice. This really bumps the cost up and is a joke. To do an MA TESOL you need experience to qualify if you don't have a related degree - so you do ESL abroad - then you have to pay 3x the course fees... This is why I'd rather never move back to the UK.

One last question - do you always need a transcript from your degree to get a job in KSA - or anywhere else in the ME? I contacted my uni to ask for a copy of my transcript (I actually don't even remember receiving one - it definitely didn't come with the degree itself) and they told me by law they only have to keep it on record for 10 years. I graduated 12 years ago. This means I will NEVER have a transcript! I find this really hard to believe... but I'm finding a lot of things hard to believe in the UK these days... Does this mean I could never get a job here or are there ways around applying without a transcript?

Thanks again,

Philip

[lcanupp1964]

You always have to submit transcripts when you first apply to the embassy of your home country - whichever passport you hold - for visa processing. In my case, they returned all my transcripts unopened. I saw that the stamp/signature my schools placed on the envelopes were not tampered with when the embassy/Mission returned my package back to me with my visa stamp on my passport. I guess I had a lazy Saudi government employee the day my application came across his/her desk. People living over here will get that slight joke.

There are quite a few cases in which a teacher will not put down their newly earned MA down on their CV due to not being able to list any teaching positions AFTER finishing the masters. The reason (as in all things) is money.

I spent a couple of years assisting the ELI at KAU with recruitment and the numbers work out that if you have a related BA degree (English, for example), a 120-hour on-site TESOL/CELTA, and 7/8 plus years of direct teaching experience (with some of that in the Middle East, or teaching university age students) you will get an offer higher than having a non-related BA, a TESOL/CELTA, and a new MA in TESOL with under five years of experience.

Most importantly, I think you have to find a way to get official transcripts. You don't need them to get a job, but you need them to get your work visa, so you can get the visa to do the job. A little bit of a catch-22, but that's the system. Good luck.

[nomad soul]

[Deats]

Thanks again

My only worry then is will the university accept me to study if I don't have my transcript ????

Oh the joys of bureaucracy

[lcanupp1964]

Can one get into grad school without submitting their undergrad transcripts?