Job Discussion Forums

[waltgomez]

This is a quick down and dirty on this place. It’s basically a technical college , and they have ongoing hiring.

First, the good:

1)They get you a business visa so you don’t need to spend weeks or months in the USA /UK/CN etc, and Saudi trying to get an Iqama. They update them in Bahrain in a timely manner. Business visas vary from three months to five years depending on nationality.

2)The salary is US $3840 a month and is generally paid on time. There have been reports of some delays, but these are rare.

3)The school building and facilities are nice, modern and make the place look like an airport more than a school.

4)The accommodations are fair- at a hotel first, then , to an apartment. Can take months to be transfered to an apartment or can take less. Luck of the draw.

Now, the bad:

1)Extremely high turnover of staff. Appears to be in hundreds. Many quit, many also get fired. As a result, most coworkers you have are also newbies and if you ask them most things, they shrug and say : “I don’t know”. Recently, there was a mass lay-off , and about 25 teachers were removed from their jobs- not enough students, apparently.

2)Very rowdy and disobedient students. If you have taught ghetto high schools, this is about as bad as that. You can hear students bark like dogs, neigh like horses , talk on the phones, just do anything they want. It’s very hard to teach them.

3)Very disorganized, chaotic and unreliable management which routinely makes many mistakes in all areas, changes rules arbitrarily and constantly makes and breaks its promises.

While salaries are not messed with, vacations, vacation pay and overtime pay seem to discretionary areas in which sudden changes and mistakes - as well as broken promises- are common.

In addition, there appears to be more than one boss giving conflicting directions and orders.

Conclusion: if you want a job in Saudi, and NITI/Kaplan/IILS, offers you one, yeah, you may want to accept it, but have a contingency plan which you can utilize at any moment. This is not a secure job at all.

[nomad soul]

[Makkah]

[laughingalltheway]

Low quality teachers? Just because there is turnover and people on business visas doesn't mean all the teachers are poor. That is a sweeping generalization.

How is being on a business visa good? Without proper residency you are treated like an alien, like someone that doesn't belong. No ability to rent a car, have a bank account, etc.

[nomad soul]

[mrpianoman]

Vetting mental/physical health....costs £250-£350 in London to get a 'certificate' No need to approach one's GP about medical history I don't think!

Criminal history....An ACRO won't show up 'spen't convictions in the UK, it just says 'stepped down' and you may have to provide an explanation (your own one!)

Qualifications- this is the only thing that is properly checked for a proper work visa.

experience- they will check 2 references probably. Anything else on one's CV COULD be exaggerated if need be!

[mrpianoman]

Incidentally, how do you get paid on a business visa if you can't get a bank account. I was on a business visa once but I can't remember how I was paid. Do you get a pseudo bank account or something?

[waltgomez]

[Makkah]

The OP doesn't mention 'clueless newbies', just 'newbies'.

[fester]

I agree Makkah. For once, Nomad Soul's reading skills don't seem to match his writing skills. I found no inference that newbies were poor teachers.

As regards how you get paid on a Business Visa - usually an envelope full of cash, which you can transfer abroad, though this is more difficult for some nationalities than others.

The other option is for the company to transfer it direct to an overseas account.

[currentaffairs]

Unless things have changed you can't send money overseas without an iqama. One of the Saudi staff members usually has to accompany you so that you can send your money home!

[fester]

It's possible to send money to an account overseas without an iqama, although
not for North Americans.

[veiledsentiments]

[Makkah]

.....'just picking nits'.... Not to worry they have a shampoo for that.

[nomad soul]