Job Discussion Forums

[ALEX.J]

Let me preface by saying that leaving the job was hard but one of the best decisions I have ever made.
When I was there, one of the biggest problems faced was the salary discrepancies. For western passports though, contractors were generally on 8K USD and Aramcons were on around 10-11K USD. You don’t want to be there for anything less than around 9K USD because the mental challenges to staying there are just not worth putting up with for anything less than 9K USD. Keep in mind that for contractors, house is NOT provided so you will have to pay for that.
The work environment is the most stressful I have ever experienced. Few people who have worked here will disagree with that. You will have a lot of managers and they will have nothing other to do than check up on you. If they catch a student on a phone, sleeping, going to the bathroom within the first 10 min of class, students no paying attention, ect… reports will be made. There is a very strong culture of snitching. There are many reasons for this but the main one is that it is so top heavy. Many managers don’t do much other than watch the teachers to report things they see and hear. Spying on classes through windows is very normal. When I was there, no one liked the stress and constant feeling of being watched all the time. Many people cannot leave because the money is good, but the quality of life is awful due to this work stress. Of course there is stress everywhere but the high salaries are there JUST FOR THAT, to keep people from leaving. Even with large salaries, many people could not handle the intense BS.
There were also a lot of firings when I was there, often for silly reasons or personal vendettas. People seldom left happy. Be prepared for intense scrutiny. Teachers would often come into work and be talked down to by management as if it was normal. The management team being sent now for this Jubail project I have heard is in fact one of those, who constantly talked down to staff. It is a trade-off but the pressure can really make you realize how much or little you want the next salary. If you come, don’t settle for anything short of 9K, as that is what most guys were on when I was still there.

Since leaving, I have sacrificed the large salary for a more modest one, but the peace of mind and just going into work and not having to fear being examined constantly and berated is a fair trade off to me.

[sicklyman]

very interesting post. Thanks for that.

The job ads on Dave's have a specific listing for JATCO contracted teachers to Aramco. Wonder how many will bite. Still no word that any of these recently advertised positions will be in an ITC though.