Job Discussion Forums

[kdaca]

The offer is in between the asterisks. All helpful feedback is welcome.

* * * * *
12-month contract

Contact hours: 8am - 10am weekdays

Office hours: 3 (Oops. I just realized I didn't confirm 3hrs/day or 3hrs/wk, but the interviewer said that everyone tries to leave the office by noon.)

- 995 KD per month (I have an MA TESOL, and will have had two years of FT teaching experience at the tertiary-level by June 2007.)

- 250 KD per month for a flat

- 2000 KD furniture allowance (paid once, isa upon arrival)

- Round-trip tix for myself and my child

- Government health insurance (Oops. I forgot to confirm if it's for the both of us or just for me.)

- Two weeks paid mid-year holiday

- Paid summer holiday

- End of service gratuity (Oops. I didn't ask how much.)

NO TUITION ALLOWANCE OR REIMBURSEMENT FOR DEPENDENTS
* * * * *

By the way, I don't plan on driving if we move to Kuwait. I've been using taxis and accepting the occasional ride from aquaintances since I've been in the GCC. Please factor this snippet into your answer.


Thanks,
K.

[veiledsentiments]

It looks pretty much the same as the KU contract has been for years (since the late 90's anyway). There has been a significant raise in the salary scale though - that appears the good news. The housing allowance is the same as it was for a single teacher. At the time I was there, they were just talking about cutting the furniture allowance down to 2000 from 2500 for single people. I did talk them into giving me the higher amount, but the other singles got the 2000.

The end of service gratuity is normally based on your 'base salary' so it isn't significant anyway. I can't recall if it is one-half of that tiny number or all of it... the base used to be around 500. You would need to ask them.

Like most university contracts in the Gulf, it is a 12 month salary no matter whether there are holidays or semester breaks or whatever. You get the monthly amount every month of the year. KU has nice long summer breaks... depends on department, but normally about 3 months and you are given your full summer salary before you leave.

You will have to confirm with them whether your child is covered by the medical. Single women with children fall outside their norm, so you are losing out on the normal benefits as far as housing allowance and furniture. I would make a try at negotiating yourself up to the usual family numbers.

Let me warn you that KU is notorious for being very slow to get you that first pay (including the housing and furniture allowance). I arrived in August and all of us newcomers finally got our money in late December. In between I had to pay my own rent, buy my own furniture with my home credit card, and otherwise support myself. Hopefully they are not as incompetant still... but... be prepared.

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

taxi's will kill you - uh, the weekly cost i mean
use teacher specials to rent (al mulla or al sayer)
use bus lines also, not as bad as some bloggers say
if you live in ku housing the daily commute to jabriya is 18usd in taxis - forget buses as daily commute
in hteory ku has shuttle between its sites but don't count on it
if you live and work in jabriya you could walk to work
apartments in jabriya are cheap but area is not the best
but will you work in jabriya or shuwaik (where ku housing is)?

school tuition for kid will be 1500-3000dinar yearly AND bus 220dinar is a requirement if you don't drive

without a car, your child will miss socialization and a normal childhood, have you thought of that?

[kdaca]

Thanks, VS and 15yearsinQ8.

VS, I just realized that I've assumed they would give me the single allowances because I was internalizing what I think their definition of family will be. I'll ask what's up and make a case in my favor. Thanks for the tip.

The interviewer was upfront about how long it could take to get paid. Thank goodness my current employer broke me in when I moved to Oman last year. It took a few months to see my first paycheck. I�d come to the Gulf straight out of grad school with no savings to speak of and no credit cards. The experience wasn�t pleasant. On the other hand, asking for handouts from complete strangers opened the door to new friendships.

I�m not sure if I�d be in Jabriya or Shuwaik, 15yearsinQ8. Can you tell me what you mean about Jabriya not being in the best area? Aside from that, is there somewhere on campus for families and other staff to swim, exercise, hang out, etc.? I�m assuming there are more families on campus than off campus based on my experience in Oman. Is this true for KU? Do you need a lot of wasta to get on-campus housing? I don't think I would've gotten on campus had I not made the point that I wouldn't be driving (there's a long waiting list here and I jumped to the front of the line).

I�m not sure how you�re defining �normal childhood�, 15yearsinQ8. It�s all relative, I suppose. My personal experience with giving my son a normal childhood in the Gulf without car has been more positive than what we had back home with busses right outside our door and trains within walking distance. I had people telling me that I just had to get a car while in Oman � a complete waste of money for someone who�s not making top dollar and doesn�t plan to stay in the country long enough to make owning a car worth the debt; especially when one can rent a car once or twice a month to do day trips or whatever.

I guess I�m surfing in the wrong place because most of the private schools I�ve researched are 4000KD/year and up. I�ve been told by the interviewer that tuition is as low as $3000usd. I guess I need to get on the ball and contact the good, lower-cost schools now. This issue will be the determining factor in my decision to accept the offer. It�s one thing to live paycheck to paycheck in your own country as a teacher, but it�s another to do it in a region where its common for your employer to offer a tuition allowance/reimbursement. The salary KU�s offering is considerably more than what I�m getting now, but if half my yearly salary needs to go towards private school tuition, then I might as well stay where I am, or go to Latin America.

Thanks again for your help,
K.

[veiledsentiments]

What you need to tie down (besides the family/single issue for housing) is where will you be teaching. There are a number of locations. Without a car, obviously you would be best living near where you are teaching. If you are on the main campus, then you would want to stay in Shuweikh. The housing out there is spacious, but I ran for town within about a week. Most Westerners prefer to live off campus for varying reasons. But, as someone with a child, there are many families living on campus. It is not at all like SQU, if that is where you are. The housing is all large tower blocks. I'm really not sure about the facilities out there... there has been much construction since I was there.

Like everywhere Kuwait has good and bad neighborhoods. That is something that you deal with once you are there and know where you will teach and where your son's school is.

And BTW, let me warn you that Oman has the fastest, most efficient, most pleasant and professional bureaucracy in the Gulf... and Kuwait has the worst. If there was anything that you didn't like about Oman's bureaucracy, Kuwait's will be 5 times worse. It takes forever to do anything, costs money every step of the way, the bureaucrats will treat you like dirt, and just plain refuse to wait on you until you have come back two or three times. The only consolation is that they treat their fellow Kuwaitis the same way.

VS

[kdaca]

Thanks for your help, VS. No, I'm not at SQU, but I've heard it's so good that few people leave once they get hired. Maybe I should send my resume there.

[scot47]

I am not familiar with Kuwait. In Saudi over the years I have lost count of people who assured me that a car is essential. It isn't.

[veiledsentiments]

SQU has its pros and cons like everywhere, and it is true that many people have stayed for years (I know a few who have been there since it opened in the mid-80's). But, the pay is not stellar - and that is probably why most leave. Then, you hear so many of those express regret that they left.

If you decide against KU, SQU is certainly an option.

VS

[15yearsinQ8]

i'm sorry - as a parent - i've got to say you NEED a car
just my opinion and how i raise kids in kuwait....

jabriya is not so bad - not many westerners live there
where the apartments are , there are not any parks or walking trails
also lots of cars
not my favorite area, but ok if you work in jabriya

try the indian or pakistani schools which are known for tight curiculla and strict discipline also lower prices